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MARK JEWELL: Standing strong for public schools is best school choice

By Eleanore Wood / September 12, 2017 / Comments Off on MARK JEWELL: Standing strong for public schools is best school choice

With the new GOP budget, North Carolina drops to 43rd in the nation for per student spending.  Legislators in Raleigh continue to give huge tax cuts to corporations, while our classrooms don’t even have pencils and paper.  This is outrageous, as tax payers we expect our public schools to be funded fully, so that we…

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Rewire: By Muddying On-Campus Sexual Assault Policies, DeVos Is Making Students—and Schools—Less Safe

By Eleanore Wood / September 12, 2017 / Comments Off on Rewire: By Muddying On-Campus Sexual Assault Policies, DeVos Is Making Students—and Schools—Less Safe

Betsy DeVos is asking Trump to remove Department of Education rules that protect victims of rape on campus. DeVos claims that women are falsely accusing their rapists, but this statement couldn’t be further from the truth. DeVos wants to make it even harder for rape survivors to come f… Read More

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From The Outer Banks Voice: Chamber rounds up supplies for Hatteras, Ocracoke schools

By Eleanore Wood / September 11, 2017 / Comments Off on From The Outer Banks Voice: Chamber rounds up supplies for Hatteras, Ocracoke schools

Due to the fact that school supply funding, when adjusted for inflation and enrollment, has been cut in half over the last 10 years, teachers and parents are struggling to meet the needs of classrooms across the state.  The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce heard the outcry of area teachers and held a drive to…

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Email shows McCrory administration was told of GenX contamination and did nothing

By Eleanore Wood / September 6, 2017 / Comments Off on Email shows McCrory administration was told of GenX contamination and did nothing

It’s clear from an email sent in 2016 that the McCrory administration was alerted to the presence of GenX in the Cape Fear River.  Nothing, so far, has been done to help the people of Eastern North Carolina ensure the water they drink every day is safe.  Residents deserve some answers about their water, and…

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From Star News: Trying to make sense of GenX crisis

By Eleanore Wood / September 5, 2017 / Comments Off on From Star News: Trying to make sense of GenX crisis

Since the discovery of the chemical GenX in the Cape Fear River politicians in Raleigh have been using the crisis as a political football.  Citizens have been clear on what they want: clean water NOW!  So far we have seen nothing but stalling tactics and political games like repealing the ban on plastic bags in…

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From WRAL: Last-minute GenX ambush, standard operating procedure for legislature

By Eleanore Wood / September 1, 2017 / Comments Off on From WRAL: Last-minute GenX ambush, standard operating procedure for legislature

Trying to defect blame, and without warning, Republican legislators tied the funding of the GenX research in the Cape Fear River to the repeal of the ban on plastic bags.  And now the EPA is reporting even more potentially dangerous chemicals present in the river, with some saying it is the  most polluted river in…

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The Fayetteville Observer: Our View: Safety, not politics

By Eleanore Wood / August 30, 2017 / Comments Off on The Fayetteville Observer: Our View: Safety, not politics

Last week the republican-led Environmental Review Commission held a public meeting to make decisions on the GenX problem in the Cape Fear River.  After over 3 hours of testimony the public was finally able to make comments, and the message was very clear: “stop playing politics with our water”.  Governor Cooper requested a reasonable $2.6…

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NC Policy Watch: As new school year commences, shortage of basic supplies demonstrates legislature’s failure to invest

By Eleanore Wood / August 30, 2017 / Comments Off on NC Policy Watch: As new school year commences, shortage of basic supplies demonstrates legislature’s failure to invest

Thanks to politicians in Raleigh who continue to give tax breaks to corporations, funding for classroom supplies has dropped over 50%. This year parents and teachers are spending hundreds to provide essentials. Classrooms are lacking even basic items like chairs, paper towels, and bathroom soap. This is a disgrace!  Children in North Carolina deserve a…

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From WRAL: GOP ties GenX funding to plastic bag ban repeal

By Eleanore Wood / August 30, 2017 / Comments Off on From WRAL: GOP ties GenX funding to plastic bag ban repeal

Republicans have finally decided to take action on the GenX problem in the Cape Fear River.  Unfortunately, in order to clean up the water, they want to repeal the ban on plastic bags.  That’s right, if you want clean water well then you have to have a dirty beach.  In addition, they are only granting…

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The Charlotte Observer: Classes are getting smaller for NC’s youngest students. But there are trade-offs.

By Eleanore Wood / August 28, 2017 / Comments Off on The Charlotte Observer: Classes are getting smaller for NC’s youngest students. But there are trade-offs.

Smaller class sizes sound great on the surface, however without the proper funding and space to provide for an increased need for classrooms and teachers this spells cuts to important enrichment programs. From The Charlotte Observer Some North Carolina elementary school families may be in for a surprise when they start a new school year…

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