The Board of Education in New Hanover County, North Carolina, passed a resolution opposing the state legislature’s plan to offer bonuses to 25% of teachers in exchange for their abandoning their due process rights. The board–in Wilmington, North Carolina–is Republican dominated. When the resolution passed, the audience at the board meeting–many of whom were teachers, wearing red–burst into applause.
The local Star-News Online reported that the board:
“…..unanimously passed a resolution against the N.C. General Assembly’s mandate requiring 25 percent of teachers in each district to receive a bonus and an early move to a four-year contract instead of tenure. The decision received loud applause from the dozens of red-clad teachers in the audience.
“The General Assembly voted during this year’s session to eliminate teacher tenure, moving teachers instead to one-, two- or four-year contracts. That will be put fully in place by the 2017-18 school year. But districts can select the top 25 percent of their teachers and offer them a $500 annual bonus to move off tenure this year. The legislature set aside $10 million statewide to pay those bonuses.
“Adopting the resolution was a largely symbolic move, Markley said, since the legislature reconvenes for its short session in May and selected teachers must choose whether to accept the bonus by the end of June. But board members said they still felt strongly about stating their displeasure with the plan.
“Give us wiggle room,” said board member Lisa Estep. “Give us the ability to be innovative.”
“Chairman Don Hayes said he hoped the board’s decision would motivate other boards to take a similar stand.”
Here is the Board’s resolution:
RESOLUTION BEFORE THE
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGARDING CHANGES TO TEACHER EMPLOYMENT LAW
December 3rd, 2013
WHEREAS, the Appropriations Act of 2013 (SL 2013 36, SB 402, Sec. 9.6), includes legislation that requires school boards to offer four-year contracts and bonuses to 25 percent of its teachers (“25 percent contract”); and
WHEREAS, school districts are finding it difficult to select a method of determining who qualifies for the four-year contract offer; and
WHEREAS, school boards value their teachers and believe them to be deserving of adequate and equitable compensation; and
WHEREAS, teachers have received only a 1.12 percent state salary increase once out of the past five years, resulting in a greater need by school districts to increase recruitment and retention of teachers; and
WHEREAS, the Appropriations Act of 2013 cut funding for classroom teachers, teacher assistants, textbooks, instructional materials, and limited English proficiency, while continuing the elimination of funding for mentor pay and professional development.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the New Hanover County Board of Education requests that the General Assembly allow it to retain its prorated share of the $10 Million Dollars allocated for the 25 percent contract to be used for alternative pay or compensation for additional duties such as mentoring or leadership roles; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER that the New Hanover County Board of Education urges the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the 25 percent contract and develop a more effective long-term compensation plan for teachers tied to career paths with input from the education and business community.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
By:_____________________________________ DONALD HAYES, Chairman
Diane Ravitch's blog 
““…..unanimously passed…”
Sweet! Great news to start the day!
Sell your tenure (due processing rights) for $500 and a 4-year contract? Remember the words of Forest Gump y’all…Stupid is what stupid does.
This attitude is why we moved out of the state. I don’t know from which end these people make decisions. The poor children of North Carolina will suffer from their stupidity. Many teachers we choose to go elsewhere. That state just does not work on my many levels.
“I don’t know from which end these people make decisions.”
Considering they spout crap out of their pie wholes. . . . . .
The end that receives the money.
Now maybe Robert will see why CCSS is the least of our concerns right now.
I don’t think CCSS is the least of our concerns. Definitely, one of the top priorities, in my mind, to get rid of the standards and testing regimes. The discourses of that regime is intimately tied to edumetrics, the false labeling of students and the concomitant harm caused to many students (and now teachers, schools, communities, etc. . .) so much so that I consider them to be the root/heart of most of educational malpractices.
I am talking about North Carolina when I say “our.”
Joanna,
And I know you know that if it affects one of us it will affect all. So for me that “our” is still collective of all.
I agree with Joanna that after all of the punitive measures, it was hard to focus on the issue caused by Race to the Top when our own state legislature was so hostile to teachers. But I also agree with Duane that education will not improve in NC if we do not fight the big picture. Luckily the New Hanover County school board also had a resolution they were working on requesting an investigation of the Common Core.Common Core is one issue liberals, moderates and conservatives have issue with (for different reasons). I am hoping this small victory will inspire those of you in other districts to take a stand too! For example, I am very inspired by the Long Island parents opting out of the tests in droves!
