As families like mine celebrated Easter with an egg hunt, it dawned on me that our children are not only scavenging for treats this spring but preparing to be scavenged with the wrong kinds of tests. More school districts around the country are returning more students to in-person instruction, including the one in which I... Continue Reading →
The best advocacy advice NCGA security never meant to give
On August 1, 2014 I ventured to Raleigh with my camp chair, trifold poster, and some handouts. On that day, the Senate was set to hold a final vote on the state budget. Despite touting “record raises” for teachers I found this talking point to be misleading. (Five years later I’m still fighting that battle.)... Continue Reading →
This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for public education advocates. Show your thanks by joining our ranks.
Education is political. It makes up around half of North Carolina's budget. Education is also personal. I am a veteran teacher and a mother of two children who will pass through NC public schools. I am not just fighting for my students and my own career, but also for the future education experience of my... Continue Reading →
Next year’s elections have potential to be “Armistice Day” for the war on public schools.
This Monday is the 101st Anniversary of the end of World War I. Teachers help students to remember the causes of WWI by using the acronym MAIN: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism. These causes can be translated into current problems with education policy and the environment surrounding the debate on the future of our public... Continue Reading →
To celebrate Labor Day and remind us of its significance, here is my C&D from the SHPNC
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 →
Bev Perdue: Stop perpetuating the narrative that Pre-K is a zero sum game
We already have too many people in the NC General Assembly touting virtual pre-K, and a State Superintendent whose insistence on replacing teachers with screens is baffling to those of us with actual credentials to make decisions about how students can be supported in their education. We were very vociferous on May 16, 2018 and... Continue Reading →