North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 04/15/1996

It's Monday April 15th tonight a visit from the vice president of the United States in North Carolina now. A good Monday evening everyone I'm reading it right. Welcome back for another week of North Carolina now. I hope you had a great weekend. And if you're sitting there relaxing watching our program the chances are you've already finished your taxes. I dropped mine in the mailbox yesterday afternoon. Well on tonight's program Maria Lundberg brings us the next installment of her special report on teacher retention. You'll remember last Monday Maria focused on the reasons why so many teachers are leaving North Carolina classrooms. Well tonight she'll explore some of the ways to keep good teachers teaching and Bob Garner hikes the Appalachian Trail. And he'll take us along. But

first we head to the emerging issues form that is underway at NC State. Words like the Internet and the information superhighway have become part of our everyday vocabulary. But what does the rapidly changing world of technology mean for North Carolina and the rest of the country. Well that's the subject of the 11th Annual emerging issues forum that got under way at North Carolina State University today. The Forum drew a very special guest speaker Vice President Al Gore use the opportunity to push the Clinton administration's proposal of making computer technology available to every school child. By the end of the decade this is our hope. And our expectation that some day not very long from now a young school child in a small town in North Carolina will be able to go home after school and instead of turning on the television or playing Nintendo

instead tap into the Library of Congress and explore a whole universe of knowledge. According to her own curiosity at her own pace there is no question that we now live in the age of information and characteristically this forum has chosen an extremely important topic to explore in depth. The daily news is full of stories about the Internet an endless stream of T-shirt to riches stories about young Internet whizzes here in the research triangle you have long led our nation to the realization that our best jobs for the future are high tech jobs and in order to capture them and hold them down we have to master this world of exploding information and equip our children

and our workforce with the ability to learn new skills and navigate through this universe of information. Of course as the nation connects to the Information Superhighway we face a danger that we will leave behind vast portions of our population. These new communications and computing technologies have astonishing power. They can truly revolutionize how and how much our children learn. But they don't do any good for children who spend their days in a school without a computer and their nights in a home without a phone line. And make no mistake there is a digital divide in this nation. For example about seven million homes in America that don't have in America that do not now have basic telephone service talking about an information superhighway to Americans who now have barely an information dirt

road. It is a cruel joke to them. That's why we are devoting special attention to this particular problem why we have made provisions to connect every school in every one of our nation's empowerment zones and enterprise communities. By the end of this year minority students and low income students today are significantly less likely to attend schools with avenues to the information superhighway. Among schools with large numbers of low income students just 31 percent have internet access. Half the rate of schools with wealthier children. We have got to do better. The vice president outlined a four point plan that would put computers in every classroom develop more computer education programs train teachers and how to use the latest technology and connect every school in classroom to the Internet. Also at the forum journalist Hedrick Smith echoed the vice president. The Pulitzer Prize winner said we need to take

a broader approach to education. We have an educational system which is geared toward making sure we have the managers the engineers the Nobel scientists the senators the governors the journalists. And it takes care of the top 30 percent of our society quite well and the top 30 percent of our society is globally competitive. But I would submit that today America does not have an adequate educational strategy for the people who are the absolute backbone of our economy and that is the people who are not going to finish college. If I can leave one fact with you today one fact and nothing else please share with me the information that 70 percent of the kids in America do not finish four years of college. Seventy percent of the kids in America do not finish four years of college and 70 percent of the jobs in America asked the Labor

Department asked the Chamber of Commerce. Ask any big company do not require a four year college degree. We are a country compared to other countries Japan and Germany all across northern Europe Italy Switzerland the Scandinavian countries. We are a country without an education strategy for the vast majority of our high school students. Because we tend to gather in gatherings like this in which I would venture that 90 percent or more of this audience is college educated we need to get out of this box and the others to find out how they're doing. The Forum concludes tomorrow with speeches by children's advocate Marian Wright Edelman and economist Lester Thoreau among others. You want to see TV while presenting to special programs on the emerging issues forum right after North Carolina now this evening. You can see highlights of today's events and the whole forum will be summed up in a one hour program next Sunday April 21st at 6:00 p.m.. Last week reporter Maria Lundberg

showed us some of the reasons public school teachers are leaving their profession in record numbers. Imagine what it would do to a company if half its staff left each year. Well that's a close parallel to what's happening in our schools. Educators say things something must be done to change our education system. If we hope to keep good teachers from leaving this evening we look at how that can be accomplished. That is if you're teaching. It's probably one of the toughest professions you could find every day. Teachers in North Carolina face overcrowded classrooms discipline problems lack of respect and the need to be teacher counselors substitute parent and friend to their students. Increasingly these overwhelming demands are driving many teachers out of the profession. We've got to change that. Turn that around and let people know that we don't just say education is important we put our money and our resources and our commitment where math yes and turn this thing