Fair enough.
I see it like this: CCSS is a national conversation and one that I don’t see leadership in my state (who do stand up for public education, albeit they might have a blind spot it two) wanting to spend time on right now because of all the other things our ALEC inspired GEneral Assembly has been up to. I think I have finally convinced our state superintendent to consider stopping all the propaganda about Race to the Top (I have been regularly communicative about this) and I know on a building level and county level people are paying attention when I suggest we use wordsthat differentiate our mission away from one that is simply compliance oriented (buzzers like “21st Century Skills,” “stakeholders,” “college and career ready.”). If we can at least stop the cheer leading for RttT, focus on what we can strengthen locally and state-wide, then we will be in a better position to participate in the national CCSS conversation.
Why would anyone listen to what I say on that? I think because I stay informed (mostly with this blog and lots and lots of varied books) and I bother to approach people (via email and personally) and talk about it. So thank you to this blog and its readers for that information and thought vehicle.
Now go read A Singular Woman by Janny Scott (about Obama’s mother) and Doris Kerns Goodwin’s new book called Bully Pulpit. Robert Shepherd recalls the French Revolution, but I think the Bull Moose Party might be a better analogy for America’s current struggles.
And of course, I assume everyone has read Diane’s last two books.
When will our lawmakers understand that teachers did not get into the profession to make money or for that matter to raise a test score.The same incentives that motivate a hedge fund manager do not motivate teachers. To our market oriented political and educational leaders this may sound corny, but what motivated me as a teacher were those classes where a lessson went really well or those notes/comments from students and parents about my impact on their lives —that is what motivates teachers. Instead of bonuses, lawmakers and administrators in district offices should be designing school environments that increase the opportunities for teachers to receive more of those notes/comments and teaching the perfect lesson.
I sincerely doubt a hedge fund manager would be motivated by $500.
It is rather insulting, isn’t it?
It’s like the “free gift” at the makeup counter–a carefully figured marketing number that allows for no loss on the part of the “gifter” and a rise is sales for the company. In this case the company is ALEC, the cost is career status, and the free lip gloss is money that represents a lack of comraderie among teachers. In fact, this law puts me in direct competition with the Arts supervisor in my district. Now, he does not do my evaluations but he is in an advisor role to the administration on behalf of the arts, but is paid as a teacher. So there you have it. I am in competition with someone with the authority to make hiring recommendations. Not good. (On a personal level I have no problem with this—I get along with him fine and respect him a great deal and vice versa, but you can see how this 25% rule just creates problems). Competition in this instance is harmful, not helpful. I don’t care what Phil Berger and his 35 year old spokeswoman say. It is no good, man. No good. Go away and take it with you.
Cut it out Alan, you’re sounding like a real teacher with those thoughts!!
Why I’m gone next month. The changes being made are criminal to the well fair of young children. The ONLY driving force behind these changes is saving money at the state level! Instead of cutting spending in other areas of state government, they continue to cut from education. When it was evident they couldn’t take anymore this plan was initiated. Their goal is to get rid of high price teachers (who had due process rights) and replace them with new cheaper teachers. Sick! Many of which won’t stay long bc they won’t stand for the militant no excuses philosophy that has swept the state. Who in their right mind would want to teach at a school like mine? 97% FRL with 70% coming from migrant families speaking little to no English. With the new changes, you’ll be looking for a new job in 2 years anyway bc of how the new teacher evaluation instrument has been developed (2 consecutive years of not meeting expected growth = loss of license).
As a parent this is very concerning. Teachers in NC are in such dire straits. They are giving up due processing rights so that *some* of them can get $500? The perpetual gutting of public education is one of our nation’s gravest crimes.
This should be the most uplifting article you all read. We need to savor the small victories because that is how wars are won. I will tell you the story behind this story. All of the school teachers at Murray Middle school in New Hanover signed a petition that they refused this merit pay that ends their tenure (due process rights). They presented their petition at the legislative session held at UNCW on October 17 where a legislator accepted it and said he would bring it to Raleigh.
