North Carolina can make the claim that the average teacher salary is over $50,000 / year. That is at least until it gets rid of its veteran teachers. T. Keung Hui’s report for McClatchy Regional News entitled “N.C. teachers are now averaging more than $50,000 a year” clearly shows that average salary is being bolstered … Continue reading Local Supplements Mean More Than You Think
About That NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey – The Glaring Disconnect Between the NCGA and Reality
The North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions survey is open for teachers this month. I submitted mine just this week. The survey happens once every two years. This is the first one with Mark Johnson as the state superintendent. And I have one big (among smaller ones) complaint about the survey: it should ask teachers views … Continue reading About That NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey – The Glaring Disconnect Between the NCGA and Reality
We Should Go Back to the 7-Period School Day
Okay. I am just going to throw this out there. I want the seven-period school day back. It’s better for schools. It’s better for teachers. But most of all, it is better for students. Many school systems have been on a block schedule for many, many years and there are many teachers who probably love … Continue reading We Should Go Back to the 7-Period School Day
The North Carolina General Assembly’s Greatest Fear – A Well-Educated General Public
(1) General and uniform system: term. The General Assembly shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public schools, which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students. – NC State Constitution. There is one thing that the … Continue reading The North Carolina General Assembly’s Greatest Fear – A Well-Educated General Public
“At” The Table or “On” the Table – The Need for Teacher Input in Educational “Reform”
You can be either “at” the table or “on” the table. For teachers in North Carolina, there are many other prepositions that could identify the relationship between the legislation process and teacher input such as “under” the table, “without” a place at the table, or “behind” the table. As a veteran public school teacher, … Continue reading “At” The Table or “On” the Table – The Need for Teacher Input in Educational “Reform”
If You Are A Parent or Advocate of a Special Needs Child in NC Public Schools Then Read This
"The state’s funding formula does not adjust for the severity of a disability; there is a flat rate provided for each child, in spite of the fact that the cost per year for a student with profound needs can skyrocket to as high as $100,000 or more." The above excerpt is from Lindsay Wagner's report … Continue reading If You Are A Parent or Advocate of a Special Needs Child in NC Public Schools Then Read This
The Fear, Ignorance, and Unwillingness of Betsy DeVos
“I have not-- I have not-- I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming.” – Betsy DeVos, March 11, 2018 on 60 Minutes. In one part of the disastrous interview that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos did with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes, DeVos revealed what many public school advocates have been screaming about … Continue reading The Fear, Ignorance, and Unwillingness of Betsy DeVos
A Big Can of Canned Answers – That Betsy DeVos Interview on 60 Minutes
Leslie Stahl presented a segment on Betsy DeVos. Stahl's overview of DeVos, her questions, and the canned answers that DeVos gave in response are worth viewing even if it makes you cringe a little. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/secretary-of-education-betsy-devos-on-guns-school-choice-and-why-people-dont-like-her/ The link also has a transcript.
Dear State Supt. Johnson, $200 Per Teacher? How About Fight For More Per Student? Much More.
News last week that DPI is allocating almost $5 million to early grade literacy seems most welcome. As reported by Liz Bell of EdNC.org: The Department of Public Instruction is distributing a total of $4.8 million from funds allocated by the state in 2016 as part of its Read to Achieve initiative for “literacy support” in early … Continue reading Dear State Supt. Johnson, $200 Per Teacher? How About Fight For More Per Student? Much More.
Raleigh’s Use of “Revisionist History” Concerning Public Education
I could not tell you how many times a student has asked me what my SAT score was - probably to compare his/her score against mine. (To tell you the truth, I do not remember as most colleges when I applied for school took the best combined score). The problem is that there really is … Continue reading Raleigh’s Use of “Revisionist History” Concerning Public Education
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