Welcome
The 2011-12 biennium of the North Carolina General Assembly will convene today. In the words of former boxing referee and judge Mills Lane, "Let’s get it on!"
Bulletin Board
- The North Carolina History Project would like educators and homeschool parents to submit lesson plans suitable for middle and high school courses in North Carolina history. Please provide links to NC History Project encyclopedia articles and other primary and secondary source material, if possible. Go to http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/edu_corner for further information.
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CommenTerry
Today, North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) members and lobbyists will resume Wear Red Wednesdays. (Note: Wear Red Wednesdays will move to Tuesdays starting next week.) According to the official NCAE flyer, "We are making our voices heard by joining a nationwide movement to wear red to symbolize our support for Public Ed." I do not know if any other special-interests groups have similar color-coordinated campaigns planned, but they should know that Jazzberry Jam is still available.
Red is probably a poor choice for NCAE, considering that red is synonymous with British infantryman (Redcoats) who were mocked by the American colonists as "bloody backs" and "lobsterbacks" during the Revolutionary War. Red is also "a symbol of guilt, sin and anger, often as connected with blood or sex." Let’s not go there. On the other hand, red is a color associated with the Republican Party, which is an appropriate tribute to the GOP dominated General Assembly.
Speaking of blood and the General Assembly, I have always been impressed with the NCAE’s lobbying efforts. In the past, their teams of lobbyists have had a hand in the passage or failure of nearly every major education bill brought before legislators. In their "Legislative Wins: 2010" document, they claim to have "killed" bills designed to raise the cap on charter schools, offer vouchers, permit charter students to participate in district school athletics, and allow tax credits. Perhaps those red-shirted rascals should have added a stop (or yield) sign to their jerseys, blouses, gymnasterkas, and telnyashkas.
This year, they appeared to have warmed to charter schools. (Remember that going from -273.15 degrees C to -272.15 degrees C is still warming.) NCAE leaders know that the Republican majority will raise or eliminate the 100-school cap on charter schools, so they have changed their strategy.
According to NCAE President Sheri Strickland, "We support their efforts to lift the cap if it’s done to ensure every child in charter schools is given access to a quality education." NCAE leaders and their special-interest allies claim that high-quality charter schools have been their goal all along. Apparently, they have opposed charter-school expansion for the last decade and a half out of deep concern for the well-being of children and teachers. Genuine charter-school proponents — those that have supported and defended charter schools for nearly fifteen years — also want high-quality charter schools. The difference is that we do not want to make it as difficult as possible for charter schools to succeed by weighing them down with the same kinds of regulatory burdens that undermine our state’s district schools.
Thus, my advice for members of the General Assembly is simple: "If they’re wearing red, watch where you tread."
Facts and Stats
Source: Education Counts Research Center, Education Week
Mailbag
I would like to invite all readers to submit announcements, as well as their personal insights, anecdotes, concerns, and observations about the state of education in North Carolina. I will publish selected submissions in future editions of the newsletter. Anonymity will be honored. For additional information or to send a submission, email Terry at [email protected].
Education Acronym of the Week
NCSL — National Conference of State Legislatures
Quote of the Week
"Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature." — Samuel Butler
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