Sit at a bus stop with some students early in the morning waiting for a bus that is part of an already stretched route schedule that is underemployed all the while still waiting for the sun to even appear on the horizon. At really cold temps. When public school advocates talk about not having enough … Continue reading Yes, It Can Be Too Cold For School To Start On Regular Time

From the Stanford University Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute: "It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility … Continue reading Concerning Mark Robinson On The 100th Anniversary Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday

“It really don’t matter how i put my words together, as long as you know what I am sayin’. If it can be read allowed in the same way that i would say it. No big deal. Its sorta like talking on a piece of paper right? Too think I should be graded on how … Continue reading A Case for More Grammar Instruction in Schools (And Less Standardized Testing)

The screenshots above from a recent story on Business Insider show Rep. Patrick McHenry and his position on salaries for U.S. Congress members. "Most of us live on the salary," he said. And I am not against raising the salaries of congressional members if they have the need to keep up with multiple residencies in … Continue reading “$174,000 Isn’t Enough Money,” Says NC Congressman. What Would He Say About NC Teachers?

As of this post, there are thousands of vacancies in the state of North Carolina. According to a recent study, NC ranks 11th in teacher shortage rates. That report is based on this study of the number of teachers as measured against the population. One quick and effective action the state could take is to allow retired … Continue reading Time For This State To Allow Teachers To “Double-Dip”

North Carolina has had record budget surpluses but refuses to acknowledge the LEANDRO decision that emphatically states that NC has failed to fully fund our public school system for decades. Teachers fill out a working conditions survey every other year for the state that has no questions about how teachers feel the state handles public … Continue reading 10 Intentionally Cruel Ironies About Public Education in NC

In the last decade, North Carolina’s public school system has been surgically weakened by our state government. Here are a few of the actions taken. 1. Teacher Pay Kept Well Below National Average 2. Removal of Due-Process Rights  3. Graduate Degree Pay Bumps Removed  4. Retiree Health Benefits Removed For New Teachers 5. Push for Merit Pay and … Continue reading 27 Attacks On North Carolina Public Education

The GOP-led NC legislature’s 2013 decision to end graduate degree pay bumps for new teachers entering the teaching profession was not only misguided, but another wave in the assault on public education that continues here in the Old North State. And the very person who has influenced more policy on public education since 2013, Sen. … Continue reading Graduate Degrees Do Matter & NC Should Restore Graduate Degree Pay

From the News & Observer in March of 2023: What they are reporting here is that DPI under State Super Catherine Truitt claims the average salary for teachers in NC is a little under $58,000 / year. That figure is one of the most grossly manufactured statistics in this state. Let’s lay bare the facts … Continue reading The Average NC Teacher Salary Is Almost $58,000? Here’s Why That Is Grossly Misleading.

As we ready ourselves for another new calendar year and return to begin the second half of our school year, please remember all those people who could have done the right thing and helped public education more. From delaying budgets, betraying voters, to expanding nontransparent vouchers, those who qualify for copious lumps of coal are … Continue reading The Lumps Of Coal For 2023