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Issues -Personnel Qualifications <br />• Requiring North Carolina teachers to increase their credit hours from 18 to 24 in one content area in <br />order to gain highly qualified status may be a costly mandate that will exacerbate North Carolina's <br />teacher shortage <br />Issues -Personnel Qualifications <br />• Staff development of teachers and paraprofessionals will become a focal paint for meeting AYP goals <br />• School administrators will devote considerable attention and resources toward staff development issues <br />Issues -Funding <br />• NCLB legislation set adequate federal funding levels far successful implementation, but the federal <br />budget has fallen short of those funding levels <br />• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1975 promised federal funds of 40°~ of the cost of <br />serving an exceptional child, but almost 30 years later, there is a 68°~ shortage of full funding for the <br />program <br />Issues -Funding <br />• Requirements of NCLB combined with lack of adequate funding may result in a significant strain an <br />school systems <br />• Non-compliance with NCLB could result in a loss of federal money <br />Sources <br />• North Carolina Department of Public Instruction www.ncpublicschools.org <br />• Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools district Web site www.chccs.k12.nc.us <br />• Orange County Schools district Web site www.orange.k12.nc.us <br />• North Carolina Report Cards www.ncrepoitcards.orp <br />• North Carolina Association of School Administrators Recommendations Regarding the No Child Left <br />Behind Act: February 2004 <br />Chair Jacobs asked for copies of this PowerPaint presentation and to also make it available on <br />the County's website. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked John Link if he and the superintendents had discussed what the <br />possible financial implications could be to the Orange County taxpayers if this goes through the way it is <br />proposed. He said that there is a revolt taking place and 17 states have lined up in opposition to the law <br />and what is it going to cost. John Link said the last slide that Dr. Carraway presented, it is about $5 million <br />total. This is close to six cents on the tax rate as of this year's tax computation. This is only the direct <br />appropriation. <br />John Link asked how high-needs districts would ever be able to achieve the expectations of No <br />Child Left Behind. He said that having the federal money taken away would be disastrous for them. Shirley <br />Carraway said that it is going to be devastating far the high-needs districts because they are more <br />dependent on the federal funds. <br />Commissioner Brown said that Orange County has two school systems that are well-funded and <br />many students with great advantages. She asked how anyone could achieve these goals if Orange County <br />could not achieve them. Shirley Carraway said that the all or nothing standard makes this law so difficult. <br />Chair Jacobs said that it is his observation that this is a one size fits all philosophy. He asked if <br />there was discussion within the public school community about whether this is pushing us in a direction that <br />would lead toward having public school children going to private schools. Shirley Carraway said that a <br />