The New York Times wrote a searing critique of the slash-and-burn policies of North Carolina’s governor and legislature. What was once one of the south’s most forward-looking states is rapidly being decimated into a hard, mean backwater.
As we have learned over recent months, the legislature has imposed deep budget cuts on public schools, is taking away salary raises from teachers who get advanced degrees, has abolished tenure, and is doing whatever it can to advance privatization and demolish teacher professionalism. Of course, while cutting the budget the legislators found $5 million for TFA, and they are hoping to expand charters.
Oh, and wouldn’t you know that a graduate of TFA, Eric Guckian, is advising the governor on his harsh education policy. Remember, these are the people who bring excellence everywhere.
But that’s not all. Since the far right took control of the state, writes the Times,
“… state government has become a demolition derby, tearing down years of progress in public education, tax policy, racial equality in the courtroom and access to the ballot.
“The cruelest decision by lawmakers went into effect last week: ending federal unemployment benefits for 70,000 residents. Another 100,000 will lose their checks in a few months. Those still receiving benefits will find that they have been cut by a third, to a maximum of $350 weekly from $535, and the length of time they can receive benefits has been slashed from 26 weeks to as few as 12 weeks.
“The state has the fifth-highest unemployment rate in the country, and many Republicans insulted workers by blaming their joblessness on generous benefits. In fact, though, North Carolina is the only state that has lost long-term federal benefits, because it did not want to pay back $2.5 billion it owed to Washington for the program. The State Chamber of Commerce argued that cutting weekly benefits would be better than forcing businesses to pay more in taxes to pay off the debt, and lawmakers blindly went along, dropping out of the federal program.”
NC CAN, part of a national organization devoted to privatization and high-stakes testing, has declared this to be the “year of the teacher.” Apparently NC CAN has a sense of humor since the legislature works overtime to beat up on teachers and remove any benefits it can think of. Let’s see if NC CAN campaigns to raise teachers’ salaries or to protect academic freedom.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
And according to this in the Charlotte Observer, the main with the CAN thing is old Clinton et al hand David Gergen:
http://bit.ly/15uHenm
how perfect . . .
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Well, Clinton set up the entire crash now didn’t he with the 1994 NAFTA and WTO which wiped out jobs and created offshoring. Then in 1996 he signs the Telecommunications Act ending the Free Press. And then in 1999-2000 he signed the Banking Deregulation Acts which wiped out world finances. Real Success isn’t it? Now we have this insanity put on nitrous and the boost on the turbo all the way to 50 pounds with Obama. Both Democratic presidents. Boy, did we get fooled, only the problem is the other side was so much worse. The Democrats gamed us as they are owned by the same people as the Republicans now and it has been that way for awhile.
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I feel really guilty and stupid as all hell because I somehow missed that whole “New Democrats” thing and just kept wondering for years WTF happened to the humanitarians in my party. I didn’t know that Clinton et al. had an actual name for their right-shifted “centrist” corporate loving neo-liberal selves until very recently.
I wonder how many other progressives and liberals didn’t know that we lost our party to “New Democrats” over twenty years ago.
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I didn’t either. I quit the party today. Just for some space and thinking time.
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Don’t feel bad. The terms “New Democrat” and “neo-liberal” are confusing and their meanings are nothing at all like what one might be inclined to think.
Since the GOP has gone even further to the right, especially with the addition of the Tea Pary, I’ve come to think of the current Democratic party as being synonymous with old style Republicans and often call them GOP Lite.
What’s enlightening to those out of us who have felt unrepresented by our party is that mainstream Democrats became conservative on purpose and they essentially abandoned working class people in the process, even though the Democrats are the only party that gets significant financial support from unions.
I don’t see Democrats changing any time soon, since they are now so entrenched with their corporate sponsors, so I think it’s time that workers united and made a concerted effort to get behind a viable third party.
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As Clinton (in)famously said, “We’re all Republicans now.”
Yes, many Dems are in bed with the corporate “elite.” But remember, Clinton also raised taxes on the wealthy “elite” in 1993 without a single Republican vote of support in Congress. They claimed it would “ruin” the economy.
