The basic mission of North Carolina's Community Colleges is to educate adults for productive lives. If we do that job well, we will have specific impact on at least the following three goals of First in America:

    Programs to improve education in North Carolina must include a strong component of education for adults. The North Carolina Community College System gives our state the edge it needs to become first in education because educating the parents is the key to educating the child, and we can educate all parents. We offer the basic skills that help adults learn to read as well as helping them prepare for further education and the world of work.

    North Carolina has one of the largest adult basic skills/literacy programs in the United States, serving almost 150,000 students in the 1998-1999 program year. Our programs give adults the opportunity to develop the basic skills in reading, writing, computing and critical thinking that will help them become more effective as community members, workers, and family members. The program gives them the opportunity to become role models for their children as they demonstrate that learning is a lifelong endeavor. Community colleges also provide a chance to finish high school through adult high schools and GED programs. One of the fastest-growing areas of basic skills is English as a Second Language. For our skyrocketing immigrant population, these classes are truly open doors to productive, responsible participation in the life of North Carolina.

    Thirty-five community colleges offer comprehensive family literacy programs, which are extremely effective in educating parents and children and building strong families. These programs offer literacy activities between parents and their children, training for parents to help them teach their children and be full partners education, parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency, and age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and in life. .

    Twenty-nine community colleges operate Early Childhood Development Education Centers, where young children receive excellent care and students in these programs have the chance for hands-on training.

    The Community College System is particularly pleased with the thriving partnership many of our colleges maintain with Smart Start organizations around the state. As we look to 2010, we must look for new opportunities to work together for the benefit of our youngest children.

    WIDENING THE PIPELINE is crucial for the almost three-quarters of North Carolina's 100 counties which include school systems classified as "low wealth." Many of these schools are in rural areas and face particular difficulties in attracting and keeping good teachers. Low-wealth counties need to look close to home for teachers committed to working and rearing their own families in their communities.

    They have potential teachers on the payroll already, as teacher aides, extended day childcare workers, secretaries and other staff. These individuals already have local roots, experience with children and knowledge of school systems. They need education, training and licenses close to home, on convenient schedules, so they do not have to give up their homes, jobs and family time.

    Thanks to thriving partnerships between Community Colleges and several campuses of the University of North Carolina, prospective teachers have the chance to earn associates degrees and complete UNC baccalaureate degrees needed for teacher certification on their local community college campuses. Appalachian State and UNC-Wilmington are just two outstanding examples of universities already committed to this effort. These programs combine the best of classroom instruction and distance learning. While not yet available at every community college, these programs are growing quickly. They are a major priority for me for the foreseeable future.

    BUSINESSES get started and COMMUNITIES thrive because hard workers combine with good ideas to create a growing economy, more tax revenues, and GOOD JOBS for parents of the children we want to achieve. Our commitment to technical and vocational training fosters that healthy growth. We know we can't have steady growth if we don't have good schools. Can we have good schools if we don't have economic growth? We foster both sides of that partnership in community colleges.

    I congratulate Governor Hunt on setting our sights high, and my colleagues and I look forward to working to make North Carolina First in America.

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