Mission Impossible: Keep up with General Assembly

Last summer I kicked myself for paying too little attention to the legislative session.  Like many others, I struggled to figure out changes to tenure,  teacher pay,  charter school rules and other developments in public education after lawmakers had gone home and everything was a done deal.

This year I vowed to make sure readers knew about education proposals in time to react.  But I'm no longer sure that's possible.

I set out with good intentions,  dutifully trying to keep up with the education bills being introduced.

In June I spent a week in Raleigh covering the General Assembly.  Mostly I learned that not being there isn't as big a disadvantage as I'd thought.  The legislative web site has a lot of great information,  including audio links to key discussions.  After scurrying around to grab a seat in the chambers,  I discovered that the more experienced political reporters often stayed in the press room following the discussions on audio.

So it's great that we can do that from Charlotte.  But I've concluded that the volume and complexity of this system makes it nearly impossible to keep up,  even in this ostensibly short and simple off-year session.

A search for education bills in the 2013-14 session gets 532 results.  I'm pretty sure that only those in the lighter typeface are active in 2014,  but that's still a long list.

Sometimes the content changes dramatically as it moves through the system.  House Bill 1224,  for instance,  began life in May as  "an act to modify the job maintenance and capital development fund provisions."  But when it went to the Senate Finance Committee last week it morphed into a bill that could kill the Mecklenburg County commissioners' plan to hold a referendum on a sales-tax hike to boost Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools salaries.

I've paid especially close attention to Senate Bill 793,  which has been through five versions, 11 proposed amendments and 39 actions since it was introduced in May.  It's the one that,  depending on the day,  either ensures that charter schools will follow the same personnel disclosure and privacy laws as other public schools,  removes all references to said topic or blocks disclosure of charter school employees' names.  (Meanwhile,  the Observer finally completed the database of Charlotte-area salaries last week,  when Lincoln Charter provided its information.)

Because I was dogging that bill,  Rep. Charles Jeter, R-Mecklenburg,  realized that his protect-the-names amendment has consequences far beyond his intentions.  He says he asked the conference committee to delete the amendment he got the House to pass.  Best I can tell,  there's been no action since that committee was created July 1.  What will emerge is anyone's guess.  Meanwhile,  a search for charter school bills turns up 47 other options to keep track of.

In my efforts to serve as a better watchdog,  I've ended up feeling like a mutt trying to chase a forest full of squirrels.  Even with the state's press corps doing their best,  I can't help wondering what  surprises may emerge after the last gavel bangs.  (Public Schools First NC is doing the best job I've seen of tracking education proposals.  Last week's summary filled nine pages.)

I voiced my frustration to Tom Tate,  the CMS board's senior member,  when we were talking about something else.

"I don't know how anyone is keeping up with it at this point,"  Tate sympathized.  "Even the legislators themselves."

Senate walkout a first for Morrison

Heath Morrison came to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with a reputation for his work with the Nevada state legislature, and he's worn out the pavement between here and Raleigh since taking this job two years ago.

But Wednesday morning's Senate walkout as Morrison prepared to speak to the budget conference committee was a first for him.

Morrison

The senators weren't objecting to the CMS superintendent personally.  They were protesting the House members' insistence on summoning three superintendents to talk about the harm that would come from the Senate proposal to cut teacher assistants.

Morrison voiced gratitude that the Senate,  House and governor's plans include teacher raises,  but said the Senate plan would cost CMS 817 assistant jobs.  Assistants average about $19,000 a year,  he said,  describing them as  "some of the best bangs for our buck that we have in our state."  If they lose their jobs,  Morrison said,  they could end up collecting $14,000 a year in unemployment and health benefits from the state.  Giving up their skills to save $5,000 a year is  "not a good return on investment,"  he told the House members who remained.

Tillis

House Speaker Thom Tillis,  R-Mecklenburg,  asked Morrison whether he'd prefer to keep the two-year budget approved last summer,  which includes no raise for teachers and other state employees,  or get a revised budget that includes raises but eliminates 800 teacher jobs that were promised for 2014-15.  Morrison compared that question to the movie "Sophie's Choice,"  in which Nazis force a woman to choose between her two children.  "I don't think either of those are particularly appealing,"  he said.

