May 25, 2001

Easley charges task force with creating
a strategic plan for school improvements

Gov. Mike Easley on Tuesday unveiled the next step in his efforts to make North Carolina's schools tops in the nation, announcing a new task force that will develop a long-range, strategic plan for improving the quality of education available to all students. The task force’s recommendation could become the basis of the state’s response to the most recent ruling in the Leandro low-wealth schools suit, now under appeal, that ordered the state to improve education for at-risk children in poorer school districts.

"Every child in North Carolina deserves access to a quality education, regardless of geographic location or economic condition," Easley said during a press conference in Raleigh. "Our children deserve educational opportunities that go beyond the minimum constitutional standards. We must take steps now to ensure that our students are prepared to meet the demands of a dynamic global economy."

Easley challenged legislators to take the critical first steps this session by passing an education budget that includes his More at Four pre-kindergarten program for at-risk 4-year olds and a proposal for significant class size reduction in elementary schools. He asked the Education First task force to go beyond these critical first steps and chart a course for long-range progress.

Easley renewed his commitment to advancing initiatives that benefit all students, including those at-risk of academic failure, and to eliminate the achievement gap in North Carolina's schools.

"We know our first steps, we know what works," Easley said. "The best educational research from across the nation confirms that certain measures -- quality pre-kindergarten programs, class size reduction in the early years, and high teacher quality -- provide the best way to eliminate the achievement gap holding back too many of our children. There's no excuse not to do it."

"But we must look beyond these steps and we must be more strategic in our approach to improving our schools," Easley said. "I want this new commission to chart a long-range course of progress. I want them to develop a working plan that will improve the quality of education available to all our students and make our schools the best in the nation across the board."

Easley said the task force will be led by three co-chairs: Halifax County Schools Superintendent Dr. Willie Gilchrist, BellSouth President Krista Tillman and State Superintendent of Public instruction Mike Ward. The full commission includes about 30 education, business, community and government leaders from across the state.

At Easley's request, the task force will pay special attention to success stories at individual schools across the state, examine how the combination of local, state and federal funding can be used most efficiently and find ways to better prepare students for life after high school.

"Governor Easley is challenging this group to develop a plan for the highest caliber public schools," Ward said. "We will build on the Excellent Schools Act and the ABCs, the work of the various commissions, and the success of some of our schools in developing this plan. The outcome will be a clear, focused effort to continue education progress."

Separately, Easley announced that three renowned education research groups -- the North Carolina Public School Forum headed by John Dornan, SERVE, and the North Carolina Educational Research Council -- have agreed to begin studying "success story" schools identified in the Leandro trial judge's recent opinion along with schools in counties such as Burke where students have achieved impressive academic results.

Members of the Governor's Education First Task Force

Chairs: Dr. Willie Gilchrist, superintendent of Halifax County Schools; Krista Tillman, president of BellSouth N.C. and president of N.C. Business Committee for Education; Mike Ward, state superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction

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