Should North Carolina taxpayers fund professional development programs for accountants , doctors, plumbers or electricians? I’m sure my question prompts a roll of the eyes and a matter of fact, “no”.
Then, I wonder why taxpayers continue to foot the bill for various teacher development and recruitment programs like the NC Teacher Academy ($4.7 million); Teaching Fellows ($12.7 million; Teacher Cadet ($340,000) and the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching ($6.1 million).
Eliminating or phasing out these programs is one of the options under consideration by the joint House-Senate education budget subcommittee. Doing so would produce $23.8 million in savings. That’s the equivalent of about 433 teacher positions.
Yes, recruitment and professional development for teachers are important goals. However, there is no compelling argument why taxpayers should fund such programs. If such efforts are needed and worthwhile they will find other means to continue and will stand on their own.
The North Carolina Teacher Academy is one of the finest ways that NC teachers can receive staff development. As a former Trustee of the Academy, I can attest to the cutting-edge quality of the learning modules, the high quality of the trainers, and the impact on teachers across the state. It is entirely appropriate for out state to fund this exemplary staff development for our teachers if we expect the kind of teaching in our schools that is necessary for top-notch education of our students. As a registered Republican, I do value examining our budget for ways to conserve and trim excess. However, during my 2 terms on NCTA’s board, I never found any excess expenditures, but only honest efforts to meet the needs of today’s educators. Considering the salary of most educators in this state, they do need help with the cost of professional development. One of the ways NCTA is helping with that cost is to bring the training to local education agencies. It is a very beneficial and practical design for staff development.