Former Gov. Perdue taking respite from politics in education

Nearly two years removed from office, former Gov. Bev Perdue is still loath to talk politics. Instead, she's joining with a lot of former elected officials to push education reform.

About 18 months ago, Perdue (a former schoolteacher and a Ph.D.-holder in education administration) launched an organization called DigiLearn, which emphasizes technology and digital education in the classroom. Former Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer, a Republican, is her vice chairman.

And just last week, Perdue joined the advisory network of Education Post, a new nonprofit run by Peter Cunningham, who served in the Department of Education in the Obama administration. Informed by the politicization of Common Core standards, that group wants to tone down the discourse around education.

Perdue's first blog post for that site calls for a national bipartisan dialogue among business and political leaders on how classrooms need to change to adapt to new technologies and the modern economy.

"This broad-based discussion would really try to define for us as a country and a people, at the level of parents and teachers and policy makers, where we are as a country," Perdue said in a brief interview this week.

She said the results of that discussion should be implemented at the state level. "I don't necessarily think ... a big national solution is the right way to go now," she said.

When asked, Perdue wouldn't say much about her feelings about the debate over education in North Carolina right now.

Clearly, teacher pay was a hot political topic this summer as the legislature hammered out a controversial salary increase. It's continued into the fall as N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis challenges U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan for her seat in Washington.

The public rhetoric has included plenty of finger pointing on both sides about which party treated education better while in control of the General Assembly. Democrats ran the state legislature until Republican victories in 2010. Perdue was governor from 2008 until 2012, when she declined to pursue re-election.

Perdue said a "professional, well trained teacher work force" is a part of the solution. She also said that the recession that took hold of the economy just as Perdue took office meant that "there was a total inability to do what should have been done" with the state's education system.

But she wouldn't review how Republicans have done since taking over the General Assembly.

"I’m not going to cast aspersions at anyone now," she said. "I gave myself a two-year timeout. I just haven’t been involved in anyway. I've written some checks, but I haven’t been involved in any of the day-to-day rhetoric." (A quick Federal Elections Committee search shows she gave $2,500 to a Hillary Clinton PAC this year)

"We should focus on how we can work together rather than how we can tear each other down," Perdue said. "There can be this healthy discussion. For the sake of our country, we have to get beyond this rapid, mean partisanship."

Perdue promised to talk politics on the record with me after Jan. 2015. In the meantime, she's living in Chapel Hill, building a house in Raleigh and said she's in the process of joining a "national firm."

North Carolina is 'worst state for teachers,' study says

North Carolina ranks as the worst state in the country for teachers, says a new study from a financial review site that's gotten a lot of attention this week.

According to the study, here's how North Carolina stacked up in the following categories:

• 41st – Average Starting Salaries
• 47th – Median Annual Salaries
• 38th – Unemployment Rate
• 51st – 10-Year Change in Teacher Salaries
• 32nd – Pupil to Teacher Ratio
• 48th – Public School Spending per Student
• 43rd – Teachers Wage Disparity
• 40th – Safest Schools

WalletHub comes out with a lot of rankings like this, though they're usually on business issues (i.e. "Best Student Checking Accounts" or "2014’s Best & Worst Entry Level Jobs").

Their methodology in the teacher study is also a bit interesting. Check it out for yourself here. It includes a ton of different factors beyond just job numbers and salaries, including "Percentage of Projected Population of Ages 5 to 17 by Year 2030." The study also takes into account a handful of other studies WalletHub has done in the past, like "Best and Worst States for Underprivileged Children Ranking."

Activist group Progress NC quickly turned the WalletHub study into a political statement:

“Here is yet more evidence that the right-wing political machine controlling state government is on a mission to ruin our public schools,” Executive Director Gerrick Brenner said in a statement. “Our state used to be a leader in public education. Now politicians like House Speaker Thom Tillis have driven North Carolina schools to the very back of the pack.”

U.S. Kay Hagan also posted about the report on her campaign website. She's locked in a tough race against Tillis for her seat.

The right side of the political spectrum took notice as well. Conservative blog Sister Toldjah pointed out that the WalletHub study looks at salary changes over a 10 year period. Democrats were in charge of the General Assembly for most of that time. Republicans grabbed the majority in 2010, and the governor's mansion in 2012.

