re ——
Opinion
Page 4A - THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD -Thursday, February 1, 1996
BOB McRAE (#
Superintendent
Kings Mountain Schools ul
Reading the key
to school success
In today's column I will complete my mid-year re-
port on our board of education's goals for 1995-96 by
looking at goals #3 and 4.
(3) - Implement the recommendations of the
Reading Program Study Committee.
Under the leadership of Jane King and with the as-
sistance of our faculties, we have moved forward to
implement several of the recommendations of the
Study Committee. The committee made seven recom-
mendations regarding the improvement of reading in-
struction in the elementary schools. Several strategies
accompanied each recommendation. There were 19
recommendations to improve reading at Kings
Mountain Middle School.
Work is in process on each of the seven K-5 recom-
mendations. Many of the strategies are either fully in
place or partially complete. Among the most notable
initiatives this year are an additional $10 per child for
reading materials, the training of additional personnel
in ways to work with at-risk readers, the piloting of a
transition classroom at North School to focus on at-
risk readers, reduction of class sizes using state and lo-
cal funds, the development of a K-3 reading assess-
ment instrument and instruction manual, the
development of specific strategies for parents to use in
helping their children improve reading skills, the ex-
pansion of the school day by 20 minutes with the addi-
tional time being devoted to reading, and the imple-
mentation of a major staff development program,
Frameworks, to promote successful instruction.
Among the most notable initiatives at the Middle
School are the purchase of new books with an addi-
tional $5 per child allotment, an increase in the num-
ber of computer labs available to assist students in im-
proving reading skills, Frameworks training,
expansion of the Accelerated Reader program, and ex-
tensive reading curriculum work.
We probably have been as attentive to this goal as
any we have ever had as we view reading as the key to
all other success in school. It is imperative that our
children learn to read, and that is our first priority. I
feel very good about our progress on this goal and ap-
preciate the great work our schools are doing in this
regard.
(4) - Continue to promote positive, effective com-
munications to inform and involve our parents and
community.
Our board wants very much to achieve this goal
each year. Our schools do many things to help keep
our school community informed. Just to name a few -
special Parent Involvement Week activities, specific
parent conference days in the calendar with adjusted City Councilwoman'and Democrat Aileen Ford has al-
schedules to meet the needs of working parents,
recorded messages to parents from the middle and
high schools by way of the Phonemaster system,
strong parent-teacher organizations at K-8 schools and
an active athletic boosters club at the high school, sys-
temwide annual report/school calendar, Parents
Advisory Council, numerous newspaper articles,
newsletters from schools to home, regular opportunity
for public input at board meetings, quarterly report
cards and regular interim progress reports - this list
goes on.
Recently the board added community relations re-
sponsibilities to the role of vocational education - now
called workforce development - director. Sheila Sisk,
who has been in the system for several years, is cur-
rently handling those responsibilities. She will be
working to improve our publications, to efficiently
manage our community schools program, and to pro-
mote school system news in the various media and
with community groups.
I have never worked in a system where so much ef-
fort is given to providing information and receiving in-
put. It is as much to our advantage to have strong com-
munications with our parents and other community
members as it is to the advantage of those people. The
board has proven a willingness to consider the opin-
ions of the community in making its decisions.
Obviously, it cannot adopt the personal wishes of ev-
ery patron when making a decision. It does, however,
try to make decisions which first and foremost are for
the benefit of our students but also are reflective of our
community's expectations. I think you will see that
trend continue.
The goal setting process which our board undertakes
each spring is most beneficial to those of us who work
in the Kings Mountain District Schools. The board
goals give us direction in our daily efforts and espe-
cially help us set priorities at budget development
time. I think we have made acceptable progress on
each goal at this point in time. We will strive to contin-
ue that progress throughout the remainder of the year.
Goal setting helps us pursue excellence which, as you
know, is no accident!
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i Mort Horst 2
Our View
Hunt did good job in Raleigh
After 22 years in the North Carolina 48th District
House of Representatives Lattimore's Dr. Jack Hunt is
retiring from politics.
