Amid all the discussions about getting kids back into the classrooms there has been little focus of what schools will look like next fall and what students will need to recover. However, throughout the COVID-19 ordeal, there has been plenty of discussion about learning loss, lack of equity, and the social and emotional health of students.
Returning to in-person instruction for WCPSS students and staff is the most difficult policy decision the school board has made in many years, as shown in the multiple angst-fraught discussions the board held recently. That said, the goal has always been to get students back in the classroom, and WakeEd supports that effort as long …
How COVID-19 has exacerbated existing public school needs Read More »
The 25-year lawsuit to improve education funding in North Carolina reached a major milestone last week and reactions ranged from “I told you so.” to “How will we pay for it all?”
The disappointing news last week that the state’s overall reading proficiency of fourth graders has dropped since the start of the Read to Achieve law reveals some major flaws with that program, and it’s not with the teachers.
Looking back over 2018, it was a good year for advancing good public education policies. Teachers received another raise, a compromise was reached which will reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade, and most importantly Wake County voters overwhelmingly supported a $583 million bond referendum to renovate existing and build new schools. Those successes …
Funding is Key to Achieving Success for Public Schools in 2019 Read More »
The class size reduction compromise passed by the General Assembly this week is a mixed bag for local school districts. Among the positive outcomes are a multi-year approach to reducing class sizes, adding funding for program enhancement teachers, and eliminating the waiting list for pre-kindergarten classes.
North Carolina is at an important crossroads in how it pays for its K-12 public schools, and dramatic change may be on the horizon. The 2017-19 state budget that was signed into law last month created a special legislative committee, known as the Joint Legislative Task Force on Education Finance Reform, to study the way …
Moving to A Weighted Student Formula for Public School Funding Makes Sense Read More »
The traditional school year is over once again without teachers knowing what their salaries will be next year. It’s not uncommon that the state budget bill, which sets spending priorities for the next two years, isn’t completed before the end of the school year, but until recently it used to be uncommon that public school …
Dump the National Average Salary and Properly Value the Teaching Profession Read More »
The NC House of Representatives released its version of the state budget today with several important initiatives that were not found in the Senate version of the budget, but there’s no language in the bill about pay for teachers, principals and assistant principals. Perhaps the most important language in the budget is the way school …
NC House Budget Addresses School Report Cards, But Not Teacher Pay Read More »
