One of my proudest moments as a public education advocate was being on stage for the Rally for Respect on May 16th 2018. My speech was entitled: A Reason to Rally. I still can’t believe that I was there. It was exhilarating and I was honored to speak. The rally seems like it happened so …
I never thought much about other public institutions or why they are important or even how they work in conjunction with our public schools. That is, until I had to use one. My story isn’t unique by any means, but it is important. You see at 18 months, my son didn’t make a sound. He …
I had the privilege of attending the Color of Education event this week. I’m still trying to digest everything said by the wonderful Nikole Hannah-Jones. She was blunt and funny about a subject that most people dance around. She spoke about race and integration. I encourage all of you to tune into Public School Forum’s …
Election season is upon us, and many of us are rolling up our sleeves to help elect pro-education candidates. For many, knocking on doors and making phone calls come natural. For many others, it can be incredibly daunting. It’s difficult campaigning and being an introvert. I truly believe, that the internet, was invented so I …
Many in North Carolina were off school last week, and many are still not able to resume thanks to the devastation of Hurricane Florence. My family in Wake County were very lucky. That didn’t keep my area from being angry at our school board. The problem came when make up days for time missed were …
Like most in North Carolina, my family has been preparing for Hurricane Florence. I’ve got everything from glow sticks, to glow in the dark pajamas to peanut butter and crackers. This blog was difficult to write this week only because my thoughts are on the storm. My favorite history teacher told me that there are …
Last Tuesday, I was livid. It had nothing to do with reassignment plans, it was an IEP issue. It was deeply personal, and I had a little boy in tears on the second day of school. After discussion in the main office with teachers and administrators, I believe the problem was resolved, but a deeper …
How to be an Advocate When Your School P**ses You Off. Read More »
School board member is perhaps the hardest job I can think of. It can be thankless, and parents like me can be relentless. Yet, school board members keep us informed, and even can help us navigate the minefield that is public education policy in North Carolina. Most importantly they set policy on the ground level. …
As Save Our Schools NC members begin to put together the voter guide there are some who will stand out above others. There are those in the General Assembly that worked tirelessly to fight for public education, but there are those who actively hindered public education legislation. Phil Berger continually kept public education bills stuck …
When the NC General Assembly leaves gaps in funding it’s sometimes the PTA that picks up the slack. PTAs across the state fund iPads, smart TVs, and library books. We have carnivals, bake sales, restaurant take overs, and fun runs. We get corporations and businesses to sponsor playground upgrades in exchange for advertising. I call …