Senator Bill Cook's Update on Public Education | Eastern NC Now

For Immediate Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     Since the General Assembly adjourned in late July, I have been out in the district talking with educators and students. I'm happy to report that I have visited with about twenty schools in seven out of the eight counties in N.C. Senate District one. I plan to continue this until I go back to Raleigh for the 2014 session. I have also attended and visited with several other groups and organizations to learn more about the issues that constituents in the district are facing. However, today I would like to share with you my point of view on the General Assembly's attempt to improve our public education for the 1.5 million students in North Carolina.

    When Republicans took the majority in 2011 for the first time since Reconstruction, the former Democrat leadership left us with: A $2.5 billion budget shortfall, a nearly bankrupt state health plan, an underfunded retirement system, the highest taxed state in the southeast, the most business regulated state in the southeast, the 5th highest unemployment state rate in the country, over $2 billion in debt to the federal government for an overly generous unemployment compensation program and an array of government projects with large appetites.

    During our first session in control of the General Assembly in many years, 2011/2012, we conservatives crafted a balanced, fiscally responsible state budget that continues to invest in core priorities, streamline state government, reform public education and grow the economy. We did all that and gave teachers their first raise in 5 years. Our current budget provides more of the same. It safeguards North Carolina's long-term fiscal health by investing in critical infrastructure improvements and shoring up reserve and rainy day funds. This $20.6 billion plan represents only a 2.5 percent increase in overall spending while laying the groundwork for the largest tax cut in state history. The budget accomplishes this while including over $1.5 billion in additional state dollars to fund out-of-control, unexpected costs in Medicaid, a program that continues to divert funds away from priorities like education and first responders.

    Contrary to what some are saying, our budget protects and even expands funding for public education, despite out-of-control costs in Medicaid. It invests over $300 million more in our public schools than the budget we passed last year  -  more than a four percent increase. That means we're spending nearly $11.5 BILLION on public education and $7.9 BILLION on our K-12 system  -  or over half of our state budget. It fully funds enrollment growth in K-12, community colleges and the university system. And while we were unfortunately unable to provide salary increases this year, keep in mind that during our first term as leaders of the General Assembly, Republicans gave teachers and other state employees their first raise in five years and balanced the budget. Previous leadership had a 2.5 billion dollar deficit on the budget and still could not find funds for raises.

    The fact still remains that 1 in 5 North Carolina students do not graduate from high school. It is clear our students deserve better than the status quo in education. Progress must be measured not on how much we spend, but on results. Reforming education is about changing the establishment philosophy  -  moving away from the status quo and toward a metric that values the results we see from our schools, teachers and students.

    North Carolina is blessed with some of the best teachers in the country and they're invaluable to the success of our children. Those teachers should be recognized and rewarded. But administrators also need the ability to make sure the handful of underperforming teachers either improve or find new professions. That's why tenure as we know it will be completely reformed under the Excellent Public Schools Act. Instead of granting permanent job-security to all after a few years in the classroom, teachers will work under contracts that are renewed based on performance  -  like nearly every other profession. Our focus shouldn't be on ensuring that bad teachers keep their jobs. Rather, it must be on making sure students can get a job after they graduate.

    At the same time, we are recognizing and rewarding our most effective teachers through a pay for excellence system. Our budget includes $10.2 million to begin that process and fund annual pay raises for the best teachers based on data and evaluations. Beginning in 2014, the top 25 percent of teachers identified by their local school boards will receive four-year contracts with built-in annual increases. That means over the next four years, those highly effective teachers will earn an additional $5,000 through a permanent salary increase. And that's just the first step in our commitment to implementing a strong pay for excellence system to take care of our best teachers.

    The other 75% will still receive the normal pay until they make their way into the top 25%. However, this will give them feedback on how to improve their teaching style and motivate them to do so. This Merit Pay System is designed to promote competition within the school and reward our top performing teachers for their outstanding performance that year. Every teacher has an equal chance to receive salary increase, and therefore has an equal share of the pie. Even President Obama's Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, says performance pay for teachers is his department's "highest priority." Refusing to reward the best teachers and make low performers improve is a classic example of what is wrong with the education bureaucracy and does a disservice to our children. Schools across North Carolina identify a teacher of the year and we even name a top teacher for the entire state. A teacher rewards the best performing students with a good grade, why should it be any different for the teacher?

    Change is not always easy, but we must remain focused on solutions that enable our students to reach their full potential. The Excellent Public Schools Act honors our pledge to recognize and reward our state's many outstanding teachers, maintains our commitment to identify and improve struggling schools and  -  most importantly  -  upholds our promise to prepare our children for future success.

    Mailing Address:

     300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 525
     Raleigh, NC 27603

    Phone: (919) 715-8293  •  Fax: (919 754-3296