Toni Morrison passed just a little over two years ago. She was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and what she did (and still does) for this white, upper middle class male teacher is something that I will always value as a life-long student: she made me understand that I … Continue reading Before We Challenge Books, We Should Be Challenged By Them – In Defense of Being Uncomfortable And What Toni Morrison Taught Me

State Supt. Catherine Truitt sent a letter yesterday to Gov. Cooper, Sen. Berger, and Speaker Moore concerning the still ongoing "negotiations" on a new state budget. A state budget that is three years overdue. Look for the word "LEANDRO." Not there.

... the State Superintendent, Catherine Truitt. Out loud. The same person who sat on stage with then Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and Sen. Phil Berger and a nurse in September of 2020 where the message was about how "steel" immune systems and that there was no science to back up the need to shut down … Continue reading Every Educator Resignation Letter Should Be Read By –

According to TeachNC this morning, there are over 8500 vacancies in North Carolina for classroom teachers ALONE. In all, there are over 23,600 vacancies. Just looking at the teacher vacancies - the average salary of a teacher in NC is right under $55,000 a year (according to the report from the John Locke Foundation). Teachers … Continue reading 8504 Teaching Vacancies & 46 Million Dollars A Month

It concerns public school funding. NC Policy Watch posted a piece concerning findings from the Education Law Center that measured and graded every state's commitment to funding its public school system. Kris Nordstrom stated that the three most important measures used by the report were as follows: Funding level: Per-pupil revenue from state and local sources, … Continue reading North Carolina (General Assembly) Gets An “F” For This

Last week when WBTV.com posted an article about substantial raises at DPI for many employees chosen by State Supt. Catherine Truitt, it garnered lot of deserved pushback - especially from teachers. EdNC.org then posted an article about that pushback. There is a quote from the former State Superintendent June Atkinson that garnered some attention, but … Continue reading About That EdNC.Org Article On The Raises At DPI

When Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, he was living in a time of the rising Cold War and the end of Nazism. The novel is a futuristic look (in 1950) into what society might be like if reading books were banned by the government. Firemen, who were the governmental workers who burned rogue books, would use … Continue reading Censorship and the Fear of Free Thought – Attacking Vital Books In Our Public Schools

Okay. I have said it before – even before this pandemic but… We need the seven-period school day back. It’s better for schools. It’s better for teachers. But most of all, it is better for students. In years past, winter weather and Winter Break obviously dictate a great amount in the time I see students … Continue reading Coming Back From This Pandemic Reinforces That We Should Go Back to the 7-Period School Day

It's rather hard to be a teacher in North Carolina this year. It has been three years since a budget has been passed by an NCGA that is bent against public education. We have a Lt. Governor who has a bogus task force that is investigating "indoctrination" based on circumstantial and biased "evidence." Some schools … Continue reading Damn Right “It’s A Slap In The Face” – Stagnant Teacher Pay But Double-Digit Raises At DPI?

My district is the fifth biggest in the state serving over 50,000 students. More than half of those students use transportation provided by the school system to get to and from their schools. There was already a shortage of bus drivers before the school year started. It's even an bigger shortage now. What many people … Continue reading This District’s Bus Drivers Are About To Strike. It’s The State’s Fault.