around. If we don't do that if we lose our commitment to a good public school system we can no longer save all our children. If you would take advantage of the educational opportunities offered you in America you can become all your capable of millions. That would be a disaster for school systems losing teachers means the costly expense of training new people year after year for students. The impact of losing good teachers is a measurable those in the profession say it takes time to become a good teacher. To learn behavior management and effective teaching methods on classroom veterans leave they take valuable years of experience and knowledge that are not easily replaced. Young enthusiastic teachers who excite and motivate students are like the sparkplugs of the system and losing them drains the schools of those who are most needed. In fact research shows that talented high achievers are the most likely to leave the profession. And if this trend continues schools could be left with teachers who are simply counting the years to

retirement. This situation is a serious loss of precious human resources which is a destabilizing factor in the schools. But how can this alarming trend be reversed. One suggestion is to increase teacher salaries. In fact Governor Hunt proposes raising them to the national average by the year 2000. Another idea is to put teachers on 12 month contracts were 10 months employees. Part of the reason our salaries are not up to par is that for too much of the year we're not paid. Let us do some planning or find us something to do in the summer. Actually planning would be a real good as we don't have a lot of chesty that don't here pay us for 12 months that just that that that that could help but higher pay alone won't fix all problems for Veronica Robinson. Other factors have a high priority. I think class sizes need to be made smaller. That is a priority. Class sizes need to be made smaller. I think that teachers need less

outside responsibilities and more time to focus on students more time to focus on planning more time to work on cooperative ideas. The North Carolina General Assembly has passed legislation that decreases class size for kindergarten and first grade. But nothing has been done yet to help the higher grades. For John Denning It's especially critical that something be done to help new teachers. Often they are given the most difficult assignments in terms of students with discipline or learning problems. The most lesson preparations and extra curricular activities. It's got to be accepted that it is a major transition to come into the classroom yet establish who you are as a teacher and with that you cannot do that if you're responsible for 150 students each day and that you're teaching five classes a day. And what I mean by that is that there's got to be some combination of there's got to be a

reduction of of course load of students at some point so that you can adjust the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program is one effort to recruit bright talented young people into the teaching profession and to provide them with a comprehensive training experience. The Teaching Fellows program was incredible the year I was hired they hired nine brand new teachers here. And I was far and away the best prepared person of the group. The Teaching Fellows program is administered by the North Carolina Public School Forum a nonprofit education think tank. In a recent study graduates of the program said that in spite of their experience it's likely that many of them will leave the profession to factors that clearly indicate teachers beginning teachers would leave in North Carolina are number one. The and the quality of their teacher preparation program and number two the quality of the induction or support system for them in they are first second and

third year teaching in the public school level. Colleges across the state are trying to improve the quality of teacher training and schools of education are doing the best job they've ever done but we're still sending thousands of young people that teach that haven't the slightest idea what do they all face when they walk in. Some of the situations I'm walking into. We've got to do a much better job of a pattern of better training will help. But teachers say they must also have a strong support system within the schools. You need to feel like you can go to someone with a problem and get a solution instead of get brushed off. If you don't feel like you can turn anywhere then you'll just turn away from teaching completely the large number of teachers leaving the profession certainly sounds an alarm to those in positions to make changes. One change supported by the State Board of Education is to give teachers more control and accountability. We've got to turn our schools over to the communities where the schools are to make most of the decisions and let the parents and teachers really bad end of the school or

really never be what it should be. And we must in fact found a way to provide those folks who have the obligation and responsibility to provide for better student performance and to take care of our children at the building level otherwise we will not be competitive we will not be able to to go into the next century having all the skills and that we need in order to produce the workforce and the citizenry that we must produce for North Carolina. What are we talking about with the future of our kids and who's going to be here next and what kind of society are we going to have. I think that at some point we've got to put our resources and investment in public education. It is. Without it and I just don't know where we will be. The teachers in the story are like thousands across our state who teach because of the great satisfaction they get when students experience the excitement and joy of learning. Many of the ideas mentioned that will help keep teachers from leaving will take money and now

falls to the General Assembly to make decisions about how much money will be allocated for the state schools and how it will be spent. We will continue to follow the efforts being made to retain good teachers and will keep you posted on that progress. Coming up put on your walking shoes Bob Garner takes us hiking. But before we do that we'll hike over to Michel Louis for a summary of today's statewide news. Hello Mitch. Hello Marina. Good evening everyone. Topping our news a bill aimed at lessening the influence of money on the voting practices of our state legislators is up for consideration. The proposal drafted by the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee would go beyond current rules it would bar a member of the General Assembly from accepting gifts from lobbyists except for quote personal hospitality in connection with a normal social function and quote current law sans a legislator must abstain from voting if he thinks his judgment is substantially influenced by his financial interests. In addition the committee's proposal would forbid legislators from debating or voting on most

matters in which they scan which they stand to directly gain or lose financially. The state social workers are now being asked to add one more responsibility to their list of things to check when they enter a home. State officials want social workers to begin looking for the presence of a smoke detector. The request follows the deaths of two Berkow to youngsters more than a month ago a record of child abuse and neglect in the home had been registered with the local Department of Social Services. A fire investigation later discovered no smoke detector in the home in which the children lived. Advances in genetic testing have spawned a new area of individual protection considerations. A group of doctors including a cancer researcher at USC Chapel Hill is asking the state to protect potential victims of genetic information against discrimination. The doctors say those people who show a genetic predisposition to serious illnesses must be protected against insurance companies and the potential for higher premiums. At least 15 other states have passed or proposed laws protecting people from discrimination based on genetic

