McCrory pay plan: What do you think?

Gov. Pat McCrory unveiled a plan to revamp North Carolina's teacher pay scale to predictably mixed reviews Wednesday.  Click here to see the material that was handed out at the announcement at N.C. A&T and here for McCrory's press release.

McCrory with budget director Art Pope (left) and education adviser Eric Guckian

I'm eager to hear what you all think of it.  Here's a sampling of early reactions from around the state.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Heath Morrison,  the first speaker after McCrory to tout the plan,  emailed CMS employees Wednesday afternoon voicing support: "I am encouraged about many components of this framework. It allows for more local control in the development of a teacher compensation model and seeks to restore salary supplements for teachers who earn advanced degrees in the subjects they teach.  It also builds on the work we have started at CMS to create a comprehensive teacher compensation model and provide additional professional growth and pay opportunities for our valued teachers. ... It is clear that there are a lot of details about the governor’s proposal that need to be developed.  This proposal is a solid step toward our goal of compensating teachers better but more work will be required."

Jewell

The N.C. Association of Educators offered mixed reviews in a statement from VP Mark Jewell:  "NCAE is glad the Governor has come to share our view that all teachers, not just the newest ones, deserve a pay raise.  But a raise in the range of 2-3 percent as proposed is inadequate, given that teachers’ pay has been frozen for five of the last six years. ... Rather than pit state agencies against each other over an already-reduced budget, NCAE suggests that a better approach would be to delay this year's scheduled $300 million tax cut for the very wealthy and profitable corporations. This would provide at least a 5% raise for teachers. ... With respect to the longer-term plan to revise the teacher salary schedule, for years the NCAE has put forward proposals for pay schedule reform, and the governor’s plan reflects several ideas our staff shared with his staff several months ago.  We look forward to working in support of a fair and workable salary schedule for the future."

Harrison

BEST NC, the coalition of business leaders recently created to advocate for public education,  offered support while acknowledging that important cost questions remain to be answered.  “We finally have a professional compensation plan that allows our most effective teachers to take on leadership roles in their schools and impact more students, without leaving the classroom,”  said Venessa Harrison, president of AT&T North Carolina and BEST NC Board member,  who spoke at the announcement.  Read the full statement here.

State Superintendent June Atkinson,  a Democrat,  voiced support at the announcement.  But the state Democratic party sent out critical statements from the House and Senate Democratic caucuses.

B;ie

From Sen. Dan Blue,  D-Wake:  "The Governor clearly recognizes the need to undo some of the damage that his administration did to education last year. Unfortunately, Governor McCrory and Thom Tillis put teachers in tough spot by cutting an additional half billion dollars from education last year in order to give massive handouts to the wealthy and special interests. It’s time to see action – and not just to relieve some of the hardships teachers have borne thanks to the governor – but a real plan to raise teacher pay to the national average and ensure our students have the best schools in the country.”

Hall

And from Rep. Larry Hall, D-Durham:  "Governor McCrory's plan may make for good political talking points, but it simply does not do enough to begin addressing the teacher pay crisis in North Carolina. ... (The plan) does not provide a dedicated plan to raise teacher pay to the national average.  All Governor McCrory provided today is an unfunded plan that continues to sell North Carolina educators and students short. ... Our students and teachers deserve more than election year rhetoric and short-term band-aids."

Kowal

CarolinaCAN,  which had worked with the McCrory team and posted a plan that included many of the same elements as his proposal,  offered support:  "This is the first time we've seen a comprehensive proposal that addresses both low base salaries and the state's outdated salary schedule,"  said Executive Director Julie Kowal.  Read the statement and get a link to the group's proposal here.

Ebert

N.C. Chamber President Lew Ebert called McCrory's plan a step in the right direction:  "For many years, the NC Chamber has worked to advance education priorities to position North Carolina as the leading state in talent development. As such, we have previously supported Governor McCrory’s push to raise teacher pay to the national average. ... Legislative leaders have also developed innovative ways to compensate our best teachers and we support this approach to make teaching an attractive career path for young people in North Carolina. We commend them for their efforts and hope this sort of innovative education reform will continue."

And Progress NC's Gerrick Brenner panned the plan as an election-year gimmick lacking details on how to pay for raises:  "Because of radical tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, the state already faces a $445M shortfall.  McCrory's new teacher pay plan could add another $100M in expenses, on top of his $200M plan for better pay for new teachers, and $45M for better pay for state employees.  McCrory's shortfall could add up to an eye-popping $790M. In his short tenure as Governor, McCrory already has a track record of offering up promises which don't pan out.

