By now many teachers across the state have received a campaign letter from Lt. Dan Forest concerning his "record" on public education. It is a "response" to Gov. Cooper's recent letter about education spending and teacher pay. So why did Forest send this letter? He's hoping that teachers will forget what this current NCGA that … Continue reading The Glaring Falsehoods In Lt. Gov. Dan Forest’s Recent Letter To Teachers

Did you know that North Carolina has more Nationally Board Certified Teachers than any state in the country? Simply go to this site and compare – http://www.nbpts.org/in-your-state/. This morning score reports for those who were seeking first time certification are being released. If you succeeded, I congratulate you. It’s not easy to become certified. Less than … Continue reading National Board Certification Score Release Day – An Argument to Invest More in Teachers

Lesson #1 - Democracy This calendar year the North Carolina General Assembly concluded its extended long session without passing a budget. Why? Because the GOP stalwarts in the Senate never had the guts to call a vote to override Gov. Cooper's veto of the budget proposed months ago. That cowardice has everything to do with … Continue reading Four Horrible Social Studies Lessons That Our State Government Is Teaching Our Students

Contradiction versus paradox. They are not that different, but in actuality they are. Merriam Webster defines a “contradiction” as, : the act of saying something that is opposite or very different in meaning to something else : a difference or disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true Here are some examples: “Do what … Continue reading The Walking Contradiction That Is NC Education Policy & The Walking Paradox That Is The Great Teacher

If due-process rights are not restored for new teachers, then the idea of having a rally or a march like that one on May 16th to advocate for students and schools ten to fifteen years from now would likely never happen. They are that important! Their removal was a beginning step in a patient, scripted, … Continue reading Due-Process Rights and Career Status for Teachers Are That Important

Below are screenshots from the recently released PISA scores and rankings. And there are THREE BASIC CONCLUSIONS THAT CAN BE DRAWN: PISA SCORES ARE NOT REALLY A GOOD INDICATION OF THE STRENGTH OF AMERICAN SCHOOLS. PISA SCORES SHOW THAT "REFORMS" HAVE NOT WORKED. PISA SCORES SHOW THAT POVERTY AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS HIGHLY AFFECT EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES. … Continue reading Poverty Affects Schools, No Measurable Differences in 15 Years, And Reforms Have Not Worked: What The PISA Scores Show Us

The Eastern Beacon from eastern Carteret County recently published a letter from the superintendent announcing his resignation from his post at the end of the calendar year. What he identifies as the biggest hurdles for public schools to be successful is not new to many public school advocates. It's the fact that we hear it … Continue reading Every Lawmaker Should Read This Superintendent’s Letter Of Resignation

If you want to look at the reason why a school performs well, then look to the relationships that surround the people: student, teachers, parents, community, staff, and what might be one of the most underappreciated roles in public education – the principal. The responsibility of a principal is hard to even describe, much less … Continue reading Great Principals Are Hard To Come By. WSFCS Lost One This Week.

Truitt is a former teacher, turnaround coach, associate vice president of University and P-12 Partnerships at UNC General Administration, and former senior education advisor to Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. (From an EdNC.org report entitled “Will state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson run again?”) Currently she is the chancellor of Western Governor's University of North … Continue reading Catherine Truitt Is Running For State Superintendent. You Might Want See What She Has Claimed About Public Education Here In NC.

One of the better political cartoons in recent weeks came from Dennis Draughon at Capitol Broadcasting. It represents the Thanksgiving dinner where teachers and schools are sitting at a smaller table waiting to see what they will be given after everything is carved out for corporations and political interests. Sen. Phil Berger throws a wishbone … Continue reading Before Someone Claims That “We Will Have To Raise Taxes On People To Fully Fund NC Schools,” Tell Him To Consider These Measures First