Education

Judge voids UNC’s shady settlement over confederate statue

By Alanna Joyner / February 17, 2020 /

Last week was a win for UNC students, faculty and alumni as a state judge vacated the UNC settlement over Silent Sam. Judge Allen Baddour held a hearing to reconsider his initial approval of the deal back in November, now ruling that the SCV did not have standing to bring the lawsuit in the first…

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News & Observer: One ECU trustee resigns, another is censured after they meddled in student election

By Alanna Joyner / February 11, 2020 / Comments Off on News & Observer: One ECU trustee resigns, another is censured after they meddled in student election

One member of the East Carolina University Board of Trustees abruptly resigned and another was censured during a hearing before the UNC Board of Governors last Friday.  ECU Trustees Phil Lewis and Robert Moore were brought before the BOG after evidence revealed the two members offered money for an ECU student to run for SGA…

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NC Policy Watch: Leandro funding recommendations: Much lower than reported, readily affordable

By Alanna Joyner / February 10, 2020 / Comments Off on NC Policy Watch: Leandro funding recommendations: Much lower than reported, readily affordable

During the last meeting of the Governor’s Commission on Access to Sound Basic Education, WestEd’s “Leandro report” authors provided additional information showing that the recommended spending levels are quite reasonable and within the state’s capacity to readily implement. North Carolina’s 26-year-old Leandro education finance lawsuit came to a close last month as a state Superior…

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News & Observer: ECU trustees accused of offering money for student campaign to gain a voting ally

By Alanna Joyner / February 4, 2020 / Comments Off on News & Observer: ECU trustees accused of offering money for student campaign to gain a voting ally

The UNC Board of Governors is not the only board under scrutiny. Two members of the East Carolina University Board of Trustees are accused of offering money to fund an ECU student’s campaign for student body president in order to gain a vote.  A letter from ECU board chairman Vern Davenport, Vice Chairman Fielding Miller…

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UNC-Chapel Hill faculty petition to end moratorium on renaming university buildings

By Alanna Joyner / February 4, 2020 / Comments Off on UNC-Chapel Hill faculty petition to end moratorium on renaming university buildings

On Monday, a group of prominent UNC-Chapel Hill professors delivered a petition to the new UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, petitioning to end the moratorium. UNC professors are asking the UNC Board of Trustees to allow the university to rename buildings and historical places on campus — particularly those tied to a racist or white…

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The Sanford Herald: Teacher By Day / EMT By Night: Politicians put health of schools at risk

By Alanna Joyner / January 28, 2020 / Comments Off on The Sanford Herald: Teacher By Day / EMT By Night: Politicians put health of schools at risk

From The Sanford Herald: Like countless N.C. educators, I’m forced to work a second job to make ends meet. Unlike most of my colleagues, my second job isn’t retail, it’s saving lives. Every Friday after I finish grading coursework, I head to my weekend job as an EMT/firefighter in Harnett County and pull 12-hour shifts.…

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Transylvania Times: Shortchanging Public Education

By Alanna Joyner / January 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Transylvania Times: Shortchanging Public Education

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and the Republican-led General Assembly have been at odds over the allocation of state money to public education. For the past three years, Cooper has asked state lawmakers to increase spending on education while Republican leaders continue to try to give tax breaks to large corporations instead of properly funding our…

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WRAL: Campaign finance complaint filed against Sons of Confederate Veterans

By Alanna Joyner / January 24, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: Campaign finance complaint filed against Sons of Confederate Veterans

On Wednesday, Bob Hall, a citizen watchdog, asked the State Board of Elections to investigate and discontinue the NC Heritage PAC, a political action committee connected to the NC Division of the Sons of Confederate Veteran.  Hall filed a complaint alleging that the SCV illegally financed the NC Heritage PAC that gave donations to individuals…

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Amanda Smith: State putting the squeeze on teachers

By Alanna Joyner / January 22, 2020 / Comments Off on Amanda Smith: State putting the squeeze on teachers

 From The Daily Reflector: It’s certainly not unusual for teachers to stay in their classrooms long after school ends to grade papers and plan for upcoming lessons. It’s part of the job I expected when I became a teacher. But something I didn’t expect was having to work a second job to make ends meet…

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GOP State Lawmakers to Public Educators: My way or highway. No compromise and so no pay raise.

By Eleanore Wood / January 21, 2020 / Comments Off on GOP State Lawmakers to Public Educators: My way or highway. No compromise and so no pay raise.

North Carolina is now seven months into a budget year. State lawmakers came back to the General Assembly in Raleigh last week in hopes of finally passing a full state budget. Instead, GOP leaders who control the legislature adjourned after only one day. They refused to compromise on a pay raise for teachers and other…

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