Today will mark the another day for the hearing for the iStation / Amplify debacle over the procurement of a reading assessment tool for elementary schools. Liz Bell of EdNC.org has been covering everyday. The long-awaited hearing on the Department of Public Instruction’s choice of an assessment tool vendor to test K-3 student reading began … Continue reading Why Isn’t Mark Johnson Testifying In The iStation Hearing?

It's sadly humorous to hear so many NC GOP lawmakers "claim" that we as teachers" are allowing pay raises to stay on the table by supporting Gov. Cooper's veto against the current edition of the now-overdue budget. Why? Because those are the same lawmakers who took away longevity pay from teachers years ago.   In … Continue reading Remember Longevity Pay? The Same Lawmakers Who Said They Were Giving Teachers Raises Took That Away Years Ago

NCGA GOP stalwarts are trying to frame the narrative that Gov. Cooper and NCGA Senate Democrats placed teachers on the chopping block because they upheld a veto on what was presented as a 3.9% average raise in teacher salaries. And that narrative is a gross misinterpretation of the reality. On the surface, what Berger & … Continue reading Why That “3.9% Pay Raise” That Was Vetoed Really Wasn’t a “3.9% Pay Raise” To Begin With

A graphic was circulated often last fall on social media that portrayed Gov. Roy Cooper’s latest veto of an NC Senate bill concerning teacher raises in NC as a slap in the face of teachers. And after today's announcement from the NCGA that there would be no budget compromise, people like Phil Berger will try … Continue reading Looking At That Erroneous Claim That Cooper Left A “3.9% Pay Raise” For Teachers

Of the many incredibly clever, spot-on, and ingenious signs from the May 16th, 2018 march and rally in Raleigh, this one has remained my favorite. “Can Anyone Here Proctor?” This gentleman was everywhere. That’s what made this sign so powerful – there is always a test to be administered and there is always a need for  … Continue reading Every North Carolina Lawmaker Should Be a Proctor for a State Exam

It all started with HB17 that was “passed” in a special session of the North Carolina General Assembly after the 2016 elections and before the new terms began. That bill gave the office of the state superintendent more power over the public school system than any previous state superintendent had and removed part of the … Continue reading How Mark Johnson Transformed DPI Into The “Department of Private Interest”

“Administrative resistance to ‘embarrassing’ students, and the education bureaucracy’s refusal to explain why a child is unable to read, has been allowed to trump providing children with the basic skill necessary for success. It’s nothing short of malpractice and another example of the ‘soft bigotry of low expectations.’” - Sen. Phil Berger, January 8th, 2020 … Continue reading “The Soft Bigotry Of Low Expectations” – Phil Berger’s Comments On Read To Achieve

Yesterday, a memorial service was held in honor of the life and spirit of Esteban Garcia whose physical life in this world seemed much too short to fully express the love he possessed and gave to others. It was a little over six years ago that we lost his wife Sarah to breast cancer. Sarah … Continue reading A Prayer For Milo Garcia

It is perfectly lawful to donate to a political campaign, and with the Citizens United case decision from the Supreme Court a few years back, it is now lawful for corporations to donate money through political action committees (PACs) and Super PACs. However, while it is lawful, it doesn’t mean that some interesting ethical questions … Continue reading Speaking Of Mark Johnson’s “Emergency” Purchase, Let’s Revisit The Political Contributions Among Those Involved With The iStation Contract

Kevin Siers is a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist for the Charlotte Observer. He has dedicated two of his latest works to the iStation / Read to Achieve controversy that are very worth highlighting.