Bus drivers, teacher assistants getting $500 raise

Most of the talk regarding the education budget has been about teacher pay (and from my story today, veteran teachers aren't too happy about the plan).

But the state's proposal also lays out pay raises for all the other public school workers. They aren't going to fare as well as most of their colleagues.

"Noncertified personnel," as they're called – and this includes everyone from maintenance workers to bus drivers to teacher assistants (here's a list) – are set to receive a $500 raise in their annual pay this year. You can read it for yourself on pages 54 and 55 of the proposed budget.

Sure, it's a change from the half-decade wage freeze. But it's not sitting well with some people falling in this category.

For comparison, most state employees are getting $1,000 raises. Speaking to N.C. Policy Watch, some of these workers are calling it a "slap in the face."

In other education pay news, I've gotten a few requests from people curious about the proposed salary schedules for teachers getting extra pay for master's degrees. I'm trying to track one down, and I'll share when I get it.

Teacher to NC: It's breakup time

The best-read item I've ever posted on this blog wasn't written by me but by Justin Ashley, a dynamo of a fourth-grade teacher at McAlpine Elementary.  His letter to House Speaker Thom Tillis captured the passion, hope and frustration of so many teachers across North Carolina that it lit up social media.

I've enjoyed getting to know Ashley during the past school year.  So it's sad to report that he's planning to leave Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for a better-paying job in South Carolina.

Ashley

And since I've learned he can speak for himself quite well, I'll simply share the letter he posted on Facebook Friday, telling this state he's calling it quits.  As of Sunday evening, it had been shared more than 300 times.

Dear North Carolina,

I'm leaving you.

To be honest, it isn't me; it's you. 

I've given you all I have to give: my days, nights, and weekends. I've sacrificed my money and hobbies for you.

I've done my best to please you over the years, but no matter how much I gave you, you always asked for more. In return, you gave me less and less.

Even worse, you refused to truly listen to me. I've tried, time after time, to explain my frustrations, but you always tuned me out.

And you frequently questioned me as if I'm unfaithful. With all that I do for you and the kids, how in the world would I have time for anyone else?

You've taken me for granted.

I deserve to be regarded as a partner in this relationship; Instead, you've treated me like a servant.

If you ever want us to be together again, you are going to have to make some serious life changes:

Treat me as an individual with my own perspective (no more top-down approaches to decision-making).

Respect my voice (don't remove my rights in this union between us).

Continually appreciate and repay me for all that I do for you (don't spend the money you owe me on someone else).

Trust me (don't measure me with unfair and inaccurate comparisons to others).

Call me crazy, but I believed I'd one day become a priority to you. And if not me, at least our kids! How were they never at the top of your priority list?

I used to love you, but I really can't do this anymore. I deserve better.

It's over.

I'm leaving you for your sister state, South Carolina.

If you ever decide to change your ways, call me.

You know the number.

Sincerely and No Longer Yours,
Justin Ashley
2013 North Carolina History Teacher of the Year
2013 North Carolina Social Studies Teacher of the Year
2011 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools East Zone Teacher of the Year

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."

Teacher creates home libraries for kids

To explain why she's so upset about losing Dave Hartzell,  Sterling Elementary Principal Beth Wardy points to The 40 Book Project.

I featured Hartzell,  who teaches fourth- and fifth-graders at Sterling,  in Sunday's story about teacher pay.  He and his wife,  a preschool teacher,  had their first child,  Calvin,  on Easter Sunday.  He's heartbroken to think he can't keep the job he loves and support his wife and child.

Hartzell with donated books

But Hartzell was just as eager to tell me about his quest to collect books so children at the high-poverty school in Pineville will have a collection of books at home. He proudly showed me to a storage room in the school library where shelves are lined with donations that range from picture books to the Harry Potter series.

He tried to match each collection to the child's interests. And he doesn't present the gift as an entitlement or a handout.  Instead,  he makes it a reward for something the child has accomplished  --  even when he has to look pretty hard for something to encourage.

So far Hartzell says he's sent home books with almost 250 students and collected about 15,000 books.  To learn more or donate,  check out his Facebook page or get his contact information from the school web site.

I'm not sure what kind of test scores Hartzell's kids get,  but it's this kind of extra effort that makes teachers the kind who change lives and are remembered for decades.  And I've heard principals and teachers say it's the kind of thing that gets sacrificed if teachers have to get second and third jobs to make ends meet.

