Tom Forcella, superintendent of Chapel Hill/Carrboro schools, illustrates he is firmly entrenched in the Big Education establishment, where the answer to virtually any challenge is — you guessed it — more money. In this piece, he expresses his displeasure with the education reforms supported by the legislature and governor — and then calls for raises for all Chapel Hill/Carrboro school system employees. First, his characterization of education reform and its impact on North Carolina:
Additionally, the national reputation our state has earned for passing legislation that is harmful to public schools makes it hard to convince a recent college graduate to come to North Carolina and set up a career.
At the end of his piece, Mr. Forcella makes the predictable “ask.”
To that end, our Board of Education, at its March 20 meeting, unanimously passed a resolution calling for the legislature to repeal SL 2013-36, SB 402, Sec. 9.6 and allow it to retain its prorated share of the funds allocated for the 25 percent contract to be used in implementation of a locally-developed, effective, long-term compensation plan tied to career paths, with input from the education and business community.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools administrative team greatly respects and values our staff members – and believes they are all deserving of an increase in compensation … and now is the time for creative solutions.
I agree it is time for “creative solutions.” To begin with, let’s explains to Mr. Forcella and his teachers that most of the working world operates without so-called “career status” and that, just like in most of the working world, if you demonstrate your effectiveness, you will be rewarded for it. That’s called “merit pay.” Let’s also explain to Mr. Forcella and his teachers that low-income families deserve the same opportunity that wealthy families can afford. Let’s challenge Mr. Forcella and his teachers to reject the legal challenge underway by Leftists who want to take away Opportunity Scholarships from low-income kids.
