Sure, there are many things that can be listed that help to "mark" the tumultuous tenure of Mark Johnson's career as the state superintendent of North Caroina. iStation, ClassWallet, DPI reorg, HB17, lawsuit, Read to Achieve, being a lawyer, Deep State, Common Core, ncsuperintendent.com, iPads, ISD, that sunshine mascot thing, glossy fliers, emails, shallow surveys, … Continue reading Beer & Doughnuts: The Two Things That Most Define Mark Johnson’s Tenure As State Superintendent

When has Betsy DeVos ever praised the state of public education in the United States even after she has been the top education official in the country for over three years? Not ever. And she probably never will. But this comes from the person whose confirmation hearing when selected for her post was not only … Continue reading Lysol, Sunlight, 60 Minutes, And Betsy DeVos

Below is a quick reference FRQ handout of the recently adopted end-of-year grading and promotion policies adopted by the NC State Board of Education. It is being published in this post for information purposes only. No opinions attached. YET...  

The bill is named "Bill Draft 2019-MVz-175A: Education Omnibus/COVID-19." The word "waive" or "waiver" appears almost 40 times. Covers a lot. Please take a look.            

When NCAE elected new leadership last week with large majorities in votes for both the office of president and vice-president, many instantly called the results a move to a more radical position. That's not an accurate description. Today in NC Policy Watch, Greg Chidress quoted the new president elect Tamika Walker Kelly about the description … Continue reading That Isn’t “Radical” – That’s Advocating For Students And Schools

I miss Chris Farley. His stint on Saturday Night Live is still memorable. There’s that opening number with Patrick Swayze where he and Swayze were competing for a spot in the Chippendale dancers. Then there’s Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who lives “in a van down by the river.” But my favorite Chris Farley performance was not … Continue reading It’s Earth Day; What Tommy Boy Taught This English Teacher About Science

... making rash decisions about what should and should be done with public education in response to the COVID-19 crisis. In the next few days, the North Carolina General Assembly will somehow convene for the next short session. And they will surely have to tackle issues surrounding the top investment this state makes - its … Continue reading Every NC Lawmaker Should “Virtually Sub” For A Teacher During This Pandemic Before…

We ask that everyone take a few minutes to make sure that you fill out this public comment form to support the option of mail-in ballots in the Fall 2020 elections. All you have to do is click on this link, fill in your info and and type “In favor of the rule change."  

In 2011 North Carolina got a super-majority in the NC General Assembly and the rise of Sen. Phil Berger as the most powerful lawmaker in the state. Then we got the removal of due-process rights, graduate degree pay bumps removed, less per-pupil expenditures, vouchers, unregulated charter school growth, school performance grading system, class size cap … Continue reading Phil Berger Made NC’s State Superintendent A More Powerful Position -Why We Need To Elect Jen Mangrum