The above is from WRAL this past January. This past spring Mark Johnson released his budget recommendations for the next two-year cycle for the North Carolina General Assembly to use in their shaky investment in NC’s public schools. He published those recommendations on his website. And here is an interesting segment: There is a $750K request … Continue reading Expand The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program To Include All NC Public Colleges & Universities – Especially Our HBCU’s

Mark Johnson claims that he wants to change the “status quo.” But in reality he wants to protect the “status quo.” In fact, he is the “status quo.” At the end of this press release from last February Johnson is quoted as saying, “We need leadership to come together to make this happen. Public education is too … Continue reading How Mark Johnson Has Become the Face of the “Status Quo” In NC Public Education

In the wake of recent questions concerning his purchase and distribution of iPads in the past couple of weeks, Mark Johnson seems to have taken the same route as iStation when pandering for public sentiment: penning an op-ed in the largest newspaper in the state to put a rosy veneer on yet another stain that … Continue reading About The State Superintendent’s Weak Letter To The Editor Concerning “Fighting Education Bureaucracy”

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 the willingness “to take on additional tasks” like clubs, coaching, mentor, and chairing of departments. First, look at merit pay as a … Continue reading Merit Pay, Differential Pay, And Other Bad Ideas for North Carolina Public Education

So last year Mark Johnson bought 24,000 iPads with Read to Achieve money that was just laying around. From WRAL.com last August: Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson announced the plan Tuesday morning, holding up an iPad for the media, the governor and other members of North Carolina's Council of State. Johnson's office put the … Continue reading Dear Mark Johnson, How Many Damn iPads Did You Get?

1. Opportunity Grants (Vouchers) - There has never been any empirical evidence that the vouchers actually work. Maybe voucher proponents would like to point to NC State’s study last year, but that study ultimately did not make conclusions on the veracity of the vouchers. In fact, it said that the Opportunity Grants need much more research … Continue reading These Ten Educational “Reforms” In North Carolina Have Intentionally Hurt Our Public Schools

When Mark Johnson announced that he wanted to use ClassWallet last spring to “allow” teachers to “control” their supply purchases and give a private company the power and money to track those purchases without local LEA oversight, he was met with great resistance from teachers and educational leaders. He deserved it. When Mark Johnson announced … Continue reading Remember That Mark Johnson Listened To One Lobbyist Over An Entire Profession – Looking at ClassWallet and iStation

A recent Facebook post from the baseball coach at the school where I teach strikes many nerves. 😡If kids/people only knew how much time, work, sweat, and money went into taking care of our fields and facilities then this wouldn’t happen. These are just some of the pictures of the actual damage done. They also … Continue reading No School Should Ever Be Vandalized – Not Mine. Not Yours.

Consider this – a corporate attorney who taught for two school years through a program that historically does not place many long term teachers into the public schools and who did not complete a full term as a school board member was elected in the most contentious election year in recent memory to become state … Continue reading The Head of DPI is Not Mark Johnson – He’s Just the Most Enabled Man in Raleigh

Legisplaining - (n.) informal - the explanation of a serious social issue typically to voters in a manner that is condescending or belittling. Eduspeak - (n) informal - terms about education specifically used by people in education but sometimes used by those who have power to legislate educational budgets. What happens when a lawmaker who … Continue reading “Legisplaining in Eduspeak” –