Following educational researchers, journalists, and policy analysts on outlets like Twitter can be incredibly useful in gauging the dialogue that helps to drive policy. Many times it can put into your reach studies that are not only revealing but have concrete data that flies in the face of those pushing "reforms" in public education. One … Continue reading Here’s One For Raleigh: “In the long run school spending increases substantially boost test scores and graduation rates.”

I am currently in my fifteenth year of teaching here in my second stint in North Carolina. Before I moved to the metro Atlanta area, I had taught two other years in the same system where I now work. When I came back as a "new" teacher, Phil Berger and Tim Moore were not in … Continue reading The Wayback Machine: What New Teachers Got Then Versus Now in NC

Last October (10/29), Rob Schofield published a piece on NC Policy Watch explaining the negative effects of the budget that Sen. Phil Berger and others in the NCGA were pushing (and actually are still pushing with the current impasse )in the NCGA. The second effect dealt with public education. #2 – Further undermining the state’s desperately … Continue reading Thinking About The Leandro Case: What NC Is Spending For Public Schools – 2008-2009 Versus 2019-2020

Below is a map provided by EdNC.org that plots the most recent school performance grades across North Carolina. Next is a map of the economic well-being of each NC county as reported be the North Carolina Department of Commerce.   The LIGHTER the shade of blue, the more economic “distress.” This is how it was determined according to … Continue reading The Only Real Conclusion About NC’s School Performance Grades Is That Too Many of Our Students Live In Poverty in a Gerrymandered State

In the state of North Carolina, over 56% of the state budget is dedicated to public education, most of which goes to K-12 (and pre-K) education. It’s specifically stated in Article IX of the state constitution that the state establish a free and viable means of educating school age-children. Sec. 2.  Uniform system of schools. … Continue reading Teachers Should Be Political, Especially Here in North Carolina

Last week in a politically motivated stunt, State Superintendent Mark Johnson decided to use DPI's ties to Powerschool's database to send out a survey concerning a fabricated campaign platform. Actually it's a red-herring - a smelly fish meant to distract the senses from the truth. Not to mention unethical. Just look at the survey - … Continue reading About That Pathetically Inadequate Common Core Survey From Mark Johnson

... would be like letting an arsonist loose in a drought-ridden forest and giving him matches and gasoline to play with knowing that someone else would have to pay for the damage. Please do not forget that the assault on public education in North Carolina by people like Tim Moore and Phil Berger has not … Continue reading Letting Rep. Tim Moore Become Chancellor Of East Carolina University…

No, I was not invited to the “Dinner” exactly one year ago. I was at a school function with some incredibly talented students trying to raise money for the Drama Department to keep the arts vibrant in our school. But many people shared quotes and there was a live stream video and, of course, Johnson … Continue reading One Year Ago Tonight – That “Dinner” and Mark Johnson’s #NC2030 Plan

Simply put, it’s hard to build bridges in this state with those who are making the very divides that separate us. Before the Great Recession took hold of the country, North Carolina had what was considered one of the more progressive public school systems in the Southeast. That is no longer the case. While other … Continue reading This Teacher Does Not Want To “Build Bridges” Or “Have A Seat At The Table” With Berger & Moore; I Want Them Out Of Power

Mark Johnson is running to be Lt. Gov. so that he can sit on the very state board of education that he literally fought against for almost two years in court over a power struggle. His platform? No more Common Core. And he finally has a website for his campaign - less than three weeks … Continue reading NoMoreCommonCore.Org: When Mark Johnson Forgets What Happened in 2017