UPDATE:
I’ve shared below content from a teacher friend of mine. This information is publicly available, in the press, on blogs, everywhere. People just aren’t paying attention. Complacency and apathy are not acceptable. Even worse, flippant ignorance is abhorrent in these times. I am reminded of a certain acquaintance who shall go unnamed who said to me, “I don’t know anything about politics. I don’t really care so I just vote the way my daddy and my husband tell me to.” Mouth agape. I can’t look at this woman in the eye anymore. She has two children in public school.
Have you seen the NC Senate Budget Proposal?
I think every single person in the North Carolina legislature, and every legislature for that matter, needs to read this. Teachers are first responders. We entrust our most cherished loves to these people, yet don’t trust them to lead, teach, nurture, and influence their own profession. We have bastardized this profession, putting profit over pupils. We have turned children into pawns that drive revenue streams. The tone we have taken as a nation to degrade teachers is deplorable. We should be ashamed. North Carolina GOP, karma’s going to be a bitch, and her face is going to look an awful lot like mine.
No Pay Raise for Public School Educators (or State Employees)
The NC Senate once again proposes freezing pay for public school educators, which includes no step increase for teachers, no cost-of-living adjustment for classified employees and retirees. The Senate does propose giving $10.2 million to superintendents in 2014-2015 to distribute $500 annual pay raises for tenured teachers opting to enter into a four-year terminating contract that relinquishes all tenure property rights.
Eliminates Masters/6-Year/Doctorate Degree Pay in 2014-2015 (Grandfathers Degree Holders)
Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year, all new Masters/6-Year/Doctorate Degree educators will no longer be eligible for 10% enhanced pay. All educators with Masters/6-Year/Doctorate Degrees who are receiving 10% enhanced pay prior to the 2014-2015 academic year will be grandfathered and their pay will be unchanged prospectively by this proposal. National Board Certification is unchanged in the Senate proposal.
Cuts Over 4000Teacher Assistants from Classrooms
While Governor McCrory proposed a $114 million cut to teacher assistants that would eliminate 3,400 of these K-3 instructors, the Senate proposes increasing that cut to $142.3 million in 2013-2014.
Makes the $376 Million Discretionary Cut to Classrooms Permanent
The Senate budget proposal gives the impression it is restoring the $376 million “discretionary” cut to local school districts, but look further at the proposal, and the Senate is proposing the following line item cuts to local school systems in exchange for a discretionary cut:
$286.4 million in cuts to classroom teachers
$16.9 million in cuts to instructional support personnel
$6.9 million in cuts instructional supplies
$28.4 million in cuts to school bus replacement
$14.9 million cut to low wealth supplemental funding
Increase Class Size in Grades K-3 — Class Size Ratios Repealed
The Senate inserted policy language on page 58 of the omnibus budget text that allows for local school systems to pack as many students as they wish into grades K-3. NCAE has written extensively about how wrong this policy (not to mention, common sense prevails here!). It’s worth noting that the Senate is inserting this language from Senate Bill 374 into its budget proposal without a full Senate discussion of the policy change. This provision combined with the permanent cuts outlined above means class size in grades K-3 is certain to increase.
Ends Tenure for ALL Teachers
The Senate budget proposal inserts Senate Bill 361, a bill that ends due process rights for all teachers by placing all teachers on one or four year terminating contracts. This is another bill that has not fully passed the Senate but is being inserted in the spending plan without debate.
Schools are Graded A-F
The Senate budget includes all of Senate Bill 361, which grades schools on a grade of A-F that is calculated by student performance on test scores and, for high schools, graduation rates. 20% of a schools grade is reflective of its growth from the previous year.
When do we get a chance to grade our legislators? Next fall’s election can’t come soon enough.
Write to your reps, NC and give them an F! Email your representatives. NOW.
Phil.Berger@ncleg.net
Austin.Allran@ncleg.net
Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net
Chad.Barefoot@ncleg.net
Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net
Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net
Dan.Blue@ncleg.net
Andrew.Brock@ncleg.net
Harry.Brown@ncleg.net
Peter.Brunstetter@ncleg.net
Angela.Bryant@ncleg.net
Ben.Clark@ncleg.net
Daniel.Clodfelter@ncleg.net
Bill.Cook@ncleg.net
David.Curtis@ncleg.net
Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net
Don.Davis@ncleg.net
Jim.Davis@ncleg.net
Joel.Ford@ncleg.net
Thom.Goolsby@ncleg.net
Malcolm.Graham@ncleg.net
Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net
Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net
Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net
Ralph.Hise.@ncleg.net
Neal.Hunt@ncleg.net
Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net
Clark.Jenkins@ncleg.net
Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net
Floyd.McKissick@ncleg.net
Gene.McLaurin@ncleg.net
Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net
Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net
Buck.Newton@ncleg.net
Earline.Parmon@ncleg.net
Louis.Pate@ncleg.net
Ron.Rabin@ncleg.net
Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net
Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net
Gladys.Robinson@ncleg.net
Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net
Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net
Dan.Soucek@ncleg.net
Josh.Stein@ncleg.net
Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net
Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net
Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net
Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net
Michael.Walters@ncleg.net
Mike.Woodard@ncleg.net
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