“This idea that the school is a harmonious community and that teachers aren’t competing with one another is patently false. Teachers are constantly competing with one another. They want to outdo each other. They want to be a better teacher than the teacher down the hall. That doesn’t mean they’re not going to collaborate.” – … Continue reading The Misguided Narrative Over Differentiated Teacher Pay In North Carolina
North Carolina General Assembly
Raleigh, Buy Us Some Damn Textbooks!
Raleigh, buy us some damn textbooks. With real pages and hard covers. Yes, technology in the classroom can be a great avenue for learning. However, technology for technology’s sake can block many roads for students. And if technology is to be looked at as a simple substitution for other resources to save time and money, … Continue reading Raleigh, Buy Us Some Damn Textbooks!
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The State Superintendent Needs Someone to Speak For Him – Someone Who Speaks With Details Is Preferred
State Superintendent Mark Johnson has begun to use the $700,000 of tax payer money given to him by the NC General Assembly to begin hiring people who can help carry out his nebulous, amorphous, and ambiguous agenda that has been long in the making but short in the doing. That $700,000 dollars is specifically for … Continue reading The State Superintendent Needs Someone to Speak For Him – Someone Who Speaks With Details Is Preferred
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The Incestuous Synergy and Stench of Western Governors University NC
The billboards are already up on I-40. Two are visible in the ride from Winston-Salem to Raleigh. “Western Governors University: North Carolina” It’s a national online university that now has a base here in North Carolina. Have not heard of it? Well, it was proposed rather secretly within the 2015 budget - page 86 to … Continue reading The Incestuous Synergy and Stench of Western Governors University NC
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What if Schools Could Operate Like the NC General Assembly – A 10-Point Lesson Plan
As the North Carolina General Assembly comes together in Raleigh for another of its patented “special sessions,” public school advocates are looking for lawmakers to make several “fixes” to rather ill-conceived initiatives like principal pay, class-size mandates, and the Innovative School District. However, as leaders were trying to gather members into their caucuses to go … Continue reading What if Schools Could Operate Like the NC General Assembly – A 10-Point Lesson Plan
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Not Saying Much With a Lot of Words – The Disappointing Interview With State Superintendent Mark Johnson
In what might be a first in the nine months that he has been in office, North Carolina State Superintendent Mark Johnson gave an interview that was accessible to the average North Carolinian. In “‘Fighting the status quo’: Inside the combative world of NC’s new public schools chief,” Johnson offers some explanation of his vision … Continue reading Not Saying Much With a Lot of Words – The Disappointing Interview With State Superintendent Mark Johnson
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Open Letter to BEST NC About Their Principal Pay Plan (and Their Shallow Response to the Push-back).
Dear. Mrs. Berg and BESTNC, Today I read your reactionary response on EdNC.org concerning BESTNC’s explanation of the new principal pay plan that has received some much well-deserved criticism. It was nice to finally see BEST NC take responsibility for this absolutely detrimental policy. Without taking the time to mince words, I want to thank … Continue reading Open Letter to BEST NC About Their Principal Pay Plan (and Their Shallow Response to the Push-back).
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Why BEST NC is Not “Best” for NC
A recent WRAL / Capitol Broadcasting Company opinion piece that appeared on Sept. 19th on WRAL.com attested that the inflated rhetoric surrounding the North Carolina General Assembly’s so-called support of public education was nothing more than partisan hot air. “Editorial: N.C. school budget's defects emerge as students settle in” highlights two specifically glaring shortcomings to … Continue reading Why BEST NC is Not “Best” for NC
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In Actuality State Supt. Johnson, You Are the “Status Quo” – Concerning Today’s Court Decision
Mark Johnson claims that he wants to change the “status quo.” But in reality he wants to protect the “status quo.” In fact, he is the “status quo.” The term “status quo” has become something of a nebulous term for public education and has evolved into a powerful logical fallacy used by reformers. Consider the … Continue reading In Actuality State Supt. Johnson, You Are the “Status Quo” – Concerning Today’s Court Decision
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Principals Need More Respect Than This
If you want to look at the reason why a school performs well, then look to the relationships that surround the people: student, teachers, parents, community, staff, and what might be one of the most underappreciated roles in public education – the principal. The responsibility of a principal is hard to even describe, much less … Continue reading Principals Need More Respect Than This
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