Working Together to Make North Carolina Schools Second to None
The Collision of Idealism, Ideology, Organizational / Agency Self-Interest & Politics
Over the coming months you will have an opportunity to see the Good, Bad & Ugly of
This thing called the Policy Arena~
1. We are policy wonks, political junkies & advocates
2. We respect (although at times it’s hard) the process and believe that good things can, and do, come from an imperfect system
3. We believe that (for the most part) elected officials attempt to do what is right for kids in North Carolina
Policy making is all about people & relationships.It is also about party, ideology and campaign
donations.It is very much about the drive to be re-elected to
office.It is about credibility (for better or worse, you are
blessed by or saddled with the credibility of your organization).
It is about personal honesty, straight shooting, and consistency.
Most of all, it is a process. What doesn’t happen today can happen tomorrow. Play for the long haul. Don’t burn bridges over a one-year setback.
That power is fleeting (remember Jim Black?)Surprises happen (remember Jim Martin; or,
better yet, who can forget Sarah Palin?)Urgency makes strange bed fellows (witness the
Wall Street Meltdown)There is nothing like a real or imagined crisis to
drive policy (witness the Wall Street meltdown; better yet, think about dropout policymaking)
Policymaking is bigger than education; the interconnectivity of government impacts school policies (i.e. a slowdown in revenue collections, overcrowded prisons, bridges collapsing, hurricane relief, children losing medical benefit coverage, etc.)
First, major elected leaders & units of Government
The Office of the Governor(bully pulpit, Cabinet, budget proposals & veto)
State Board of Education General Assembly(budget recommendations; (power of purse strings & responsible for rules and regulations, frequently pass educationalcurriculum & testing) policies)
Smart Start – Governor HuntSmart Start – Governor Hunt
More at Four – Governor EasleyMore at Four – Governor Easley
High Schools – Governor EasleyHigh Schools – Governor Easley
ABC’s System – State Board of EducationABC’s System – State Board of Education
SB 2 (1SB 2 (1stst accountability) – General Assembly accountability) – General Assembly
Funding for Poor/Small Systems –General AssemblyFunding for Poor/Small Systems –General Assembly
School Calendar Bill – General AssemblySchool Calendar Bill – General Assembly
Dropout Prevention Initiative – General AssemblyDropout Prevention Initiative – General Assembly
Collaborative Project – General AssemblyCollaborative Project – General Assembly
Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. It also includes:UNCCommunity College SystemMore at FourSmart StartSOS & Crime Commission programs
While publicly these various educational entities are all in it together, there is predictable competition and jockeying for additional funding.
The Role of Non-Governmental Groups In Establishing Education Policy in NC
Unions & Professional Associations
Broad Public Policy NGOs
Educational Non-Profits
Business Organizations
For-Profit NGOs
Categories of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) That Are Active
in the NC Educational Policy Arena
Unions & Professional Associations
(NCASA, NCAE, NCSBA, NCPAPA, ASCD, Discipline Groups)
Taking a Closer Look. . .
Typically:
Narrow Focus
Bread & Butter & Security Issues or Issues Related to Narrow
Curriculum Focus
Issues of Control
Frequently Reactive
Poor Record of Improvement Leadership
Cutting Differences:
Those with Full-Time Lobbyists & Those Without
Those With PACs and Those Without
Numbers (i.e. potential votes)
LiberalLiberal ModerateModerate ConservativeConservative
Tax & Justice Tax & Justice CenterCenter
Center for Center for Public PolicyPublic Policy
Locke Locke FoundationFoundation
Child Advocacy Child Advocacy CoalitionCoalition
Pope Center on Pope Center on Higher EducationHigher Education
NAACP & Other NAACP & Other Minority Minority OrganizationsOrganizations
NC Education NC Education AllianceAlliance
Liberals Tend to:
Advocate for Disadvantaged, Minorities
Call for New Resources (targeted)
Increasingly Hold Schools Accountable
Conservatives Tend to:
Questions Competency of “the blob”
Oppose Calls for New Money
Favor Choice
Moderates Tend to:
Inform Discussion with Research
Focus Heavily on Good Government Issues
Broad Public Policy Groups (cont.)
Communities in Schools
Futures4Kids
Teach for America
All Kinds of Minds
Center for Teacher Quality
Center for International Understanding
NC Real
NC Network
NC Teacher & Learning Quality
New Schools Project
Educational NGOs
1) Have a Relatively Narrow (and self-serving) Agenda.
2) Identify Legislative Champions
3) Rise & Fall Depending on Legislative Champions
4) Be Competitive for State/ Foundation/ Corporate
Support
5) Avoid Policy Arena Except for Own Interests
Educational NGOs Tend To:
NC Citizens for Business & Industry
NCBCE
They tend to:
1) Be Pro a Stronger Work Force
2) Focus on Bottom Line Issues
3) See Education as an Economic Issue
4) Are Increasingly Obsessed with Global Competition
5) Be Ambivalent on Taxes
6) Frequently be Critical of Government
Business Organizations in the Educational Arena
Those with lobbyists are more influential than those
without.
Those with PACs have more impact than those without.
