Today is the last full week for class at my school before the onslaught of final exams. It's been a rather a trying year for teachers and other educators in public schools. The adjustments, the outreach, the conversion of lesson plans to another format, the communication, the… you name it. It is all a continuing … Continue reading Dear North Carolina Policy Maker, Exactly What Is The Job Description Of A Public School Teacher?

One of the first items that the GOP controlled General Assembly attempted to pass in the early part of the last decade was the removal of due-process right for all teachers. Commonly called “tenure,” due process rights are erroneously linked to the practice that colleges use to award “tenure” to professors. Actually, they really are not the … Continue reading Due-Process Rights and Career Status for Teachers Are That Important – Especially Now

They want to pass this: House Bill HB755. Look at that a little more closely. They want all of it to be posted. any materialstextbooksreadingsvideosdigital materialswebsitesonline applicationsall lesson plans It’s rather insulting to think that my preparation and my continued development in my profession, my expertise in my field of study, and my years of … Continue reading Show Me Your Lesson Plans And Materials, Lawmaker

Art imitates life. It’s one of the reasons why teaching great works of literature is vital in a high school education. One title that is read and taught in many high school English I classes in North Carolina is Animal Farm. Animal Farm is an allegorical fable that Eric Blair (George Orwell was his pen name) uses … Continue reading Some Are More Equal Than Others – The Orwellian Dystopia Of West Jones Street

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt has finally provided a public stance on Critical Race Theory. That statement was in relation to this bill. That bill comes from the same governing body that brought North Carolina this: "In the decision in Cooper v. Harris, the eight-member pre-Gorsuch roster upheld a district court’s ruling that two congressional districts in … Continue reading About That “Golden Rule” Approach In NC Schools: Actions Speak Loud As Well

Last week this electronic interactive flyer was sent out to many in the state: What's TeachNC? It's to recruit teacher candidates for our public schools. It began here: In March of 2019, then state Superintendent Mark Johnson released his budget recommendations for the next two-year cycle for the North Carolina General Assembly to use in … Continue reading If New Teachers Got Now What Veteran Teachers Got Then, NC Would Not Need To Recruit Teacher Candidates

Okay. I have said it before – even before this pandemic but… I want 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 This Pandemic Reinforces That We Should Go Back to the 7-Period School Day

Let's state the obvious. For many, Teacher Appreciation Week is nothing more than a warranted time for leaders to issue empty platitudes for the public to see and hear when the realities of their actions and policies are far from appreciating the teaching profession. If you follow the twitter account of the State Superintendent and … Continue reading If Education Leaders Really Appreciated Teachers, Then They Would Take A Public Stance On Some Pressing Issues

From the 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 be charged … Continue reading You Want Me To Give A Reason For Taking A Personal Day? Actually, That’s Personal

This is what the NC State Constitution states: (1) General and uniform system: term. The General Assembly shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public schools, which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students. There is … Continue reading What Lawmakers Are Really Showing Is That They Actually Fear A Well-Educated General Public