In a similar vein,  after Sunday's story I got an email from a CMS elementary teacher who asked that I not print her name,  offering her own set of  "data"  to flesh out the picture:

One CMS teacher: the numbers

Age: 26

Number of years teaching: 2

Grade teaching: 3^rd

Class size: 19

SAT score: 1470 (690 verbal, 780 math)

GRE score: 1350

National Rank of Undergraduate College: 10^th

National Rank of Graduate School in Education: 6^th

Praxis Score: 200/200

Students at school eligible for free and reduced lunch: 84%

Average number of hours spent working per week: 70+

Number of books bought out of pocket: 1500+

Birthday presents purchased: 19

Sick days taken: 0

Reading Data*

	Students above grade level	Students on grade level	Students below grade level	Students more than 1 year below grade level
October	3	3	5	7
April	8	9	1	1

Average reading gains from October to April (6 months): 15.8 months growth

Salary of past profession (given up to teach): $75,000 annually + benefits

Current Salary: $38,955.80 + benefits (70-30 plan)

Number of hugs given (and received!) this year: 2,755+

% of races lost at recess: 100%

% of lunches eaten with students: 100%

Number of times inspired by coworkers: countless

Job Satisfaction: priceless

Number of years I can sustain this: ?

Board certified teachers fare well in NC

North Carolina looks bad on most national comparisons of how it pays teachers.  But when it comes to rewarding those who earn certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,  the state does better than most.

Certification,  which requires teachers to meet demanding national standards and analyze their own teaching techniques, brings a 12 percent bump to teacher salaries here.  Exactly where that ranks is hard to say because there are so many different approaches.

Twenty states provide some kind of salary incentive,  and most of those offer a flat amount rather than a percentage,  says the board's communication director Aparna Kumar.  For instance,  a recent state report comparing North Carolina to surrounding states showed that South Carolina offers $5,000 a year,  while Virginia offers $5,000 the first year and $2,500 in subsequent years.  Georgia has approved rewarding board certification but has yet to provide the money,  the report from the N.C. General Assembly's Fiscal Research Division says.  Tennessee provides no statewide reward but encourages local districts to do so.

In North Carolina, the amount of the certification bump depends on the teacher's base salary.  For one making the state minimum of $30,800,  12 percent comes to just under $3,700.  For a teacher at the top of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools scale,  it's a bit over $8,300 a year.

"As a rough comparison, North Carolina is among the states with a strong incentive in the approximately $4,000 to $6,000 range,"  Kumar said.

North Carolina was one of the first states to embrace the certification process as a way to develop strong teachers. North Carolina has more board certified teachers than any other state,  and Wake County tops all other districts nationwide.

"North Carolina is well poised to build from its history of strong support to help make Board certification the norm for teachers as it is in other high-regard professions such as medicine,"  said board President Ronald Thorpe.

N.C. leaders are scrutinizing every aspect of teacher compensation in hopes of getting the best bang for the taxpayer buck.  They're phasing out extra pay for master's degrees,  arguing that the 10 percent increase doesn't correspond to stronger results for kids.  So far they seem willing to keep the certification pay intact,  though I never venture a firm prediction on what the future might hold.

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.

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.

Mystery group pushes higher teacher pay

Aim Higher NC is holding a press conference in Charlotte today to urge people to petition state officials for higher teacher pay.  The group has logged more than 26,500 electronic signatures since organizing in response to a January op-ed piece by former N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt urging state lawmakers to get the state's teacher pay up to the state average.

"Not talk about it, or vaguely promise it, but do it,"  Hunt wrote.  "Our hard-working teachers deserve it. Today their pay ranks 46 among the 50 states. They could make as much as $10,000 a year more just by moving to South Carolina, Virginia or Tennessee to teach."

So who is Aim Higher?  The web site provides no clue,  saying only that it is  "paid for by Aim Higher NC."

Carilli

Mecklenburg teachers Andrew Shimko and Jasmine Newsom,  Union County teacher Dawn Moretz and Union County parent Jill Carilli are listed as speakers.  (Carilli's own teacher-pay petition on Change.org has logged almost 22,000 signatures.  She seems to have moved to the area from Arizona last summer.)