Those with independent research capacity have an edge.
Those that are seen as school/child focused have more
receptivity than those viewed as narrow interest groups.
They use various routes to make policy (Governor, State
Board, General Assembly, etc.)
In All Cases…
Tax/Resource Issues
School Choice versus Strong Public System
Faith in the System versus Suspicion of
Government
Narrow Self-Interest Agendas versus Broad
Improvement Agendas
Major Clashes Among NGOs
Rather a Chameleon
No members
No annual legislative priority list
No political action arm
Not just another special interest group
Viewed as a resource/collaborator
Trusted source of information
Willing to speak the truth
Teaching Fellows Program Project Teach
The Collaborative Project North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) NC Institute for Educational Policymakers
International Studies Program Education: Everybody’s Business Coalition Columbia Group NC Partners
Is a combination of passion and good data
Is predicated on a belief in the system
Is all about people and relationships
Is a marathon, not a sprint
Mid-Term Election year– First time in 113 years (1998) both houses will be Republican Majority
Revenue picture still gloomy – more cuts likely; end of stimulus money just around the corner
Increasing focus on results (or lack thereof) – Race to the Top
Major issues coming to a head (i.e., No Child reauthorization, testing in NC, etc.)
Another competition is about to begin
The Race to the Bottom
$738 Million for K-12 Education Alone
If K-12’s portion of the $3.6 billion deficit equaled 35%, it would mean a loss of $1.26billion.
No extension of temporary taxes will be in the Governor’s budget
All state agencies are to submit plans for 5, 10 and 15% cuts
5% = -$394,485,753
10% = -$788,971,506
15% = -$1,183,457,259
Possible State Cut Federal Stimulus $$ Coming to an End
Potential Impact
5% = -$394,485,753 -$738,000,000 -$1,132,485,753
10% = -$788,971,506 -$738,000,000 -$1,526,971,506
15% = -$1,183,457,259
-$738,000,000 -$1,921,457,259
Possible State Cut
Federal Stimulus $$
Minus RTTT $100 Million
Potential Impact
5% = -$394,485,753
-$738,000,000 $100,000,000 -$1,032,485,753
10% = -$788,971,506
-$738,000,000 $100,000,000 -$1,426,971,506
15% = -$1,183,457,259
-$738,000,000 $100,000,000 -$1,821,457,259
Possible State Cut
Federal Stimulus $$
Potential Impact
Minus RTTT $100 Million
Minus $200 Million of JOBS $$
5% = -$394,485,753
-$738,000,000
-$1,132,485,753
-$1,032,485,753
-$862,485,753
10% = -$788,971,506
-$738,000,000
-$1,526,971,506
-$1,426,971,506
-$1,226,971,506
15% =-$1,183,457,259
-$738,000,000
-$1,921,457,259
-$1,821,457,259
-$1,621,457,259
At or near the bottom on per pupil spending
Based on the most recent NEA rankings, North Carolina is 42nd on per pupil spending
Rank State Per Pupil Rank State Per Pupil
1 District of Columbia
$17,638 42 North Carolina $8,743
2 Rhode Island $17,289 43 California $8,322
3 New Jersey $16,253 44 Tennessee $8,261
4 New York $15,997 45 North Dakota $8,222
5 Wyoming $14,732 46 Oklahoma $8,006
6 Vermont $14,679 47 Idaho $7,730
7 Massachusetts $13,901 48 Nevada $7,615
8 Connecticut $13,864 49 Mississippi $7,484
9 Maine $13,309 50 Arizona $5,932
10 Delaware $13,039 51 Utah $5,912
National Average = $10,190
(ie. $720 Million to $1.44 Billion)
For an elementary school of 600 students…
Cuts equaling $300,000-$600,000
How to Find it: $20 - $40,000 from books / materials / staff
development2 Teacher jobs (give you roughly $100,000)3 Teacher Assistants or Clerical Staff (give you
$100,000)
Cuts equaling $1.25 Million - $2.5 Million
State funding has been cut $638 million in the last two sessions.
All state funding for staff development has already been cut
All state funding for mentoring new teachers has already been cut
Most local schools have already made “the easy” cuts (administration, etc.)
15,000 students have lost afterschool care
Program cuts impacting instruction and staffing quality (ie. staff development, class sizes, new teacher mentoring, foreign language programs, Advance Placement courses) will not come back for years.
When state revenue begins to rebound for the 1st and probably 2nd years all new money will (in all probability) go to catch up salaries – which will have been frozen for 4 consecutive years – and restoration of jobs that are essential.
Instructional program restoration will be years away.
Of Course:
Extend the temporary sales tax (cuts deficit by $1 billion)
Consider additional revenue measures
Better yet, revamp our antiquated taxing system
The Question is Whether there is Will
The impending cuts are potentially going to hit all aspects of government- K-12 schools, Community Colleges, UNC, Healthcare, Parks, Local Government and more.
Hundreds and more likely thousands of state and local jobs will disappear
But it’s much more than a jobs issue
Its quality of life, its future
It’s about kids and their future
It’s about North Carolina and its economic viability
It’s a contest we don’t Want to Win!
John [email protected]