Our public schools are better than many lawmakers and office candidates portray them to be – people who have never spent time as educators. A lot better. And the problem is not the schools. The problem is the lawmaking body that controls the narrative of how schools are performing. With the constant dialogue that “we … Continue reading Our Public Schools Are Better Than Mark Robinson & Michele Morrow Want You to Believe

Maybe first look at this video of the GOP nominee for state superintendent for NC's public schools. https://www.youtube.com/embed/iA_zKb5mwmc Her use of the "R" word is not the topic of this post. You can make your own judgement call about how she expresses herself and how she labels special needs students. But I will comment on … Continue reading I Am The Parent Of A Special Needs Public School Student & A Public School Teacher – Michele Morrow Should Never Be Our State Superintendent.

These two data exhibits in the "still ignored by the NC General Assembly" WestEd Leandro Report paint a vivid picture of what many in this state have been describing for years: the weakening of the teacher pipeline in North Carolina because of policies set by the NCGA. From 2009-10 to 2016-17, the percentage of new … Continue reading Now Is The Time To Expand The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program To Include All NC Public Colleges & Universities – Especially Our HBCU’s

Sen. Phil Berger and his cronies have had 12 years to “improve” our public education system. 12. The number of grades in a standard progression through a public school. Here are a few of the actions taken in those 12 years. 1. Teacher Pay Kept Well Below National Average 2. Removal of Due-Process Rights  3. Graduate Degree … Continue reading They’ve Had 12 Years To “Fix” Public Education. Instead They Have Been Tearing It Apart.

Here is the salary schedule that is in place for the 2023-2024 school year. For those who are not teachers, make sure to pay attention to years 15-24. Frozen. 10 years of the same. There is no longevity pay during these years as well. Someone who has been teaching for 24 years makes the same … Continue reading This State Freezes Teacher Salaries For 10 Years. TEN YEARS!

The Economic Policy Institute releases a report every year that tracks what is called the “teacher pay penalty.” What is that? EPI says it occurs when teachers “are paid less (in weekly wages and total compensation) than their nonteacher college-educated counterparts, and the situation has worsened considerably over time. And NC doesn’t fare well. The … Continue reading Do You Know What NC’s Teacher Pay Penalty Is?

In short, many of the people who set policy in Raleigh are banking on the premise that educators in NC are not truly knowledgeable of all the facets of pubic education to really see how matters can be manipulated for special interests. Educators wear many hats, have various undefined expectations, are constantly bombarded with tasks, … Continue reading 10 Things You Should Know About Public Education In NC

If you have been a teacher in North Carolina for at least 20 years, you will remember that public school teachers do not get longevity pay any longer. Similar to an annual bonus, longevity pay is something that all state employees in North Carolina — except, now, for teachers — gain as a reward for continued service. … Continue reading So, Are Public School Teachers State Employees Or Local Employees? (Depends On Who Doesn’t Want To Raise Salaries).

Go back a few years – say before the Great Recession. 2008. If you started as a teacher with a 4-year degree you would make 30,430 / year. If you planned on earning a master’s degree you could with that same pay scale expect to almost double that amount in salary by the time you … Continue reading $2710 Less A Year In Actual Dollars: Comparing Veteran Teachers With Graduate Degrees From 2008 – 2023/24

Over a course of ten months, North Carolina public school teachers are officially employed for 215 days. Students in North Carolina typically go to school at least 180 days a school year. Most LEA’s define a contracted day of work as being eight hours for a teacher. Imagine what would happen if educators only worked … Continue reading What If Teachers Only Worked The Hours They Were Contracted For?