Governor McCrory's 2013 budget proposal included a 1% raise for teachers, but that never happened."

Education activism gears up

After last year's legislative session brought sweeping changes to public education,  no one wants to get caught napping this year.  Here's a sampling of groups that will be pushing their causes and offering reports as local governments and the General Assembly begin their 2014-15 budget talks.

Moral Monday protest last July

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators and Mecklenburg ACTS,  along with teacher associations from surrounding counties,  are sponsoring a rally for teachers and public education at noon Saturday at Marshall Park.  The goals appear to be broad,  such as  better pay and respect for teachers,  as well as undoing "damage done"  last year.  Click here for details.

Meck ACTS is also pushing for changes in the state Read to Achieve program and a reduction in standardized testing.

MeckEd is pushing a  "Get on the Bus"  advocacy campaign that's focused on Mecklenburg and state budgets. The group's online toolkit includes stats that can be used for making points,  tips and contacts for lobbying elected officials and a #onthebusNC hash tag for social media.

CarolinaCAN,  the relatively new NC offshoot of 50CAN,  has posted a 2014 policy agenda that includes changes to teacher pay and the charter school system.  The group carries weight with some of the GOP leaders who will be making decisions in Raleigh.

The Raleigh-based Public School Forum of North Carolina keeps tabs on the state legislature and is pushing teacher compensation proposals that are also backed by the state PTA,  Professional Educators of North Carolina,  N.C. Association of Educators,  N.C. Association of School Administrators,  N.C. School Boards Association and the N.C. Justice Center.

Local families rally for teachers in November

Meanwhile,  NCAE has a  "We Heart Public Schools"  campaign going and is planning a  "day of action"  for May 14,  when the legislature convenes.

Mecklenburg teachers and parents are among a new coalition of  "teachers and their allies"  following legislative actions on TruthforTeachers.org.

CMS lawyer Jonathan Sink says he also plans to revive and update his legislative blog once the session cranks up.

Some will note that this list is heavy on critics of the budget passed by the GOP majority last year and may see that as a sign of my personal agenda.  In fact,  it's more about the nature of these things:  The folks who have power use it and the folks who don't try to sway things their way.  It looks like we'll get competing GOP visions for boosting teacher pay today.  I'm heading to Greensboro to hear one from Gov. Pat McCrory,  while my colleagues at the News & Observer will check in on one coming from Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and Sen. Jerry Tillman at a legislative committee meeting.  Stay tuned.

NC teacher pay: A plan, a poll and some buzz

CarolinaCAN,  an advocacy group pushing for a better system of teacher pay,  is calling for 4 percent across-the-board raises this year and a plan to raise starting pay by more than $5,000 by 2016.

"Investing in Excellence," a report released today,  calls for a long-term investment to make North Carolina the Southeast's leader in starting and average teacher pay. The group's plan calls for front-loading the pay scale so teachers get the biggest raises in early in their career  (five years of pay freezes have accomplished the opposite effect)  and creating high-paying career pathways for top teachers,  similar to the  "Opportunity Culture"  jobs being piloted in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

"The first step to attracting and retaining excellent teachers in North Carolina is increasing base pay enough to make the profession competitive with teaching in nearby states and to put it at least in the ballpark of the other professions competing for top college graduates,"  the report says,  citing a cost of $187.2 million for a 4 percent raise.

New teachers with a bachelor's degree currently start at $30,800 on the state pay scale,  though many districts supplement that.  The CarolinaCAN plan calls for bumping that to $36,000 by 2016,  which would move North Carolina ahead of South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee if those states make no change.

The report says some reforms can come at little cost.  For instance,  the group supports the state's plan to eliminate extra pay for advanced degrees in lower grades,  but says those savings should be used to restore the additional pay in higher grades,  where graduate work in the subject area being taught often leads to higher student achievement.

N.C. taxpayers appear to be willing to foot the bill for teacher raises,  according to a High Point University poll of 421 adults from around the state. That poll found 72 percent willing to accept a tax hike to get N.C. teacher pay to the national average in four years.

The poll also asked for reactions to the many education changes the state made last summer.  Most popular were the Read to Achieve program and expansion of Teach for America.  Frozen teacher pay,  lower per-pupil spending,  cutting extra pay for master's degrees and removing class-size caps were unpopular with strong majorities of respondents.

