The next time our State Superintendent has a need to get money for an "emergency" maybe he could take his own advice that he "gave" to us teachers at the beginning of the school year when we had that budget stalemate and a big budget surplus. Wait, we still have that budget stalemate and budget … Continue reading Dear Mr. State Superintendent, The Next Time You Have An “Emergency Situation” That Requires Money Use This

From June of 2016 concerning the Achievement School District, now the Innovative School District (ISD): With just days remaining in the N.C. General Assembly’s short session, leaders on the Senate Education Committee have given their approval to achievement school districts, a GOP-backed model of school reform that may clear for-profit charter takeovers of low-performing schools. Committee Chair Jerry Tillman, a … Continue reading The Model For NC’s Innovative School District Has Officially Failed. Time To Shut Down Our ISD.

Remember when Mark Johnson announced that reading teachers in K-3 would receive a brand new Apple iPad to use in classrooms? That was in the summer of 2018. On the surface, it seemed like a positive notion. But… From Travis Fain at WRAL in August of 2018: Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson announced the plan … Continue reading The Wasted Millions Due To Mark Johnson’s Ineptitude & #ActualEmergencies

This is really Mark Johnson's fault. Halfway through his last full school year as a state superintendent and teachers, students, and parents are left in doubt about the reading assessment diagnostic tool that is to be used to measure reading levels. From NC Policy Watch: Superior Court Judge Mary Ann Tally made no decision Tuesday … Continue reading This Whole iStation Debacle Is The Fault Of One Person: Guess Who.

There are not many lawmakers who frequent the halls of public schools and rarely is there a lawmaker who actually works in the state public school system. But teachers, administrators, and other support personnel are on the front lines of education and see what actual growth and achievement occur in our schools. They see the … Continue reading The NC GOP Says It Has Made “Great Strides” In Education Despite What The Leandro Report Says. Maybe They Should Ask Teachers.

Earlier this month, Stephanie Hofeller, the estranged daughter of the late mastermind of legislative redistricting, Thomas Hofeller, released the contents of hard drives and portable drives that her father had used to save information and research behind his use of census information to help redraw legislative districts for GOP advantages. Needless to say that those … Continue reading Civics Lesson For The Decade – The Hofeller Files And Racial Disparity

Despite what lawmakers and reformers may say, you can’t really be measured. In fact, those who are measuring you do not have instruments complex enough to really gauge your effectiveness. If you are a public school teacher in North Carolina, you are always under a bit of a microscope when it comes to accountability. Everybody … Continue reading Open Letter to Fellow NC Public School Teachers – What We Do Cannot Really Be Measured

It’s hard to look at how this state can sit on a large manufactured state surplus and extend more corporate tax cuts while conditions in the public schools exist to the level explained clearly in the Leandro Report. Again, it is important to look at the entire report – Sound Basic Education for All – An … Continue reading Twelve & Twelve – Just A Reminder Of What The Leandro Report Told Us About Public Education In NC

Earlier today, this blog posted on the racial impacts of charter schools in North Carolina referring to an earlier post from the Fall of 2019 and an investigation of school report card information. And today in the Charlotte Observer website (and in print tomorrow), T. Keung Hui published this: That article is worth your reading. … Continue reading The Charter School Advisory Board Of North Carolina Removes Section On Racial Impacts Of Charters

"CSAB members say draft report understates how charters are underfunded compared to district schools, unfairly portrays charters as resegregating & understates how many low-income students attend charters. They want wording revised to reflect how diverse charters are." This statement from Hui's tweet from yesterday (1/2/2020) concerning the yearly CSAB report is reminiscent of what happened … Continue reading The CSAB Wants To Change Their Annual Report To Show How “Diverse” NC’s Charter Schools Are. You Can Actually See For Yourself.