Guilford Education
Alliance takes its responsibility as the county's leading
non-partisan, education advocacy organization seriously and advocates
only for those things that are proven to be in the best interest of
our public school children. On May 11 the county board of education
approved its 2013-2014 budget, including a request for $13.6 more in
local funding from Guilford County. We urge the Guilford County Board
of Commissioners and citizens to do all they can to honor this
request.
For several years
now, while the state legislature cut millions from our schools and
other county's cut their own local education funding, Guilford County
Commissioners held their contribution to our local schools steady.
Guilford Education Alliance applauds our county commissioners their
strength and courage during those dark economic times.
The Education
Alliance, like the school board, fears that our state legislators
will fail again this year to justly support our schools. But we are
optimistic that our local elected officials can do better.
"Our children
deserve the very best education we can provide," said Margaret
Arbuckle, Education Alliance executive director. "If our state
legislators refuse to fully meet that responsibility, they are not
meeting their Constitutional responsibility. But we cannot put our
community's future on hold; we have worked too hard for that.
Guilford Education Alliance ardently supports the Guilford County
Board of Education's local budget request and we call on county
commissioners do the same."
The additional
funding from county commissioners would allow the school district to
make needed repairs, slightly reduce class sizes and provide minor
raises to employees. We should note that once again Superintendent
Maurice “Mo” Green has excluded himself from a raise, a testament
to his character and leadership.
Our children and
teachers have earned our support. Guilford County Schools' graduation
rate is above 84 percent, with six high schools recording a 100
percent graduation rate. Sixteen high schools made the Washington
Post's America's Most Challenging High Schools list and two are
featured on U.S. News and World Report's Best High Schools list.
Guilford County Schools was named this year's National School
District of Character and the United Way Spirit of North Carolina
Award. And GCS students won numerous state athletic championships
this year.
Supporting our
children and our teachers is a responsibility we all share and that
is why Guilford Education Alliance, along with our community business
partners, will continue to fund educational projects like our STEM
Early College and our Parent Academy and the Teacher Supply
Warehouse, which provided over $500,000 in school supplies to benefit
our public schools.
These efforts and
those like them led by community groups and parents around our
county, combined with the additional funding from our county
commissioners, can be the steady hand at the wheel that we owe our
children during these difficult times.