His shoes will be tough to fill.
Hunt is the third veteran legislator from Cleveland
County to leave office in two years, following former
Senator J. Ollie Harris of Kings Mountain, who served
20 years, and former Rep. Edith Lutz of Polkville who
lost her bid for reelection after 18 years in the House. .
"We were a very respected team in Raleigh and
worked together well," said Harris, recalling the long
service of Hunt, Helen Rhyne Marvin, Marshall
Rauch, Lutz and Bob Falls for this district.
"It takes teamwork to get bills passed," said Harris..
Without Hunt, Democratic party leaders must now
scramble to find another candidate for the House be-
fore the filing deadline February 5 to face GOP oppo-
sition.
Shelby Realtor and Democrat Andy Dedmon, who
ran unsuccessfully for the House in 1994, has already
filed for one of the 48th District seats. Former Shelby
so filed.
Hunt rose to a position of leadership in the General
Assembly as speaker pro tem, twice elected by fellow
legislators, and was the House rules chairman four
terms and chairman for one term on the committee of
military and veterans affairs.
He will be remembered for his strong leadership in
the statewide teaching fellows scholarship program
and a similar program for nursing students. In the mid
1980s he helped change the state's tax distribution
rules to bring more revenue to small counties.
As a result Hunt says that Cleveland County for the
last 10 years got about $1.5 million a year which has
Quotes AND QUOTED
helped hold down property taxes.
"I guess you could say I was in the inner sanctum of
that effort and we did it." 1
His most staunch supporter, in the state capitol was
his wife, Ruby Crowder Hunt/- Politicians sat around
her breakfast table in the early years of his tenure in
the Hunt apartment in Raleigh tt'settle issues. He and
Ruby will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in
June. Gh
A retired Lattimore dentist, Hunt operates The
Roundup Store in Shelby and Forest City and raises
beet cattle. His family includes five daughters, all mar-
ried, and 11 grandchildren.
Folks traveling the Lattimore road by Jack Hunt's
spacious country home can often see the grandchildren
playing on the lawn.
"There comes a time in our lives that we have to set
priorities," said Hunt who is retiring for personal rea-
sons.
"I want to thank: all the:people in my: district! who)!
- supported me over the years, Indo appreciate: them and
I loye the people in this district]'2Re Said. 08! I!
Hunt plans to keep his hand in politics but only at
the local level around his company stove. He says he
has no idea who will come out between now and the
last filing day.
The family is active in First Baptist Church of
Shelby. Hunt's activity in the state legislature has pre-
vented him from activity in the Lions, Masons and
Shriners. Now he can become more involved.
At 73 Hunt has set priorities, a noble gesture for
anyone younger or older.
We commend him for the long service he has given
to all his constituents and wish he and his family God
speed.
"My insistence on balancing the federal budget stems from my belief as a mother that I am
responsible for providing for a better future for my children and grandchildren. For over 25
years our government has failed to balance its budget. Therefore, I am proud of the New
Majority's solid commitment to an honest seven-year balanced budget. Everyone may not
agree with our actions, but they must agree that we have successfully focused the Congress on
the issue of curbing out of control government spending. Armed with this new focus, we must
now put our partisan differences behind us and work together, both Democrats and
Republicans, to balance the federal budget. American families sit down at the kitchen table
and balance their checkbooks...it is time our government does so as well. Working together
we can accomplish this goal."
-U.S. Representative Sue Myrick
Sidewalk Survey
vas
THOM
GOOLSBY
Syndicated
Columnist
Over $70 million
spent on incentives.
a hard-working North Carolina citizen, you'll be
angry to learn that the state has no way of knowing
whether any jobs were created by a $70 million tax+>
3
L
payer giveaway for so-called "job creation incentives.
Over an 18-month period, 53 companies received
monetary inducements from Governor Jim Hunt'shi
Industrial Recruitment Competitive Fund and an addi~ &
tional $60 million from a variety of giveaway prg-
grams from other state agencies. This multi-milliom?
dollar spendfest began in late 1993 and ended in mid=«
1995.
