Today, an unanimously approved resolution by the State Board of Education at its June meeting today was released. In it, members urge legislators to support the elements of the public school system that are most important for student success. Also, State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison discusses how the Senate budget will harm North Carolina public schools in his latest blog available at http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/stateboard/ . The budget was approved by members of the Senate today. House members are expected to vote on the legislation tomorrow and Saturday.
The resolution reads as follows:
NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Resolution
WHEREAS, the North Carolina State Board of Education has provided in its guiding
principles that education should continue to be the top priority of the
2011-2012 General Assembly and the last area to be cut in budget
deliberations; and
WHEREAS, we reject the premise of the Senate Budget that the public education system
is broken and believe instead that this budget will break an improving
system; and
WHEREAS, we reject the Senate claim that teacher assistant and classroom teacher
positions are protected and find instead that the Senate Budget forces the
local school districts to make the tough choices through the deep flex cuts
that will inevitably result in the loss of teachers and teacher assistants; and
WHEREAS, we reject the claim that the Senate Budget will improve early grades when it
transfers a nationally recognized prekindergarten program out of the
education department and cuts its budget by twenty percent while also
removing a pilot program of innovative diagnostics to help young students;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
THAT, the Senate Budget is not in the interest of the people of this great State and
urge legislators to support those elements of our public school system most
important for student success.
June 2, 2011
Dr. William C. Harrison, Chairman
North Carolina State Board of Education