In response to another question from Tillis,  Morrison said that the Senate plan,  which provides the largest teacher raises,  would require going back to Mecklenburg County commissioners for more money or cutting $6 million to $7 million from the 2014-15 budget to match those raises for teachers paid with county money.

When Frank Till,  Cumberland County's superintendent,  spoke about the importance of teacher assistants,  Tillis posed what he described as  "a slightly fairer choice:"  Would he prefer the House plan,  which gives raises averaging 5 percent,  or the Senate plan,  where raises average 11 percent but teacher assistants and other aspects of public education are cut?

"I'd rather not make draconian cuts and have a smaller raise,"  Till said.  He added that he'd prefer to see the state raise more revenue,  but said he understood that legislators don't consider that an option.

"We agree on that,"  Tillis said with a laugh.  (By the way,  if you want to listen in on legislative discussions,  check the House and Senate calendars near the top of the General Assembly web page, then find the appropriate audio link.)

Morrison said afterward he wasn't offended by the walkout:   "I had a number of Senate members come out and chat on the way out, and thanked me for what we are doing in CMS and for coming up to testify,"  he emailed in response to my query.  "They wanted me to know that their issue was respecting the rules they had established (with) the House not a lack of respect for the superintendents and teachers speaking." 

Contracts, pay and tenure remain in limbo

July 1 marked the start of the 2014-15 budget year,  but crucial decisions about educator pay and working conditions remain in the hands of the N.C. General Assembly,  where GOP leaders remain deeply divided.

That means leaders of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and other districts had better come back from the July 4 week revved up and ready to hustle.  Consider:

*The fate of hundreds of teacher assistants remains uncertain. The Senate plan cuts jobs to boost teacher pay, while plans from the House and governor preserve them.  Additional teacher jobs that were promised in last year's two-year spending plan also remain in limbo.  The result:  Schools will have to adjust staffing plans whenever lawmakers come to agreement.

*  The Senate's budget requires teachers to choose between a scale where they keep tenure and get locked into current pay or a  "professional scale"  that provides significant raises with no job protection.  The House and governor's plans do not.  If the Senate approach prevails,  districts will have to figure out how to get thousands of teachers to indicate their choice,  then adjust their pay accordingly.  If that's not done by the state of the academic year,  which seems likely,  they could  have to calculate retroactive pay.

*Teachers who are working on master's degrees don't yet know whether they'll be compensated for them.

*Under the  "25 percent plan"  approved last year,  CMS had to designate teachers eligible for four-year contracts,  and teachers selected would have had to say yes or no by Monday.  A judge put that plan on hold,  but the Senate budget would revive it.

CMS never notified teachers whether they made the 25 percent cut.  But in June the district did offer one-year contracts to teachers who haven't qualified for career status,  or tenure.  Spokeswoman Kathryn Block says just over 84 percent of those contracts have been signed,  and the rest are getting reminders.  Six who didn't sign have resigned,  she added.

*Money for textbooks,  technology and three new college-based high schools that CMS will open in August also remain up in the air.

All of this makes the back-to-school countdown nerve-wracking for all concerned.  And while Aug. 25 is the big day,  it comes even earlier for students in year-round Project LIFT schools and the high schools based on Central Piedmont Community College campuses and at UNC Charlotte.

Charter schools are exempt from many of the state rules about tenure and pay.  But they,  too,  are waiting on passage of a state budget to know how much money they can count on.

Charter name ban: Think it through

A parent recently emailed me with concerns about a soon-to-open charter school in Charlotte.  She's considering enrolling her child,  she said,  so she has been asking questions about staffing,  attending board meetings and researching the new director.  Material she found from the two charter schools where that director worked previously led her to doubt whether the new school's board had made a wise hire and accurately represented the director's experience.

I'm not including specifics because I haven't had time to verify this information.  But my first step was obvious:  Email the two N.C. charter schools where the director worked and ask for details of her work history,  including her titles, dates of employment and whether she resigned or was dismissed.

Under a charter bill passed by the state Senate on June 17,  that information would be indisputably a matter of public record.

Under the amended version the House passed last week,  that's far less clear.

