NC Lt. Governor Walter Dalton's Blog

Two articles have recently caught my attention in their discussion of the North Carolina early college program.  One was published in the New York Times and the other was published in The Washington Times.  Both detail the work of the early college program, as well as efforts to strengthen what is taught by these programs to better prepare students for higher education or careers in industries in their area.  Links to both articles are found below.

As you may know, while in the Senate, I sponsored the “Innovative Education Act” which established the state’s early college program.  The legislation laid the ground work for what has expanded into one of the most recognized and diverse programs in the nation.  I remain a fervent supporter of the work that early colleges do for their students.  The early college programs in North Carolina have a proven track record of having little, if any dropouts and children who attend such programs also have a higher likelihood of college completion. 
I also supported and chair the Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission which works to partner existing early college programs with businesses to better prepare students for 21st century employment, as well as create new programs specifically tailored to the economic needs of respective communities. 

New York Times—For Students at Risk, Early College Proves a Draw

Washington Times—Impact key to Partnerships

The US Census Bureau is in need of people to work during the 2010 Census.  They are hiring more 24,000 people in North Carolina to help conduct the 2010 Census and especially need people in the following counties:

To apply for a Census job, applicants can contact their Local Census Office by calling 1-866-861-2010.

To qualify for temporary Census employment, you must be:
• Able to read, write, and speak English
• A U.S. citizen
• A legal permanent resident, or non-citizen with an appropriate work visa, and you possess a bilingual skill for which there are no available qualified U.S. citizens
• At least 18 years old
• Have a valid social security number
• Pass a written test of basic skills (view practice test here)
• Have a valid driver's license
• Pass a background check
• Commit to four days of training. You will be paid for training days. Training can be held either during daytime hours or during evening and weekend hours.

For more information about the 2010 Census, please visit http://2010.census.gov/2010census/ and for information about what North Carolina is doing to help the census, please visit http://2010census.nc.gov/.

Monday, February 1st, marked the opening of the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro.  The museum resides in the former F.W. Woolworth’s department store building, where fifty years ago to the day, four African-American men took a seat at the “whites only” lunch counter and refused to move, thereby igniting the sit-in movement across the country.  This was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights movement and the opening of this museum is certainly a monumental event for both the City of Greensboro and the State of North Carolina.

I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the Town Hall forum which was held on Thursday, January 28th.  It was a wonderful experience to hear the thoughts of all who were present, especially those who played such a strong role in the civil rights movement.

I am proud that this museum opened in North Carolina and I encourage all North Carolinians to visit the museum and learn for themselves how four brave young men transformed this country.

If you would like more information about the International Civil Rights Museum, you can visit their website at http://www.sitinmovement.org/

I am pleased to announce that on December 11th, the JOBS Commission held its second regional meeting in the Charlotte economic development region on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.  It was a wonderful experience to hold the meeting on the Research Campus because it serves as an innovative center for growth in the biotechnology industry, as well as a shining example of partnerships between education institutions and businesses.  

The meeting was attended by more than 150 educators, business leaders and citizens from across the region.  Two panels provided insight from both educational leaders and regional business leaders who discussed their understanding of the need for increased synergy between businesses and schools.  They also discussed the need for incorporating leadership and team-building skills into the traditional core curriculum, as well as working to create programs that decrease the dropout rate in the region and inspire young people to be lifelong earners.  Members of the panel included representatives from Duke Energy, Hendrick Motorsports, Bank of America, Union County Schools, UNC-Charlotte, New Schools Project and Central Piedmont Community College.

Multiple media outlets covered the event.  Their coverage can be found at:

http://news14.com/charlotte-news-104-content/618903/job-growth-hinges-on-state-moving-in-new-directions

http://www.salisburypost.com/News/121209-kannapolis-jobs-Speakers-tell-JOBS-Commission-that-industry-and-schools-m

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/business/story/1119091.html

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/344/story/1131395.html

The next regional meeting of the JOBS commission will in the Eastern Region on January 28th at Nash County Community College campus in Rocky Mount.

November 18th marked the first regional meeting of the Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission.  The meeting was held at the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center in Williamston and was attended by more than 150 people.  During the meeting, the commission heard presentations from many people from the Northeast regional community ranging from economic developers to educators.  Some of the people we heard from included:

Vann Rogerson, President and CEO of the Northeast Commission, who discussed the different economic development clusters of the area and current and future projects in those areas

A panel discussion which looked at ways to foster “Future-Ready Graduates.”  The panel included Dr. Tony Habit, Director of the New Schools Project; Johnny Jacobs controller of Nucor Steel; Dr. Tom Daly, Superintendent of Martin County Schools; Dr. Willie Gilchrist, Chancellor of Elizabeth City State University; and Dr. Ervin Griffin, President of Halifax Community College

Dr. Chip Zullinger, Superintendent of Bertie County Schools, and  Jim Guard also discussed an agriculture-based early college program in Bertie County

The input that we received from the presenters and members of the audience shows us that we are on the right track.