Finally,  a handful of educators have contacted me over the last couple of weeks asking about rumors that the state is considering a  "60/30/10 plan"  that would put teachers into three career categories,  with fixed pay for each and pay cuts for many of them.

That's coming from an N.C. Policy Watch blog post about an idea drafted by Lodge McCammon,  a former Wake County teacher who has also worked for N.C. State's Friday Institute for Educational Innovation.  There's no indication that this is a formal proposal that has traction with state lawmakers.  As Policy Watch reporter Lindsay Wagner reported in a follow-up blog,  McCammon described the plan as an informal  "brainstorming project"  and the Friday Institute is not associated with it.

But as Wagner notes,  and as many around Charlotte would agree,  it's always wise to keep an ear open for the ideas that are floating around Raleigh.

Grading N.C. schools: A preview

As the state of North Carolina gears up to issue letter grades to schools based on student test scores, the advocacy group CarolinaCAN is rolling out its own version today. The group's report cards label each public school  (including charters)  and school district on an A-F scale,  based on 2012 performance on state exams.

Kowal

As I told Executive Director Julie Kowal after previewing the report,  people are going to love this or hate it.  It's hard not to have a visceral reaction to seeing big red Fs  (for neighborhood schools serving the most impoverished areas and charters serving at-risk students, on my spot check)  and big green As  (often for low-poverty suburban schools and selective magnets).

Spoiler alert:  Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools rated Cs and Ds as a district,  while its individual schools rate among the best and the worst.  Ditto for charters in this area.

CarolinaCAN is an offshoot of the Connecticut-based 50CAN, created to promote choice,  accountability and flexibility.  Kowal said the N.C. grades promote transparency while giving parents access to important data in an easy-to-grasp format.  "We designed these for the general public in North Carolina,"  she said, acknowledging that the grades and the data points don't give the full picture of school quality,  let alone a district's performance.

She said the grades highlight overall performance,  achievement gaps and performance of low-income,  African American and Hispanic students,  who tend to lag behind peers.  There are Top 10 lists recognizing schools with the biggest gains and the best performance in those groups.  Morehead STEM Academy, Piedmont Middle and Irwin Academic Center,  CMS magnets with admission requirements, and Sugar Creek Charter,  a Charlotte school serving a high-poverty population,  stand out on those lists.

Time for all the caution flags.  First,  the numbers are stale.  It wasn't a typo to say the grades are based on 2012 exams.  The 2013 results that would give us a snapshot of the most recent school year won't be released until November,  as state officials figure out how to deal with new exams.  The state's school report cards,  which give a more comprehensive set of school data,  won't be updated until January.  For consistency,  CarolinaCAN used 2012 graduation rates,  though you can get 2013 rates online.

Second, the grades and lists don't just compare apples and oranges,  they pretty much throw in the whole produce section.  There are neighborhood schools,  magnets,  charters and alternative schools;  rural districts, urban districts and everything in between.  Schools that serve the most disadvantaged kids are graded on the same curve as those where most kids have college-educated parents who send them in prepared and motivated to learn.

Third,  the report cards are a work in progress.  When I first looked at the lists last week I was befuddled.  CMS' Metro School,  which serves severely disabled students ages 3-23, was listed as one of the best elementary schools based on performance gains.  There were numerous errors linked to the school closings and other changes CMS made in 2011-12.  Kowal rechecked after I raised those questions and found ways to fix most of the problems.  She's asking anyone who uses the ratings to email her (julie.kowal@carolinacan.org) with questions and issues.

To trot out one of my favorite sayings,  crunching school data doesn't provide answers, but it helps you ask better questions.  One of the biggest questions may be:  Can the state create a grading system that benefits students, educators, voters and taxpayers?

Making sense of an education whirlwind

Reaction to the budget N.C. legislators passed last week has been flooding social media and inboxes this week.

For most of the 11 years I've covered education, educational change at the state level has moved at glacial pace. This year it swept in like a summer thunderstorm, and some educators feel like they got soaked.

Plenty of teachers have penned and posted letters expressing dismay. I thought this  "Dear North Carolina"  letter from first-grade teacher Kayla Moran was a nicely written example of the first-hand emotional reaction.  "North Carolina,  you're breaking my heart,"  she begins.  "I wish you could see the faces of my children,  but they're just numbers to you."

Kowal

Julie Kowal of the newly-formed advocacy group CarolinaCAN posted a three-part (so far) series of budget briefings.  She says the state's first steps toward tenure reform replaces one meaningless reward,  career status,  with a $500 annual raise for top performers that is "just insulting,"  and says the legislature's compensation task force has serious work ahead.