The teachers at many schools had a “walk in” on November 4 and gathered around flagpole before school and wore red. For example, at Myrtle Grove Middle School almost all the teachers wore “RED for Ed.” shirts. New Hanover County school district gained national notoriety shortly afterwards for looking into whether to discipline teachers for wearing RED for Ed. shirts saying it may be breaking district policy. Over the past few weeks there has been a public outcry at meetings and protests and people attending legislative sessions, speaking up at school board meetings, writing poems. People across the country wore RED for Ed. shirts to support New Hanover Teachers and sent in their photos. The board members clarified that they did not ban “Red for Ed.” shirts as long as there was no breaking of district policies.
We do not know what made the school board change but I do know one colleague of mine asked one of the school board members, “what are you doing to support our teachers?” Other colleagues of mine have been writing editorials and two surveyed teachers views of the new policies and their results were shared statewide. So at the last board meeting (we had approximately 75 people dressed in red or wearing “Red for Ed.” Shirts) forming a unity circle and speaking up at the meeting. That is when this new resolution was passed. Though it may be symbolic, I hope all of you to understand the importance.
Though privatization is international, and the core curriculum and testing is national, and the loss of tenure, loss of masters pay, and poor wages is statewide in North Carolina, school districts are run by local school boards who do still have local power. We may not change the world today, but we can influence school boards. Remember, all politics is local. I am so proud of everyone in my town for standing together to support teachers. I am also so proud of the teachers for standing up for themselves. I am even proud of my school board for being willing to take a stand. We have 200 people wearing RED for Ed. tomorrow night in the Wilmington Holiday Parade. If you live nearby, please join us. We have only just begun to fight.
Janna,
Thank you for filling in the blanks on this story. I greatly admire the New Hanover teachers and their stand against “teachercide.’ I saw something earlier this week that said we are now losing more teachers than we are retaining. Not sure of the accuracy of that statement but it would not be a surprise if it were true.
Thanks- yes you did- here it is: http://www.wwaytv3.com/2013/12/04/nc-has-fewer-teachers-and-more-students
Good for the school board for taking a stand! I hope that other school boards around North Carolina do the same. It sounds as if everyone in the state that values public education needs to keep pressuring the state legislature.
Bravo to the school board for taking the stand that will benefit the children! How did NC get the bill that abolishes teacher tenure in 2017-18 through anyhow????? Seems a bit heavy handed and dictatorial of NC to “officially” abolish teacher tenure. And even from the “corporate” standpoint.. why waste money to bribe teachers to end their tenure now??? Is this to degrade and humiliate them? It is also ironic in that all a school district needs to do these days to fire a tenured teacher is to reference testing data! They have and do compile data on useless high stakes tests that punish both student and teacher and use this to fire teachers and close schools. The “corporate ed reformers” have strategized to the point where “tenure” to the public-at-large is just a word in the corporate arsenal used to scapegoat teachers and to conjure up the notion that teachers get lazy and do not teach once they get tenure… even though they have rendered tenure moot due to attaching teacher evaluations to high stakes test data.
It got through by being added to the budget during closed session. It was completely surreptitious.
Here is a good outline of how it happened:
Click to access Lawconference.pdf
OMG!!! NC is worse off than I imagined. My neice is serving as an Americorp teacher’s assistant in NC. She has told me some things but I had no idea of how bad it was. She told me she would like to be a teacher but not under these conditions. She is a graduate of UVA and is a bright girl. It’s a shame she won’t enter the profession, but I can’t blame her. I just retired from teaching in VA. When I talk to my former co-workers they always tell me I got out at a good time. We all need to unite and work against the forces that are devastating education in this country.
This is a very similar resolution as the one submitted by NCAE, only this one is asking to use the money differently (which is slightly different, and makes sense for a district).
We have some very dedicated ALEC GA members who got the legislation put into our budget. . .that’s how it got passed to begin with.
I too am happy to see some real leadership (like those from Wilmington) on behalf of our schools and children saying, “uh, no.”
The ALEC guys were just so sure this new market approach to get teachers working against each other would be a good idea.
Attempting to get rid of the Due Process rights of teachers was attempted in the state of California via a bill authored by senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat. I testified against the bill as did the CTA. The bill went down in defeat. Alex Padilla received large campaign contributions from Edvoice. Edvoice is funded by Eli Broad, Carrie Walton Penner (grandaghter of Sam Walton) and other privatizers. The California state legislature is dominated by Democrats and this garbage happens regardless of party. Why? Because both partioes have become slaves to corporate interests. California just recived a failing grade in education. I was happy I read the Reign of Error to know how the phony spin doctoring of graduation rates etc is dominating the narrative of the mainstream media. Privatizing public education is NOT a one partty problem and the quicker we all realize it, the quicker we will be able to move forward to mobilize large masses of the public to end the madness!
