Dear Rep. Horn, You Might Need to Clarify Your Tweet About Public Ed in NC


Dear Rep. Horn,

I recently came across this tweet you offered this past Ides of March and wanted to  inquire on its meaning and context as well as offer a veteran teacher’s point of view.

First, what sunshine are you referring to? And what gold are you referring to? If these are your metaphors for progress and significant improvements, then I want to hear what they actually are because I have a different opinion as someone who is in the classroom.

Teacher pay? Really? Are you referring to the taking away of graduate degree pay and longevity pay and the changing of the salary scale to where the only real gains have been in the lower rungs of experience but do not nurture career teachers as they would cap out at year 15 with a salary that barely touches the “average” salary you celebrate (even though that “average” includes local supplements)?

Student outcomes? Which ones? Test scores that come from snapshot assessments that are in constant flux and offer no feedback? Graduation rates that are manipulated by the NCGA?

Are you referring to funding of schools? Maybe the lack of oversight in charters and vouchers that are over-funded?

Maybe those school performance grades that show the lack of effort to help those in poverty?

Really to what are you referring specifically because if you are going to blame the media for portraying you in a bad light (do not pardon the pun), then maybe tell them exactly what you have done to deserve praise and celebration in a state that refused to expand Medicaid for almost 800,000 people in NC, still has over a fifth of its students living in poverty, took away health benefits for new hires when they retire, is experiencing a significant drop in teacher candidates, and had over 20,000 educators come to Raleigh last May to tell you exactly what those “dark clouds” really are.

Until you can actually openly convince me and other veteran teachers of what “progress” has been made, then this tweet is nothing more than hot air.