CAD Classes

Q: The state legislature has passed a budget that will cut 178 vocational teachers statewide. I feel that this is a real shame, and a definite detriment to many of the students in our state. Is this so they can focus more on Testing (tm)?

A: -No. The main problem is that during the 90's several taxes were cut, most of which were those least subject to fluctuation due to economic downturns. As a result, the NC state budget has had a huge revenue hole for the past two years. The legislators are reluctant to raise any taxes and are trying to cut their way out of the problem. -Career & Technology Education classes are pretty expensive. Compared to what a typical high school math department costs annually to run, just the automotive technology class here cost more - a lot more. Add into that the cost of having CAD/Drafting, Ag-Bio Tech, Building

Trades, Cosmetology, Business, Family and Consumer Science, Culinary Arts, Criminal Justice classes. We're probably the department that costs the most to have - any cuts in any of our voc. ed programs results in the biggest impact on a district's budget. The sad thing about some of these cuts and such, is that classes like my CAD classes get a higher multiplier than do the technology apps classes. The state pays the school somewhere around 1.39 * x for a student being in my CAD class and only 1* x for a student being in my Digital Graphics & Animation class. But the district seems bent on replacing Voc. classes with Tech. Apps classes for some reason. Go figure.