This past week, Education Week released its "Quality Counts Report" for 2018. It is a yearly report that ranks each state (and D.C.) with a report card that measures a variety of variables. As reported by T. Keung Hui of the News & Observer: Issues with school funding and student achievement dropped North Carolina to … Continue reading Thank You North Carolina General Assembly! We Are Now Ranked 40th!
Month: January 2018
Thank You State Superintendent! “Talent Pipeline” Restored! Amazon Says So.
No. It should be, “Congratulations! We did it!” One week ago, State Superintendent Mark Johnson wrote an op-ed in EdNC.org which made the argument that North Carolina lost out on its bid to “secure” the new Toyota-Mazda mega-plant that would have brought four thousand jobs to the state because of the performance of our school … Continue reading Thank You State Superintendent! “Talent Pipeline” Restored! Amazon Says So.
Share this:
What the Hell is an Idiom? Language Lesson of the Day
Mental Floss is one of the best magazines published. It's digital reach has also become rather substantial. If you have any nerdy inclination then check it out. Sometimes it has some very teachable videos to use in class. Like this one on idioms. That's the famous writer John Green (Fault in Our Stars, Turtles Down Below, … Continue reading What the Hell is an Idiom? Language Lesson of the Day
Share this:
Tommy Boy and the Class Size Crisis – Concerning Sen. John Alexander’s Empty Words
I miss Chris Farley. His stint on Saturday Night Live is still memorable. There’s that opening number with Patrick Swayze where he and Swayze were competing for a spot in the Chippendale dancers. Then there’s Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who lives “in a van down by the river.” But my favorite Chris Farley performance … Continue reading Tommy Boy and the Class Size Crisis – Concerning Sen. John Alexander’s Empty Words
Share this:
Every Day is a Snow Day at West Forsyth
“Football’s made to be played in all types of weather. I’m not sure what everybody else does, but they’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. But at West Forsyth that’s not the way we roll.” - Coach Adrian Snow, August 30, 2017 in the Winston-Salem Journal. To be a successful high school football coach … Continue reading Every Day is a Snow Day at West Forsyth
Share this:
Hallelujah, and Pass the Lard! – Sen Joyce Krawiec’s Uneducated Assertion on the Class Size Mandate
"If brains were lard, you couldn't grease a small skillet." - Sen. Joyce Krawiec, Jan. 20, 2017 in reference to the people participating in the Women's March. Not Sen. Krawiec's best moment. One would think that since the senator equated lard with brains and the fact that much lard was actually sent to her directly … Continue reading Hallelujah, and Pass the Lard! – Sen Joyce Krawiec’s Uneducated Assertion on the Class Size Mandate
Share this:
Using the Public School System as a Scapegoat – Mark Johnson’s Latest Erroneous Op-ed
Scapegoating – “Unfairly blaming an unpopular person or group of people for a problem or a person or group that is an easy target for such blame.” (From http://www.logicallyfallacious.com) This past week, North Carolina lost out as a site for a new Toyota-Mazda mega plant that would have been worth over 1.6 billion dollars. According … Continue reading Using the Public School System as a Scapegoat – Mark Johnson’s Latest Erroneous Op-ed
Share this:
What Would Mark Johnson Say About This? Probably Not Damn Thing
Today Kris Nordstrom published a post on NC Policy Watch concerning a newly released study from Economic Research Initiatives at Duke University about how charter schools in North Carolina have negatively affected financing for traditional public schools. In "New study calculates charter schools’ negative financial impact on North Carolina school districts," Nordstrom starts, "A new report from … Continue reading What Would Mark Johnson Say About This? Probably Not Damn Thing
Share this:
“This Land is the Land of Ours” – R.E.M.’s “Cuyahoga” and Donald’s Xenophobia
“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” - Donald Trump, January 11, 2018. The current president’s words about immigrants from other countries comes two days after stripping protections for over 200,000 Salvadorians here in the states. His statement specifically alluded to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations, most of whom … Continue reading “This Land is the Land of Ours” – R.E.M.’s “Cuyahoga” and Donald’s Xenophobia
Share this:
When Your State Superintendent Won’t “Rally”‘ For Public Schools
Rally (noun) - 1a : a mustering of scattered forces to renew an effort 2: a mass meeting intended to arouse group enthusiasm (merriam-webster.com) It is the right of every American to come together and peacefully speak out for an issue. What someone rallies for speaks for their interests and values. When a lawmaker or an elected official … Continue reading When Your State Superintendent Won’t “Rally”‘ For Public Schools
caffeinated rage 