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Posted on 07/25/2002 7:00:57 AM PDT by jern
Easley: Hire 1,200 more teachers
Raleigh Bureau
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RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley ordered schools to hire more than 1,200 teachers for the coming school year Wednesday, even though lawmakers haven't given him the money to pay them.
His order -- which puts 6,000 more at-risk 4-year-olds into classrooms and reduces class sizes statewide for kindergartners and first-graders -- will cost the state $54 million this year.
It comes as lawmakers are waging partisan, election-year battles over state budget cuts. And it sends local school leaders scrambling to hire teachers for classrooms set to open within weeks.
Easley justified his move by citing a recent order from a Wake County Superior Court judge that the state improve its schools. He also said he wants the hires to be made before the start of the school year.
"If we don't do it this week, it's not going to be done until next year," the governor said. "The 4-year-olds have to have the teachers now. Four-year-olds don't have but one chance to be 4."
The order drew quick criticism from House Republican leader Leo Daughtry, R-Johnston, who said the governor was expanding programs "that don't even exist, without any authority other than his own decision."
Easley said delays by lawmakers in passing a budget forced his hand. He defended his authority, saying the current budget -- passed late last year when the state's economy looked better -- included money for adding teachers. Easley's order would add 900 teachers to reduce class sizes in the early grades, and 333 for his More at Four pre-kindergarten program. He says such additions would comply with the Superior Court Judge Howard Manning's demand that the state provide a "sound basic education" for all children.
The executive order was Easley's second move to make major budget changes in a week. Last Thursday, he cut 1,300 filled and 1,300 vacant state employee jobs to help save the state money.
The Democratic leaders, who control much of the House budget process because of their party's 62-58 majority, back Easley's programs, but they also need to find as much as $300 million to stave off deep cuts to state-run health programs and to prison jobs.
Charlotte-area school leaders are now trying to figure out how many hires they can make. Vaughn Sprinkle, chairman of the Iredell-Statesville school board, wonders if his district will see any of those new teachers.
"How far will that go?" Sprinkle asked, noting his district will welcome any help the state can give.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district now runs two More at Four classrooms -- one at Highland Elementary and one at Childcare Network, a child-care provider in Charlotte.
The district also runs Bright Beginnings, its own preschool literacy program for 4-year-olds. Easley's order would not benefit that program.
The CMS staff is still reviewing Easley's order, but Superintendent James Pughsley said in a statement that the order "focuses on some of the key areas we have been addressing in CMS for several years -- reduced class size and preschool education."
Jerry Thomas, superintendent of Union County Public Schools, said he believes strongly in reducing class sizes and preparing children early for school. But, he said, "It would be important for us to know how this relates to the total budget picture. Is the governor going to pick and choose which parts of the budget will be supported? That's of concern."
Lawmakers also are trying to figure out how Easley's order fits into the rest of the budget. House Democratic leaders are still trying to come up with enough money to pay for state health programs, schools and prisons, despite the fact that tax revenues have dropped significantly with the economic slowdown.
The House is scheduled to vote on $167 million in new taxes today. Most of the money comes from closing loopholes in the corporate tax structure. The rest comes from delaying a child-care tax credit and a credit for married couples who pay disproportionally more than single taxpayers in state taxes each year. The new taxes still would not be enough to pay for Easley's programs and other Democratic priorities.
While the Democrats are still wooing Republican tax opponents to support the tax bill, they believe they've reached a compromise with Republicans and a few liberal Democrats on a plan to give cities, counties and towns some money the state has seized to balance its budget during the past two years.
The state usually budgets pay-outs to local governments to make up for an array of taxes that were repealed more than a decade ago.
A House subcommittee has approved a plan to give a half-penny of the state's 6.5 percent sales tax to local governments starting Jan. 1. In exchange, the state would stop giving out the reimbursement money. The tax swap would net the state $170 million this fiscal year and give the counties $160 million.
Assuming Mecklenburg County adopted the sales tax, it would receive about $11.4 million, less than the $24.4 million it would have gotten from the reimbursements.
"It's better than nothing," said county commissioners Vice Chair Becky Carney. "I would hope that it would help make counties whole, but I think at this stage of the game, we take we can get."
Charlotte would receive about $5.4 million, rather than the $13.8 million it usually got from reimbursements. This money would go into capital projects, leaving extra money in the capital reserve fund, said assistant budget director Ruffin Hall.
Gaston County Manager Jan Winters said losing about $4 million by not getting back all of the county's sales tax money is not acceptable. It could still mean layoffs, officials said.
Winters said losing the money was "a back-breaker." "That would be horrible, if not devastating, to us," he said. "We made a lot of cuts before we got to where we are."
What a stupid statement. I once wrote a poem that said "Nothing is as final as the end." I thought it was cool, but I was a teenager...
Four-year-olds should be at home with Mom (as much as is possible).
Be very careful Parents, this is one more to-get-votes scheme that does not benefit your child.
Damn yellow dog idiots.
I'm going drinking. Someone needs to buy me a bottle of Johnny Blue Label.
Talk to some of the so-called "Conservatives" (yeah right!) on this forum who tell they're not even going to bother to vote in the GOP primary for Senator, and then they plan to vote for Clinonite BOWLES against whoever wins the Republican primary (likely Dole due to their non-support of REAL Republicans).
We have met the enemy and they are us.
So, of course, that justifies spending the money even though it is no longer available, with the state's economy in the tank, and the Governor doing *NOTHING WHATSOEVER* to market the state in an attempt to bring new jobs in for ANY industry other than gambling interests (i.e., lottery)!
Oh, but he's added a billion to the state's budget...
Just one more benefit of voting for Democrats
And anyhow, you almost do not exist. Consider the multiplicity of locales where you aren't. Like, say, Madagascar. As far as Madagascar is concerned, you might as well be dead. In fact, since you are only present in one teensy place in the huge universe, the probability of your existence is virtually nil.
So why not kill yourself?...it would not make much of a difference...
Apologies to Stanislaw Lem for this botching of his humorous story.
--Boris
I wonder if he has a coat that says "Gov" on the back?
"Holy underwear!
Sheriff murdered!
Innocent women and children blown to bits!
We've got to protect our phony baloney jobs, gentlemen.
We must do something about this, immediately, immediately, immediately!"
Please FRmail me if you want on or off this NC Ping List.
Which will be followed by "2 isn't too early."
Followed by "Learning is fun at 1."
And then the crowning achievment of the Easley Administration... "Be a winner in the womb."
No comment!
Yep, you got that about right. And I'm one of them. As for this, what is Easley thinking? A four year old is only four once? The NCAE has pushed another 'education' governor upon this state. Next election, whoever is running the Republican campaign needs to
A) not allow Richard Vinroot to run and
B) about 8 months before the election just come right out and question the existence or need for the NCAE. By the time they're finished defending theirselves, they shouldn't be able to come up with too much in the way of campaign donations for their conadidate
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