I asked Rob Black,  who sent the news release about the Charlotte event,  to explain more about the group.  Black said he's employed by Aim Higher,  which is made up of teachers,  parents and others,  but he declined to say who's footing the bills.

"Our funders have asked to remain anonymous,"  he said.  "You see what happens when people speak out.  They often end up targeted for retribution."

He wouldn't be more specific about what kind of retribution he's talking about.  The N.C. Association of Educators has a page promoting the Aim Higher push,  but Black said Aim Higher is not affiliated with NCAE.

Rob Christensen,  the News & Observer's political columnist,  says Black is a longtime political operative generally working with labor and Democratic politics.

Update: Joe Nolan,  House Speaker Thom Tillis' chief of staff,  got curious enough to look up the group's application for incorporation with the secretary of state's office. The applicant is listed as Sabra Faires,  an attorney for Bailey & Dixon law firm,  which Nolan describes as "the go-to law firm for all liberal advocacy." 

Pushing for better teacher pay strikes me as neither nefarious nor particularly risky. But  "grassroots"  groups that hide their financing make me wary.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/01/06/4592261/how-nc-can-pay-teachers.html#.Uuq4jPldUbI#storylink=cpy

CMS: Much teacher turnover is out of our hands

I figured Superintendent Heath Morrison and his crew would be teed up and ready to respond to the state's teacher turnover report released last week.

It was surely no surprise to district leaders that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' 2012-13 turnover rate of 15.99 percent was a 10-year high,  topping the state average.  And since I had taken a personal day when the report was made public at a state Board of Education meeting,  I figured Morrison's crew would be more than ready to talk about CMS challenges and solutions when I called Thursday.

After all,  Morrison has consistently identified teacher morale and retention as a key issue since he was hired in 2012.  I figured he or his top staff would be quick to note that he brought in a national consultants to talk to principals about ways to keep their best teachers,  that he convened advisory groups to talk about improving teacher compensation and school working climate,  that Mecklenburg County commissioners in 2012 spent $18.5 million to bump up the state's 1.2 percent raise to 3 percent for CMS teachers and other employees.

Cockerham

Instead, you may have noticed we ran a front-page story on Friday with no comment from CMS administrators.  The public information office tried to get Human Resources Chief Terri Cockerham to talk to me on Thursday,  but I heard nothing that day.

It wasn't until late Friday afternoon that the PIO emailed this response from Cockerham:

"The retention rate of quality teachers is an issue we will always focus on in CMS.  The turnover rate released by the State for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is 15.99% for the 2012-13 school year.

A large percentage (44% of the 15.99%) of teachers are listed as leaving as a result of turnover beyond control (retirees, deaths, health, family responsibilities and family relocation) and reasons initiated by LEA (low performance). Another percentage of this total number includes promotions to central office.  

Recent legislation and a lack of pay raises over numerous years has and will continue to have an impact on teacher retention as well.  Teachers have received one raise within the past five school years.  The superintendent is working extremely hard to help correct this issue both on the state level and local level.  We are concerned with any teacher that leaves and want to be sure that we do all we can to maintain quality teachers within the district. The newly released Strategic Plan 2018: For a Better Tomorrow, helps us lay out a plan to create an environment that rewards and encourages teachers to stay in CMS."

Recruiting,  retaining and rewarding  "a premier workforce"  is one of that plan's goals.  In October the school board approved a list of targets for 2018 that includes increasing the retention rate for employees rated "accomplished"  or  "distinguished."  However,  neither the baseline nor the target has been set yet.

Walkout? Contract rejection? N.C. teachers simmering

Talk about a Nov. 4 North Carolina teacher walkout is floating on social media,  but will anything happen?

That's hard to tell.  Five hundred people have clicked "coming"  on the Facebook page for the walkout,  created by Mike Ladidadi  --  a false name,  according to a Huffington Post article on the walkout posted on Ladidadi's page. An unsigned  "NC Teacher Walkout" blog was recently added to the mix.

Online comments and conversations I've had with teachers reflect a tension between the desire to jolt lawmakers and the public and fear that staying home will jeopardize jobs and harm students.

Calabro

 "I am not sure that walking out is the the thing to do, but sure am motivated to do something," said  Beverly Woods Elementary teacher Marie Calabro, who has been trying to rally teachers and their supporters to stand outside schools every Wednesday afternoon to demonstrate support.  "To be honest, I think having a walkout may be a bit premature, and I wish teachers would either join NCAE and/or write their officials."

