K-12 education ranks as a top concern among voters in North Carolina’s upcoming gubernatorial election. In an Elon University poll released Monday, education even edged out the economy: 53 percent of North Carolinians indicated education would influence their vote in the governor’s race, compared to 51 percent who cited the economy and 46 percent who referenced taxes.

Clearly, the quality of public education matters a great deal to North Carolinians. Voters also understand the pivotal role the governor plays in setting education policy. Some may know too that the governor appoints most members of the state school board.

It’s also worth noting that the stakes for this gubernatorial election are particularly high. Multiple indicators – from alarming dropout rates to low proficiency scores on various academic assessments – reveal our state’s education system is in disrepair.

How would the candidates fix our schools? With the May 6th primary less than two weeks away, here’s a round-up of their views.

Dropout Prevention
North Carolina has a major dropout problem – one out of three students fails to graduate from high school in four years. Among Republicans, attorney Bill Graham wants to curb dropouts by raising the compulsory age of attendance to 18, enforcing existing truancy laws, and implementing more vocational training. Former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr would like to “audit and streamline” current Pre-K programs for at-risk kids and identify pilot programs targeting the achievement gap; he also supports expanding student opportunities to pursue vocational/technical education. State Senator Fred Smith proposes bolstering teacher quality to boost student achievement, forestalling dropouts. He wants schools to offer a greater range of remedial, vocational, honors, and Advanced Placement coursework. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory advocates working with the private sector to increase student access to vocational schools and technology.

The two leading Democrats, Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore, support scholarships for higher education. Beverly Perdue points to high school programs like Learn and Earn and the New Schools Project as solutions to the dropout problem. Richard Moore wants greater administrative accountability and high schools that teach job skills.

Teacher Pay
The candidates favor various financial incentives to lure would-be teachers into the teaching profession and keep them there. In his education policy statement, Pat McCrory proposes allowing local administrators to “set wages as market conditions dictate.” Bill Graham wants to give teachers a reprieve from paying income taxes during the summer. Bob Orr supports merit pay for performance and financial incentives for teachers working in struggling schools or with at-risk kids. In an April 20th Associated Press article, Fred Smith proposed “reforming teacher pay to compete with the private sector.” Both Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue support across-the-board teacher pay raises.

School Choice
Will North Carolina’s next governor preside over the implementation of genuine school choice? Possibly. All four Republican candidates support raising the current cap on charter schools. During the General Assembly’s 2007-08 session, Senator Fred Smith sponsored legislation intended to raise the cap.

Support for other choice measures is less widespread. Pat McCrory favors both education tax incentives and school vouchers. The other three Republican candidates are “lukewarm on the need for vouchers,” according to the Asheville Citizen-Times. Bob Orr supports tax credits for certain education expenses like books and after school programs.

Democrat Beverly Perdue has been endorsed by the state affiliate of the National Education Association teachers’ union, an organization that opposes tax credits and refers to vouchers as an “elitist strategy” and a “threat” to public schools. As members of the State Board of Education, Beverly Perdue and Richard Moore have done little to advance the growth of charters or choice.

Tonight voters will get a chance to size up the education plans of those who would govern: UNC-TV is hosting a live education forum featuring the leading Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates. The program airs at 8 p.m. on UNC-NC, UNC-TV’s digital channel, and at 10 p.m. on UNC-TV.

Will North Carolinians elect a real “education governor”? Stay tuned – the race has only just begun.