Asheville, N.C. – Mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican nominee for governor, today presented a ten point education plan to approximately 800 superintendents, principals, assistant principals and school administrators at a conference in Asheville.

“I am running for governor to change the culture in Raleigh—a culture that considers a 30 percent dropout rate acceptable,” said McCrory, who earned his teaching certificate at Catawba College. “We need new leadership and a bold new plan for our schools in North Carolina because the status quo is not working.

“We need to challenge and inspire our students to stay in school by providing them courses that hold their interest.  We must provide an education that trains today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce.  One of the goals of an education should be preparing our young people to get a job.

 “In addition, we need to give our local superintendents, principals and school administrators more control over what happens in their own classrooms.  Mandates from bureaucrats in Raleigh hurt innovation. We need to encourage creative ideas that work at the local level.”

The following is McCrory’s ten point plan:

1. Focus on math and reading in the first three grades.  Studies show that if children cannot read by the third grade, they will likely drop out of school.

2. Provide vocational and technical training for those students who are not interested in pursuing a four-year college degree.

3. Reward our state’s universities that graduate students who fill labor gaps such as math and science teachers, health care professionals and engineers.

4. Give principals the flexibility to award merit pay to teachers based on job performance.  Also permit higher compensation for teachers who train students to meet crucial labor needs.

5. Make it easier to hire out-of-state teachers, retired teachers and those with expired teaching certifications (especially when they teach subject areas that have labor shortages.)

6. Set a goal to replace outdated textbooks with laptop computers for every middle and high school student in the state.

7. Reduce the burden being placed on North Carolina’s public schools by working to reduce the number of illegal immigrants coming to the state.

8. Give superintendents and principals more flexibility on how to operate their schools. 

9. Improve safety by working to reduce gangs and allowing more disciplinary decisions to be made at the local level.

10. Expand training for school administrators and principals at our state’s graduate business schools.