It is the first day of “summer vacation” and at this time of year I am reminded of the iconic response to a teacher’s letter back in 2014 by one Sen. David Curtis. It’s worth rereading for me at least because Sen. Davis Curtis’s response to Sarah Wiles literally started my foray into public school … Continue reading School is Never Really Over – Thinking of Sen. David Curtis and “Summer Vacations”
North Carolina General Assembly
Sen. Ralph Hise’s Huge, Humongous, Heaping Hummock of Hypocrisy and Hubris
“Gov. Cooper has no constitutional role in redistricting, and we have no order from the courts to redraw maps by his preferred timeline. This is a clear political stunt meant to deter lawmakers from our work on raising teacher pay, providing relief to the communities affected by Hurricane Matthew and putting money back into the … Continue reading Sen. Ralph Hise’s Huge, Humongous, Heaping Hummock of Hypocrisy and Hubris
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Robbing Peter to Pave For Paul – Rep. Jon Hardister’s Misguided Amendment for Charter Schools
Robbing Peter to pave for Paul. That’s what a recent amendment from Rep. Jon Hardister would do. According to the News & Observer, A budget amendment from Rep. Jon Hardister, a Greensboro Republican, cuts $2.5 million in road maintenance money to provide grants for charter schools that serve low-income students and want to provide student … Continue reading Robbing Peter to Pave For Paul – Rep. Jon Hardister’s Misguided Amendment for Charter Schools
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Evaluating the State Superintendent – Mark Johnson’s Job Performance According to the Rubric
It is no secret that the powers-that-be in the General Assembly have attempted to enable the new state superintendent of public schools with enough power so that he can blindly champion their reformation causes. This seems to be in line with the market–driven, business-plan approach to public education that the state government in NC adopted … Continue reading Evaluating the State Superintendent – Mark Johnson’s Job Performance According to the Rubric
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Measure That – What If Every School Sent Its Yearbook To The North Carolina General Assembly?
With the insistence of people like Sen. Chad Barefoot to send “data” to the General Assembly concerning how money is spent and how resources are being used, why don’t schools also send them a copy of their yearbooks. Around this time in many schools, yearbooks are being distributed to students and others who early in … Continue reading Measure That – What If Every School Sent Its Yearbook To The North Carolina General Assembly?
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Shakespeare and the Achievement School District Staged in North Carolina
“What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;” -Juliet, Romeo & Juliet, II, ii “A turd by any other name will still smell the same.” -some t-shirt I saw on the internet Although the North Carolina House presented a more palatable budget proposal for education, … Continue reading Shakespeare and the Achievement School District Staged in North Carolina
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I Would Like to File a Missing Person’s Report For Our State Superintendent of Public Schools
As the North Carolina House readies its release of a budget proposal for the next two fiscal years, it bears repeating that public education is the number one expenditure of the state. That’s not a surprise. According to the state constitution, it is designed to be the top expenditure. In fact, it’s that way for … Continue reading I Would Like to File a Missing Person’s Report For Our State Superintendent of Public Schools
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“Suffer the Children” – The Willful Ignorance of the North Carolina Senate
Matthew 19:14 in the King James Version of the Bible states, “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” It is a verse that combines two very specific words: “suffer” and “children.” The KJV was produced over 400 years ago under … Continue reading “Suffer the Children” – The Willful Ignorance of the North Carolina Senate
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State Superintendent Johnson, Whom Do You Serve?
Dear Supt. Johnson, I appreciated the words in your video address to teachers thanking us for our work during the National Teacher Appreciation Week. For those who may not have seen that video, here is a link: https://youtu.be/asLHLCxjQ6k. You talked about how teachers are not thanked enough, and while it is nice to hear those … Continue reading State Superintendent Johnson, Whom Do You Serve?
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Open Letter to Sen. Bill Rabon – Be a Civil Servant and Allow House Bill 13 to Come to the Senate Floor
Dear Senator Rabon, I was disheartened as a public school teacher to learn that House Bill 13, which earned unanimous support in the state House, has been tabled in the state Senate, a situation that you could easily remedy. And I am incensed as a parent of a special needs child in a public elementary … Continue reading Open Letter to Sen. Bill Rabon – Be a Civil Servant and Allow House Bill 13 to Come to the Senate Floor
caffeinated rage 