Policy Initiatives

Platform for Policy: A Unique Intersection of Education and Business

The Lieutenant Governor holds a unique position at the intersection of education and commerce. Article 9, Section 4 of the state constitution places the Lieutenant Governor on the State Board of Education. He also sits on both the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges and the state Economic Development Board by virtue of office. These appointments provide him the perfect platform for pushing his vision of Joining Our Businesses and Schools to better prepare our state's young people for the jobs of the future and to strengthen our economy for the betterment of the state as a whole.

Opening North Carolina's Classroom Doors To All: Lieutenant Governor Dalton's Leadership of the e-Learning Commission

As chair of the North Carolina e-Learning Commission, Lieutenant Governor Dalton sees the opportunity to open doors to learning for all North Carolinians by creating and promoting a collaborative online learning environment that promotes student achievement, business success, economic stability, and lifelong learning for every citizen. e-Learning's mission is to offer anytime, anyplace learning opportunities to North Carolinians with the goal of extending and equalizing education for citizens throughout the state.

In recent years, all of the education sectors in North Carolina have increased their offerings of virtual or e-Learning opportunities. There has also been an increase in high school students taking college courses at community colleges and university sharing programs. In fact, North Carolina now offers more online courses and degree programs than any other state. These collaborations, made possible by technology, are moving the education sectors toward a more seamless learning environment, a development that can bring important benefits for the state, both educational and economic. High quality e-Learning can expand access to education for all North Carolina citizens. Expanding access to e-learning opportunities is one strategy for improving the overall educational attainment of the citizens of North Carolina, whether pursuing an advanced degree or a GED. Visit www.eLearningNC.gov to learn more about these opportunities.

Joining Our Businesses and Schools:
The Lieutenant Governor's Drive to Strengthen Ties Between Education and Business

In the 2009 General Assembly, Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton fought for the establishment of the Joining Our Businesses and Schools Commission to strengthen the ties between businesses and educators across North Carolina to create a better-prepared workforce and a brighter future for our state's young people. He has since brought the Commission to each of the state's seven economic development regions to gain a better understanding of how we can prepare students for the jobs of the future and refine the state's early college high school movement. His vision for these schools has deep roots. Dalton wrote the 2003 Innovative Education Initiatives Act, which created the early college program that allows high school students to jump start their college education or gain career skills by earning up to two years of college at an accelerated pace without paying tuition. Since then, more than 70 early college high schools have blossomed across North Carolina, enrolling more than 10,000 students.

Dalton believes early college high schools should have career themes and business partners to strengthen the link between education and the workforce, so that students graduate into jobs or continue their education and pursue a more advanced degree. Dalton also sees the need to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in the public schools through sustainable programs that can be replicated statewide. His chairmanship of the JOBS Commission is enabling him to pursue these goals.

So far nearly 1,000 citizens have attended meetings across North Carolina to express their views on how business and education can better work together to prepare students for the future. The JOBS Commission's work has resulted in the conception of three proposed pilot schools, including a language and global diplomacy school in Cumberland County, a unique STEM Early College High School on the campus of N.C. State University created in partnership with the Wake County Public Schools and a regional agriculture/bioscience school that would partner with N.C. State University's Vernon James Research Center in Washington County and the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis. In addition, legislation calls on the Governor's Education Cabinet to greatly increase the number of post-secondary STEM graduates from North Carolina's public and private universities. To view the JOBS Commission's initial report to the General Assembly, click here.

Listening and Acting: Dalton's Policy Initiative on Small Business

One of Lieutenant Governor Dalton's first steps upon taking office was to launch a statewide listening tour with small business owners. Dalton has since then crisscrossed the state, hearing directly from small business owners about their needs and identifying ways the state can provide assistance. From Spruce Pines to Wilmington, from Hickory to Elizabeth City, Dalton has visited with hundreds of small business owners in more than a dozen different towns and cities to hear their concerns.

Their number one concern? Better access to capital. As a result, Dalton initiated legislation in the 2009 General Assembly that led to the establishment of a Small Business Assistance Fund, which – in partnership with the Rural Center, The Golden LEAF Foundation and Self-Help – is expected to leverage more than $20 million in small business lending. The fund received an additional appropriation of $1 million in the General Assembly's 2010 session.

Why the focus on small business? Dalton realizes that small business is an integral part of North Carolina's communities and its economy. In the last 10 years, small businesses have accounted for 70 percent of the country's new jobs and 86 percent of businesses in North Carolina have fewer than 100 employees. For a link to the Self-Help website where small business lending assistance is highlighted, click here.

Moving People and Goods: Lieutenant Governor Dalton's Leadership of Logistics Task Force

Lieutenant Governor Dalton serves as the chairman of North Carolina's Logistics Task Force, a working group examining how best to position the state for long term economic growth. The members of the Task Force are focusing on developing a statewide list of strategic transportation and infrastructure priorities for continued job creation.

The Task Force, convening in each of the state's seven economic development regions, is studying the critical relationship between commerce and infrastructure and expects to develop a plan for the seamless movement of people, goods, and information throughout the state and beyond. Visit the Task Force website for further information.