The N.C. Association of Educators isn't endorsing the walkout,  and is reminding members that striking or taking part in a "sick out"  is risky business in a right-to-work state.

"NCAE understands that this walkout is the consequence of the General Assembly and Governor McCrory for failing to live up to their constitutional requirements to enact budgets and policies that provide for a sound, basic education for all students in North Carolina’s public schools," the group's statement to members says. "NCAE is working within the legal and political systems to hold the politicians accountable for their actions this past year, including replacing them with elected leaders who will stand up for public education."

Judy Kidd, president of the Charlotte-based Classroom Teachers Association, isn't endorsing the walkout either.

But regardless of whether they're willing to take that kind of action,  many educators say they're far from ready to forget about a 2013 legislative session that brought sweeping changes for public education,  from the abolition of tenure and master's degree pay to the perpetuation of a pay scale that's gaining North Carolina a reputation as among the nation's worst places for teachers.

Kidd and Charles Smith, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators, say the next battle may come when districts follow the state mandate to offer four-year contracts to 25 percent of teachers for 2014-15.  Those contracts will offer a $500-a-year raise for those four years in exchange for teachers signing away all rights to tenure.  Superintendent Heath Morrison recently told the school board he's trying to figure out how the state expects the selection process to work.

Kidd and Smith say they both expect the tenure changes in this year's budget to be challenged in court.  "I encourage anybody who's offered a four-year contract with a $500 raise to turn it down and let the courts rule,"  Kidd said.

Smith said the NCAE and CMAE haven't taken a position yet on the new contracts. But personally,  he's with Kidd.  Anyone who signs away tenure won't be eligible to get it back if the courts rule against the new system,  he said.

"If you offer me (the four-year contract) I'm going to tell you 'no thanks,' " Smith said.  "To paraphrase the old saying,  you can have my tenure when you pry my cold, dead fingers from it."

Full-time teacher and student: Race for a master's degree

Elizabeth Cranfill wants to devote her energy to the children with autism she teaches at W.M. Irvin Elementary in Cabarrus County.  But she's also taking five graduate courses this semester at UNC Charlotte's College of Education, in a desperate effort to earn her master's degree in time to collect the 10 percent raise the state had promised when she enrolled.

I caught up with Cranfill shortly after I finished a recent story on how legislative actions,  including the elimination of the bump for advanced degrees in 2014,  are affecting teachers.

Cranfill

Under normal circumstances,  it would be nuts to take on 12 credit hours and defend a thesis while working full time.  That's a heavy load for a full-time student.  But earning her degree at the end of fall semester provides her only guarantee of being grandfathered into the current pay scale.

So Cranfill,  25,  got permission from UNCC,  her principal and her district to cram in the classwork and research to earn a master's in working with autistic students.

"I love school.  I like being a student as much as I like being a teacher,"  she said last week.  But she's taking on a load that means everything else  --  including planning her June wedding  --  will be pushed to the sidelines.

Cranfill says she followed her big brother into teaching because she loves kids.  But that doesn't mean she's not concerned about earning a living.

She and her brother both got N.C. Teaching Fellow scholarships, designed to entice top high school students to become teachers and stay in state.  Cranfill also got a grant to cover her grad school tuition because she's working in a field where teachers are desperately needed.  Special-ed teachers are among the hardest posts to fill.  Cranfill teaches children who have the capability to work at grade level,  but it takes special skills to help them cope with their autism.

Cranfill says her brother has fulfilled his required teaching stint in North Carolina. He's working on a graduate degree, too  --  a business degree that will let him find another career.  She wants to stick with education,  but she's not sure.

"It's not a good time to be a public school teacher right now,"  she said.  "I wish I didn't have to say that."

Lawmakers who eliminated the supplement for master's degrees say it makes more sense to reward teachers for classroom results.  But so far there's little money for that.  The 2013-14 budget sets aside money to give $500-a-year raises to 25 percent of teachers starting in 2014-15,  with a state task force studying a more comprehensive performance-pay plan.

Ellen McIntyre,  dean of UNCC's education college,  is trying to get as many students as possible across the finish line in time to get a raise this year. That means adding extra sections of classes for fall semester and counseling students about how to juggle their obligations.

