1. Working Together to Make North Carolina Schools Second to None

2. The Collision of Idealism, Ideology, Organizational / Agency Self-Interest & Politics

3. Over the coming months you will have an opportunity to see the Good, Bad & Ugly of This thing called the Policy Arena~

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.)

7. 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 educational curriculum & testing) policies)

8. Smart Start – Governor Hunt Smart Start – Governor Hunt More at Four – Governor Easley More at Four – Governor Easley High Schools – Governor Easley High Schools – Governor Easley ABC’s System – State Board of Education ABC’s System – State Board of Education SB 2 (1 st accountability) – General Assembly SB 2 (1 st accountability) – General Assembly Funding for Poor/Small Systems –General Assembly Funding for Poor/Small Systems –General Assembly School Calendar Bill – General Assembly School Calendar Bill – General Assembly Dropout Prevention Initiative – General Assembly Dropout Prevention Initiative – General Assembly Collaborative Project – General Assembly Collaborative Project – General Assembly

9. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. It also includes: UNC Community College System More at Four Smart Start SOS & Crime Commission programs While publicly these various educational entities are all in it together, there is predictable competition and jockeying for additional funding.

10. The Role of Non-Governmental Groups In Establishing Education Policy in NC

11.  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

12. Unions & Professional Associations (NCASA, NCAE, NCSBA, NCPAPA, ASCD, Discipline Groups) Taking a Closer Look...

13. 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)

14. LiberalModerateConservative Tax & Justice Center Center for Public Policy Locke Foundation Child Advocacy Coalition Pope Center on Higher Education NAACP & Other Minority Organizations NC Education Alliance

15. 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.)

16.  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

17. 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:

18.  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

19.  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…

20.  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

22. Rather a Chameleon No members No annual legislative priority list No political action arm

23. Not just another special interest group Viewed as a resource/collaborator Trusted source of information Willing to speak the truth

24. 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

26. 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

28. 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.)

30. Another competition is about to begin

31. The Race to the Bottom

33. $738 Million for K-12 Education Alone

34. If K-12’s portion of the $3.6 billion deficit equaled 35%, it would mean a loss of $1.26billion.

35. 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

36. 5% = -$394,485,753 10% = -$788,971,506 15% = -$1,183,457,259

37. Possible State CutFederal 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

38. Possible State CutFederal 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

39. Possible State Cut Federal Stimulus $$ Potential ImpactMinus RTTT $100 Million Minus $200 Million of JOBS $$ 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

40. At or near the bottom on per pupil spending

41. Based on the most recent NEA rankings, North Carolina is 42 nd on per pupil spending

42. RankStatePer PupilRankStatePer Pupil 1District of Columbia $17,63842North Carolina$8,743 2Rhode Island$17,28943California$8,322 3New Jersey$16,25344Tennessee$8,261 4New York$15,99745North Dakota$8,222 5Wyoming$14,73246Oklahoma$8,006 6Vermont$14,67947Idaho$7,730 7Massachusetts$13,90148Nevada$7,615 8Connecticut$13,86449Mississippi$7,484 9Maine$13,30950Arizona$5,932 10Delaware$13,03951Utah$5,912 National Average = $10,190

44. (ie. $720 Million to $1.44 Billion)

45. For an elementary school of 600 students… Cuts equaling $300,000-$600,000 How to Find it: $20 - $40,000 from books / materials / staff development 2 Teacher jobs (give you roughly $100,000) 3 Teacher Assistants or Clerical Staff (give you $100,000)

46. Cuts equaling $1.25 Million - $2.5 Million

48. 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

49. 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 1 st and probably 2 nd 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.

50. Of Course: Extend the temporary sales tax (cuts deficit by $1 billion) Consider additional revenue measures Better yet, revamp our antiquated taxing system

51. The Question is Whether there is Will

52. 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

53. Its quality of life, its future

54. It’s about kids and their future It’s about North Carolina and its economic viability

55. It’s a contest we don’t Want to Win!

56. John Dornan jdornan@ncforum.org 919-781-6833 www.ncforum.org