Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Top (or Bottom) 10 Facts Every Educator & Parent Should Know

 Top (or Bottom) 10 Facts Every Educator & Parent Should Know 

The 2013 budget is en route to Governor McCrory & will be signed


1. Eliminates 9,306.5 education positions -- 5,184.5 teachers, 3,850 teacher assistants, and 272 Support Personnel (guidance counselors, psychologist, etc.).

2. Provides NO pay increases for educators, continuing North Carolina's race to the bottom of national salaries. In 2007-08 North Carolina was ranked 25th in the nation in teacher pay, last year our state was 46th. With no additional pay, next year North Carolina undoubtedly will be at the bottom.

3. While gutting public schools and educators, the legislature adopted a $50 million school voucher program ($10 million 2013-14, $40 million in 2014-15).

4. The North Carolina Budget eliminates career status for all teachers. Senate legislation, that received no public hearings in the House, was placed in the budget to eliminate career status for teachers. The new standard requires each school district to identify the top 25% of effective teachers without providing any criteria on how to accomplish this ranking of professionals. Teachers will be placed on a 1, 2, or 4 year contract. The top 25% will be given the option of receiving $500 to compensate them for the loss of due process rights. NOTE: the new system will be phased in over the course of the next five years.

5. North Carolina no longer values educators who work on their continuing education through Masters or Doctorate level degrees. Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, educators will receive no additional pay for additional degrees unless your job requires (counselors, school psychologists, etc.)

6. Grades Schools (A-F), 80% based on standardized test scores, 20% based on growth. No other variables will be considered in this grading.

7. Eliminates the Teaching Fellows Program, once heralded as a national model for recruiting teachers into the classroom, the program is no longer funded.

8. Reduces targeted education funding:
• Cuts Textbook funding by $77.4 million dollars;
• Cuts Classroom supply funding by $45.7 million dollars;
• Cuts Limited English Proficiency funding by $6 million dollars.

9. Retired educators will receive NO Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA).

10. The General Assembly will be back next year.


4 comments:

  1. I hope all people realize in the end the most important one now is #10. Make sure you remember what they have done when it is time vote!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, I am your newest follower. Ruth Morgan at Chappel Hill Snippets mentioned you in her blog and I followed the link. Thank you for being one of the few blogs I have seen that even mentioned what is happening in NC and/or Chicago, etc. Our educational system is being dismantled bit by bit by people out to make a buck and never mind that they hurt children and families in that process. I am a Special education teacher and am starting a brand new autism program in the fall and am also a new blogger. I am having difficulty with some of the other blogs I follow and see nothing about what is going on even though I know they teach or work in some of these hard hit places. How can they not be outraged, how can they not even mention anything in their blog? The reason is probably the same reason these politicians and education reformers are allowed to get away with it. For my own blog, my main focus will be sharing my teaching, but if stuff like this comes up, I, too, will put outa calm for action. Thank you!
    Jannike Johnsen
    www.anautismconnection.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Jannike,

      I have tried to remain politically neutral in my blogging, not wanting to overwhelm folks with my flaming liberalism... But there comes a time (like when our public education system is being systematically dismantled) when like you, I believe we need to speak up for our students and our colleagues.

      My guess is that most other bloggers for education, or special-needs population are also outraged. However, they may have constraints such as fear of reprisal against their jobs or other such issues. Really, that's all that I can imagine.

      I will check out your blog and look forward to what you have to write about. Ruth Morgan at ChapelHillsnippets.com is indeed one of my favorite bloggers as well.

      Best of luck to you, and thanks for your passion!

      Jim

      Delete