This past Friday an op-ed appeared in the Charlotte Observer that attempted to paint the assault on public education by the current North Carolina General Assembly as "common sense reforms to give parents more choices, particularly low-income parents and those in underserved communities." It can be found here: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article215972175.html. It is worth the read just to see how … Continue reading About That Charlotte Observer Op-ed Defending the Current GOP’s Reforms For Education in North Carolina

If you live in a neighborhood with children, you may have experienced receiving a knock on the door or the ringing of a doorbell by a school aged child inquiring if you may want to buy some sort of product or consumable as part of a fundraiser. I want to encourage you to buy it. … Continue reading Thoughts About School Fundraising – Maybe the NCGA Should Do A Bake Sale to Finance Those Special Sessions

I do not know of a single instance in public education where merit pay actually has increased student achievement. Yet, many lawmakers  not only advocate merit pay, but differential pay based on the willingness “to take on additional tasks” like clubs, coaching, mentor, and chairing of departments. And there was an item in the budget … Continue reading Merit Pay for Teachers and Other Bad Ideas – Remembering Why We Marched in May and Will Vote in November (#8)

When public education has to defend itself against the state’s General Assembly in order to function effectively, those in government should reassess their priorities as elected officials. Take for instance the political cartoon published in the Winston-Salem Journal on July 9, 2015 which parodies the iconic advertisement for the movie Jaws. It brilliantly depicts the NC Legislature as … Continue reading Over 7,400 NC Teacher Assistants Lost Since 2008 – Remembering Why We Marched in May and Will Vote in November (#7)

From 2002 until 2013, the first weekend in August was a tax-free weekend on school supplies and other items associated with the beginning of academic years for pre-schoolers all the way to college students. In 2013, it disappeared. Rather it was taken away. Today's News & Record ran a story on the lack of a … Continue reading Remember Tax-Free Weekend to Buy School Supplies? Me Too.

“The overall premise of this bill is to ensure that we have a proper teacher pipeline going into the schools.” – Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, R- Wilkes, in response to questions about SB599 on House floor in Raleigh on June 26. Senate Bill 599 is the bill (as Alex Granados from EdNC.org reports), that, “allows organizations … Continue reading The Stench of SB599 – The Teacher Shortage Created by Raleigh – Remembering Why We Marched in May and Will Vote in November (#6)

Yesterday, Bill Cobey submitted his resignation as the the chairman of the NC SBOE effective in September. Earlier he had said that he would not seek another term past next spring. A former Congressman and state chair for the Republican Party, Cobey has been in the middle of the struggle between the state board and … Continue reading A Thank You to Bill Cobey, Chairman of the NC State Board of Education

Public Schools First NC (PSFNC.org), an organization that supports advocacy of public education in North Carolina, regularly sends out very informative factoids through social media that give texture to the landscape of the politics associated with public education. After the last couple of disastrous budget proposals for public education by the North Carolina General Assembly, … Continue reading The NCGA’s Plan to Make School Performance Grades Fuel Voucher Expansion – Remembering Why We Marched in May and Will Vote in November (#5)

Mark Johnson’s comments at the August 1 NC State Board of Education meeting are just another example of how appearances and reality can often be polar opposites. From the News & Observer: State Schools Superintendent Mark Johnson says he’ll work to speed up approval of teacher licenses, reduce testing and hold charter schools accountable now … Continue reading Platitudes and Buzzwords -The State Superintendent’s Continuous Empty “Vision”

The argument that the GOP-led General Assembly has made repeatedly is that they are spending more on public education now than ever before. And they are correct. We do spend more total money now than before the recession hit. But that is a simplified and spun claim because North Carolina has had a tremendous population … Continue reading Remembering Why We Marched in May and Will Vote in November (#4) – The Need For More Per Pupil Expenditure (Fully Funding Schools)