There is a reason that we read serious works of literature. And others can say why much better than I can. “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson“We read to know we are not alone.”— William Nicholson (often attributed … Continue reading A Syllabus For Those In The NCGA And Other “Reformers” Who Want To Change What Students Read

If you have not read Peter Greene's excellent take on the new North Carolina licensure and pay plan for teachers, please do. It references great work done by NC's own Justin Parmenter ( and a shout out also needs to be given to Kim Mackey's work in further exposing this horrible plan). Aside from the … Continue reading So, Would You Want To Measured By Student Surveys?

You can be either “at” the table or “on” the table. For teachers in North Carolina, there are many other prepositions that could identify the relationship between the legislation process and teacher input such as “under” the table, “without” a place at the table, or not “behind” those closed doors. As a veteran public school … Continue reading “At” The Table or “On” the Menu: Reclaiming a Voice As Teachers in Public School Policy

Remember last month when State Supt. Catherine Truitt wrote that “attrition rates” in our teaching force have been relatively stable? “The results: remarkable stability. Overall, North Carolina teacher attrition increased from 7.5% to 8.2%. Of the 94,328 teachers employed by the state, 624 more left the teaching profession than the year before. In fact, dissatisfaction within the teaching … Continue reading Revisiting That Stable Attrition Rates For Teachers Claim

If you have been paying attention to the new proposed teacher licensure and pay plan, you will see that it has the fingerprints of BEST NC all over it. And that's just the latest "bad idea" that BEST NC has been trying to push through DPI and the NCGA. Remember Michelle Rhee’s visit to North … Continue reading These People Should Not Craft Policy For NC Public Education – Why BEST NC Is Not “Best” For NC

Apologies to whomever said this or posted it, but when it reached my inbox it was not cited but it is certainly worth amplifying. With news that the new model on teaching licensure and teacher pay that relies so much on student outcomes is being pushed by "reformers" and special interest groups, people need to … Continue reading No Standardized Test Can Measure A Teacher’s Effectiveness – Another Nebulous Part Of That New Teacher Licensure Process Proposal

In the summer of 2017, BEST NC released an op-ed on EdNC.org about Shamrock Gardens Elementary School and their use of “advanced roles” for educators. And the piece made reference to BEST NC’s Education Innovation Plan, a bit of which is outlined below. It's an ingrained part of the new teacher licensure path as proposed by The … Continue reading Another Nebulous Part Of That New Teacher Licensure Process Proposal: “Advanced Roles”

And merit pay is what they are aiming for. Take another look at that new "pipeline" to attract and "retain" good teachers. 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 … Continue reading Once Again, Merit Pay Does Not Work In Public Schools

The news story that broke yesterday morning concerning Mark Robinson and his payment of an abortion in 1989 is sure to garner the Lt. Gov. a great deal of backlash and criticism. Apparently in 2012, Robinson posted the following on his Facebook account. With his F.A.C.T.S. task force, slamming of public education, accusations of indoctrination, … Continue reading The Revisionist History Lessons Of NC’s Lt. Gov.

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 2022, 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