testing. Now taking a look at tomorrow's weather skies will continue to be mostly cloudy with most of the precipitation moving towards the coastal areas the mountains and the Piedmont areas can look for a 20 to 30 percent chance of showers while the coast will have some early morning showers and possibly thunderstorms blustery conditions will keep temperatures in the 40s and 50s in the mountains and then the 60s everywhere else. In business news recent data is pointing to a reversal of a decade long decline in cigarette consumption according to figures released by the U.S. Agricultural Department. The number of American smokers may have bottomed out in 1994 when four hundred eighty five billion cigarettes were consumed in this country one year later the number rose by two billion. The 1995 figures marked the first time in 10 years cigarette consumption has shown and among American smokers. And now here's a look at what happened on Wall Street today. The

Appalachian Trail is a wilderness hiking path that follows the ridge lines of the Appalachian Mountains from northern Georgia all the way up to Mt. Hood Todd and in Maine. Some of the trails most demanding and most interesting sections are found in extreme western North Carolina along the state's border with Tennessee. Reporter Bob Garner and a North Carolina now camera crew spent several days hiking and camping on portions of the trail in North Carolina. Tonight we begin a five part series on the Appalachian Trail and the people who hike it. Between

Georgia and mean the Appalachian trail stretches more than two thousand one hundred fifty miles and there are probably many reasons why people decide to tackle its rugged terrain especially among those who intend to walk from one end of the trail to the other. Bill and Barbara will Neal of Winston Salem decided on a through hike after their first backpacking trip together took them to Europe and then it took us three years after that ship to save enough money to be able to do this one. But we've just always loved packing it up and taken off for a while. So I think just the experience also of going long distance you know here for a weekend and in two days you're back in your warm home and a shower and everything you just wanted to experience what it was like to thank yourself for a longer period of time. There are quite a few couples like the O'Neills hiking the trail together. There's also an increasing number of female through hikers traveling either singly or in pairs like book spacing here in

Texas. You have plenty of time to do lots of thinking out here in your spare brain goes from thinking about pain in your feet. One minute to what you're going to do how many miles you can do that day to what you're going to do for the rest of your life. Anywhere you go to find out about yourself. The end of the end of the trail and hopefully what I want to do year with myself for the next time I'm there five to ten years. I am hoping to join in the Peace Corps. Sara I figure that this will kind of resume after a little bit. Bill Irwin of Burlington is a genuine Appalachian Trail legend. He's a blind man who in 1990 hiked the entire distance from Georgia to Maine with his guide dog. The adventures of the Orient Express as they were known are documented in Irwin's book blind courage Irwin had never even been backpacking before that trip.

His reason was to demonstrate his religious faith and to be able to talk about it in responding to people's questions without God's help it would be virtually impossible for a blind person to go out and buy the Appalachian Trail. And. So I think that a lot of other people realize that as a result of our high and I believe that's why I was chosen to do. Irwin says he loved meeting people but never was fond of the actual hiking. Beverly last fall out of Erie Pennsylvania hi Fiverr was looking for a new physical challenge when she read about the Appalachian Trail in a senior citizens magazine. I celebrated my birthday on the trail this year in April. And how old were you if I might ask. I am 70. Celebrated your 70th birthday on the yes. And it's a very grateful feeling that to be 70 and be able to do all of these things.

Dan we put Bruce has completed seven into n Heights says that no matter what their motivation one thing happens to nearly all long distance hikers shortly after they begin. It takes a few days but they are able to start stripping away all that veneer of city life and start living simply and as a result they're able to touch base with those basic values in themselves because of the fact they don't have the clutter of everyday life around them to consider. And then it kind of tests here. You're straight. I'm learning about them and how to deal with them. One quality that will almost certainly be tested is the ability to accept what can't be changed or when we can virtually control our environment. 95 percent of the time. Out there you can control what percentage of the time if you don't have that emotional flexibility to give up the need to control everything

it's going to be an exam and it is one psychological obstacle to overcome apprehension. What's the hardest thing for most people deciding to do it and getting to meet what you have to take all the words. Tomorrow night Bob Garner looks at what distance hike on the Appalachian Trail demands from a hiker both physically and emotionally. Meanwhile if you would like a brochure describing the entire trial just send a self-addressed stamped envelope to North Carolina now P.O. Box fourteen nine hundred RTP NC 2 7 7 0 9 and be sure to indicate on your correspondence that you want the information about the Appalachian Trail.

That's our program for tonight I hope you enjoyed it. On tomorrow's program Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Doug Marlette will join me here in the studio. He's turned his cartoon kudzu into a musical because of the Southern musical features the talents of the Red Clay Ramblers and Doug will be here to talk about that and his ambitions to take it to Broadway. Also tomorrow we'll show you a program that's intended to teach students creative problem solving. And Bob Garner continues his trek through the North Carolina mountains. Have a great evening everyone. See you tomorrow.

Good night. Inch.