The event was covered by multiple news organizations, including WITN television, which posted the following video: http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/70418567.html

Over the coming months, we will be holding six more regional meetings across the state.  Our next meeting will be December 11th in Kannapolis at the North Carolina Research Campus.

If you would like more information about the JOBS commission and its plan of work, the following is the legislation establishing the commission: http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2009/Bills/Senate/PDF/S1069v5.pdf

Through a partnership between the Golden LEAF Foundation, North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, and the Center for Community Self-Help, a program has been established which will provide loans to assist small businesses during difficult economic times.  Both the Golden LEAF Loan Program and the Rural Center Loan Program will be administered by Self-Help and will be able to provide roughly $27.5 million in loans to North Carolina business owners.

I worked diligently with the General Assembly to have $500,000 appropriated to the Rural Center for programs to benefit small businesses and I am glad to see that it is being used in conjunction with this larger initiative.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and this is a great program to assist them in remaining viable during times of hardship. 

For more information about how to apply for these loans, please contact Self-Help Senior Loan Officer Jane Hatley at 828-771-2817 or by e-mail at jane.hatley@self-help.org

I'm excited to announce that today, Governor Perdue and I launched the North Carolina e-Learning portal.  This website provides links connecting students, parents, teachers and citizens with the numerous electronic and web-based learning opportunities offered by various educational partners across the state.  Through the site students of all ages will be able to access educational curriculum outside of the traditional classroom setting.  The site is certainly a dramatic step forward for education in North Carolina, and as chair of the e-Learning Commission, I hope to continue to grow the educational opportunities provided to all North Carolinians through the utilization of technology.

The site can be found at http://www.elearningnc.gov

Excitement is building about the launch of the JOBS Commission on Monday, October 12.  JOBS stands for Joining Our Businesses and Schools, and it’s a new legislative commission that will explore how to more closely link the curricula of early college high schools with business needs in the state’s economic development regions.  I’ve been traveling the state visiting early colleges and I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen.  Last week I visited the Wake Early College Health and Sciences on the WakeMed campus in Raleigh, and it’s a great example of a public/private partnership that works.  I think we need to see more of marriages of private sector resources with the public schools as we go forward, with the curriculum tied more tightly to workforce needs.

The Commission also is going to be focusing on how to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education in the public schools.  All of this is intended to help prepare students for 21^st Century jobs and to raise the level of the workforce.  It’s a win-win situation for everyone, and it’s what we need to do to stay ahead of the competition for new jobs and development.

I chair the JOBS Commission, and we’ll be launching with an orientation session in the state capital on Monday and Tuesday and getting out to all of the state’s economic development regions within the next year.  I hope to see you at one of these regional meetings to talk about how we can strengthen the ties between education and business.

We all know the dangers associated with cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.  Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer in America.  Cardiovascular disease is a strain on our health care system as well as our citizens and families.  The estimated direct and indirect cost of coronary heart disease is $165 billion annually.   

The best way to keep our hearts healthy and avoid cardiovascular disease is to follow a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a good diet.  That’s an area where we can all do better.  You can lower your heart disease risk by as much as 82 percent through your nutrition, fitness and health choices.  Your heart is in your hands.

To encourage all of us to take care of our hearts and stay fit and healthy, the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association has launched The Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge.  It is a 12-week program where you can work toward heart health through fitness choices, health choices or both.  You earn points for participating in physical activities or for making smart nutrition choices.  At the end of 12 weeks, each participant who meets the points goals receives a medal.

 Take the challenge today and get started on the path to staying fit and healthy.

Last week I traveled to Duplin County to visit James B. Kenan School of Engineering in Warsaw. This high school is one of ten statewide targeted to focus on science, technology, engineering and math as a way to improve academic performance.

I had a chance to meet with teachers, students, parents and administrators about the school and the changes it has undergone. Teachers told me how the interactive teaching method used in the school, where classrooms are filled with discussion and hands-on learning, has helped them reach students in ways they never thought possible. Students told me how they had lost interest in academics before this new approach to teaching and learning drew them back in. Parents told me about the hope that they feel for their children as they learn new skills and gain confidence.

As a member of the State Board of Education and a longtime advocate for public schools, this was an exciting visit for me. It showed me what is possible when we look for innovative ways to reach students. It also showed me that these pilot schools are doing a great job of preparing students to compete in the global economy, by arming them with skills that will translate into jobs.

Continuing to strengthen our public schools is both a passion and a priority of mine. I look forward to seeing more success like I saw at James Kenan.