Long range,  she says,  schools like hers will doubtless have to adapt what they offer teachers who want graduate education.  She worries that eliminating an incentive for higher education will not only discourage  teachers who want to add to their skills but erode North Carolina's reputation for valuing education.

"The long-term effect?"  McIntyre said.  "It could possibly be devastating."

Teacher wants Wednesday walks of support

After reading one teacher's open letter to legislators,  Marie Calabro,  a fourth-grade teacher at Beverly Woods Elementary,  came up with her own plan to keep educators'  plight in legislators'  minds:  Walk to the Sidewalk Wednesdays.

Calabro

"Every Wednesday beginning on Aug. 28 and continuing until legislation has changed, every concerned teacher,  administrator,  parent,  student and citizen will walk to the sidewalks in front of every public school at precisely 5 p.m. and stand in solidarity and concern,"  Calabro proposes.  "Numbers and names will be collected,  tallied,  and sent to  (Gov.)  Pat McCrory,  (House Speaker Thom) Tillis,  and other state representatives along with a letter of concern. We will roar with a silent,  peaceful,  but forceful message that we love the children of North Carolina,  that we appreciate and revere the noble teaching profession,  that we are committed to higher levels of education for ourselves,  our students and our society.  However,  we are embarrassed to be teachers,  administrators,  parents,  students and citizens in the state of North Carolina in the year 2013, and we would like our state to move in the opposite direction in which it is going."

Like many other educators, Calabro is dismayed by the state's falling national ranking for teacher pay and by changes such as eliminating tenure and extra pay for advanced degrees.  Like many,  she thought about staging a walk-out from work.  But organizing a walk-out in a right-to-work state isn't a smart career move.  So she decided to follow Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools colleague Justin Ashley's approach to helping legislators see teachers as respectful and respectable neighbors.

"We will not be protesting during school hours or on school property,"  she said.  "We will not be screaming or yelling.  We will be peaceful,  hold signs, and stand firm in our belief that North Carolina can be,  once again,  at the top of the list for student achievement as well as teacher and parent satisfaction."

It's not a highly organized event.  Calabro encourages others who want to take part to contact her on Facebook.  She's hoping sidewalk Wednesdays will spread from her south Charlotte school to become a wider movement.

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.

Comfort index: Another way to parse teacher pay

North Carolina's average teacher pay may be among the lowest in the nation,  but when you figure in the cost of living it rises to low average,  according to a "salary comfort index" created by the web site TeacherPortal.com.

Yesterday's post about teacher pay got a lot of discussion going. It highlighted a chart based on a National Education Association report that puts North Carolina dead last on a ranking of how inflation-adjusted teacher salaries have changed over the past decade.  Just ranking average salaries,  that study puts us at 46th.

Reader Wilton Carter Jr.,  who describes himself as a retiree and a taxpayer,  said he thinks the comfort index provides a more realistic picture of working conditions.  A teacher might make more money in another state,  he notes,  but see it eaten up by higher living costs.

TeacherPortal,  which is run by the online marketing firm QuinStreet,  rates North Carolina 35th on the comfort index,  with South Carolina 32nd.  Connecticut is rated as the most financially comfortable state for teachers,  and Hawaii the least.

The site uses the NEA data as a starting point but also uses  "job surveys and private data analyses"  to calculate average salaries,  which are weighed against cost of living.  The pay numbers are slightly different;  the NEA pegs North Carolina's average at $45,947 while TeacherPortal puts it at $46,605,  with 10 states lower.  TeacherPortal also lists starting salaries;  North Carolina is 45th at $30,779.

I don't know enough about living elsewhere to have a reading on whether the comfort index matches reality.  Northeastern states that I think of as expensive ranked better than North Carolina:  New Jersey is 15th with an average salary of  $66,612,  New York 24th at $72,208.  Even California is a couple of notches above North Carolina at 33,  with an average salary of $67,871.  The worst on the mainland were Arkansas ($46,500),  Vermont ($50,141) and New Hampshire ($52,792).

The dueling lists show what we all know:  Numbers can be sliced and diced a lot of different ways.  It's always helpful to know if the folks doing the analysis have an agenda.  NEA obviously favors higher teacher pay.  QuinStreet's purpose seems to attracting readership from current and aspiring teachers,  who may then click through to sponsoring schools of education.