I agree- In North Carolina it was ALEC paid for Republicans who got rid of tenure, added vouchers, got rid of the cap for charter schools, got rid of masters pay and funded TFA at the expense of our nationally recognized Teaching Fellows program. The reason they were overconfident is they also changed all the voting rights in their favor (voter id’s was the least of them, they had a multitude of other laws that were blatantly meant to disenfranchise youth, college students elderly and immigrants).
But us winning Race to the Top brought all the core curriculum, high stakes over use of tests, using value added to measure teacher proficiency, grading of schools. And that was all Democrats. They have both been bought as parties but luckily some individuals have not been bought.
We will have vote for individuals not parties.
Prioritize, Janna. I was where you are about a month ago until I realized we are running a triage.
The urgent situation is the 25% law and the Read to Achieve Law. General Assembly elections have never been more important for education. The RttT and CCSS conversations can wait for NC. Let some other people do the heavy lifting on those. Parents are smart. They will stand up for their kids. Don’t worry. Focus on what we can and need to reverse first and foremost.
You and I may be in the same place. I helping to run the RED for Ed. events here in Wilmington to support teachers and put pressure on the local school board. But that is not my big project. So far no one has successfully gotten opting out of tests as a full fledged movement here. I am an educator but I am also a mom of school aged children. It is not really for prime time yet but give us a few weeks to get things in order to get a large opt out movement going in the Spring, I hope. The third grade Reading is going to be a fiasco, but it will also mobilize parents like nothing else we have seen. Failing a large portion of third graders is not going to go well for anyone involved. I am still in amazement that the two interventions that research overwhelmingly harms children (negative feedback and retention) are the two interventions we haven now legislated for younger grades. We also got rid of the few things we were doing right like having career teachers and limiting class sizes. People not from here do not realize that over a dozen anti-teacher measures were passed in a matter of hours over the summer and we are still trying to just breathe since we had not recovered from the same thing happening the year earlier!
I became an independent so I could free myself from the disgust of RttT. It helped me focus my energy and freed me to approach people on the subject.
Seriously, most teachers are not so bothered by CC that their focus is there. I have been paying attention to this. They are far more worried that 50% of 3rd graders will flunk third grade or whether they need to be looking for a new job.
Enough of the emotionalism. Here are the stubborn facts 🙂 http://www.ncgop.org/nc-house-republicans-state-education-spending-the-facts/
What the legislature has done is not good for our schools or our children or the future of our state in terms of the provision and stewardship of a free and uniform public education system. No emotion.
What they think will appeal to voters now will hurt them later as elected officials because it is hurting our schools.
The GOP is being short sighted on this in the name of an image to hand voters.
The problem is in how things are allocated. A budget can claim to raise money but those who are in schools, work in schools and have children are not fooled by that.
Clearly you enjoy the emotion or you would not be looking for it on this blog, since your budget tells you all you need to know. Best wishes with that thinking. As for me and my house, we search for the truth.
Not sure if you were sarcastic or not, but the need to reply to that budget standing alone in its facts was beckoning me.
No emotion.
☺
lol really- – please fact check this. NC can say they are giving more to education but everything they gave to undermines public education. The spending increases were directly from the ALEC playbook. They gave to TFA instead of teacher cadet , gave money to charters and vouchers, cut budget for supplies, gave no teacher raises, cut limits on class size, cut teacher assistants, cut tenure, cut master’s pay, gave a weird merit pay for only 25%,http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2013/08/01/mccrory-claims-nc-education-budget-largest-in-history/
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2013/07/22/a-quick-look-at-the-education-budget/
http://www.ncjustice.org/?q=education/nc-justice-center-report-smart-money-investing-student-achievement
Sorry I do not have tiem to refute this point by point but I will find articles that do later.
ugh- I meant “time”- need spell check here 🙂
Keep fighting the good fight…it is what is best for kids. Let those legislators teach for a week or two…forcibly. Then maybe they would stop writing such disgusting and demoralizing legislation.