Here is the salary schedule that was in place for the 2023-2024 school year and will still be in place if a new budget is not passed that changes it. 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 … Continue reading 10 Frozen Years: The NCGA’s Plan To Eliminate Career Teachers

In October of 2017, the venerable James Ford of the Public School Forum delivered the keynote address at the North Carolina English Teacher’s Association. It was more than exceptional as Ford highlighted that what hurts our schools most are external factors that are not being dealt with such as systemic poverty. Part of his presentation … Continue reading EVAAS Still Sucks

Ten years ago teachers in North Carolina could receive an increase in salary and a higher certificate if they held graduate degrees. That does not happen any longer. Ten years ago teachers in North Carolina could receive due-process rights after a few years of teaching to allow themselves a chance for defense if their jobs … Continue reading The Endgame: No More Career Teachers In North Carolina

From a prepared statement last summer in front of a U.S. House Committee: So much for transparency.

First, read this post on Notes From The Chalkboard by Justin Parmenter entitled "For-profit charter school operators grease NC politicians’ palms to ensure they get a piece of the pie." Parmenter elegantly shows how the use of political contributions to those in power who can make decisions are having drastic effects on the health of … Continue reading Just Follow The Damn Money!

The powers that rule in the North Carolina General Assembly have been waging a war against public schools in our state for the last four years. Under the guise of “reform,” GOP conservatives driven by ALEC-crafted policies have successfully enabled and instituted privatization efforts in many forms: unregulated charter school development, expansive growth of unproven … Continue reading North Carolina’s Quest to Make Veteran Teachers Extinct

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 North Carolina Is The Most Cruelly Ironic State When It Comes To Public Education

This is the next step in undoing the Leandro decision. Because it's part of a bigger plan that deliberately coincides with the expansion of vouchers. In a court order dated Oct. 20, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal filed by Sen. Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore that a trial judge lacked … Continue reading Overturning Leandro Is Next

This week Gov. Cooper announced added funding for free and reduced-price meals in public schools. "More money will be rolled out to schools across North Carolina to provide for free breakfast for students. Gov.Roy Cooper announced Monday $1.4 million will be distributed through competitive grants, which is up to $50,000 for each school district." Actually, … Continue reading All Public School Meals Should Be Free For All Students. And It’s Easy To Fund.

Vacancies for jobs only tell part of the story. The calculated narratives about how badly our public schools have been performing for the last ten years are manufactured on half-truths and bolstered by a glaring lack of proper funding. When a state is sitting on billions of dollars in surplus, throws hundreds of millions more … Continue reading Dear North Carolina, You Are Losing Your Teachers