Jeter

There's no indication that Rep. Charles Jeter,  the Mecklenburg Republican and charter school parent who introduced the amendment,  and the 64 other House members who voted for the amendment want to block parents and reporters from getting this kind of information.  Instead,  Jeter said he wants to stop newspapers from requesting and publishing names and salaries of charter school administrators,  teachers and other staff,  as the Observer and at least one other N.C. newspaper have done recently.

But the amendment doesn't limit itself to certain types of requests or certain categories of employees.  It simply says that names of charter school employees  "shall not be open to inspection,"  apparently putting names into the same category of confidentiality as job evaluations.

I asked public records and personnel experts at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Government how this might play out.

"It appears to prohibit the release of the name of an employee,  presumably for any purpose. That seems to be a broader limitation than what might have been intended,"  said Professor and Associate Dean Freyda Bluestein,  after reading the amendment and consulting with a colleague.

Most charter schools name their administrators on their web sites,  and some name their full faculty.  Employees often make presentations or are included in announcements at charter school board meetings,  which are public and whose minutes become public records.  Would this kind of disclosure be forbidden?

"It seems to me that it might prohibit the release of the name for any purpose, as I mention in my email,"  Bluestein responded.

The bill that passed the Senate on three readings and the House on the first two puts charter school employees under the same personnel privacy protections and disclosure requirements as other public schools.  That spells out 11 personnel items that must be made public for each employee,  including name, employment date, terms of contract, current position, salary  (including benefits,  incentives and bonuses) and information about promotions, demotions, transfers and disciplinary actions.

The amended version that passed the House on third reading removes names from that list.

That creates another puzzler:  If someone  --  whether a journalist,  parent or prospective employer   --  requests the public information for an individual employee by name,  can the school release it?  And if so,  are they required to do so?

"I suppose technically,  if you somehow had the list of names already and asked for their salaries, (or any other type of information that is public under that statute),  they might be required to provide the salaries and other information since this would not involve the school actually making the names open to inspection (since they were provided in the request),"  said Bluestein.  "I'm not sure exactly how this would work as a practical matter,  if enacted."

Bear in mind that this legislation came about because of confusion about what the law requires.  Even charter leaders who said they thought public disclosure was appropriate hesitated to release information in the face of mixed messages from state staff.  If something as basic as publicly naming the director of your school is potentially breaking the law,  I predict some of the public money going to charter schools is going to be spent on legal advice.

Here's hoping that as the Senate and House reconcile the two versions of the bill,  they think this through carefully.

Raleigh cheat sheet: Who's proposing what?

Trying to keep up with three plans for teacher raises,  vouchers,  charter schools and other education issues before the General Assembly is enough to make anyone's head spin.  Bill Anderson of MeckEd pointed me toward a comparison sheet on the Senate, House and governor's plans prepared by Public Schools First NC.

The group has an agenda  --  it supports more money for traditional public schools and opposes shifting money to charters and private schools  --  but the reporting strikes me as factual and it's the best at-a-glance synopsis I've seen.  Things can change every time the legislature convenes,  so check in on the legislative updates page for fresh reports.

It's not as easy to read,  but here's the General Assembly's comparison  (it goes beyond the education items,  which are at the top).  Feel free to share links to updates from other groups.

Berger with protesters

Meanwhile,  last week's conversation between Moral Monday education protesters and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger didn't produce any lasting harmony.  Although no one was arrested then,  the state NAACP filed suit later that week to challenge the new rules governing protests in the Legislative Building.  They won an injunction from Superior Court Judge Carl Fox,  who said the rules against making noise and creating a disturbance are so vague they could get groups of visiting schoolchildren in trouble.  This week's protest,  which focused on labor issues,  was a noisier event that led to 20 arrests,  the (Raleigh) News & Observer reports.

Berger's office says the Republican majority is just trying to "liberalize and clarify archaic and confusing building rules" adopted by Democrats in decades past.

“For years we’ve heard feedback that the 30-year-old building rules implemented by previous Democrat leaders were confusing and restrictive,” the Rockingham Republican said in a press statement. “We responded to those concerns, and I am baffled why (state NAACP president William) Barber is now trying to turn back the progress we made in increasing building access and free speech.”

