I realize many of you in states like Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, and Tennessee could tell similar stories, but the
North Carolina General Assembly,
with its Republican cabal super-majority and leaderless Governor, who is also a
member of the teabagger Republican cabal, have managed to destroy the reputation
of a state. Once known for having the most innovative and progressive
public school system in America, North Carolina is now a trajectory of
backwardness.
This legislature has put North Carolina in a race to the bottom on
per pupil expenditures. This legislature chose to cut education by a
half a billion dollars--even though the state had more resources
available than in previous years. North Carolina will lose over 5,000
teachers, counselors, and school psychologists. A reading program that
provided teaching assistants for K-3 classrooms was decimated by the
elimination of almost 4,000 positions. Cuts to textbooks and
instructional supplies exceeded $120 million. This is backward.
This legislature had plenty of funds to provide generous tax cuts to
the wealthy. Ninety percent of the individual tax cuts go to the
wealthiest 5 percent in NC. To show their disdain for the poor and
middle class, state lawmakers eliminated the Earned Income Tax Credit
(EITC) as well as the tax holiday on back to school clothes and
supplies, which has been an economic driver for our retail merchants.
Everyone knows that tax relief for the poor and middle class are better
economic drivers because the neediest people spend their money---unlike
rich people who have the luxury of saving tax benefits. This is
backward.
This legislature also had plenty of funds to provide generous tax
cuts to corporations, many of them headquartered in other states. North
Carolina has always been rated as a great place to do business because
of its renowned universities, research and innovation, and strong public
schools. However, this legislature has cut the institutions that
prepare North Carolina's workforce. This action is more about rewarding
friends and donors than it is about economic development and recruitment
of new employers. This is backward.
North Carolina was recently rated 46th among all states and DC for
teacher pay. The state was already projected to be 48th this coming
year, but that did not satisfy this legislature. Lawmakers wanted their
teachers to be last in the nation so they failed to provide them with a
salary increase. To underscore their anti-intellectual credentials, they
eliminated additional pay for those who earn master's degrees and other
advanced degrees in the future. To add insult to injury, in two years,
they will give 25 percent of the teachers a little over $300, after
taxes, if their test scores are the highest. Of course, to silence
teachers, they eliminated career status (so-called tenure) for all
teachers and replaced it with terminating contracts. This is backward.
North Carolina has been known for its programs to improve teacher
recruitment and retention. This legislature eliminated our crown jewel,
the Teaching Fellows Program, which provided scholarships annually to
600 high-achieving high school students who wanted to make teaching a
lifelong career. Instead, they chose to give Teach for America an
allocation of $5 million to place 175 teachers in our schools next year.
Of course, school districts must pay salaries, benefits, and finder's
fees for these TFAers. There are 6,000 Teaching Fellows who are still
teaching. Those175 TFAers will be gone in two years. What kind of ROI
(return on investment) is that for the taxpayers of NC? This is
backward.
North Carolina has been acknowledged for its good citizenship efforts
to encourage voting. We have a special program for high school students
to help them pre-register to vote when they are 16 or 17 years old.
This program is now gone. Suppression of young, minority, and disabled
voters reigns supreme in North Carolina. This state has returned to the
dark days of segregationist practices. This is backward.
Yes, North Carolina has the most backward legislature in America.
However, thankfully, NC still has a majority of progressive and
pro-public school people who have learned a great lesson about studying
candidates' positions on issues and voting in every election. They've
also learned about encouraging good people to run for office and the
power of civil disobedience to call attention to the misdeeds of a
misguided legislature. The majority of concerned and compassionate Tar
Heels will prevail. It will just take time, mobilization, and voting.
