Contributing to an informed citizenry, inside and outside the classroom.
“An evil magistrate intrusted with power to punish for words, would be armed with a weapon the most destructive and terrible. Under pretence of pruning off the exuberant branches, he would be apt to destroy the tree.” Benjamin Franklin © Copyright Richard Croft and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence In the summer... Continue Reading →
Common App Prompt #2 The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Many obstacles I encountered throughout my education were put there by those whose... Continue Reading →
If you need to get up to speed on the hijacking of democracy in North Carolina, read this. If you're wondering what you can do this fall instead of waiting for next fall's election, here are some ideas: 1. By next week, reach out to 5 people (in person) with whom you normally avoid “discussing... Continue Reading →
This Labor Day I would like to remind you that advocating for workers’ interests is still a work in progress, and apparently can result in a Cease & Desist request with the threat of civil litigation from a state government agency. As a concerned member of the North Carolina State Health Plan, I joined my... Continue Reading →
This Sunday on Spectrum airing at 11:30am and 8:30pm you can watch the episode of In Focus with Loretta Boniti where Lauren Piner and I discuss our concerns about the Economics and Personal Financial Literacy Act. The lawmakers on the show did not expect teachers to have been invited to give our perspective about this... Continue Reading →
I read it daily as it sits on the floor of my bedroom (one day I'll finish decorating!) It speaks to me as a teacher with thousands of unique students having passed through my classroom, thousands more yet to come, and around 180 this coming school year. Known as the serenity prayer, I bought this... Continue Reading →
Thank you to NC Policy Watch for helping to spread the word - read the commentary here.
Dear Treasurer Folwell, Health care providers should not charge secret prices, and the NCGA should not underfund the State Health Plan. The $34 billion + in unfunded liabilities assumes all employees retire at once. Please stop using this number to raise alarms, and focus instead on the $400 million annual underfunding as of 2017. Please... Continue Reading →
