The rush to find a way to further quantify the effect of the pandemic on schools without placing responsibility on our government's response to the virus is on display in HB82 in the North Carolina General Assembly. First, it would be nice to know exactly what "innovative benchmark assessments" actually are. It would also be … Continue reading “Innovative Benchmark Assessments” To Assess Learning Loss – Yet Another Horrible Idea From Raleigh

Teachers, students, and parents in our school system just received a call that school is cancelled tomorrow for inclement weather. Not a call that said we would be fully remote because of a winter storm, but an actual "snow day" is being issued. There has been talk that with the pandemic and the move to … Continue reading We Should Still Have “Snow Days” With Remote Learning

Remember that charter schools in North Carolina receive monies from local school systems where they reside, but local school boards have no jurisdiction over charters in their districts. Doesn't seem fair. That preferential treatment by the NCGA has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Doesn't include charters. Today, this bill was filed. Doesn't include charters. … Continue reading The NCGA Is Using The Pandemic To Favor Charters Over Traditional Public Schools

Of course Sen. Phil Berger wants this bill. And of course he says that he wants to "reopen schools" when what really is happening is that schools are open already, just not all school buildings fully. Here is the link to that bill. Seems like good intentions. It's shiny. Nice veneer. And unnecessary. That ABC … Continue reading The Thin Trojan Horse That Is SB37 – That “ReOpen” Bill

When the country was in the grips of the Great Recession over a decade ago, public education in this state took some of the biggest cuts in funding – cuts that were never really restored as the economy regained momentum and rebounded. One only has to see the level of per-pupil expenditures in 2019-2020 compared … Continue reading Actually Now Is The Time To Invest In NC’s Public Schools

From the petition found on this link: New Hanover County Schools Must Follow All CDC Reopening GuidelinesOn Feb 12, 2021, the CDC released updated, and much needed, guidelines to support school districts in their reopening plans. On Feb 10, 2021, NHCS schools voted to transition Prek-5 students to Plan A, 5 day in person instruction. We … Continue reading Got to Have Six Feet – Sign The Petition For New Hanover Schools

Something happened to a teacher friend of mine yesterday. A zealous citizen of his town intentionally showed up in his neighborhood with a sign and bullhorn and "picketed" outside his house on a sidewalk that borders the yard. The teacher was not home but his family was - wife and two young children. The teacher … Continue reading About Targeting A Teacher’s Home In “Protesting”

“Collaborate” :intransitive verb. Noun form is “collaboration” – 1:to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor  Simply put, collaboration as described in that first definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary website is the best resource/tool that a school can have and that leaders can encourage, especially in this recent epidemic. What makes … Continue reading What This Current Crisis Shows Is That Our Schools Are About Collaboration Among Teachers, Not Competition

11 months in a pandemic. A lot going on. Close school buildings. Go straight to remote teaching. Primary elections. Standardized testing doubts. Government ignorance of the Leandro report. Reopening Task Force with no teachers. Dan Forest's platform. Lysol. Sunshine. Betsy DeVos. Meals for students. Underemployment benefits. Connectivity divide. Remote instruction plans. Vouchers for all bill. … Continue reading 11 Months. Comparing Schools & The NC General Assembly.

A look at the states that have prioritized vaccinating teachers: And how many vaccinations have been given in NC?