Let us praise great high school coaches. If you teach long enough in the public schools, you will be fortunate enough to come across some great individuals who coach sports teams all the while teaching these very players lessons of life and success even in the wake of defeat. And I want to praise great … Continue reading Let Us Praise Great Coaches
Public Education
Clyde Edgerton and the Hubris of New Hanover
A simple google search for the definition of a great word: hubris. hu·bris - ˈ(h)yo͞obrəs/ - noun excessive pride or self-confidence. (in Greek tragedy) excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis. I am not from North Carolina, but having lived here half my life, married a native tarheel, and raised my … Continue reading Clyde Edgerton and the Hubris of New Hanover
How Chris Farley and Tommy Boy Accurately Explain Rep. Brockman’s Comments About Teachers and ASD
I miss Chris Farley. His stint on Saturday Night Live is still memorable. There’s that opening number with Patrick Swayze where he and Swayze were competing for a spot in the Chioppendale dancers. Then there’s Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who lives “in a van down by the river.” But my favorite Chris Farley performance … Continue reading How Chris Farley and Tommy Boy Accurately Explain Rep. Brockman’s Comments About Teachers and ASD
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Syllables – Senate Budget Press Conference on Teacher Pay
Alex Granados of EdNC.org did a nice job of reporting on the Senate press conference on teacher pay proposal on May 26th (https://www.ednc.org/2016/05/26/senate-unveils-teacher-salary-pay-plan/). If you go to the actual story on EdNC’s website, there is a video of the press conference. In it you will see who is present. Of course, Sen. Phil Berger … Continue reading A Picture is Worth a Thousand Syllables – Senate Budget Press Conference on Teacher Pay
SB 873 – Shame on Apodaca and Kraweic – The Farce of the Access to Affordable College Education Act
Note: Be sure to view a note by John de Ville, public school advocate and Hope Street Fellow from Macon County, following this op-ed. He highlights that Western Carolina University has strong reservations and provides a link to their statement on SB 873 - The Affordable College Education Act. Thanks to John. Sen. Joyce Kraweic … Continue reading SB 873 – Shame on Apodaca and Kraweic – The Farce of the Access to Affordable College Education Act
3 Negatives Do Not Make a Positive – Senator Berger’s Hiding in the Details
This past week Sen. Phil Berger and other GOP leaders announced a skeletal proposal to raise teacher salaries this summer session. Yet, while it appears to be a great gain on the outside, it lacks enough explanation to remove doubt. The Associated Press reported in “Senate GOP would pay teachers more than House, McCrory” that, … Continue reading 3 Negatives Do Not Make a Positive – Senator Berger’s Hiding in the Details
Sen. Berger’s New Website -BS – I Mean – Propaganda At Its Best
Sen. Phil Berger is playing politician again. In this election year, he and his GOP comrades have ramped up their “strong talk” on their commitment to adequately fund public schools and pay teachers a comparable salary on the national level. And part of his talk is defending himself against the vicious attacks from those who … Continue reading Sen. Berger’s New Website -BS – I Mean – Propaganda At Its Best
Another Stupid Decision – An Open Letter to Rep. Rob Bryan Concerning ASD
In a vote of 18 to 11, you and the House Committee on Education, pushed through a bill that would establish an ASD (Achievement School District) in North Carolina allowing the control of some of our low-performing schools to be outsourced to out-of-state entities. Why? It is egregious that a leading legislator who claims to … Continue reading Another Stupid Decision – An Open Letter to Rep. Rob Bryan Concerning ASD
Walk Like An Egyptian, Not Like a Contradiction
The term “walking contradiction” describes someone who says one thing and then acts in a contradictory fashion. Nowhere do we get a better example of the “walking contradiction” than with politicians who knowingly and blatantly make statements that contradict their own actions. In North Carolina, we have our own walking contradictions. One of them is … Continue reading Walk Like An Egyptian, Not Like a Contradiction
Teach For ‘Merica!
There was a very disconcerting report from Arika Herron in April 28th’s edition of the Winston-Salem Journal. In an article entitled “School district could partner with Teach for America to fill persistent vacancies”, Herron describes that the WSFCS system is looking at trying to fill persistently hard-to-staff job vacancies through alternative means. There are many … Continue reading Teach For ‘Merica!
caffeinated rage 