Berger had told the group that the Moral Monday agenda would cost up to $7 billion and require a corporate tax hike of 50 percent,  up from the current 6 percent.  This week the Forward Together Moral Monday Movement countered with an analysis by the progressive N.C. Policy Watch saying Berger's analysis contained  "false or exaggerated"  premises.  That analysis contends that the Moral Monday agenda is revenue neutral  --  that is,  it wouldn't require huge tax hikes -- and might even produce new income for the state.

Meanwhile, a Forbes article circulated by Berger's staff bumped up the rhetoric with a headline saying  "North Carolina Progressives Demand Billions in Higher Taxes, 80 Percent Corporate Tax"  (that's Berger's 50 percent estimate plus the federal corporate income tax,  the article says).

The Raleigh-based Civitas Institute boosted the cost estimate for the Moral Monday agenda to $10 billion  --  and promptly followed up with a fund-raising letter. "The Left wants to take your money  ... We, on the other hand, ask our friends to voluntarily support us so that we can help regain and preserve the freedoms that are our birthright,"  says the letter from institute President Francis De Luca.

Someone will ask why the Observer doesn't have reporters delving in to sort out these conflicting claims.  The answer:  It's all an exercise in rhetoric.  If the General Assembly were seriously considering this spending program,  it would be vital to know what it would cost and how it would be paid for.  But no one's really pushing this plan.  Work on the real budget proposals continues hot and heavy  --  and my colleagues covering the legislature are more than busy trying to keep up with that.

Let's end with some literal political theater:  "Moral Mondays, the Musical!" It's a production of Will Rice,  identified by WRAL as a left-leaning communications consultant.  It's set to  "Monday, Monday" and features some Daily Show-style interviews with protesters.

Hate Common Core? Be specific

Name one Common Core standard you disagree with.

That's the challenge Superintendent Heath Morrison says he puts to those who argue that North Carolina needs to scrap the reading and math guidelines that states have spent years hashing out. He said he never gets a specific answer, just comments about federal intrusion.

"We're having this conversation for all the wrong reasons,  and none of it is about education,"  Morrison told the Tuesday Breakfast Forum this week.

I'm scheduled to take a turn at the General Assembly next week.  Maybe I'll hear some intense debate over whether eighth-graders really need to be able to analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations,  or whether it's reasonable to expect first-graders to identify and use headers, tables of contents and glossaries to locate key facts in a text.

But I doubt it.  One reason I've written so little about these standards is that they're so wonky and dense.  You can read through them here  (block out some serious time),  but it won't make you the life of the next political debate.

I spent four hours at a recent Education Writers Association seminar listening to a wide range of experts talk about Common Core. The consensus:  The standards themselves are about specific academic goals that originated with governors, superintendents and school boards.  They've been hashed out over several years by experts,  educators and consultants.

And recently they've become entangled in partisan politics and testing controversy.

Cohen

Mike Cohen of the DC-based nonprofit group Achieve, who helped develop the standards with state leaders, said President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan inadvertently hurt the cause by "taking credit" for the Common Core push and using Race to the Top grants to prod states to embrace the standards.

Opposition now comes from Republicans who call it federal intrusion and liberals who oppose the testing associated with the standards. "You've got this left-right dynamic that makes it particularly hard to move forward," Cohen said.

Hess

Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute,  who blogs for Education Week,  laid out the federal intrusion case.  The national consistency state leaders say they're seeking isn't likely to happen without strong federal intervention,  he said.  For instance,  if states set their own cut scores and standards on testing,  we'll get the same wild variation we've seen with state exams.  If the federal government has to approve standards,  well,  they become federal standards.  And yes,  he cited the way the Obama administration has used Race to the Top grants to push many states  (including North Carolina)  toward adopting the standards and the common exams.

But Hess said  "repeal and replace"  advocates have generally failed to show they're serious about doing the hard work it will take to craft alternative standards,  design better tests and get schools to adopt them.

Is North Carolina ready to plunge in and show the country how to do it right? I suspect we'll soon find out.