Politicians and their bands of merry henchmen
bounded from one chamber of commerce to another in.
Pie
praise of themselves and their "business partnersj!ius
claiming that the $70 million was being given out jm
return for promises from the recipients to create 8,485:
new jobs. t
There is, however, one glaring problem. The genius:
es who drafted the appropriations bills never bothered:
to institute any checks and balances in order to track
}
whether the companies kept their promises to creates
new jobs. Instead, approximately $8,250 of taXpay elu
money was handed out for each and every "promise. |
to create a job.
hoes]
Muck-covered bureaucrats at the Department of
Commerce are now trying to play catch-up after the
Charlotte Observer inquired into the lack of any ac- 3
2 ed
countability for taxpayer dollars. In response, 53 let:
ters were recently mailed to the companies who had
received tens of millions of dollars in state incentive“
money. Dave Phillips, Secretary of Commerce, re-
leased a press statement saying, "We have a responsi-ii
bility to track these jobs and we hope the companies:"
that have received these grants understand that respon-
sibility." Secretary Phillips’ statement stands as a shin=""
ing example of just what it means to be "a day late andi?
a dollar (actually 70 million dollars) short." A
The Department of Commerce has now started
checking the reports filed with the Employment
Security Commission where North Carolina compas
nies reveal their job totals in quarterly statementsy:’
However, under state law these reports are confident!
tial, meaning that taxpayers have no way of discover-15
ing if, and to what extent, their dollars have been wast!
ed buying promises to create jobs. vii
Such confidentiality laws have forced officials at the’
Department of Commerce to beg the recipients of thé!"
{nr
multi-million dollar incentives to waive their rights to
v
secrecy. The Department's Deputy Secretary, Bob’?
Goodale; says that hes "believes lose Eopanies wil!
cooperate." Talk about closing the barn door after the ©
© horses have left!
1
Can you imagine running your own finances or ase
tempting to manage a business in the same slipshod”'
manner in which our tax dollars are handled? Over $76°%
million of hard-earned taxpayer money has been given _
away to businesses in return for mere promises to cré-
ate jobs; and no one can tell us how our money was
spent! If not for press inquiries, we might never have
been made aware of this problem. Further, unless the
53 companies who received the incentives waive their
rights to secrecy, we may never know what happened
with our money. i
Since the Republicans gained control of the General
Assembly, new guidelines went into effect stipulating
that companies will only receive money as long as
they create jobs. The changes are welcomed, however,
serious questions remain concerning the tens of mil-
lions of taxpayer dollars that have already been handed
out.
The giveaway of tax dollars by politicians has been
aptly described as "spending money like drunken
sailors on leave." As the saying goes, "A million here,
and a million there - pretty soon you're talking about
real money."
Who knows what a close examination of our state's
$10 billion budget would reveal?
(ED. NOTE - Opinions expressed in editorials,
letters to the editor, columns, guest columns, car-
toons, etc., are those of the writer and are not nec-
essarily the views’ of the Kings Mountain Herald
and other Republic Newspapers.)
* By Elizabeth Stewart
What did you think of the President’s State of the Union message?
JUDY HOWELL
His statements were
ambiguous and non-com-
mital. I feel he has ridden
the fence so long that
| he’s afraid to make a def-
inite stand on important
issues like the economy
and social reform.
the
ARTHUR ALLEN
President Clinton’s
speech was very good. He
is avoiding the issues like
economy
Medicare but if he lives
up to his expectations he
might be okay.
FRED OWENS
I don’t think much of I
President Bill Clinton’s
leadership. His State of
the Union speech was
fine.
and
EUNICE SMITH
thought
President’s speech was
very good and I enjoyed
listening to his comments
and support his leader-
ship of the country.
JOE R. SMITH
Wonderful! If all of
us would get together on
one accord we could get
something done in the
United - States of
America.
the
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