6 Comments

Nothing will get people at the top to stop supporting Trump until they believe his reelection threatens their own interests. And people won’t insist on adequately funding public education until employers stop coming to North Carolina because the state’s education system no longer produces an educated workforce.

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Unfortunately, everything you said is true. It really is a sad state of affairs. No pun intended.

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I was fortunate to be a NC educator when Jim Hunt was governor! We worked hard and we were proud! Hopefully, there will be another Governor Hunt in four years! Vote for Rachel!

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Finally. PoliticsNC! The merit raises at university levels stopped during time interval you cite. Despite publishing and all else entailed post tenure. Even cost-of-living plateaued. And I can surely speak to K-12 breakdowns as I kept a foot there in English education courses in an English Dept. I will not go into detail. I can attest with firsthand experience and knowledge we were making slow, steady progress during the 1990s up until about 2010 as noted. Although I witnessed the "breaking in the making" before 2010. And PoliticsNC rings true by saying some educational reformists "don't believe in public education at all." Hence a lot of machinations and bureaucratic hoops and hoop-la masquerading as if belief in public education was the "truth" of goings-on. And yes! Linkage between schools and our nation is working to make certain public schooling continues to die. As lies press on with surgical precision and incredulity about how learning happens has been left a long time ago; wayside. Blatant. In the face. Hence in NC a Robinson and a Morrow--ugly affair. A graduate school peer Nancie Atwell from Boothbay Harbor, Maine--an American educator who became the first recipient Of the Global Teacher Prize in 2015, says today she can only encourage those who desire to teach to enter the private sector. This is someone who starts her own school to educate middle schoolers in Boothbay Harbor to become a place for educators to come and learn also. Her school continues today, now run by her daughter. Thanks to the Global Teacher Prize monies. Let me just put this down. IT IS not happenstance--far from it--that education has "not" been a priority--even if we had a glorious resurgence beginning with the Dartmouth Conference in 1965 that power steamed during the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s. Freedom? "Just another word for nothing left to lose...."

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North Carolina Republicans have introduced significant changes to the state’s educational system. They’ve implemented a charter system, which is owned by private corporations based in other states. These charter schools can employ teachers and administrators who aren’t required to complete college-level teacher training or hold state-issued credentials. Moreover, they operate independently of locally elected boards of education. As taxpayers, we bear the cost of these private, for-profit corporations educating our children. The concern arises from cost-cutting measures that could potentially compromise student outcomes. Some graduates may struggle to pass college entrance exams or meet testing standards for military service or private-sector employment. Essentially, taxpayers are funding this educational experiment.

Adding to the complexity, Republican politicians can accept contributions from these private corporations, which could influence their legislative decisions. Meanwhile, traditional public schools in North Carolina—referred to as “Public School Classics”—are facing challenges. Funds allocated for education are being diverted to charter schools, leaving public schools stretched thin. Despite this, public schools must continue to provide special education programs, transportation, and free or reduced-cost lunches (which, for some students, may be their only meal that day). Staff members also grapple with stagnant salaries due to limited resources. Many if not all provide their students supplies and snacks paid for out of their own pockets.

An intriguing aspect of this issue is that public school classics are obligated to educate every student who walks through their doors, whereas charters are not bound by the same mandate. Consequently, North Carolina may appear less attractive to major businesses, as the human resource pool is less than adequate. This could lead to higher unemployment rates, potentially promoting crime and reducing the overall quality of life for everyone. And all the while, Republicans have established a system that allows us to foot the bill. One can’t help but wonder where a Republican politician plans to retire.

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As usual a very good rundown of a terrible reality. I’m going to share and encourage people to follow you, who want to get the truth of what is going on in our state. I and others will be spreading the word about what is going on here with education. Thank you for your perspective

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