Below is a letter and additional page of "accomplishments" that State Superintendent Mark released at the beginning of this school year. While the letter is innocuous in and of itself, it is the list of accomplishments that really needs to be viewed. Here is an electronic copy. Those "accomplishments" include: Charter-like flexibility for an Entire … Continue reading About That List of “Accomplishments” – State Superintendent Johnson’s Misleading Missive

... is about to happen. From Poltico: "For two years, Democrats watched with fury as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sought to dismantle nearly every significant Obama administration education policy. Now, they’re gearing up to fight back. Lots of them. As many as five Democratic-led House committees next year could take on DeVos over a range … Continue reading Betsy DeVos’s PDP Mid-Term Review

"For the purposes of this policy, “proficient” shall be defined as achieving a rating of proficient, or higher, on three of the five standards of the NC Educator Evaluation System (NCEES), provided that the standard related to pedagogy (Standard IV in NCEES) is rated at the level of proficient, or higher. Teachers on an abbreviated evaluation plan must … Continue reading About That “Proficiency” Requirement for All Teachers in NCEES – An Idea On How to Strengthen Teacher Evaluations

It is largely accepted that to convene the North Carolina General Assembly for one day in 2018 during a special session costs NC taxpayers roughly $50K. Think about it. $50K a day to decide how to define the Voter ID bill and what specific ID's will be valid in the next round of elections.. $50K … Continue reading The NCGA Special Session – What 50K/Day Could Finance

Forget the apples. Forget the Starbucks Gift Cards. Forget homemade cookies. This holiday season give teachers gifts that they can not only truly enjoy, but truly use to make them better at what they do. Time Machine – specifically one that looks cool. Maybe something akin to the DeLorean in the iconic movie Back to the Future. … Continue reading Top 15 Holiday Gifts For Teachers (If You Really Love Them)

Imagine a charter school that uses tax payer money to allow instructors to deliver a curriculum which is not sanctioned by a regulatory body. Students are given admission as long as they are not from the LGBT community and hold an evangelical view of the Christian faith. There would be no instances in which a … Continue reading This Is A Charter School That Betsy DeVos’s Policies Would Allow to Exist

Thankful as a teacher to have these people keep our schools not only functioning, but vibrant. If you have never really been inside the workings of a public schools, know that so many people work behind the scenes to help educate our students. If they were not doing what they do, then schools would never … Continue reading Thankful and Grateful for the Unsung Heroes of Our Public Schools: Classified Employees & Volunteers

A little over three years ago, an extended editorial appeared in newspapers across North Carolina concerning public education. I happened to read it in the Winston-Salem Journal. It was written by Walter McDowell, a board member of BEST NC. McDowell, a former executive with Wachovia, talked of the dire need to transform education in North Carolina. … Continue reading Mark Johnson Wants To Reduce Over-Testing? Then Do Not Let the ACT Have This Much Power Over NC High Schools.

Malcolm and I have been to many West Forsyth football and basketball games – home and away. Most children with Down Syndrome are highly visual learners. Malcolm is no exception. He looks for familiar people and sights. It gives him his bearings and helps with social equilibrium. Malcolm knows the way to West Forsyth. He … Continue reading A Meaningful and Valuable Part of Our School Culture – The Titan Cheerleading Squad

“As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” – Arthur Carlson, General Manager of WKRP, a fictional radio station in Cincinnati. It’s Thanksgiving , and I just watched this episode again and it makes me laugh at how it wonderfully pens human nature which tends to be full of lofty, sometimes monetarily-induced, intentions but … Continue reading “As God as My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly” – ISD’s, Vouchers, and Unregulated Charters in North Carolina