A couple of days ago, the blog posted that there was no longer an acting superintendent of the Innovative School District (ISD). Whether LaTeesa Allen resigned or was relieved is still a matter of discovery, but it has been verified that she is no longer at the helm of the ISD. And then yesterday as … Continue reading The ISD of NC – Where Leadership Turnover is the “Innovation”

Say in 2008, a school district had 1000 students in its school system and spent 10 million dollars in its budget to educate them. That’s a 10,000 per pupil expenditure. Now in 2018, that same district has 1500 students and the school system is spending 11.5 million to educate them. That district is spending more … Continue reading When A North Carolina Lawmaker Says, “Well, We Are Spending More on Education Than Ever Before,” Then Tell Him This

It's July 4th and with it comes good more wishes from our state superintendent full of platitudes. Last year, educators were sent this email: And this year, we educators and parents alike were sent this message through email: Some of the same verbiage. And there's the plug for his personal webpage. And there's that statement … Continue reading Another Year, Another Misguided “American Dream” Message From Our State Superintendent

First, it might help to read this morning's post from Tales of An Educated Debutante. It is written by an anonymous person in DPI with knowledge of what is happening. There is a reference to the office of the ISD superintendent among other things. The Innovative School District here in North Carolina was formed well … Continue reading Does Anybody Know Who the ISD Superintendent is Right Now? Can’t Seem to Find One.

For years the official state motto for North Carolina has been “Esse quam videri” which is Latin for “To be, rather than to seem.”  This motto (along with “In God We Trust”) was part of a 2018 bill that would have had all public schools in North Carolina display such words for all to see. … Continue reading “To Seem, Rather Than to Be” – The Motto of the State Superintendent

It all started with HB17 that was “passed” in a special session of the North Carolina General Assembly after the 2016 elections and before the new terms began. That bill gave the office of the state superintendent more power over the public school system than any previous state superintendent had and removed part of the … Continue reading The “Department of Private Interest” – DPI’s Transformation Under Mark Johnson

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” - United States Constitution. "It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe … Continue reading Our NC Lt. Gov.’s “Diversity” Problem And Remembering When Dan Forest Really Needed Some Multiculturalism Back in 2016

A letter is beginning to circulate from NC Families For School Testing Reform that is asking for support from individuals and education advocacy groups to stand behind the 88 superintendents who strongly question what Mark Johnson has done in replacing mClass with iStation in such a surreptitious manner.  It starts: We the undersigned groups and … Continue reading A Letter in Support Of The 88 Superintendents Regarding iStation From NC Families For School Testing Reform

“Urgency.” “Status-Quo.” “Innovation.” “Transparency.” Of all the words that Mark Johnson claims to not only talk about but adhere to in his actions, the word “transparency” seems a lot more murky of late when it pertains to DPI’s actions. He talks about “transparency” with school report cards. “This brand-new website provides the transparency parents and educators need into … Continue reading Where’s Your Damn Transparency, State Superintendent Mark Johnson? Teachers Want to Know.

When Mark Johnson announced that he wanted to use ClassWallet to "allow" teachers to "control" their supply purchases and give a private company the power and money to track those purchases without local LEA oversight, he was met with great resistance from teachers and educational leaders. He deserved it. When Mark Johnson announced that he … Continue reading Mark Johnson Listened To One Lobbyist Over An Entire Profession – Looking at ClassWallet and iStation