Education

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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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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WS Journal: Forsyth County teachers get free supplies to help their classrooms

By Eleanore Wood / August 25, 2017 / Comments Off on WS Journal: Forsyth County teachers get free supplies to help their classrooms

Per student funding for public schools in North Carolina continues to drop even though our economy is recovering. Every year teachers are pressured to purchase more and more of the supplies that used to be provided, things like paper towel and copy paper. This is especially problematic for schools in low income neighborhoods. Teachers are…

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From The News And Observer: Tell the truth on NC school funding

By Eleanore Wood / August 20, 2017 / Comments Off on From The News And Observer: Tell the truth on NC school funding

Teachers and parents this year are spending hundreds of their own money to provide students with the essential supplies they need to learn effectively.  School supply lists continue to grow and this year have basic sanitation supplies added to those lists, items like paper towel, tissues, and even bathroom soap.  Lawmakers in Raleigh are continuing…

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Star News Online: What issues will schools face in 2017-18?

By Eleanore Wood / August 14, 2017 / Comments Off on Star News Online: What issues will schools face in 2017-18?

A new school year, the same problems. The North Carolina General Assembly wants smaller K-3 class sizes, however, they refuse to fund smaller class sizes. This means students in grades 4 and above will experience bigger class sizes in the coming years to accommodate this new law that will be put into effect 2018-2019. Teachers will…

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Raleigh News & Observer: More trailers? Shared classrooms? Schools consider ways to deal with new class-size rules

By Eleanore Wood / August 10, 2017 / Comments Off on Raleigh News & Observer: More trailers? Shared classrooms? Schools consider ways to deal with new class-size rules

After the General Assembly announced they want to cut down on classroom sizes, but aren’t willing to fund hiring more teachers, counties across the state are considering what options they have. The politicians in Raleigh passed a bill that will make K-3 class sizes from 19-21 students whereas K-3 classrooms are currently allowed to have…

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Raleigh News & Observer: The NC legislature’s actions are discouraging teachers

By Eleanore Wood / June 29, 2017 / Comments Off on Raleigh News & Observer: The NC legislature’s actions are discouraging teachers

The General Assembly had the opportunity to change how they grade public schools on an A-F scale that typically reflects the level of poverty at the school, rather than their performance. However, the General Assembly did not change this system to reflect the actual level of the educators at the school. In 2014, the General…

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North Carolina Health News: Budget Benefits Current State Retirees, But Dings Future Ones

By Eleanore Wood / June 23, 2017 / Comments Off on North Carolina Health News: Budget Benefits Current State Retirees, But Dings Future Ones

Hidden in the NC GOP’s budget is a line that will end teacher/state employee retirement health benefits for new hires after 2020. This means new teachers are going to flee to other states with better benefits and will greatly affect our middle and elementary students who will still be in school when this goes into…

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See how badly the GOP budget fails public education

By Eleanore Wood / June 22, 2017 / Comments Off on See how badly the GOP budget fails public education

Despite Republican lawmakers’ big claims about the education funding included in their budget, any North Carolina teacher will tell you our public school system has diminished under Republican rule. In fact, a comparison of education funding statistics under the current budget to the 2008-09 budget — the last budget year before the Great Recession began…

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Legislature’s budget — More comfort for the comfortable

By Eleanore Wood / June 1, 2017 / Comments Off on Legislature’s budget — More comfort for the comfortable

The GOP-controlled House revealed their budget plan and it’s exactly what we expected: tax cuts for big corporations and underfunding education. The plan includes The House boasts about adding a small amount of money to NC scholarships, however, they are not providing adequate funding for our public schools and universities. Not only are they not providing…

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