North Carolina currently has a minimum wage of $7.25 which is the federal minimum. North Carolina is one of seven states to make collective bargaining illegal. This is a map of the economic well-being of each NC county as reported be the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The LIGHTER the shade of blue, the more … Continue reading How North Carolina Became A Fertile Ground For “Educational Reform”

There's really something blatantly wrong with the substance of that tweet above. It really doesn't tell the whole story. The data table below supplied by analyst Kris Nordstrom does. Say in 2008, a school district had 1000 students in its school system and spent 10 million dollars in its budget to educate them. That’s a … Continue reading When A North Carolina Lawmaker Like Phil Berger Says, “Well, We Are Spending More on Education Than Ever Before,” Then Tell Him This

Just yesterday, Greg Childress of NC Policy Watch posted the weekly "Monday's Numbers" segment highlighting teacher attrition rates reported in the "Annual Report on the State of the Teaching Profession." Childress states, "The report shows a teacher turnover rate of 7.5 percent for the 2018-19 school year. The rate was 8.09 percent the previous year and 8.70 … Continue reading There’s More To Those Teacher Attrition Rates – Look At Recurring Vacancies And Fewer Teacher Candidates

The above is a graphic proudly shown on the Sen. Phil Berger-enabled propaganda website www.ncteacherraise.com. There are a lot of “spun” numbers and claims on this website that are easily debunked with more context and clarity. That figure as it stands actually is correct, but it includes all of the advanced degree pay still given to veteran … Continue reading Local Supplements For Teachers Mean More Than You May Think

  2008:   2014:   2018: 2020:   From the most recent issue: The rest of that article is here. It ends with: "Children and schools need stability, not disruption. They need experienced teachers and well-maintained schools. All children need schools that have a nurse, counselors, and a library with a librarian. Children need time … Continue reading 2008 To 2014 To 2018 To 2020: The Education Reform Movement In TIME

Punxsutawney Phil apparently did not see his shadow this morning therefore predicting an early spring. NC has its own Phil, one who is the prognosticator of bad budgets and ill policies named "Gerrymander Phil," and he actually saw his shadow thus forecasting an ongoing budget stalemate for months to come. He always sees his shadow … Continue reading It’s Groundhog Day And Our Public Schools Don’t Need “Gerrymander Phil” To Keep Seeing His Shadow

One of the most overused electioneering blurbs used by many multi-termed lawmakers in North Carolina this past election cycle was that our state has given the highest percentage “average” pay raise to teachers in the last four years. It was echoed again by Rep. Jeffrey Elmore (a teacher) in a misguided EdNC.org op-ed last summer … Continue reading North Carolina Has a Severe Teacher Candidate Shortage – Raleigh Deliberately Created It