Easley sees education legacy at risk as state fiscal woes grow

RALEIGH — Six months after leaving office, former Gov. Mike Easley’s legacy as an “education governor” is beginning to crumble under the twin pressures of an economy in recession and legislative indifference. Some of his key education initiatives, popular with budget writers and educators alike during times of plenty, have been targeted for reduction or outright elimination as the economy forces legislators to prioritize.

Of Easley’s top education initiatives, one is on the brink of elimination, another is poised to be absorbed by a pre-existing federal program, and the future of several others is unclear. Only one has established itself as a total success.

A long-time education lobbyist who did not want to be identified recalled that Easley “had an uncanny ability to get his stuff through the legislature. … It’s quite interesting in light of recent developments to see (his education programs) unravel.”

Shortly after assuming office Easley announced an ambitious preschool education program known as More at Four. With his party in control of the General Assembly, the popular new governor was able to push the program through despite a recession and suspicions that it would needlessly duplicate the existing state Smart Start program.

Over the years More at Four grew into a $171.6 million program serving about 32,000 North Carolina preschoolers. The program is designed to prepare at-risk 4-year-olds to enter school. Studies show that it does result in better student performance, though the benefits do not appear to last beyond elementary school.

This year the Senate budget called for More at Four to be combined with Smart Start, essentially eliminating it as a stand-alone entity. House budget writers wanted to do the same, but decided that there was not enough time left to work out the details of combining the programs. The House opted to cut $10 million from More at Four this year and put off consolidation until next year.

The plan prompted an outcry from Dr. Bill Harrison, chairman and CEO of the State Board of Education. In a statement posted on the Department of Public Instruction’s Web site, Harrison said “Such a move would constitute a step back from the high standards that earned More at Four its high ranking in exchange for a small potential cost saving that may never materialize.”

Easley was an enthusiatic proponent of small class sizes, especially in the early grades. As with More at Four, he was able to persuade the legislature to appropriate general fund money to get the program started, with the promise that lottery revenues would pay for it later on.
He succeeded in lowering the student-teacher funding ratio to 18:1 in kindergarten through third grade, but with no apparent effect on student performance.

A John Locke Foundation study in 2006 concluded that class size reduction yielded no gains in student achievement. When the economy turned sour in 2008, class size was one of the first areas legislative leaders turned to for savings.

Lloyd Thrower, executive director of the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals Association, says that Easley’s class-size reduction program “was the biggest farce in the world. He would give you the money (to hire more teachers) but then demand reversions.” In fact, few North Carolina K-3 classrooms ever achieved the 18:1 ratio sought by Easley; according to the General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division, the average for this past school year was 21:1.

In 2006 the centerpiece of Easley’s education agenda was the introduction of literacy coaches. Literacy coaches work with teachers to help them integrate reading activities into their specific content areas, with a goal of strengthening students’ overall reading skills.

But the results were disappointing. House budget writers recommended canceling the program this year, and the Senate seemed poised to go along. In presenting the recommendation to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education in May, Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, reported that students whose teachers had worked with literacy coaches actually performed more poorly on reading tests than those whose teachers had not.

Of Easley’s major education initiatives, the Learn and Earn early college program is clearly the most popular and successful. This program allows high school students to take both high school and college-level classes on the campus of a local community college or university, and graduate in five years with a high school diploma and either an associate’s degree or two years of college credit.

The program has drawn solid reviews from educators, parents, and students alike, and was one of the few areas of the budget actually to see an expansion planned for the coming years. There are now 60 Learn and Earn campuses in operation in the state.

An Easley administration official interviewed by Carolina Journal was quick to point to Easley’s efforts in ensuring teacher quality as a bulwark of his education legacy. Much of the perception of improvement stems from the unusually high percentage of North Carolina teachers who have achieved certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Since the latter days of the Jim Hunt administration, the state has paid the $2,500 application fee for teachers who wish to become National Board-certified and a 12 percent salary bonus to those who achieve that certification.

However, to date there has been no scientific study demonstrating conclusively that National Board-certified teachers are any better at raising students’ test scores than other teachers.

Comparing the styles of Easley and Hunt, the education lobbyist said, “(Easley’s) leadership style was so dramatically opposite that of his predecessor. When Hunt sold a program, it stayed sold.” Easley’s strong-arm approach, while effective in the back rooms, may have brought only temporary victories.

Jim Stegall is a contributor to Carolina Journal.