It is not often that two teams from the same conference in the state’s largest athletic classification play each other this late in the year with identical records at the top of the standings. To make it even more special – these two teams represent two schools that border each other’s zones. So, what does … Continue reading November 1, 2019 – What Could Be The Largest Student Section in West Forsyth History

Mark Johnson made sure that we had iStation to be our diagnostic reading tool for the Read to Achieve initiative. From EdSurge product reviews: And even though there is an issued stay on the implementation of iStation as the contract is being investigated, iStation has slammed NC with a publicity campaign with a full assortment … Continue reading The Sweet Irony Of This iStation Tweet -Maybe They Need The Language Diagnostic Tool

It's October 30th. Over 100 days and 4 million dollars wasted on an extended session in which Phil Berger has not had the guts to even call a vote on a veto-override in the NC Senate and today this happens. From the News & Observer: Republicans in the General Assembly are offering Democrats a deal … Continue reading Holding Teachers Hostage & Phil Berger’s Foolish Bluff

As I write this, my wife is still sleeping, getting much needed rest because when Malcolm gets up in the middle of the night (which is frequent) she usually settles him down. So I wanted to jot a few words that could never really approach an accurate measure of the gratitude I have that I … Continue reading A Thank You Letter For My Wife – Happy Anniversary

NAEP reports for 2019 were released early this morning, and if you are one who looks at the NAEP is a good measurement of student progress, then what the results say about Phil Berger's Read to Achieve initiative is not good. Not that it will stop Mark Johnson from passing out iPads and championing iStation. … Continue reading Read To Achieve Has A Fever And The Only Prescription Is To End It

It appears that Rep. Rob Bryan will do anything to save face when it comes to the failed reform that he championed three years ago called the Innovative School District. He brought this state a version of an already failed reform, became part of the outfit that won the contract for the ISD, and is … Continue reading The Only “Reform” For This Reform Is Eliminating It – About SB 522 And The ISD

This morning Rob Schofield published a piece on NC Policy Watch explaining the negative effects of the budget that Sen. Phil Berger and others in the NCGA are pushing. The second dealt with public education. #2 – Further undermining the state’s desperately underfunded public schools – As veteran education policy analyst Kris Nordstrom explained in July, … Continue reading What NC Is Spending For Public Schools – 2008-2009 Versus 2019-2020

At least in the WSFCS system, this past Friday marked the end of the first quarter of the school year. For those classes that are on the block schedule, that means that one-half of the course is complete. According to DPI: EVAAS provides North Carolina's educators with tools to improve student learning and to reflect … Continue reading Half A Semester Has Passed – Gotten Your EVAAS Projections Yet?

When a school in North Carolina is graded by the School Performance Grading system it is based on student achievement as measured by chosen standardized tests and the growth that students have shown based on EVAAS growth on selected standardized tests. But with all of the "reforms" that have been enacted in this state because … Continue reading So, What Makes a North Carolina Public School A Failing School?

"I'm not a teacher. I've never been a teacher," he said. "But people pointed out, superintendents don't teach, superintendents manage." - WRAL.com, October 18, 2019. Horn is an almost eight-year veteran of the Air Force. After that, he made his living as a food broker, retiring in 2002 from his business which he says was the largest … Continue reading NC’s State Superintendent Should Be An Educational Leader, Not a Manager