When Mark Johnson announced that he wanted to use ClassWallet to "allow" teachers to "control" their supply purchases and give a private company the power and money to track those purchases without local LEA oversight, he was met with great resistance from teachers and educational leaders. He deserved it. When Mark Johnson announced that he … Continue reading Mark Johnson Listened To One Lobbyist Over An Entire Profession – Looking at ClassWallet and iStation

In response to what he called “overblown fears” concerning the new principal pay plan implemented for the 2017-2018 school year: “Legislation is not an exact science. We do things that we think will help solve an issue.” In a statement about the class-size mandate in early 2018: “The gap is closing. There are folks that … Continue reading Lots of Words & Lack of Action – Why This Veteran Teacher Does Not Trust Rep. Craig Horn

If a lawmaker in Raleigh is really being honest, then he/she would have to acknowledge that the revamped teacher salary scale and removal of graduate degree pay are ways to make sure that when teachers retire, they will not be receiving as much in retirement pay as in the past. Consider that a teacher's pension … Continue reading When $52,600 is Greater Than $65,727 – The NCGA’s Assault on Teacher Pension and Retirement

A photograph of an El Salvadoran father and his small child face-down and washed ashore on the edge of the Rio Grande has quickly haunted the minds and hearts of many here in the US and abroad. It intensifies the already tense debate on immigration and the ethics of how to treat so many who … Continue reading To “Find the River” And Then to Cross It – An R.E.M. Reflection on Immigration

Remember Rep. Justin Burr, the five-time incumbent to the North Carolina General Assembly who was defeated in his primary for another term in 2018? He filed a bill in the General Assembly last summer to force local school boards to provide a list of all movies shown in any classroom in the district to the … Continue reading From Orwellian Censorship of Teachers to Cronyism – Remembering Rep. Justin Burr’s “Movies Shown” Bill

The following was tweeted today as a celebration of great policy in the current budget. And this is the very salary schedule that the budget has in it. Since the state doesn't give out local supplements, it seems rather disingenuous for state lawmakers to take credit for that in their "average." Plus, that average is … Continue reading A Top Salary of $52,600 Does Not Average $54,600

Want to see how this NCGA values its teachers, especially its veterans? Below is the proposed salary schedule just released this week for 2019-2020. Look at it this way. For the first 15 years of a career in NC, a teacher will receive a 1,000 raise for each year. It will go from $35,000 to … Continue reading Devaluing Veteran Teachers – Looking at the Proposed NCGA Salary Schedule for 2019-2020

"Urgency." "Status-Quo." "Innovation." "Transparency." Of all the words that Mark Johnson claims to not only talk about but adhere to in his actions, the word "transparency" seems a lot more murky of late when it pertains to DPI's actions. He talks about "transparency" with school report cards. “This brand-new website provides the transparency parents and educators need into … Continue reading Mark Johnson, Where is Your !@#$%^& Transparency?

Long before Mark Johnson was elected state superintendent, people like Phil Berger and those he controlled began to institute "reforms" into public education without fear of reprisal. Those reforms turned a once progressive state system of public education into one of regression. Eliminating longevity pay, taking away graduate degree pay and career status from newer … Continue reading Privatization, a Petri Dish, And a Possible Patsy – A Look at North Carolina Public Education

If anyone has any doubts as to the educational policies that Dan Forest would champion if he were to be elected governor, then this picture that was tweeted out this week should remove those doubts. This from the man who tried to pass along the raising of teachers' salaries through private donations. One of those … Continue reading “One Tweet to Rule Them All” – Lt. Gov. Dan Forest’s Education Policies in One Picture