Internships can be great, but be careful

The letter that arrived at a Charlotte-Mecklenburg high school asking to recruit students for summer internships carried the Observer's logo and offered work in sales, customer service and business management.  But the counselor who got it couldn't find any information about the company claiming to be the Observer's partner,  so she asked me to check whether it was legit.

Nope.  The company was in talks with the Observer,  but nothing had been settled.  The folks in our business offices weren't amused,  and the counselor didn't let the company in to recruit.

"It is amazing how many people want to come in and recruit students for things that may not benefit them,"  said the counselor,  who asked that I not name her because she doesn't want to get caught in any controversy over what she jokingly dubs her work as the troll at the gate.

Good internships provide valuable education

It was a reminder that every good thing comes with a flip side.  Helping students get real-life work experience is a big trend in CMS and other public schools.  I'm all for that.  My parents sent me to a prestigious private journalism school,  and by far the best education I got was from a 10-week internship at the newspaper that eventually hired me. In the ensuing decades I've worked with lots of high school and college interns, and it's usually a great experience for them and the newsroom.

In the fast-changing tech world,  I suspect,  hands-on work can be even more valuable.

But it's good to know that counselors,  who already have their hands more than full,  are keeping an eye on the folks who want to pitch to teens.  The counselor in question said she runs a Better Business Bureau check on companies that want to enter her school;  she recently found 20 complaints about a would-be recruiter.

As they used to tell us in J-school back in the day:  If your mother says she loves you,  check it out.

And here's Tuesday's round-up of education legislation.  Things are about to get very interesting with the Senate budget looming.

Senate Bill 860,  introduced by Mecklenburg Republican Jeff Tarte,  would revise the formula for school letter grades to make growth a bigger factor.  It would also extend the testing window and revise some aspects of educator contracts.

SB 852 would extend eligibility for the National Board supplement to instructional coaches in Title I schools.

House Bill 1243 would set up a fund to provide college loans that could be repaid by teaching in the science,  technology, engineering and math fields in N.C. public schools.

Teacher pay, taxes and charters: What's on table

Rep. Bill Brawley, a Matthews Republican,  wants to order counties to levy a 1-cent property tax hike for teacher raises.

Hartsell

Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, a Concord Republican,  wants to let school districts get involved in authorizing charter schools.

And Reps. Becky Carney and Beverly Earle, Democrats from Charlotte, are among a group that wants to tighten state supervision of charter schools.

Welcome to the 2014 legislative session,  which is supposed to be relatively short and simple.

Ha.

Last year's long session brought plenty of surprises in public education.  I'm beginning to see why so many of us got caught off guard.  I've trolled through the list of bills filed in the first two weeks and come up with this list.  I don't pretend to understand them all,  let alone feel confident about which stand a chance and which are DOA.

In the spirit of crowdsourcing,  I'm linking everyone up and eager to hear thoughts. (HB signifies a House bill, SB a Senate bill.)

Brawley

Teacher pay: SB 833 and HB 1186 direct the state Board of Education to come up with a performance pay plan for educators to roll out in 2016-17. SB 787, which I reported on recently, requires that at least 51 percent of the state allocation for K-12 education go toward classroom teachers. HB 1174 extends the cutoff date to qualify for additional pay based on earning a master's degree. And Brawley's HB 1177 calls for the additional 1-cent property tax for teacher raises.

Tenure:  HB 1199 would restore career status, commonly known as tenure,  after last summer's decision to phase it out by 2018.  A Wake County judge recently ruled that decision unconstitutional.

Common Core:  SB 812 and HB 1061 call for rejecting the Common Core standards and creating a new study commission to create standards specific to North Carolina.

Carney

Online classes:  SB 748 and HB 1039 provide a tuition waiver for private-school students to take N.C. Virtual Public School courses.

Charter schools:  SB 754 and HB 1041 would allow school districts and public universities to grant preliminary approval for charter schools, with the final decisions continuing to rest with the state Board of Education. HB 1085 strengthens supervision of charter schools. SB 752, HB 1042 and SB 793 set up an appeal process for charter applicants rejected by the state advisory board. SB 793 also raises the application fee to $1,000 and clarifies that charter schools are subject to the same public records law, including disclosure of salaries, as other public bodies. HB 1084 would establish an alternative accountability system for charter schools that serve large percentages of students with disabilities.

