Yesterday, it was reported by Kelly Hinchcliffe on WRAL.com that the NC State Superintendent had hired another in-house loyalist with the extra money given to him by the General Assembly. As stated in "NC superintendent hires new senior policy adviser:" North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson has hired a new senior policy adviser … Continue reading The Redundant Redundancy of Mark Johnson’s Comments on Teacher Pay
Month: January 2018
Speaking Out For Public Schools: NCAE’s Decision to Not Invite the State Superintendent
The decision by the North Carolina Association of Educators (the state’s largest teacher group) to not invite the current state superintendent to the annual NCAE conference was the absolutely right action to take. Mark Jewell, NCAE’s elected president, announced this week that Mark Johnson would not be invited. Many may say that it breaks a … Continue reading Speaking Out For Public Schools: NCAE’s Decision to Not Invite the State Superintendent
Share this:
When the Leader of the Public Schools Refuses to be Part of the Public
From WRAL on January 27, 2018: Johnson has said he prefers to work behind the scenes, speaking with lawmakers privately rather than sharing his thoughts on policy in public settings. But on Thursday, he shared his thoughts on teacher pay while speaking at a conference hosted by the North Carolina School Boards Association in Raleigh (http://www.wral.com/breaking-tradition-ncae-won-t-invite-superintendent-to-convention-due-to-teacher-pay-comments-other-reasons/17293180/). From Dr. … Continue reading When the Leader of the Public Schools Refuses to be Part of the Public
Share this:
Another Symptom of the Disconnect – Mark Johnson’s Comments on Teacher Pay
What follows is a chronological list of quotes, statistics, and other reports about teacher pay, the need to raise the teaching profession, and the walking contradiction that is State Superintendent Mark Johnson. April 18, 2016: According to media reports, average teacher pay in North Carolina ranks 42nd nationally. Last year, the state legislature increased starting … Continue reading Another Symptom of the Disconnect – Mark Johnson’s Comments on Teacher Pay
Share this:
Open Letter to Rep. Chuck McGrady About His Empty Class Size Mandate Explanation
Dear Rep. Chuck McGrady, I read with great interest your recent missive “Class Size: A Simple Explanation of the Issue.” While I appreciate your wanting to explain the issue in what you may think is a truthful manner, I must admit that it just rehashes the same argument made by many others in the General … Continue reading Open Letter to Rep. Chuck McGrady About His Empty Class Size Mandate Explanation
Share this:
Let This Statistic Sink In
From CNN: Another high school has turned into a scene of carnage, this time in western Kentucky. Sixteen people were wounded, two of them fatally, after a shooter opened fire Tuesday morning at Marshall County High School, authorities said. Four others sustained various injuries (https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/us/kentucky-high-school-shooting/index.html).
Share this:
Public School Forum of North Carolina Releases Top 10 Education Issues for 2018
As a veteran public school teacher in North Carolina, I invite you to read this report. It is comprehensive, yet concise - focused, yet covers much. It can be found here: https://www.ncforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Top-10-2018-PDF-web-version-1-1.pdf.
Share this:
A Pathetic Rebuttal – The John Locke Foundation’s Weak Attempt to Discredit the Quality Counts Education Report
In the days since Education Week released its yearly report, “Quality Counts 2018: Grading the States,” people at the John Locke Foundation have gone out of their way to debunk the report’s findings. This year, NC was ranked 40th down two spots from last year and down 21 spots since it peaked at 19th in … Continue reading A Pathetic Rebuttal – The John Locke Foundation’s Weak Attempt to Discredit the Quality Counts Education Report
Share this:
10 Minutes of “Pathologia Boven Excrementum” – Sen. Barefoot on Class Size Chaos
Watching a politician try to explain with circular reasoning, strawmen, and other logical fallacies the reason why he should not be faulted for something he intentionally did can be entertaining. Or painful. Or in this case, maddening. This past weekend, Education Matters aired an episode on the class size mandate. The show is produced by … Continue reading 10 Minutes of “Pathologia Boven Excrementum” – Sen. Barefoot on Class Size Chaos
Share this:
Sen. Bill Rabon’s Commitment to Not Fully Fund NC’s Public Schools
From Rep. Craig Horn on January 4, 2018: “The gap is closing. There are folks that are working on a reasonable solution with the session coming as quickly as it is next week” ((http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/01/04/chairman-house-education-committee-solution-class-size-crisis-imminent/). From Sen. John Alexander on January 17, 2018: “We are still trying to gather information from all 100 counties of the … Continue reading Sen. Bill Rabon’s Commitment to Not Fully Fund NC’s Public Schools
caffeinated rage 