North Carolina Watch wants to hear from teachers.
“Happy Friday to all,
I am writing to let you all know that NC Policy Watch just unveiled a new feature on our website, called Your Soapbox, that is seeking to collect North Carolina’s teachers’ stories.
We are doing this because North Carolina’s teachers have watched the state fall from 25th to 46th in the nation in teacher pay since 2008. In July, lawmakers stripped teachers of tenure and salary supplements for those who have obtained master’s degrees.
Educators are also dealing with years of drastic cuts to supplies, textbooks, and teacher assistants.
So we are looking to hear from NC teachers and publish their stories online. We’re looking for written stories that they can submit using the submission form here. If educators have photos to send of their classrooms, please email them to lindsay@ncpolicywatch.com
I can also interview teachers and publish audio files on the Soapbox as well.
Again, the Soapbox link is http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2013/10/30/your-soapbox-on-the-front-lines-educators-stories-inside-and-outside-the-classroom/
I would be grateful if you could let your contacts know.
All the best,
Lindsay”
Lindsay Wagner
Education Reporter
N.C. Policy Watch
224 S Dawson St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-861-1460 (office)
919-348-5898 (mobile)
lindsay@ncpolicywatch.com
Twitter: @LindsayWagnerNC
Blog: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org
Website: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I could write a book about what has happened in just the past 2 1/2 months at my school. So many new policies that are great for County office bc they sound good in theory, but they are unrealistic and bad for high poverty ELL learners. More testing, cutting recess, celebrating high scores at good schools while scolding teachers at low performing schools. Taking over our planning time bc we obviously don’t know how to plan, why else could test scores be low. Disregard the fact that a large population don’t speak English and most live in homes with no heat or air conditioning. For many the only meals they get are at school and they don’t have clothes that fit them, but it’s our fault they aren’t learning like other kids in our county. I’m grateful this is my last year teaching in NC. In the past year my school has lost 1/3 of the teachers due to working conditions. Sad all around.
Amber, in what city or county do you teach? (if I might ask. . .or general region)
A second grade student asked me today if “On the Sidewalks of New York,” (which they sing very well and we used in a musical about New York) were a real song. I said, “is it a what?” And she said, “Is it a real song? Like, is it on the radio?” I explained to her that it is a folk song.
I’ve had kids ask that before. And it is probably more age than anything, but also a little insight into the notion of generations coming up, and perhaps others of the TV generation, that if something is not commercialized, then it is not “real.” I think that mentality has taken hold of many decision-makers anticipating the “global economy.” How many workers will actually encounter a realm in their work that feels “global” (other than having diversity and connectedness through the internet)? Global electricians? And furthermore if we want to truly be global, are we emphasizing the metric system? You can’t work in science if you don’t know the metric system. It’s sort of like imputing an osteopathic mentality to everything. . .to make everything targeted towards being understood in a “global” sense will have cost (although I think it is less a push to understand things in a global way and more just a use of that notion as an excuse for certain actions and measures). I think it is wise to consider the cost to benefit ratio of trying to make that the rationale for EVERYTHING we do in public education right now (right down to whether 3rd graders can read). It’s getting beat to death and over-used.
Joanna
The Metric System??
Wait just a minute……
When I ask any child how many inches are in a foot……
The answer I always get is ..’It depends on whose foot it is?”
There was a time when the Metric System was supposed to be taught and mastered in every school……but somehow…it was then thrown out..
So now..the science teachers teach it as they need it…
I taught it for many years and my students mastered the metric system and knew it when they went in the science classes…and the science teachers taught me some tricks about conversions within the metric system…
But….it was thrown out of the math classes…Now measurement is back in ….
However..they make something so easy so complicated..
Look up Dimensional analysis…that is what they want the students to do…
But a science teacher can show you the very best way to convert within the metric system…..They have this one figured out….
I had one to show me just what they did..
I suspect you won’t get many stories since removing tenure takes away freedom of speech.
I just found this article…Agree Zak…
But the retirees can tell….Nothing to lose and they can speak for the rest of the teachers left in these Testing Horror Schools..