Nick Anderson's political cartoon above may have been primarily for a Texan audience, but it is highly applicable in our state as the push to extend vouchers has ramped up, especially with a bill introduced this week that has the turncoat Tricia Cotham as a primary sponsor. "For all students, per year per eligible student, … Continue reading Dear Rural Counties, Vouchers & School Choice Will Hit You Faster And Harder. And They’ll Use Your Money To Do It.

It's happening. Almost as if it was scripted and arranged beforehand with the switch of Rep. Tricia to the GOP over "personal grievances." It's House Bill 823. The ultimate school choice bill. You might want to look at this part: This bill is not something that North Carolina is entertaining alone. These types of bills … Continue reading Why Vouchers Only Work For A Very Few In NC – It’s Because Of Money, Not Educational Outcomes

Look at the average teacher salary in North Carolina. Then look at the average pay increase that Raleigh may be giving to teachers in a certain budget cycle. Those two values are not looking at the same set of numbers. When politicians and policy makers in Raleigh talk about average salary they are counting in … Continue reading How Local Supplements For Teachers Are Propagandized By Raleigh (Average Teacher Salary Vs. Percentage Raise)

I was fortunate enough to be a part of a small group to meet with State Superintendent Catherine Truitt last week concerning teacher pay. She was very forthcoming about what she views as the best plan for remodeling the teacher pay plan for North Carolina. It was this: Best NC's 2023 Teacher Pay Report. Remember … Continue reading This Is The State Superintendent’s “Roadmap” For Recruiting And Retaining Great Teachers In NC

10 years ago EVAAS was not the powerful yet erroneous value-added measure system used to “label” teachers. It is now. In 2013, the state of North Carolina started using a value-added measurement scale to help gauge teacher effectiveness and school performance. Developed by SAS which is headquartered in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, and … Continue reading Even This Guy Says We Need To Pay Teachers More (And Not Extend Corporate Tax Cuts)

Despite what DPI and the NC General Assembly want to put forth as a positive narrative, North Carolina has a gaping hole of vacancies in our public schools. On September 26, 2022 (one month into this traditional school year), there were well over 15,000 vacancies on TeachNC’s job search feature. On April 7, 2023, that … Continue reading NC Is #4 In The Nation (In Percentage Of Unqualified Teachers)

You sold out. Five previous terms in the NC General Assembly before running on a 2022 platform of pro-public education, pro-choice, and protections for all North Carolinians that got you elected in a heavily blue district and you... sold out. And before you talk about that "well I had to go with my heart and … Continue reading “You Sold Out.” An Open Letter To Rep. Tricia Cotham.

So, this happened today: A woman who ran for office on a platform of being pro-public schools. For someone who was as accomplished an educator as she was, her move to a party that is embracing the dismantling of public education is rather sadistically ironic. She recently retweeted a pro-school choice blurb from Corey DeAngelis, … Continue reading This Former Public School TOY & Administrator And Now Representative Just Switched Parties To Ensure More Money Is Taken From Public Schools

When Pat McCrory was governor, the GOP super majority changed budget protocol and made the state budget a biennial process. In an odd-numbered year, a budget is set forth to encompass the next two fiscal years. Amendments to the budget can be made in even-numbered years. Furthermore, if a budget is not passed, then the … Continue reading Please Remember That NC’s State Budget Is BIENNIAL – It Covers TWO Years

In Supt. Catherine Truitt's newly released version of her biggest initiative, Operation Polaris 2.0, this past January, the word literacy is mentioned over 60 times. It's even a specific chapter in the 44 page report. And it is a vital part of her DPI "North Star" graphic. Go back to 2020 when the architect of … Continue reading If Literacy Is So Important To DPI, Then Why Is It Not Fighting For Students To Be Literate In ALL SUBJECTS