Press Release
N.C. Senator Gene McLaurin has been appointed by Best NC to serve on a statewide task force to develop a public education roadmap for our state. Best NC is a non-partisan, non-profit coalition of business leaders and education advocates committed to improving NC’s public education system. Senator McLaurin will serve as Co-Chair of the Task Force on Early Childhood Education, and Member of the Task Force on Teacher Evaluation, Compensation, and Retention.
Responding to the news of his appointment, Senator McLaurin said “I am grateful for this opportunity to help shape the future of public education in NC from Pre-K to 12th grade. As a product of our public schools, I support public education. My wife, Donna and I sent all three of our children to public schools. One of the most important issues we face in NC is how we treat our teachers and how we encourage more young people to become teachers. NC teachers should be paid at least the National Average and deserve our respect for what I consider to be the most important job in our state. Our state constitution guarantees that every child shall have a sound basic education; our rural communities deserve no less than our bigger city schools.”
Best NC will lead discussions over the next three months in preparation for the development of the NC Education 2020 Vision plan. Senator McLaurin will be joined by company executives who are advocating for a skilled workforce, teachers who will share their experiences and classroom insight, and other statewide leaders with one common goal in mind – that NC can once again be a beacon for the rest of the nation. The final plan is scheduled to be released in January 2015. For more info on Best NC, visit their website: http://best-nc.org/.
