Milford Terrell, president of the state Board of Education, told legislative budget writers this morning, "We all are quite well aware of the economic times in which we live. I don’t need to remind you folks here in this committee of how difficult it is to budget and appropriate funds in this climate. ... But I can also tell you this: Education is SO VERY important. I see it every day. I see what it has done in my life. I see what it does in the lives of the people I hire, in the lives of the people my business serves. ... I am of the opinion that government cannot do everything and should not attempt to do everything for our citizens. But one thing we MUST do is ensure that we are being good stewards of our educational system. We must recognize the critical role education plays in economic recovery. If we are to find our way to better days, education must and will play a major role."

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