Vouchers:  HB 1075 would repeal the Opportunity Scholarship program and restore the $10 million set aside for it to public schools.

Earle

School calendar:  HB 1049 would give local districts more flexibility in deciding when to start and stop the school year.

Money:  HB 1107 would require the state to spend specific percentages of lottery money on school construction.  SB 789 would provide extra money for  "geographically sparse"  small school districts. (That wouldn't seem to affect the Charlotte area,  unless it reduced the money available for bigger districts.)  HB 1119 would provide a tax credit for teachers who spend their own money on classroom supplies.  HB 1063 would appropriate $340,000 to restore the teacher cadet program for high school students.

Safety: HB 1062 and SB 770 would require public schools to provide keys and schematic diagrams to law enforcement.

Education data:  SB 806 and HB 1150 deal with data for K-12 and higher education, but darned if I can figure out what these bills mean. SB815 deals with privacy of student records.

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.

Teacher pay gets hot-potato toss

I didn't make it to Raleigh for the final meeting of the General Assembly's teacher compensation task force,  but the report is online and it's pretty much as predicted:  This panel is tossing the topic back to legislators and asking them to tap the state Board of Education for another round of study.

The recommendations are broad and fairly obvious:  Focus on a pay system that benefits students,  raise pay for newer teachers as a short-term goal  (a tactic already proposed by Gov. Pat McCrory and GOP leaders) and make across-the-board hikes and  "modernization"  a long-term goal.  Just how long isn't clear,  but a draft proposal suggests giving the state board another year to study teacher compensation,  with a goal of putting something in place in 2016-17.

The report indicates that the task force was intrigued by career-ladder approaches such as that being piloted with Charlotte-Mecklenburg's  "opportunity culture"  program,  and by the IMPACT teacher evaluation model in use in District of Columbia Public Schools.

"There are no examples of state-centered comprehensive compensation models that have positively impacted student achievement and have been sustained,"  the report notes.  "Reform models that emphasizes (sic) local flexibility within evidence-based parameters may be a more promising and sustainable strategy."

The lack of specifics on how to raise salaries and modernize the pay plan drew fire from some of the educators and legislators who served,  the AP's Gary Robertson reports.  "We've heard a lot of presentations and propaganda but there really hasn't been a whole lot of meaningful discussion going forward,"  said Timothy Barnsback, president of the Professional Educators of North Carolina.

Kidd

Judy Kidd, president of the Classroom Teachers Association,  said the task force was  "playing kick the can."

Cotham

"The report could have been written in January, frankly," said Kidd, a CMS high school teacher. She said it may have been naive to think a real plan could be drafted after four meetings, but she said lack of information isn't the real challenge.  "They know what they need to do. They know they need to do it."

State Rep. Tricia Cotham, D-Mecklenburg,  posted a critical synopsis on her Facebook page:  "I called the committee report 'fluff' and argued that many teachers are hurting NOW. Teachers across NC are trying to make ends meet as we speak. I challenged my colleagues to 'put their money where their mouth is' and send the message that we as a state value our teachers, our children, and education."

Still no plan for teacher pay reform

A task force created by the General Assembly last summer to study teacher pay and effectiveness will hold its final meeting in Raleigh today to wrap up a report for state lawmakers.

So will we finally get a look at North Carolina's long-range plan for identifying and rewarding the best educators?

Bryan

Nope.

"It's heavier on goals and principles and thin on specifics,"  said state Rep. Rob Bryan,  a Mecklenburg Republican who co-chairs the task force.  He said the state is still early in the process of working through an issue that has challenged politicians and educators across the country.

Watching North Carolina and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools slog toward pay reform feels a bit like watching  "Groundhog Day,"  without the assurance of a happy ending.  Over and over,  study groups convene and conclude that the issue needs more study.

The big picture is the easy part.  Is it essential to identify the teachers who make the biggest difference for kids?  Absolutely.  Should they be rewarded for excellence?  Of course.  Do N.C. teachers deserve a raise and a better pay system?  Most would say yes.

The stumper is how to identify those teachers,  how to distribute the rewards and above all how to pay for it.  Last summer the state legislature created the much-reviled 25 percent plan as a first step and charged the task force with taking a longer view.

