Alex Granados of EdNC.org did a nice job of reporting on the Senate press conference on teacher pay proposal on May 26th (https://www.ednc.org/2016/05/26/senate-unveils-teacher-salary-pay-plan/).

If you go to the actual story on EdNC’s website, there is a video of the press conference. In it you will see who is present.

Of course, Sen. Phil Berger is at the podium, but many may not recognize the others. Over Berger’s left shoulder is Sen. David Curtis. Ironic that he is on stage after his historic missive from two years ago in response to teacher Sarah Wiles when he literally bashed public school teachers (http://wunc.org/post/teacher-email-legislators-draws-harsh-reply#stream/0).

Here is the text of that letter. If you are reading it again, then it is worth reviewing. If you have never read it, then brace yourself. He actually did a “reply all” when he sent it on his government email account which made it public property.

From: Sen. David Curtis

Date: May 12, 2014 at 9:46:57

Dear Sarah,

I have given your e-mail titled “I am embarrassed to confess: I am a teacher” some thought, and these are my ideas.  A teacher has an incredible influence on students–for good or for bad. My teachers, coaches, and Boy Scout leaders had a great influence on my decision to go to college which was not a family tradition. My concern is that your students are picking up on your attitude toward the teaching profession. Since you naturally do not want to remain in a profession of which you are ashamed, here are my suggestions for what you should tell your potential new private sector employer:

1. You expect to make a lot more than you made as a teacher because everyone knows how poorly compensated teachers are.
2. You expect at least eight weeks paid vacation per year because that is what the taxpayers of North Carolina gave you back when you were a poorly compensated teacher
3. You expect a defined contribution retirement plan that will guarantee you about $35,000 per year for life after working 30 years even if you live to be 104 years old. Your employer will need to put about $16,000 per year into your retirement plan each year combined with your $2,000 contribution for the next 30 years to achieve this benefit.  If he objects, explain to him that a judge has ruled that the taxpayers of North Carolina must provide this benefit to every public school teacher. Surely your new employer wants to give better benefits than the benefits you received as a poorly compensated teacher.
4. Your potential employer may tell you that he has heard that most North Carolina workers make less than the national average because we are a low cost-of-living- state, private sector workers making 87% of the national average and teachers making 85% of the national average.  Tell him that may be true, but to keep that confidential because the teachers union has convinced parents that teachers are grossly undercompensated based on a flawed teachers union survey of teacher pay.

I support the teacher pay raise but am very concerned that the teachers union has successfully presented to the public a deceptive view of total teacher compensation that is simply not consistent with the facts.

Sincerely,

Senator David Curtis

The backlash from teachers was intense. Dr. Diane Ravitch was kind enough to post my letter to him on her blog (https://dianeravitch.net/2014/05/20/a-teacher-in-north-carolina/ ). It was my first venture into public education advocacy that has eventually led to this blog.

And Sen. Curtis is standing up there as a crusader for the teaching profession.

If you look to the far right of the screen, you will see Sen. Tom Apodaca. His recent legislative attempt is the Access to Affordable College Education Act that was recently rolled into the very budget this press conference is about.

These are not the faces of people championing public education.