By Eric Frazier
efrazier@charlotteobserver.com

More money for schools. Less time and money on new tests to rate teachers.

That was the message to Superintendent Peter Gorman and board members from an emotional crowd of teachers, students and parents who packed Tuesday's Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board meeting.

They came on the same night Gorman unveiled his 2011-12 budget proposal, a $1.1 billion spending plan that could cost nearly 600 educators their jobs and lead to deep cuts in everything from preschool programs to custodians to campus security staff.

But the crowd, which included many teachers, focused more on Gorman's still-developing pay-for-performance plan, which aims to use more than 50 tests and a complex new rating system to measure teacher effectiveness.

Teachers and students rallied in front of the Government Center, holding signs that said "No Teacher Left Behind" and "Education Cuts Never Heal."

During the public comment part of the meeting, several said it made no sense for CMS to be spending money on additional tests when it is cutting teachers to close an estimated $100 million budget gap.

Retired science teacher John Mock said that, in its quest to grade teachers on a more businesslike model, the board has alienated its workforce and frustrated parents.

He asked board members: "Just whose business model are you using? Enron?"

Teacher Heather Lajoie said the new tests appeared too hastily written, and added that multiple-choice tests don't measure the kinds of higher-order thinking skills children need to function in an increasingly complex society.

"I urge you to drop the idea," she said, prompting sustained applause.

Later in the meeting, Gorman said he remains convinced the new tests will give teachers and parents more information about student learning, and can be used to drive improvements in classrooms.

Given how upset teachers are about the pay-performance effort, three board members said they want to stop or at least delay the tests.

But board chair Eric Davis and several other board members said the board and staff haven't done a good enough job communicating the benefits of the effort.

"We have a long way to go to explain what we're doing," Davis said. Reflecting back on what teachers said earlier, he added: "Change is scary ... and we're reacting to our fears."

Gorman's $1.1 billion budget would be a 2.8 percent decrease from last year's amount. It proposes up to $118 million in cuts, a higher number than the estimates of $100 million officials had been using. His proposal asks Mecklenburg County officials to give CMS $10 million more than last year.

But the new money wouldn't stop long-planned layoffs or other cuts. Instead, it would cover anticipated cost increases for student growth and operations - which would include costs for employee benefits.

The plan asks county commissioners to give CMS $312.8 million next year, which is about $10.6 million more than the schools received from the county last year.

County taxes supply about 26 percent of CMS' budget, while the state provides about 55 percent. The federal government chips in 16 percent, and 3 percent comes from other special sources.

County commissioners - as well as the school board - must approve Gorman's plan before it can take effect.

Gorman has described the proposed cuts as the regrettable but unavoidable consequence of projected steep declines in state and federal money for CMS.

Members of the new parent advocacy group MeckFUTURE told the board they intend to lobby commissioners to use the recent revaluation of property to generate more money for CMS.

In a separate meeting Tuesday, commissioners began tackling the revaluation issue. They learned that, if they kept tax rates the same as last year, the increased property values could raise $78 million in additional money. However, the county could lose as much as $41 million from other revenue sources based on early budget projections.

County Manager Harry Jones will present his budget recommendations in May. But Jones said he has told Gorman he will do everything he can to provide the additional $10 million the superintendent wants from the county.

Commissioners Chair Jennifer Roberts also said she hopes the county can fulfill Gorman's request, saying in the past the county has been able to cover enrollment growth or other extra costs from inflation.

She said she's open to considering even more money, but said she first needs to look at other parts of the budget, including what could be lost from the state.

Vice Chair Jim Pendergraph also said the school district's request will need to be "put in the mix" of the full budget.

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