Jo Ann Norris,  president of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, offers a detailed analysis of changes in staffing,  teacher pay,  tenure and the N.C. Teaching Fellows program in a piece titled  "What a Difference a Year Makes."

Norris

 "I do not envy principals, personnel directors, or other administrators seeking to hire teachers in the 115 school systems in North Carolina in the coming years,"  Norris writes.  "It will be a state in all likelihood that will drop to the last ranks in both average teacher salary and per pupil expenditure."

Anderson

Bill Anderson,  executive director of the local advocacy group MeckEd,  pulled together a data-based report on changes in the state's education scene since 2006,  looking at staffing,  teacher salaries,  enrollment growth and academic performance.   Anderson,  a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools principal,  challenges the notion that legislators are fixing a  "broken"  public education system.  Instead,  he contends,  teachers have helped students make gains despite hurdles imposed by spending limits.

"Reduced funding will only continue to damage our local schools,  reduce diversity,  divide communities,  force more cutbacks in classrooms and extracurricular activities,  and fail to provide each and every child with the education necessary for success in life,"  Anderson writes.

Allison

I did find one rave review for the legislature  --  let me know about others I may have missed  --  from Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, which called the budget a victory for low-income and working-class students and families.  That's because it provides opportunity scholarships  based on income and disabilities to help families send their children to private schools.

"Make no mistake about it that this legislative session, North Carolina’s voice was heard loud and clear around the nation that she intends to chart a more comprehensive educational course in how we will educate our neediest children,"  wrote president Darrell Allison.  "Passage of these two scholarship measures amid continued public charter school expansion means parents will have more options within the K-12 process regardless of their income or zip code.”

CarolinaCAN targets N.C. teacher pay, tenure

A national education-reform group is launching a North Carolina branch to push for changes in teacher pay, tenure and evaluations.

The N.C. Campaign for Achievement Now, or CarolinaCAN, is the seventh state spinoff from 50CAN, a national group trying to create like-minded organizations across the country. CarolinaCAN will formally debut today with an analysis of shortcomings in student achievement,  followed by a "Year of the Teacher" push for evaluations,  pay and layoffs to be linked to student results and other measures of effectiveness (find the issue brief at the CarolinaCAN web site above).

"Our state has an honored tradition of education leadership,"  the introduction says. "But there is so much more needed to support and leverage our great teachers. Three reforms will help us get there: improving our statewide teacher evaluation system, reforming the state’s outdated tenure and layoff systems, and creating meaningful rewards for excellence. This brief outlines the shortcomings of the current evaluation, tenure, layoff and compensation policies, and proposes reforms to re-position North Carolina as a national leader in teacher excellence."

Kowal

Julie Kowal,  a North Carolina native formerly with the education consulting firm Public Impact,  is the new group's executive director. Public Impact is working with the Charlotte-based Project LIFT to design new "opportunity culture" jobs that give highly effective classroom teachers higher pay for taking on more responsibility.

Figuring out how local this new group is takes some teasing out.  50CAN,  which originated in Connecticut,  has a plan to spend almost $7 million on education policy campaigns in the seven states (Rhode Island,  Minnesota,  Maryland,  New York,  Pennsylvania and New Jersey are the others).  That money comes from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,  the Walton Family Foundation and other major donors,  says Fiona Hoey,  the group's media and marketing director. So far the site lists no donors specific to North Carolina,  and the advisory board has yet to be named.

The CarolinaCAN site says the national group recruited "a group of independent, nonpartisan organizations dedicated to top-notch schooling to consider joining forces to help improve the education landscape" in North Carolina, with those organizations helping 50CAN  "and local partners" create CarolinaCAN and launch "The Year of the Teacher."  The N.C. founders,  in addition to Public Impact and Project LIFT, are  listed as KIPP charter schools in Charlotte and Gaston; the Charlotte office of New Leaders (recently joined by former CMS Chief Operating Officer Millard House);  Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina; and Teach For America offices in Charlotte and eastern North Carolina.. Teach For America President Matthew Kramer chairs the 50CAN board.

In other states,  including Minnesota and Rhode Island,  CAN political action groups have pumped money into state legislative and local school board campaigns.  Hoey says there's no plan for CarolinaCAN to get involved in this year's Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board race,  though she says she's not in a position to rule anything out for a group that's just getting off the ground.