archived: 25 Sept - 1 Oct, 2005         Back                 Next

                         SEN. DOUG BERGER
                         INSIDE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
                         “Teacher Reciprocity Bill Could Be Vetoed”

Junkie:  This is the third article in a new series by State Senator Doug Berger; Franklin, Vance, Granville and Warren counties.  Sen. Doug Berger is joining TPJ with a regular column focused on the last session of the North Carolina General Assembly. If TPJ readers have questions for or topics that they would like Sen. Berger to cover, simply write TPJ using FEEDBACK.

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Governor Easley has yet to sign 31 bills into law. 

One of these bills could have a significant impact on public schools in North Carolina.  House Bill 706, An Act to Facilitate the Hiring of Teachers, allows local school systems to hire teachers who met the highly qualified teacher standard under the Federal No Child Left Behind Act. 

North Carolina's standards for teachers are more stringent than the requirements under the federal law.  Currently, North Carolina graduates about 3000 students per year in its teacher education programs across the State.  North Carolina school systems have a yearly demand for about 11,000 teachers.  We must recruit out of state teachers to meet this demand.   

Unfortunately we are at a competitive disadvantage with other states with our more stringent requirements.   House Bill 706 was backed by local Superintendents and the North Carolina School Board Association.   

I voted for this legislation because I want all children to be taught by qualified teachers.  Many classes are being taught by substitute teachers with no education degree.  Some North Carolina school systems can not effectively compete in the hiring process with other states with more flexible standards.   

The Governor has expressed opposition to the bill in the past as did a majority of the Democrats in the Senate when an amendment was introduced by Senator Rand to gut the intent of the bill.  My wife who is a school teacher also opposed the legislation.  She said changing the standard was not fair to those teachers who had achieved the more rigorous standards required by North Carolina.   

Sometimes a Senator gets caught between a rock and a hard place and tries to use his or best judgment.  What do you think? 

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Junkie:  Sen. Berger’s article was written prior to Governor Easley’s apparent indication that he will veto the legislation in its current form.  Instead, NBC 17 reports Governor Easley will propose a plan to raise teacher pay to match the national average (emphasis added):  

Gov. Mike Easley asked state lawmakers Friday to reconsider a bill passed by a wide margin this session that's aimed at recruiting teachers from other states.

The legislation gives local school districts more say in hiring out-of-state teachers to help North Carolina plug an annual shortage of thousands of instructors, the result of retirements and enrollment growth.

Easley said in a letter to House and Senate members Friday the measure lowers the bar too far for North Carolina teachers.

"The simple and overwhelming problem on HB 706 is that it abandons North Carolina's teaching standards and mandates the acceptance of the lowest standards found in America either now and in the future," Easley wrote.

The governor has until Oct. 2 to veto the bill or allow it to become law. If Easley vetoes the bill, the General Assembly would have to return to Raleigh and decide whether to attempt to override the veto or find a compromise that the governor and education leaders can accept.

To illustrate his objection, Easley noted that Georgia allows teachers to be fully licensed without having any classroom experience or training.

Easley said in the coming weeks he'll announce a plan that will raise teacher salaries to the national average -- now at $47,750 -- over four years. North Carolina ranks 27th nationally with an average teacher salary of $43,313, according to the North Carolina Association of Educators, which also opposes the bill.

Easley asked lawmakers to work with the State Board of Education to find an alternative.