Instead, the economy boomed and more than 23 million jobs were added. Every demographic segment of the populace was better off. There were budgetary surpluses that could (1) pay down the national debt and (2) preserve social programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid).
And then, in March of 2001, after George W. Bush had taken office (courtesy of conservatives on the Supreme Court, in a decision that will surely go down in history as a subversion of democratic governance), Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan told Congress this:
“… if long-term fiscal stability is the criterion, it is far better, in my judgment, that the surpluses be lowered by tax reductions than by spending increases.”
And rather than focusing on dire warnings of terrorist threats (see, for example:http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB116/), the incoming Bush administration pushed more supply-side tax cuts.
Big deficits, and 9/11, ensued. And then a war in Iraq over mythical weapons of mass destruction, and a war in Afghanistan that was badly bungled; both wars went unfunded. Wall Street went unregulated. We all know the result(s).
So, yeah, the Dems have cozied to the corporate “elite.” But the Republicans are their puppets.
As to Eric Guckian (it rhymes with Yuckian, or some other choice descriptors), this boy’s a real tool.
Guckian says that Governor Pat McCrory and his Republican brethren want to make North Carolina the “education leader of the world.” And how will they do that?
They say they will create an “opportunity culture for teachers” that is based on (1) “more meaningful assessments measures including student achievement,” and (2) “Innovative, revenue-neutral ways to dramatically increase teacher salaries,” and (3) Meaningful rewards for our most effective educators,” and (4) “Job-embedded supports that value field-based outputs rather than theory-based inputs.”
Whatever all that means. In truth, what it means is more significant high-stakes tests, and merit pay for teachers, and more charter schools, and more virtual schools (“digital learning”), and vouchers.
Guckian formerly headed the New Leaders project in Charlotte. New Leaders had a contract with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools ––under former superintendent (and Broad Academy grad) Peter Gorman, who now works with Joel Klein for Rupert Murdoch –– to deliver principals. As reported in the Charlotte Observer, “New Leaders, and gotten only a handful of principals, a cost of roughly $400,000 each for recruitment and training…The initial agreement called for CMS to provide residencies for up to 40 New Leaders recruits through the current school year and up to 56 through 2014…A partnership with Winthrop University has provided more principals than New Leaders has…”
Eric Guckian admits that “I’ve been out of the classroom for ten years, I don’t claim to know what’s happening in the classroom.”
Yet, this is who the Republican governor of North Carolina turned to in his quest (snicker, eye roll) to make the Tar Heel state the “education leader of the world?” Truly laughable.
Except it’s not really very funny.
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Indeed, George, you are right.
Let’s also not forget his ending of Aid to Families with Dependent Children, which had supplied an income floor that no one could fall beneath.
Small wonder that Bill Clinton has reportedly earned over $200 million dollars since leaving office. Compensation for services rendered.
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I’m ready.
I’m hitting the books.
I’m reaching out.
Btw, I am very good in front of people and not shy. I was voted most likely to succeed in high school and described as unstoppable by peers. I am a moderate, independent thinker and I am waiting for the proper avenue to fight this out.
Anyone with ideas, let me know.
We will fix this. We will get NC back.
I am ready.
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I can remember not to long ago that NC was considered THE place to teach, and very competitive. What a shame. it is a disgrace what is happening throughout this country.We don’t have budget crises, we have very carefully planned dismantling of the public sector.
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It’s a scary time for teachers in NC. I spoke with three friends today who are looking for new positions. They have not been interviewed, not even a courtesy call thanking them for the interest. The problem is veterans are having a difficult time getting jobs. Less is more in NC. Some are leaving NC, not for better working conditions, but for better pay. The leadership of NCAE is trying to lobby for its membership, but as you all know, it is not a union. They can only do but so much. Will it get better for NC teachers? Time will time, but I think we need to brace ourselves because the worse is yet to come. We seem powerless against our legislators. How in the world did we get to this point?
