The wave of conservatives who declared N.C. public education “failed” as they swept into power in Raleigh seem determined to make that come true.
Make no mistake. A big chunk of the budget pie being divvied up in Raleigh this week does go toward education — nearly $8 billion out of the $20.6 billion proposed budget. And there are some promising morsels when it comes to preparing children for the future, including 2,500 more pre-K slots (under health and human services, oddly) and the end of the maneuver that would have required school systems to return $376 million to state coffers out of their allocations.
But that improvement comes at a high cost, namely a new formula that cuts hundreds of teachers and thousands of teacher assistants from the rolls, to the tune of more than $300 million, and cuts funds for supplies, textbooks and technology. Meanwhile, some $10 million is set aside for private school vouchers.
Most discouraging is the personal message Republican lawmakers are sending the state’s educators. The budget eliminates teacher tenure, phases out supplements for advanced degrees and keeps teachers’ salaries at current levels, which is near the bottom nationally. Thank you for your service.
Higher education also takes big hits in the budget. For a group concerned about making the state more attractive to business, the Republican majority in Raleigh shows surprising enthusiasm for butchering some of North Carolina’s strongest assets — its schools, community colleges and universities. Recession-era budget measures weren’t enough; this legislature wants to cut deeper.
Tax structure trumps all, evidently. Republicans have fulfilled campaign promises to cut corporate and personal income taxes. They impressed the Wall Street Journal, which said North Carolina has outdone all others, but that may be more cause for nervousness than celebration. No other state has dared to go this far.
If the true meaning of “conservative” is to be cautious in one’s actions, this legislature has been rash with reforms and liberal with tax cuts. Phased in more slowly, the flat taxes embraced by the majority might not have lowered revenues so dramatically that such large cuts were necessary. Education is just part of the story, but it’s a crucial part. Preparing the state’s growing population of children with fewer teachers and resources could shape North Carolina’s future in a bad way, one which no amount of tax cuts can offset.