In the long session of 2014, the NC General Assembly raised salaries for teachers in certain experience brackets that allowed them to say that an “average” salary for teachers was increased by over 7%. They called it a “historic raise.” However, if you divided the amount of money used in these “historic” raises by the … Continue reading Remember Longevity Pay? There’s a Bill Coming To Restore It.

The following is a February 27, 2019  press release from NC Public Schools about the resignation of Dr. Eric Hall, the Deputy Superintendent of Innovation at DPI. State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced today that Eric Hall will be leaving his post in March, returning to his home state of Florida to become chancellor for innovation … Continue reading Job Opening at DPI: The First Deputy Superintendent of Innovation Lasted Only Seven Months

Sen. Phil Berger delivered a prepared rebuttal to Gov. Roy Cooper's "State of the State" address in which the governor made public education and investments in teachers and schools the top priority. What Berger tried to spin in response is the same drivel as his past exclamations. Berger talked about the "record-breaking" investments the GOP … Continue reading Debunking Phil Berger’s Claims About Public Education After Gov. Cooper’s “State of the State” Address

There are no “silver bullets” or “magic pills” when it comes to changing a school. There is no one thing that can be done, no standard blueprint, no Harry Potter spell that can be executed that will make a struggling school turn its fortune around overnight. Rather, transforming schools is a process – one that … Continue reading There Are No “Silver Bullets” or “Magic Pills” in Changing Schools – It’s About School Culture

If only we could amend this bill and have current state lawmakers take the course and the standardized test that would come with it to measure their own civic responsibility. Of course that standardized test score would go through a secret algorithm and then be translated to a data point to create an EVAAS score … Continue reading About That “Civic Responsibility Class” in Public Schools Bill – HB 73

In 2016, then Rep. Rob Bryan and the House Committee on Education, pushed through a bill that would establish an ASD (Achievement School District) in North Carolina allowing the control of some of the state’s low-performing schools to be outsourced to out-of-state entities. That ASD was renamed the Innovative School District (ISD) in 2017 in … Continue reading Did You Know This About The Innovative School District?

... there is money left to be spent. When Duke University’s Children’s Law Center’s released its March 2017 report called SCHOOL VOUCHERS IN NORTH CAROLINA : THE FIRST THREE YEARS one of the most glaring aspects of the program was how many vouchers were being used at religiously affiliated schools. Some of the observations of that study included: … Continue reading Berger Wants to Loosen Rules on the Least Transparent Voucher System in the Country Because…

No, I was not invited to the "Dinner." I was at a school function with some incredibly talented students trying to raise money for the Drama Department to keep the arts vibrant in our school. But many people shared quotes and there was a live stream and, of course, Johnson likes to send emails. It … Continue reading Mark Johnson is “Urgently” Stuck in #NC2030. We Are In 2019. Can’t Wait Until 2020.

What follows is not gospel, but not necessarily speculation. There are three currently viable possibilities of what might be announced on February 19th at Mark Johnson's private dinner about public education. Maybe they all get announced; maybe none get announced. Maybe in a moment of clarity, Mark Johnson announces something that is actually received well … Continue reading Three Possible “Major Announcements” at Mark Johnson’s Private Dinner for Innovation & Leadership