1. March 28, 2012 Legislative Update Raleigh,
NC
With the election season – as well as spring! -- in full swing, education has become a hot
campaign issue in North Carolina.
I am pleased that elected leaders and candidates are focusing on this important topic. But I
am bothered by the amount of misinformation that’s being spread, especially regarding the
education funding the state legislature did – or didn’t – include in this year’s state budget.
The truth is that the legislature actually increased state funding for education in the
2011-2012 budget. Unfortunately, this increase was not enough to completely offset the
education funding lost due to the expiration of federal stimulus funding and the decrease in
local education dollars.
While I don’t think any loss of education funding is desirable, I think it’s important to put North
Carolina’s state budget situation in perspective.
2011 was a year in which virtually every legislature in the country was faced with a massive
budget shortfall. I believe North Carolina’s legislature did a good job of prioritizing
spending without raising taxes. In terms of per pupil funding for education, we actually
moved UP several spots – from 45th to 42nd -- relative to other states this year, according to
the National Education Association’s own estimates.
Of course, I know that being 42nd in per pupil spending is nothing to brag about, but I think
the GOP-led legislature deserves credit for making progress in a difficult year.
That being said, I also believe there’s been too much focus on “more money” being the
answer to our education system’s problems. I am reminded of a recent New York Times
article that praised the innovative work being done in the Mooresville school system. Their
system ranks 100 out of 115 districts in per pupil spending but is third in test scores and
second in graduation rates!

2. Here are a few of the lessons I took from it:
We must be willing to invest in new technology. Three years ago, the Mooresville
school system issued laptops to 4,400 students in five schools, and graduation rates
and test scores have jumped significantly since then. Administrators also say they’ve
seen racial performance gaps close.
Funding doesn’t necessarily have to be increased, but rather prioritized. Affording the
laptops meant making “incredibly tough decisions,” according to Mooresville’s chief
financial officer.
Technology alone is certainly not the answer. Mooresville officials describe a complete
change of culture where teachers have traded textbooks and lectures for software and
collaboration.
I urge you to read the entire article, so I’ve posted a link to it on my website,
www.RuthSamuelson.com. I’d love to get your thoughts on it and other education issues
we’re facing in North Carolina! Please feel free to send me an email at
Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net or Samuelsonla@ncleg.net or, if you’ve got a campaign-related
comment, at ruth@ruthsamuelson.com.
And happy spring!
In your service,
Ruth
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