And they should be angry. Remember that in September 2018 a video come to light concerning a May 2018 in which then superintendent Dr. Beverly Emory presented the school system budget request to the county Board of Commissioners and the issue of teacher supplements was brought up. That original nine-minute video can be seen here:  https://youtu.be/M8HZuerdTE0. … Continue reading From #JustAsk To A 16 Million Dollar Mistake – Of Course Teachers Are Angry

“Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change."- Fahrenheit 451 "A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in … Continue reading A Little Soma Made in 1984 Cooked At F451 Degrees For You? Why Every Teacher Should Be Insulted By State Superintendent Truitt’s Words

In the last decade, North Carolina's public school system has been surgically weakened by our state government. Here are a few of the actions taken. 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 … Continue reading 27 Attacks On North Carolina Public Education

Imagine if the key goal on your performance report at work was this: “try hard.” Yes, you read that right. Not accomplish anything in particular, just try. It seems outlandish, doesn’t it? Yet this is the standard for Dale Folwell, the State Treasurer - and a former Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board Member. Folwell invests the … Continue reading 17 Billion Uninvested & He Wants To Raise The Retirement Age?

Like every other year, 2021 has been a rather contentious, perplexing, and frustrating year for public school advocates. There is simply a lot working against us. However, that only means that we keep fighting for public schools. As the new year arrives, it might be worthwhile to review the top ten public education issues that surround … Continue reading The Top 10 Educational Issues From 2021 That Need Our Attention in 2022

When Betty White passed this past week, the tributes that poured out through all avenues of social media were overwhelmingly heartfelt messages of the delight she brought to people over a career that spanned decades. Many praised White for her tireless ability to make others smile. Many were in awe of her longevity. I was … Continue reading What Betty White Could Teach This NCGA About Veteran Teachers

We conclude that teacher assistants are a cost-effective means of raising student achievement, especially in reading. North Carolina has over 7400 fewer teacher assistants than it did ten years ago. Let me repeat: North Carolina has over 7400 fewer teacher assistants than it did ten years ago. When study after study published by leading education scholars … Continue reading This New Year Is An Opportune Time To Talk About Investing In More Teacher Assistants

Long before Mark Johnson and Catherine Truitt were elected state superintendent, people like Phil Berger and those he controlled began to institute “reforms” into public education without fear of reprisal. Those reforms turned a once progressive state system of public education into one of regression. Eliminating longevity pay, taking away graduate degree pay and career … Continue reading New Year’s Resolution: Clean The “Privatization Petri Dish” That North Carolina Has Become

The GOP-led NC legislature’s 2013 decision to end graduate degree pay bumps for new teachers entering the teaching profession was not only misguided, but another wave in the assault on public education that continues here in the Old North State. And the very person who has influenced more policy on public education since 2013, Sen. … Continue reading Here’s A Way To Recruit & Retain Great Teachers In NC – Restore Graduate Degree Pay

From the May 6th, 2021 N&O: “This bill creates an avenue for teachers to be able to utilize their personal leave benefit without being docked $50 a day from their pay,” Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, a Wilkes County Republican and the bill’s primary sponsor, said Thursday.But if House Bill 362 becomes law, teachers who don’t provide a reason would … Continue reading You Want Me To Give A Reason For Taking A Personal Day? Actually, That’s Personal