Yesterday, during the endless "special session" that the NC General Assembly has been conducting, Rep. Tim Moore brought up his intentions to put a state-wide school bond on the ballot to help with school infrastructure. From Billy Ball of NC Policy Watch yesterday: State House Speaker Tim Moore announced that he would file a bill to put … Continue reading Rep. Moore, Now You Want to Put a School Bond on the Ballot?

I have made the assertion that there are people that I have plagiarized in my life. There’s my uncle Mike, who was a teacher like I am now. There was Ed whose life will always be a living example of what I try and do. Both men have/had something I wanted and wore life the … Continue reading The Valuable Lesson That Robin Thicke Taught Students About Plagiarism

When Rep. Bill Brawley of Mecklenberg County first championed HB 514, he promoted a bill that allows for cities to use property tax money to fund local schools. It also allows for some select cities and towns to establish their own charter schools with enrollment preference for their citizens using taxpayer money. And because it was … Continue reading With a Statewide Municipal Charter School Bill, The North Carolina General Assembly Is Setting Our State Back Decades

Of the many incredibly clever, spot-on, and ingenious signs from the May 16th march and rally in Raleigh, this one has remained my favorite. “Can Anyone Here Proctor?” This gentleman was everywhere. That’s what made this sign so powerful – there is always a test to be administered and there is always a need for  proctor. … Continue reading Every North Carolina Lawmaker Should Be a Proctor for a State Exam and Administer the ACT

Below is a list of the standardized tests administered by the state of North Carolina in our public schools. North Carolina End of Grade Exam Math - Grade 3 North Carolina End of Grade Exam English / Language Arts- Grade 3 North Carolina End of Grade Exam Science - Grade 3 North Carolina End of … Continue reading Too Many Standardized Tests For Non-Standardized Students

Contradiction versus paradox. They are not that different, but in actuality they are. Merriam Webster defines a “contradiction” as, : the act of saying something that is opposite or very different in meaning to something else : a difference or disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true Here are some examples: “Do what … Continue reading Great Teachers & Educational Reform: A Case of Contradiction Versus Paradox

If anyone ever needed to see the dedication that North Carolina’s public school teachers have to their students and their craft, then consider how these two statistics: North Carolina’s Number of Nationally Certified Teachers North Carolina’s Rank for Best & Worst States for Teachers For the first statistic, North Carolina ranks #1 in the nation. … Continue reading Despite the General Assembly, North Carolina Teachers Still Set A “Gold Standard” – First in Nation in NBCT’s

The North Carolina General Assembly met for a special session in October to address what could immediately be done for the most affected counties in NC from the damage of Hurricane Florence. Actually, it was about half of the state. Some of the most damaged counties asked that their school systems be allowed to have … Continue reading Dear North Carolina, Give Local School Systems Calendar Flexibility

Bedford Falls, NY could be almost any small town if you didn’t qualify weather and the appearance of book-carrying angels as criteria. The setting for the movie It’s a Wonderful Life supposedly is fashioned in a striking fashion after Seneca Falls, NY and plays host to one of the best stories of the holiday season to grace … Continue reading Bedford Falls High School – A Foundation For “It’s A Wonderful Life” And How It Shows That Public Schools Are Pillars of the Community

I’M on a blog and I’m blogging. I’M ON A BLOG, AND I’M BLOGGING! Leave it to Buddy the Elf to best explain this current special session of the North Carolina General Assembly when the angry elves of the GOP still continue to plot a power grab in the last minute to quash the Christmas … Continue reading The Cotton-Headed Ninny-Mugginses of West Jones Street