When Justin Parmenter published his post on the released iStation meeting notes from DPI through a records request on his blog Notes From the Chalkboard, he made sure to include this graphic as a summation of how the committee actually recommended mClass over iStation. Last night, WRAL posted its article on the released DPI notes. … Continue reading 166 Pages of Records In a Seven Snapshots – The Released iStation Meeting Notes

Earlier today, many teachers in North Carolina received an email from Ossa Fisher, the President / COO of iStation through their personal email addresses. It says, In Case You Missed It: What Educators are Saying About Istation  GREENSBORO, NC – This summer, North Carolina school districts started training with Istation, the new reading diagnostic tool for … Continue reading So, Did Anyone Else Get An Unsolicited Email From iStation – On Their Personal Account?

In the process for setting the state budget, it is customary for the NCGA House to release its version and then the NCGA Senate to release its version. The governor also releases his version - this year it was in March. And then they spend the rest of the session trying to come to a … Continue reading Intentional Lying To Teachers – Go Back And Look At The Original House Budget From April 30th

A July 8th Facebook posting on the Tales of an Educated Debutante blog page gave a list of recent departures from the NC Department of Public Instruction. At the end of that post it asks, "Who's next?" Well, two more people are reported to be leaving in the next few days. Since March of this … Continue reading Two More Gone – The Revolving Door At DPI

"His larger "argument, though—that the alliance between education policymakers and billionaire technologists could undermine the role of teachers and the public sphere—has only become more relevant." A July 10th piece in The New Yorker and also posted by the Hechinger Report entitled "The messy reality of personalized learning" might be something every public education advocate … Continue reading Could Someone Please Share This With Mark Johnson & Rep. Craig Horn? “The Messy Reality of Personalized Learning”

There has been really no question that we as a state have become addicted to arbitrary standardized testing. Public school advocates have been saying that for years. Mark Johnson ran a campaign for state superintendent with test reduction as a primary platform. And now there is this bill that has gained a lot of traction … Continue reading School Performance Grades – One Of The Many Things That Need Changing When Reducing Testing

Two quotes highlighted in a July 10th WRAL editorial are really glaring. And that editorial should be required reading because it correctly states that the NCGA powers-that-be are more interested in giving more corporate tax cuts than fully-funding our public schools. It was a stunning confession. It says far more than state Rep. Craig Horn … Continue reading What Lawmakers Are Really Saying Is That They Actually Fear A Well-Educated General Public

When 500,000+ people in the state of North Carolina could have health insurance if North Carolina simply expanded Medicaid as so many other states already have, then you are dealing with a legislative body that is not interested in helping many stay healthy. Medicaid expansion would be a great step in combating the forces of … Continue reading Dear NCGA, You Just Made Financial Literacy As A HS Requirement – So Practice What You Preach & Expand Medicaid

From June of 2016 concerning the Achievement School District, now the Innovative School District (ISD): With just days remaining in the N.C. General Assembly’s short session, leaders on the Senate Education Committee have given their approval to achievement school districts, a GOP-backed model of school reform that may clear for-profit charter takeovers of low-performing schools. Committee Chair Jerry Tillman, … Continue reading Sen. Jerry Tillman, How’s That ISD Working For You?

North Carolina is one of only one of 14 states that had state laws that governed school calendars? The above graphic is from the Feb. 2017 Final Report to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee on school calendars. What is also shows is that North Carolina was at the time was one of the TWO … Continue reading Surprise: School Calendar Flexibility Has Been “Shelved” Again This Year By NCGA