Teachers did not institute school performance grades that measure achievement on standardized test scores heavily over student growth. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not remove longevity pay, graduate degree pay, due-process rights, and retiree health benefits. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not create a non-transparent voucher system, rampant charter school growth, and opaque ESAs. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not make a salary schedule the freezes pay for teachers in the years 15-24. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not take away almost 7500 teacher assistant positions, increase class sizes, or institute the use of EVAAS. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not underfund schools and cause many to work in old dilapidated school buildings. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not intentionally refuse to pass a new state budget for three years. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not brazenly ignore the findings of the LEANDRO court decision. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not create the vacancies that plague our public schools. The North Carolina General Assembly created the conditions that caused them.

Teachers did not create partisan school boards. The North Carolina General Assembly did.

Teachers did not create a false CRT scare. The North Carolina General Assembly and other lawmakers did.

Teachers did not create indoctrination witch hunts. The Lt. Gov. did and the NCGA stood behind him.

Teachers did not begin challenging and banning books. The NCGA is allowing for that to happen.

And teachers did not create COVID.

If you want to see what is really ailing our public schools, don’t look in classrooms. Look at what “legislates” public schools.

What is hurting our schools come from outside forces mostly housed in Raleigh.

But if you want to look at what is holding our schools together against the storm of attacks, then do look in those classrooms.