Bryan said his group is interested in getting local districts to create their own pay plans,  perhaps with a state fallback for those that can't or won't.  That's in line with what CMS is seeking as an alternative to the state-mandated four-year contracts and $500-a-year raises for 25 percent of qualified teachers.

But it was just over a year ago that the state invited local districts to submit performance pay plans for consideration.  CMS was initially gung-ho,  appointing  (of course)  a teacher task force and hiring consultants to study the issue.  But ultimately the district missed the deadline and said there was little point creating a detailed plan without state money to make it happen.

What we've seen so far is a series of pilots and experiments that fizzle when the money runs out.  The conclusion is inevitably that the effort needs more study  --  and more money.

Today's meeting will at least bring a new visual device:  College students putting 10-foot ladders outside the legislative building to illustrate the need to  "rebuild the ladder"  to the teaching profession.  Lynn Bonner of the News & Observer wins this week's round of  "identify that advocacy group;"  click here to see what she found out about who's behind Students For Education Reform-North Carolina and who's footing the bills.

Talking with and about teachers

With the 2014 legislative session less than three months away,  State Rep. Tricia Cotham is launching a series of forums to talk with teachers about supporting schools and shaping state policy.  The first will be at 2 p.m. Saturday,   Feb. 22,  at the Plaza-Midwood library branch,  1623 Central Ave.

Cotham

She'll hold another session for teachers at 6:30 p.m. March 11 at the Matthews library,  230 Matthews Station St.,  and a third for students and teachers on March 16 at the Independence library,  6000 Conference Drive.  That session starts at 1:30 p.m. for students and 2:30 for teachers,  according to Cotham's web site.

Cotham,  a Mecklenburg Democrat,  was a teacher and administrator in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before joining the General Assembly in 2007.  She notes that the sessions are not limited to CMS employees;  all teachers are welcome.

Jeter

At 8 a.m. March 6,  MeckEd will host a community conversation on  "Valuing N.C. Teachers,"  with Cotham,  state Rep. Charlie Jeter,  a Huntersville Republican,  and Eric Davis,  an unaffiliated Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member.  Click here for details and to RSVP.

And while you've got your calendars out,  here are a couple more education-related events coming up.  You can be one of the first to catch the CMS 2014-15 budget overview from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at West Charlotte High,  2219 Senior Drive.  More sessions around the county will be held through April;  click here for the schedule.  You can also take the CMS online budget survey through Friday.

And for those with an interest in services for students with disabilities,  the N.C. Department of Public Instruction will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to state policies from 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 19 in Davidson.  Click here for details.

What if NC leaders used teacher pay scale?

Apparently it takes a lot more money to hire advisers for our leaders in Raleigh than to recruit teachers for the children of North Carolina.

My eyes were drawn to an AP story in the morning's Observer about two 24-year-olds who worked in Pat McCrory's campaign for governor and are now making salaries of $85,000 or more in advisory posts with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

McCrory

I had just finished talking with a 25-year-old Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher who's bright and energetic enough to help Deputy Superintendent Ann Clark with some of her research.  He's making about $37,400 a year  --  but only because CMS provides a supplement with county money.  The state scale would put him at $30,800.

The state's teacher pay scale starts at $30,800 and tops out at about $65,520,  for a teacher with a master's degree, National Board certification and at least 35 years of experience.  That made me curious:  How do advisers to the people who approve that scale compare?

The state government salary database lists 60 employees of the governor's office.  On a quick scan,  I counted 22 making more than any teacher can.  Eric Guckian,  a member of the Charlotte education scene who was recently hired as McCrory's education adviser,  came in at $120,000.  Three of the six administrative assistants earn more than $50,000,  a level teachers crack at 32 years on the bachelor's degree scale.

Only one member of the governor's staff makes less than a starting teacher.  Gregory Anthony Steele is listed as press secretary at $28,000.  He's listed as a 21-year-old hired in June,  which makes me suspect it's a summer job.

What about the legislative staff?  I came up dry.  Turns out the General Assembly has its own payroll system,  which we don't have online.

I've sent a request to our data guy.  I think people might want to know.