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Typo: time will tell
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Apparently, the people of NC elected the gov. and leges who are enacting these laws to dismantle public education. Things will get better right around the time for the next election – if – teachers and those concerned about education talk to their friends and neighbors about what is going on. The avg. person who is not involved in the education arena has no clue. They only know what they read or see on the news, and if your news media are championing these so-called reforms, then you’re toast. But, a grassroots effort to inform people of the real truth will help. Also, get your retired teachers involved. They have more time to pester legislators with emails and letters and no fear of losing their jobs.
If nothing else can be learned, I hope people will understand how important it is to get out and vote – and to find and support candidates who are willing to look at these issues rationally.
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I never thought I would hear a state that elected Jesse Helms to five terms in the senate called progressive, but perhaps compared to other southern states that is true.
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I have been in NC since 2005 and I am ready to get out!!! TFA is killing the Public School system and is detrimental to Title 1 Schools. What is happening to this once wonderful productive country? When did everything go South (no pun intended)? I am looking for the people to stand up and say I have had enough… Once upon a time there was a nation full of people who actively resisted the status quo on various levels. Can we bring them back we need a voice to help our public sector.
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There are 3.4 million public school teachers, less than 40 thousand TFA teachers, past and present. How is it that such a small group posts such a big threat?
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Unfortunately, “progressivism” is inherently self destructive because it is based on redistributionism.
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Some commenters have criticized Bill Clinton for being corporate friendly. And he was, no doubt. As Clinton (in)famously said, “We’re all Republicans now.”
Yes, many Dems are in bed with the corporate “elite.” But remember, Clinton also raised taxes on the wealthy “elite” in 1993 without a single Republican vote of support in Congress. They claimed it would “ruin” the economy.
Instead, the economy boomed and more than 23 million jobs were added. Every demographic segment of the populace was better off. There were budgetary surpluses that could (1) pay down the national debt and (2) preserve social programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid).
And then, in March of 2001, after George W. Bush had taken office (courtesy of conservatives on the Supreme Court, in a decision that will surely go down in history as a subversion of democratic governance), Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan told Congress this:
“… if long-term fiscal stability is the criterion, it is far better, in my judgment, that the surpluses be lowered by tax reductions than by spending increases.”
And rather than focusing on dire warnings of terrorist threats (see, for example:http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB116/), the incoming Bush administration pushed more supply-side tax cuts.
Big deficits, and 9/11, ensued. And then a war in Iraq over mythical weapons of mass destruction, and a war in Afghanistan that was badly bungled; both wars went unfunded. Wall Street went unregulated. We all know the result(s).
So, yeah, the Dems have cozied to the corporate “elite.” But the Republicans are their puppets.
As to Eric Guckian (it rhymes with Yuckian, or some other choice descriptors), this boy’s a real tool.
Guckian says that Governor Pat McCrory and his Republican brethren want to make North Carolina the “education leader of the world.” And how will they do that?
They say they will create an “opportunity culture for teachers” that is based on (1) “more meaningful assessments measures including student achievement,” and (2) “Innovative, revenue-neutral ways to dramatically increase teacher salaries,” and (3) Meaningful rewards for our most effective educators,” and (4) “Job-embedded supports that value field-based outputs rather than theory-based inputs.”
Whatever all that means. In truth, what it means is more significant high-stakes tests, and merit pay for teachers, and more charter schools, and more virtual schools (“digital learning”), and vouchers.
Guckian formerly headed the New Leaders project in Charlotte. New Leaders had a contract with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools ––under former superintendent (and Broad Academy grad) Peter Gorman, who now works with Joel Klein for Rupert Murdoch –– to deliver principals. As reported in the Charlotte Observer, “New Leaders, and gotten only a handful of principals, a cost of roughly $400,000 each for recruitment and training…The initial agreement called for CMS to provide residencies for up to 40 New Leaders recruits through the current school year and up to 56 through 2014…A partnership with Winthrop University has provided more principals than New Leaders has…”
Eric Guckian admits that “I’ve been out of the classroom for ten years, I don’t claim to know what’s happening in the classroom.”
Yet, this is who the Republican governor of North Carolina turned to in his quest (snicker, eye roll) to make the Tar Heel state the “education leader of the world?” Truly laughable.
Except it’s not really very funny.
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