This is nothing to brag about.

From USA Today:

The following metrics were used to determine the rankings:

• Graduation rate
• Students enrolled per teacher
• Average daily attendance
• Average teacher’s salary
• Operating public school districts
• Public school current expenditures per student 

And we were near the bottom.

There are reasons we are that low in the rankings – most of them stem from the actions of “reform-minded” General Assembly that really has been trying to dismantle public education here in North Carolina.

Here are a few:

1. Teacher Pay Kept Well Below National Average
2. Removal of Due-Process Rights 
3. Graduate Degree Pay Bumps Removed 
4. Retiree Health Benefits Removed For New Teachers
5. Push for Merit Pay and Bonus Pay 
6. Removal of Longevity Pay 
7. Attacks on Teacher Advocacy Groups (NCAE) 
8. Revolving Door of Standardized Tests 
9. Reorganization and a Weakening of the Department of Public Instruction 
10. Less Money Spent per Pupil When Adjusted For Inflation
11. Remove Caps on Class Sizes 
12. School Grading System 
13. Cutting Teacher Assistants 
14. Read to Achieve 
15. Educational Savings Accounts 
16. Opportunity Grants 
17. Unregulated Charter Schools 
18. Virtual Charter Schools 
19. Innovative School Districts 
20. Reduction of Teacher Candidates in Colleges 
21. Elimination & Reinventing of Teaching Fellows Program 
22. Frozen Salaries For Years 15-24
23. Ignorance of LEANDRO Decision
24. Budgets Taking Three+ Years To Pass

And now many of our public schools are in greater need because of Helene.