The next step in undoing the Leandro decision started today. Because it’s part of a bigger plan that deliberately coincides with the expansion of vouchers. It is not difficult to see that the NCGA was waiting for the state supreme court to become an extension of the political powers in Raleigh after the last election … Continue reading Overturning Leandro Is Next

Dear Fellow Educator, I first want to tell you that I admire what you have chosen to do as a possible career. Teaching in today’s public schools is not easy. I know as I just finished my 25th year of teaching. I still love my job. I still love being with the students. Outside of my … Continue reading An Open Letter From a Veteran North Carolina Teacher to Young Teachers – Some Advice If This Is The Career You Want (Because You Will Have To Fight For It)

Sen. Phil Berger and his cronies including people like Tricia Cotham 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 … Continue reading You Can’t Put “Kids First” If You Put Teachers Last

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 10 Frozen Years: The NCGA’s Plan To Eliminate Career Teachers

In the summer of 2017, BEST NC released an op-ed on EdNC.org about Shamrock Gardens Elementary School and their use of “advanced roles” for educators. And the piece made reference to BEST NC’s Education Innovation Plan, a bit of which is outlined below. It’s an ingrained part of the new teacher licensure path as proposed by The … Continue reading Stop Making Excuses For Not Paying Us More – Teachers Already Have “Advanced Roles”

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?

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?

Think of these actions over the last ten years in North Carolina as far as public education is concerned: Teacher Pay  Removal of due-process rights for new teachers Graduate Degree Pay Bumps Removed  Push for Merit Pay  “Average” Raises Health Insurance and Benefits Changes Attacks on Teacher Advocacy Groups (NCAE)  Revolving Door of Standardized Tests  … Continue reading North Carolina Still Has a Severe Teacher & Teacher Candidate Shortage That Raleigh Deliberately Created

One of the best benefits of being a veteran teacher and one of the best ways to help people commit to a full career to the teaching profession is the pension plan. Retirement is based on the average of four highest paid years of a teacher’s career. According to the 2023-2024 salary schedule, the most … Continue reading So, They Want To Take Away The Teacher Pension?

"The application period opened Thursday under new rules that allow any North Carolina family to apply for a private school voucher. As of Monday afternoon, there have been 31,603 completed Opportunity Scholarship applications, according to Kathy Hastings, a spokesperson for the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority." T. Keung Hui reported in today's News & … Continue reading Over 31,000 Applications For Vouchers In NC, But How Many Of Those Come From Current Public School Students?