Three members of the State Board of Education are in line to travel to China in November, if a few companies open their checkbooks.

Board members Wayne McDevitt, Patricia N. Willoughby and  Melissa Bartlett are invited to a conference of “education ministers” as part of the board's exchange program with China’s Jiangsu Province.

Board chairman Howard Lee said he was looking to raise up to $20,000 for their trip from GlaxoSmithKline, Lenovo, and Jim and Ann Goodnight. Jim Goodnight is the SAS Institute CEO.

The state board and the provincial education department formally agreed this year to collaborate on classroom and student projects, hold joint conference and host exchanges for students and teachers.

Teachers from China visited North Carolina last spring. The N.C. Center for International Understanding sent 23 teachers and principals to China last year. No state money was used for their travel.

This November's conference registration fee includes sightseeing on the final two days, including a visit to the Great Wall, the Olympic stadium and Tiananmen Square.

McDevitt said board members may not be able to stay for the days that include trips to tourist attractions because they want to visit partnership schools.

The partnership aims to give North Carolina students the chance to work on projects with students from other countries, learn other languages and engage in other activities they’ll need for the workplace, said Stephanie Caplan, the center’s spokeswoman.

One budget idea that's raising the ire of state education leaders is a proposal to have the UNC Board of Governors review the operations of the state Department of Public Instruction.

Howard Lee, chairman of the state Board of Education, repeatedly voiced his displeasure with the idea during today's emergency meeting. He argued that the study, which would be funded by the preliminary state budget, would distract from the state board's ability to do its job.

"The last thing we need is for the university system to come in here and study us," Lee said.

Also today, Lee decried a potential $50 million budget shortfall that could exist if state legislators don't provide more money for diesel fuel costs and teacher bonuses. The state might have to take the money away from local districts to make up the difference.

State Senate candidate Kathy Taft hasn't let a contested primary battle keep her away from her duties as a member of the State Board of Education.

Taft took a break from the campaign trail this week to be in Raleigh from Tuesday through today for this month's board meeting, Keung Hui reports. Taft is one of six Democrats trying to replace the retiring Sen. John Kerr for the District 5 seat that includes Greene, Pitt and Wayne counties.

Howard Lee, chairman of the State Board and a former state senator, wished Taft well today.

"We would be delighted to have some people there that understand us," Lee told Taft, which drew laughter from those at the meeting.

In contrast to Taft, neither of the two major Democratic gubernatorial candidates were at this week’s State Board meeting. Both Lt. Gov. Beverly Purdue and state Treasurer Richard Moore are members of the State Board.

Their absence was noted today when Lee asked the two student members of the State Board to come up to make a presentation. He invited one person to use his seat and the other to use Perdue’s vacant seat.

Correction: Lee's quote was inaccurately phrased in an earlier version of this post.  

Beverly Perdue tackled education as a third-term state senator.

During the state legislature's 1995-96 term, 12 of the 51 bills she sponsored dealt with North Carolina's public schools.

Successes included bills to ask the State Board of Education for recommended changes in the public school system, allow local school boards to expel dangerous students and prevent education officials from requiring that learning disabled students complete Algebra I.

Perdue also introduced bills to give teachers the same longevity benefits as state employees and reward teaching excellence.

Less successful was an attempt to create a "Common Sense Regulatory Review Commission."

Apparently, the legislature decided that common sense does not require regulation.

Gov. Mike Easley has questions about the safety of manufactured homes.

Easley sent a letter Thursday to the head of the state Manufactured Housing Institute seeking information on formaldehyde levels in manufactured homes. The institute is an advocacy and lobbying group.

Easley sent the letter in response to a finding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that manufactured homes used to shelter Gulf Coast hurricane victims contain dangerously high levels of formaldehyde that can cause burning eyes and breathing problems for people with asthma.

Easley has asked the state Board of Education to direct school systems to check temporary classroom buildings for toxic fumes.

"I am sure you agree that no one, whether living in temporary government-issued housing or in a manufactured home purchased by private individuals, should be subjected to health threats in their homes," Easley wrote.

He speaks from experience. As a resident of the Executive Mansion, a more upscale example of "temporary government-issued housing," he had to deal with a serious mold problem in 2005.

Update: Brad Lovin, exeecutive director of the institute says that North Carolina mobile homes are safe. Formaldehyde is a common chemical in manufacturing, he said. Homes used for hurricane victims have particularly high levels possibly because the government called for a particular type of paneling that his high in the chemical. Homes in North Carolina have to pass a test for chemical fumes, Lovin said.

"The governor has expressed some concern," Lovin said. "We're more than willing to provide him with the expert information that he's asking for..I think we'll ease his concerns."

Fred Smith says that in an ideal world, the state schools superintendent would be appointed.

But the Republican gubernatorial candidate says that's not likely to happen anytime soon. In the meantime, he thinks the governor has more than enough power to set education policy.

Smith noted that Gov. Mike Easley appointed Howard Lee, the current chairman of the State Board of Education, which sets state policy on schools.

"It's about leadership," he said. "It's about taking the tools you have to get the job done. We've got candidates talking about process and the constitution. That's just political talk. A leader grabs hold and gets the job done."

He pointed out that the legislature has already considered bills to make the schools superintendent an appointed position and is not likely to give the governor more power. In the meantime, he said the governor should take charge.

"You can't say I want a perfect world to get my job done," he said.

Eddie Davis says the schools superintendent should remain an elected post for now.

But the Democratic candidate for superintendent said he would be open to a wholesale reform of the education system that might include making it appointed.

"There needs to be a long discussion after the next election," he told Dome. "We're not in a position to talk about it while an election is ongoing, but I would certainly be willing to sit down and talk about it once I get elected."

Davis, who previously served on the State Board of Education, said he hopes Bob Orr's reform plan would spark an "overdue" discussion about state education policy.

He said that changes giving and taking back power to the superintendent in recent years have hurt the "checks and balances" intended in the state constitution.

"I am in favor of having that kind of dialogue," he said.

Joe Johnson says the schools superintendent should be accountable.

The Tryon resident, who is running for the Republican nomination for superintendent, told Dome that the problem with the position is that it doesn't have enough power. He said Bob Orr's plan to make the position an appointed one would make things worse.

"I firmly believe in the power of the people to vote for an office," he said.

Johnson said that one problem with the superintendent's role in recent years has been that it has been stripped of some duties for political reasons. He thinks they should be restored.

"Whether we like the individual or not, they are an elected executive official with the state," he said. "They should be able to run the Department of Public Instruction as they see fit for the betterment of our public school system."

June Atkinson says the governor is already in charge of education.

The state superintendent of public instruction told Dome that the governor appoints the members of the State Board of Education, who are in charge of education policy. She said Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Orr's plan to appoint the superintendent is unnecessary.

The positions are for eight-year terms, which means first-term governors have to deal with board member appointed by their predecessors. But Atkinson said that is not a problem for those in their second term.

Atkinson, a Democrat running for re-election, also said that Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Orr's plan to have the Board of Education elected, rather than appointed, would unnecessarily politicize the state's education policy.

"You would go from one political position to eight," she said.

She argued, however, that the legislature should clarify the roles of the superintendent and the board of education, which she said are "murky" right now.