Burger King vs. teaching: One man's choice

I've seen a lot of back-and-forth about the education changes in this year's state budget. But an email from Justin Ashley, a fourth-grade teacher at McAlpine Elementary, to House Speaker Thom Tillis, stands out.

Ashley

I am impressed that Ashley signed his name and told his personal story with power.  I admire the fact that Ashley approached Tillis,  a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools parent,  as a respectful neighbor,  rather than treating him like some distant enemy.  He made his point so well that I am reprinting his letter in its entirety,  with Ashley's permission:

Mr. Tillis,

I wanted to first thank you for your service to our state.  I can't imagine how difficult it must be to make so many decisions that impact so many people.

I'm sure that being a politician can be a lot like playing the part of Batman:  people are always questioning whether you are a hero or a villain when all you really want is to protect Gotham City.  I appreciate the sacrifices you have made for the Tar Heel state.

Secondly, I would like to tell you my story:

Choosing a career path is frightening, especially when you're 17.  I weighed my options between Burger King manager and the armed forces.  My options were few and far between,  as I was residing in a low-income,  single parent home at the time.

My career perspective widened when my school counselor informed me of a possible scholarship opportunity.  We decided to give it a shot.  I wrote an essay,  filled out some paperwork,  and participated in a scholarship interview at UNC Charlotte.

A few weeks later,  I ripped the  letter open from my mailbox:

"Congratulations.  You have been awarded a full scholarship to a North Carolina University."

I will never forget reading those words with water-filled eyes.  For the first time in my life,  I felt fully empowered to overcome mediocrity.

I opened that letter ten years ago.  In that defining moment,  I accepted the full scholarship as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow and graduated from UNC Charlotte in 2007.

Currently,  I teach 4th grade in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.  I have been a father to boys and girls at school who don't have them at home . I have helped raise test scores and created a fun learning environment for kids.  I love my job.

In February, I was even fortunate enough to walk across a stage in Greensboro and accept the award for the North Carolina Social Studies Teacher of the Year.

And even though my salary would be higher as a Burger King manager,  I'm grateful for the door that was opened for me,  for the founders of the scholarship program,  for the General Assembly (years ago) that allocated funding for my scholarship,  and for the taxpayers who provided the investment in the first place.  I've been able to change lives because these people changed mine.  And I'm just one of the thousands of stories,  stories that represent better teaching and better learning because of of our great state's dedication to our public education system.

A few weeks ago,  our state legislators passed a budget that eradicated the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship.  They also terminated teacher tenure and additional pay for teachers with master degrees,  along with a host of other public education cutbacks that total approximately 500 million dollars.

With these sweeping changes,  I can't help but wonder:

How many state teacher of the years did our current General Assembly just eliminate from the classroom?

How many doors were just shut in the face of so many talented teacher candidates?

My heartfelt message to our current General Assembly and Governor:

As you create bills and budgets involving education,  please don't marinate on the massive numbers of educators and students.  Instead,  visualize your favorite teacher as a child, the one who spoke words of vision and hope into you.  The one who invested her time,  energy,  and love into your life so that you could become the leader you have grown to be.  Do you see her?  Now, use your resources to enable teachers just like her to do for others what she did for you. 

Great teaching is the golden ticket for our schools.  Teachers are the solution.  Help us help our kids.  Hold on to great teachers right now before it's too late.  Create opportunities and incentives that attract new teachers for the future.  You have the keys to the door.

And closed doors can quickly be reopened...

Sincerely,

Justin Ashley

2013 North Carolina Social Studies Teacher of the Year

2013 North Carolina History Teacher of the Year

2011 CMS East Zone Teacher of the Year

That last line is important:  Closed doors can be reopened.

There's a lot of anger and frustration about what happened in Raleigh this summer.  But the folks who cast those votes are people we elected from our own communities.  And now they're back.

In the coming weeks,  I hope to get the members of Mecklenburg's legislative delegation to share their thoughts about what their actions mean for education and to talk about what comes next.  Meanwhile,  remember that you can find contact information for members of the House and Senate at the General Assembly web site.

The public discussion about the future of education in North Carolina shouldn't fade with summer.  If you manage to open any doors,  let me know.