NC Gov Mike Easley (D): "Four-year-olds don't have but one chance to be 4."

Charlotte Observer ^ | July 25, 2002 | SHARIF DURHAMS

[jern]

Easley: Hire 1,200 more teachers

SHARIF DURHAMS

Raleigh Bureau

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."

[Mudboy Slim]

"I once wrote a poem that said "Nothing is as final as the end."

Sort like Yogi Berra's "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over!!"

FReegards...MUD

[FreeTally]

That's supposed to read, "If I had young kids, there is no way I would leave them to the care....."

[EdReform]

Bump

[William Terrell]

When in NC, I tried my damndest by voting against him, but the fools elected him anyway. I'm in Alabama now where Siegleman is too clumsy and corrupt to be dangerous.

[rb22982]

I actually expect smaller government, and Yes I expect similar to Ron Paul. I would vote for anyone who would decrease government, the problem is most Republicans DONT. The bush bill increased government spending by like 5%, yet most 'conservative republicans' voted for it, thats not decreasing government, that is increasing it. When I start to see some in the Republican party actually decrease spending, decrease stupid drugs laws on especially marijauna, decrease the power of many agencies, vote to remove unconstitional and unnecessary government agencies, then Ill start voting Republican again, until then I will stick with third party candidates.

[tenderstone jr.]

at-risk 4-year-olds

How does one determine if a 4-year-old is at risk?

[fieldmarshaldj]

"How does one determine if a 4-year-old is at risk?"

According to Easley, if the 4-year old's parents are Republicans.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Bump!