Gov. Bev Perdue's office on Friday publicized the benefits of small computers for teachers, fighting criticism that they are not worth the expense in a tight budget year.
Some teachers already using software on small electronic devices say the computers help them see what children know, calculate student scores, suggest how students should be grouped according to skills and offer possible activities for parents.
The computer program is a significant improvement over relying on pencil and paper, said Pam Zelando, an instructional coach in Cabarrus County elementary and middle schools. She was one of the 57 teachers from across the state who attended a training class in Research Triangle Park on Friday.
"It generates reports to tell me how I need to instruct each individual student," she said. The data can also follow students who move from district to district.
Beth Waddell, a teacher at Wakefield Elementary School in Raleigh, toted the thick binder and pile of handmade booklets that she now uses to track students' proficiency. A computer program would free time for teaching and cut down on paperwork, she said.
Spending on electronics has been criticized as an extravagance in a year when legislators are scraping money together to employ classroom teachers. One state senator said the devices were equivalent to a child getting a new bicycle for Christmas and finding out that his father lost his job.
Perdue asked for about $40 million for the devices and software subscriptions for teachers in kindergarten through third grades, and in fifth, eighth and 11th grades.
The Senate included $15 million for the program in its budget. House members chose not to spend any money on the devices. State Rep. Ray Rapp, a Democrat from Mars Hill, said negotiations between House and Senate budget writers may result in less than $15 million for the devices.
Judge Howard Manning, the Wake County Superior Court judge overseeing the state response to a judicial ruling on educational quality, told legislators a few weeks ago that he supports buying the machines, Rapp said.
"We'll look for some way we can accommodate these devices yet not negatively impact instructional personnel," he said.
Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson said it's important to have some money for the computers.
"We'll take what we can get," she said.
