I want to wish my little man a happy birthday and I hope when he reads this sometime in the future he will feel one iota of the love that it is written with. If not, then I will read it to him. Malcolm, You were born a few weeks early to strong mom and … Continue reading Happy Birthday to The Redheaded Carolina Freshwater Possum – Malcolm Turns 9, So I Wrote Him a Letter
Open Letter to Kami Mueller Concerning the NCAA, HB2, and “Political Peacocking” – Sorry, the Political Peacocking Bit Makes Me Laugh
Dear Ms. Meuller, I read with great feigned interest your statement on behalf of the NCGOP concerning the NCAA’s decision to remove all championship athletic games from the state of North Carolina because of their stance on HB2, otherwise known as the “bathroom bill.” It reads, “This is so absurd it’s almost comical. I genuinely … Continue reading Open Letter to Kami Mueller Concerning the NCAA, HB2, and “Political Peacocking” – Sorry, the Political Peacocking Bit Makes Me Laugh
Stuart Egan: A North Carolina Teacher Rebukes the Former Chairman of State Board of Education Defending the GOP Assault on Public Schools
Thank you Dr. Ravitch!
Stuart Egan, NBCT high school teacher in North Carolina, wrote a sharp rebuke to Phil Kirk, chairman emeritus of the State Board of Education, for defending the Republican efforts to defund public schools, demoralize teachers, and cut spending. Kirk claims that all the criticism is based on myths; the Tea Party majority in the General Assembly really do care about public schools, as does Governor McCrory.
Egan goes through each “myth” to demonstrate that the Kirk is cherrypicking data to defend the Republican leadership of the state.
This article, an open letter, demonstrates why teachers need tenure.
Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam’s Ridiculously Below “Average” Op-Ed on Teacher Pay – I Mean, It’s Not Even Average
Rep. Paul Stam’s recent op-ed in EdNC.org entitled “Teacher Pay: Rhetoric vs. Reality” is yet another example of the strong confirmation bias that the senior Wake County representative suffers from in his explanation of teacher pay. And there are many different aspects of his meandering argument that could be rebutted with ease. Such as the … Continue reading Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam’s Ridiculously Below “Average” Op-Ed on Teacher Pay – I Mean, It’s Not Even Average
A Small Memoriam For Rodney Ellis
I was very saddened to hear of the shocking passing of a man much too young to be taken. Rodney Ellis was the immediate past President of NCAE, and I considered him a friend who helped me professionally and personally. I met Rodney through email. He had kindly read and responded to a couple of … Continue reading A Small Memoriam For Rodney Ellis
Open Letter to Mark Johnson, Candidate for State Supertintendent, Concerning Remarks on Poverty and Student Preparedness
Dear Mr. Johnson, I read with great interest your essay posted on EdNC.org entitled “Our American Dream” on September 7th. Because you are a member of the school board from my own district and the republican nominee for State Superintendent, I was eager to read/see/hear what might distinguish you from Dr. Atkinson. I agree that … Continue reading Open Letter to Mark Johnson, Candidate for State Supertintendent, Concerning Remarks on Poverty and Student Preparedness
Open Letter to Phil Kirk, Chairman Emeritus for the NC State Board of Education
Dear Mr. Kirk, I read with great interest your op-Ed for EdNC.org posted on September7, 2016 entitled “Outlandish myths about NC Republicans and education” (https://www.ednc.org/2016/09/07/outlandish-myths-nc-republicans-education/ ) It originally appeared in The News and Observer on September 6th . Your initial paragraph in which you recount your unparalleled service and experience with education both in public … Continue reading Open Letter to Phil Kirk, Chairman Emeritus for the NC State Board of Education
James Hogan: No, NC Republicans Haven’t Fixed Teacher Pay
This is the first time I have reblogged someone else's work and I am very glad that it is James Hogan. He is a public school advocate that I greatly admire and he is a writer of the highest caliber. Very fortunate to call him a friend and ally. I consider his work iconic and … Continue reading James Hogan: No, NC Republicans Haven’t Fixed Teacher Pay
Map It And It Becomes Very Apparent That Poverty Affects Schools
Political leanings and lenses aside, sometimes data can create a picture so vivid that it is really hard to argue against the conclusions. Last week, the state of North Carolina released its school performance grades for the 2015-2016 school year. With pretty much the same parameters kept in place, the results really did nothing but … Continue reading Map It And It Becomes Very Apparent That Poverty Affects Schools
About That Letter to the Editor in the 9/1 Winston-Salem Journal Concerning “Johnny-Come-Lately Teachers” Who “Bicker”, “Complain”, “Cry”, “Whine” and Have “Little to Zero Standing”. It Deserves a Response.
I read with great interest (actually, many people did) your “Letter to the Editor” from September 1st entitled “Grateful for the raise” (http://www.journalnow.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/the-readers-forum-friday-letters/article_9eef5d77-bcad-5c1b-9274-b1c01d9e45fc.html) that praised the actions of the current administration and the legislature concerning public education. The full text follows as a reference. “Count me in as a teacher who refuses to bicker and … Continue reading About That Letter to the Editor in the 9/1 Winston-Salem Journal Concerning “Johnny-Come-Lately Teachers” Who “Bicker”, “Complain”, “Cry”, “Whine” and Have “Little to Zero Standing”. It Deserves a Response.