RALEIGH (June 27, 2024) – “Budget deal eludes GOP,” said a headline this week in the News & Observer.1 So let’s get this straight: Republicans have a supermajority in both houses of the General Assembly – they have enough votes to override the governor’s veto even if he doesn’t like their version of a state… READ MORE
House budget: A gesture to help
RALEIGH (June 20, 2024) – At least the state House is making an effort. At a stalemate in budget negotiations with the state Senate, the 2024-25 budget Republican leaders in the House are moving this week responds to at least some screaming needs: In a state that lost 10,000 K-12 public school teachers last year,… READ MORE
Run government like a business? Pay attention to DEI
RALEIGH (June 13, 2024) – News Item: “Across U.S. corporations, 72% of C-suite and HR leaders intend to increase their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the next two years, and only 4% plan to cut back or eliminate programs.” Then why, pray tell, are the people who say government – including state… READ MORE
Protesters crossed a line
CHAPEL HILL (May 2, 2024) – Pro-Palestinian protesters crossed a line Tuesday. Yes, in response to atrocities committed by the militant group Hamas, Israelis have engaged in quite literal overkill among Palestinians in Gaza. And yes, Palestinian supporters have a constitutionally protected right in this country to protest what they see as genocide. But when… READ MORE
Will legislators listen to Cooper? Good luck.
RALEIGH (May 2, 2024) – In a state where 10,000+ teachers – 11.5% – left its public schools in 2023,1 Gov. Roy Cooper proposed a budget last week to rebuild North Carolina’s teacher pipeline. But will Republican state legislators listen? Good luck with that. Instead, they’re in love with vouchers funded by taxpayers to subsidize… READ MORE
Some March Madness math
By David Rice Executive Director, Public Ed Works WINCHESTER, Va. (March 23, 2024) – The following is an exchange this week between my high school English teacher and my high school math teacher. I still recall how the math (trig) teacher labeled points on a circle with the letters of his daughter’s name. And I… READ MORE
Hopes for 2024
RALEIGH (January 4, 2024) – The 2024 elections will be important to America – and to the future of American democracy. But they also will be vitally important to the future of North Carolina and its children. From governor to state legislators to local school boards, the state’s voters will make critical choices up and… READ MORE
2023: The chaos continues
RALEIGH (December 28, 2023) – It might seem strange to complain about underfunding of public education in a year when North Carolina had a $4.8 billion budget surplus.1 But it’s true. In a year when: North Carolina ranked 50th of 50 states in the percentage of GDP it devotes to K-12 public education, The state… READ MORE
Don Martin: Fund vouchers, but fund public education first
By Don Martin WINSTON-SALEM (December 7, 2023) – In 2011, I served as Superintendent of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. At that time, the school district focused on developing every school and the central office into a learning organization. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School district’s aspiration was for all students to meet their expected growth (as determined… READ MORE
The good and bad of the new state budget
RALEIGH (October 12, 2023) – There are some good things in the state’s new $30 billion budget. And there’s plenty of bad Gov. Roy Cooper had to accept to win Medicaid expansion. “Make no mistake, overall this is a bad budget that seriously shortchanges our schools, prioritizes power grabs, keeps shady backroom deals secret and… READ MORE
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