How Important is Teacher Education in NC?
“It’s the most important task we have,” says President Bowles.
Erskine Bowles, President of the University of North Carolina system, spoke at the ground-breaking of the new building for the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University on December 4, 2008.
He reported that out of thousands of people who were surveyed through the NCTomorrow initiative, 83% ranked improving public education as the most important challenge in their communities. So, the number one responsibility of the University of North Carolina is to improve K-12 public education. He said, “The most important task we have in NC is to produce more and better teachers. There is no more important occupation in this country today than that of a K-12 teacher; literally nothing else is even close.”
He explained that today we face a global market where we’re not as competitive as we were in our parents’ generation. He said, “The cold hard truth is that our public schools are producing a product  today that is not up to global standards.” He cited an example of the Singapore schools, where students achieve far more than our American students and where beginning teachers are paid more than beginning doctors because what teachers do is valued.
He said, “We in higher education have a moral and economic responsibility to do all we can to fix K-12 education”. He told the audience that we must train more and better teachers, especially math and science teachers, principals, and superintendents. He declared, “That is our number one responsibility and it’s exactly what we are doing today.”
He believes our teachers deserve the best facilities, equipment, training, and professors. He told the gathering, including Board Chairman Jim Deal, Chancellor Ken Peacock, Dean Charles Duke, Mayor Loretta Clawson, member of the University of NC Board of Governors Leroy Lail, and numerous other dignitaries, “From this day forward, (teachers) will have those things at the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University.” He thanked and praised the Honorable NC State Senator Steve Goss and the Honorable State Representative Tullie N.Tarleton for getting the $34 million needed to make this new building a reality. He said, “With this, we’ll be able to compete with the best and brightest wherever they are tin this world.”
President Bowles closed by declaring, “This is a great day for Appalachian State University, the Reich College of Education, and the University of North Carolina and a critical day for the future of (the state of ) North Carolina.”
