As reported to today by the News & Observer, An organization that helped set up charter schools in North Carolina and Arizona has lost several of its leaders and cut back on its work, leading two N.C. schools to drop the organization’s services. Now, those schools — which represent about 11,000 students — are wondering … Continue reading So, Is This For-Profit Charter Chain Leaving North Carolina? Then, Good!

Below is a list of the standardized tests administered by the state of North Carolina in our public schools. North Carolina End of Grade Exam Math – Grade 3 North Carolina End of Grade Exam English / Language Arts- Grade 3 North Carolina End of Grade Exam Science – Grade 3 North Carolina End of … Continue reading Dear Raleigh Lawmaker, How Many Standardized Tests Did You Take When You Were In School?

In January of 2017 it was all about “urgency”. In the first six months of 2017 it was all about a “listening tour.” In all of 2017 into 2018, it was about a legal fight with a state board of education under control of the same political party about who had the most control over … Continue reading So Is Mark Johnson Running for Reelection?

Twenty-two years as a public school teacher and many more as a spectator in both small town venues and large urban stadiums (and a handful as a player), last Friday's game between West Forsyth and East Forsyth was the best high school football game I have ever seen. From Saturday's Winston-Salem Journal: Sure, both teams' … Continue reading That Was The Greatest High School Football Game I Have Ever Seen

The above is from WRAL this past January. This past spring Mark Johnson released his budget recommendations for the next two-year cycle for the North Carolina General Assembly to use in their shaky investment in NC’s public schools. He published those recommendations on his website. And here is an interesting segment: There is a $750K request … Continue reading Expand The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program To Include All NC Public Colleges & Universities – Especially Our HBCU’s

Mark Johnson claims that he wants to change the “status quo.” But in reality he wants to protect the “status quo.” In fact, he is the “status quo.” At the end of this press release from last February Johnson is quoted as saying, “We need leadership to come together to make this happen. Public education is too … Continue reading How Mark Johnson Has Become the Face of the “Status Quo” In NC Public Education

In the wake of recent questions concerning his purchase and distribution of iPads in the past couple of weeks, Mark Johnson seems to have taken the same route as iStation when pandering for public sentiment: penning an op-ed in the largest newspaper in the state to put a rosy veneer on yet another stain that … Continue reading About The State Superintendent’s Weak Letter To The Editor Concerning “Fighting Education Bureaucracy”

I do not know of a single instance in public education where merit pay actually has increased student achievement. Yet, many lawmakers not only advocate merit pay, but also differential pay based on the willingness “to take on additional tasks” like clubs, coaching, mentor, and chairing of departments. First, look at merit pay as a … Continue reading Merit Pay, Differential Pay, And Other Bad Ideas for North Carolina Public Education

So last year Mark Johnson bought 24,000 iPads with Read to Achieve money that was just laying around. From WRAL.com last August: Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson announced the plan Tuesday morning, holding up an iPad for the media, the governor and other members of North Carolina's Council of State. Johnson's office put the … Continue reading Dear Mark Johnson, How Many Damn iPads Did You Get?

1. Opportunity Grants (Vouchers) - There has never been any empirical evidence that the vouchers actually work. Maybe voucher proponents would like to point to NC State’s study last year, but that study ultimately did not make conclusions on the veracity of the vouchers. In fact, it said that the Opportunity Grants need much more research … Continue reading These Ten Educational “Reforms” In North Carolina Have Intentionally Hurt Our Public Schools