Education, the Recession, and a Bailout
The Most Important Aspect of Recovery is being Ignored
Throughout the nation, universities and school systems are coping with the effects of the recession. Budget cuts are affecting course offerings as faculty positions are trimmed and adjunct positions virtually eliminated. In some cases, raising tuition to cover budget shortfalls has created problems for students already in a program that must now decide whether they can continue to afford college.
Effect of the Recession on Higher Education
In North Carolina, Governor Beverly Perdue campaigned on a promise to expand higher education to provide all qualified applicants a two year Community College program. Since taking office, however, Perdue has mandated a 7% cut in all government agencies, including the public university system and Community Colleges.
Administrators are already implementing hiring freezes, increasing class sizes, and not filling vacant faculty positions. In some institutions, like A & T State University in Greensboro, adjunct positions are being eliminated. Ironically, although Community College applications were significantly higher as the 2009 spring semester began in January, many colleges, such as Mitchell Community College in Statesville, NC, had to turn away students.
The “financial credit crunch” has also affected students as lenders cutback on student loans, raise interest rates, and scale back lending altogether, forcing students to scramble in order to find the money needed to complete their educational programs.
Building projects have been put on hold at many universities and colleges throughout the nation while some institutions may face the eventual prospect of closure. The very area that deserves the most “bailout” support is higher education, notably the Community College systems, because these institutions offer the best prospects for millions of unemployed workers seeking a new career direction.
Effect of the Recession on Non-Public High Schools
The recession may not seriously affect some of the nation’s top tier non-public schools because most parents paying tuition costs generally identify with an upper socio-economic class still able to afford a private education for their children. However, there are thousands of non-public institutions including “Day Schools” and religious high schools that serve a more diverse clientele. These are the people who may be forced to make financial decisions that result in the public school alternative.
Many public schools systems are capitalizing on these shifts. In High Point, North Carolina, the local school system held a “fair” detailing their “magnet school” program and openly invited non-public students back into the public schools during television interviews.
Another growing segment of non-public education that will be negatively affected is the charter schools. Although non-public, charter schools receive state funds. As overall funding for education decreases, many charter schools may be driven out of business.
Depending upon the state, local communities often provide supplemental compensation to teachers employed in their school systems to offset the low yearly contractual wage based on experience and tenure sometimes referred to as a “step” or “tier.” As local county boards face an increasing drop in revenue from taxes, these supplements are also in danger.
Bailout Education
Although every organization is clamoring for a governmental bailout, federal and state officials must come to realize that national recovery is intricately connected to a highly educated workforce. The so-called “Irish Miracle” that transformed Ireland in recent years into a financially stable and growing economy has been correlated to free public education at all levels, including higher education. This is noteworthy.
An educated workforce attracted foreign investment and business expansion in Ireland. The same can be done in the United States on the federal and state level if education is truly prioritized. Higher education, particularly at the Community College level, must be seen as the best hope for retooling the workforce and creating new jobs.
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