N.C. budget would end teacher tenure, pay some private school tuition.

[octoberlib]

Teacher assistants take a hit in the budget released Sunday, which reduces state spending on them by $120 million, or about 21 percent. The budget ends funding for the embattled Rural Economic Development Center, whose longtime president, Billy Ray Hall, resigned under pressure last week. The budget creates a division focused on rural economic development within the state Department of Commerce.

At UNC schools, out-of-state students would see tuition increases of as much as 12.3 percent next year. Tuition at community colleges will increase $2.50 per credit hour this year, bringing the cost to $71.50 per credit hour for in-state students.


The budget that House and Senate budget writers agreed to Sunday includes a $10 million program that would allow families that meet income guidelines to use taxpayer money for private school tuition for their children, starting with the 2014-2015 school year. This week, the legislature is set to give final approval to a voucher for children with disabilities that would pay as much as $6,000 for private school tuition or for therapy for home-schooled children with disabilities.

“We’re just paddling backward as fast as we can go,” said Yevonne Brannon, a volunteer with the group Public Schools First NC. “This budget reflects a very aggressive campaign to privatize public education and dismantle the teaching profession.”The budget includes no raises for state employees or teachers, but they will get an extra five days of vacation.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/07/22/4180356/state-budget-would-end-teacher.html#storylink=cpy


Article also said that teacher tenure will end in 2018. Teachers will instead be signed to 1-4 year renewable contracts.

[msongs]

1. democratically elected politicians giving the majority of voters what they want...

what could possibly go wrong?