It was my second year teaching. East Forsyth High School. Then a little after 11:00 a.m., something happened... In Columbine, CO. Each of these young people would be 20 years older today.

Make it all red! If you are participating, then go to red4ednc.com and also register at ncae.org.

Rather than discourage teachers from remaining in the profession, the quick route to top pay will lure more teachers into the profession, which some say is not happening now because it takes too long to get maximum pay, Tillman said. The above is in reference to Sen. Jerry Tillman comments on an initiative for teachers … Continue reading This Was Supposed to Make The Teaching Profession More Inviting in NC According the NCGA (From 2014)

The way that NCGA leaders (primarily Sen. Phil Berger) have spun the narrative of advanced degree pay, longevity pay, and local supplements is more than disgraceful. It's flat-out egregious. The GOP-led NC legislature decided in 2013 to end graduate degree pay bumps for new teachers entering the teaching profession. This is what Phil Berger said … Continue reading Advanced Degree Pay, Longevity Pay, and Local Supplements: What’s Really Happening Under Berger’s Watch

In a press release sent out by Sen. Phil Berger's office a couple of days ago, Berger included a couple of quotes by Sen. Ralph Hise who unsurprisingly offered a very pointed view of teachers. In a post yesterday, this blog took aim and responded to two of the points that Hise made, particularly about … Continue reading According to Sen. Hise, What This Poll Really Says is That There Are a Lot of “Stupid Folks” in This State

Below is a list of the five core issues being brought into the public discourse for May 1st. Below is what Mark Johnson, the top public education official in the state, has said in regard to those five issues:                 Absolutely nothing.  

When the GOP won control of both houses in the North Carolina General Assembly in the elections of 2010, it was the first time that the Republicans had that sort of power since 1896. Add to that the election of Pat McCrory as governor in 2012, and the GOP has been able to run through … Continue reading Just Remember, This is What Phil Berger and His Cronies Have Done to NC’s Public School System Since 2011

If you have not noticed, Sen. Phil Berger released yet another press release attempting to attack the May 1st teacher rally in Raleigh. For this veteran teacher, this is the most vociferous that Berger seems to have been concerning an action taken by educators and public school advocates in quite a while. It's really based … Continue reading About Sen. Hise’s “Nanny -State” Comment and Sen. Berger’s Continued Fear of a Bunch of Teachers Speaking up for Students

This NCGA has been passing off the financial burdens more and more onto local school systems. Think class size chaos. Think of the municipal charter school bill. And consider the fact that local supplements mean so much to LEA’s being able to recruit and keep teachers. Local supplements come from the local school system. The state just … Continue reading Remind Your School Board, LEA, and Superintendent Why They Should Support ALL OUT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION on May 1st

Below is the salary schedule for a teacher in North Carolina for the 2018-2019 school year. Any teacher new to the profession in the last four years would never be on the second schedule because newer teachers are not allowed a pay bump for graduate degrees. Notice how the salaries also plateau after year 15. … Continue reading Comparing NC Teacher Salaries Now to 2008-2009 – What New Teachers Won’t Get If They Become Veteran Teachers