McCrory, Perdue offer views on education

CARY -- North Carolina's 30 percent high school dropout rate loomed over a debate on education between the two major candidates for governor Friday.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican candidate, said he wants to beef up vocational training at high schools to draw closer connections between education and work.

"Not every child who graduates from high school needs or wants a four-year college degree," he said. "We need mechanics, electricians, welders, health-care workers."

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, the Democratic candidate, said young children need to be ready to learn, and older students need to be prepared for jobs of the future.

New high school programs, including one designed to make college more accessible and affordable, are resulting in higher graduation rates, she said.

The candidates found much to disagree about at the forum at SAS Institute. The forum was sponsored by a handful of business and education groups.

Perdue said McCrory wanted to dismantle the state's early childhood education and health programs and use the money for vouchers to help parents pay for private schools.

McCrory said Perdue had not done enough as lieutenant governor and a member of the State Board of Education.

He denied that he wants to take money from Smart Start and More at Four to pay for vouchers. But he said both programs should be examined.

"We don't need another program," he said. "I think there's the opportunity for consolidation, and that makes common sense."

What they said

The debate touched on a range of issues, from whether the school year should be longer to whether the state superintendent of public schools should be appointed, rather than elected as it is now.

Here's a quick rundown of what the candidates had to say:

North Carolina's school year, at 180 days, is one of the shortest in the industrial world. The average for industrialized countries is 210 days. Should the school year, or school days, be longer?

Perdue: Her first concern would be making sure students get the most out of the time they already spend at school. She would ask community and business leaders, parents and teachers how the schedule should look.

McCrory: Wants to give local boards flexibility and "not have the centralized government tell everyone how to set their educational methods and strategy."

Should the state superintendent of public instruction be appointed or elected?

Perdue: "I've danced this dance before. The governor is in charge of education in North Carolina." She said North Carolina residents have indicated they want to keep electing the state school superintendent.

McCrory: "Appointed by the governor. It's a useless position at this point in time."

What should be done about teacher salaries?

Perdue: The goal should be to raise teacher pay and hold teachers accountable.

McCrory: "We need to pay based on market rates," which may mean paying math and science teachers more than others.

In August, after the legislature had finished its session, a judge ruled that the state owes public schools more than $747.9 million from illegally held civil fines. There has been no agreement on when, whether and how the state would get that money to the schools. What would you propose?

Perdue: "I believe the ruling is a good ruling, but ... I know that the good money bunny is not going to bring us nearly $800 million overnight. But I think the next governor has to have a written pathway, a plan, to show how the money is going to be given to the people who rightly deserve it, and that's the education systems across North Carolina"

McCrory: "The judge was right. Over $700 million was not given to the school system that should have been. ... There is dead silence on the issue, and just during the short session, nothing was done, no money was transferred as a result of that hearing, and all of a sudden, we're at a constitutional deadlock. ... It's time to bring this to a conclusion."

Perdue and McCrory agreed that:

* Local school boards should not be able to levy their own taxes.

* Illegal immigrants should not receive in-state community college tuition.

* Teachers and other school employees should not have collective bargaining rights.

Responses to a reader

Readers submitted their questions for the candidates for governor, asking what they would do about education.

"How would you go about pre-identifying students who may be dropouts?"

- William T. Lynch, 72, retired scientist and science manager, Apex

McCrory: Students who have difficulty reading by fifth-, sixthand seventh-grade are in danger of dropping out. Students in danger of dropping out start to miss a lot of school.

Perdue: Students drop out for all kinds of reasons. Faith-based groups and volunteer groups can offer support to help keep them in school.