Gov. Mike Easley is going to Washington D.C. on Thursday to get some love from the nation's teachers.
Easley will receive the inaugural "America's Greatest Education Governor's Award" from the National Education Association "for his achievements in transforming North Carolina's public school system." He will get the award while receiving the cheers of 10,000 delegates at the NEA's 86th annual Representative Assembly.
It beats being in Raleigh to answer questions about the budget and his wife's overseas travel costs.
In the NEA's press release, they note "Easley's commitment to education extends from his highly successful More at Four program, the state's first academic preK program for at-risk four-year-olds, to his Learn and Earn project, which allows high school students to earn an associate's degree or two years of college credit."
While the NEA doesn't mention it there, Easley has also been active in pushing to raise teachers' pay to the national average. His latest plan to raise teachers' pay by an average of 7 percent hasn't gotten far with legislators, who are looking at a 3 percent increase.
Comments
I am disgusted to think that
Mon, 07/07/2008 - 23:36 — Anonymous (not verified)I am disgusted to think that you think Gov. Easley has not done anything. I just came back from the convention and spent 6 ten hour days inside a convention center because of public education. I work within the organization as a volunteer. I pay my dues and I work on improving education for all. Anyone who has come to see the work that goes on within the NEA knows, we care about public education. He won this award because of everything he has done. If anyone writing thinks they can do better, run yourselves. This award was about him. The teacher working conditions survey has improved many schools and leadership teams across the state use this information to create positive working conditions for employees. Change has happened since he has been working with us.
Rephrase
Tue, 07/08/2008 - 11:47 — Dadof3More like "working us over." Change for a dollar is still 100 cents.
Paying NEA dues improves education? 6 hours in a convention improves education? Did you try beating your chest with clenched fists while mornfully wailing? Any other magic incantations you can perform?
So the NEA would love to take credit for, as opposed to, well, improving education. There is a difference, but I don't expect the NEA to genuinely care.
And so it goes with "Education Lottery" Mike. I hope his Paris luncheon was aweseome! He earned it. My Grocery Boy Jr. burrito was, OK, but, hey, I'm not "Education Lottery" Mike.
Proud NEA member
Sat, 07/05/2008 - 00:33 — Turkesshia Moore (not verified)Whether or not you agree with the NEA and its policies, you have to admit that we do have a say and are allowed to voice that say whenever and however we choose just like you. I am currently a teacher in Guilford County and our local NEA affiliate GCAE has worked very hard to improve working conditions in our schools. Too many times, teachers have been the object of criticism about bad schools and low achieving students. When will we as a state, as a nation, as a society stand up and offer some help? How many of you making these comments actually volunteer in a school or offer financial assitance to poorer schools? Did you join the PTA at your child's school? I hope you do all of these things. Yes, I do believe that teachers and education support professionals salaries should be increased. There are counties in NC with school employees bringing home less than $900/month. Could you feed your family with that? How dare you accuse us of not caring about student performance! Teaching students to achieve and be productive citizens is our profession and purpose in life. Sit down with teachers in your neighborhood. Find out what the issues are. Find out what they need and offer help. Don't just talk about it---be about it.
NEA/NCAE share plenty of blame
Sun, 07/06/2008 - 16:13 — Kent Misegades (not verified)Clearly Ms. Moore is out of touch with reality. Comments on this blog come from parents who, like myself, did all they could with teachers, administrators, PTAs, volunteerism, etc. with little success. Eventually, one needs to take action for his own children before they are too old to benefit from it. Ms. Moore, you need to visit a school in western Wake county and see for yourself. There are probably more volunteers in the school than there are employees on any given day. Difficult kids, often those bussed in from far away, are many times being taught in small groups by a volunteer mom with no formal education training. What the heck kind of system is that? As far as teacher pay goes, NC educators are now ranked 9th in the nation, once the total value of the pay and benefits as well as the relative cost of living are included. Given our state's bottom-of-the-barrel performance in K-12 education, taxpayers are clearly not getting their money's worth, though. Problem is, most public educators prefer the safety of tenureship and political protection of the NEA/NCAE over academic excellence. No wonder then that nearly one out of every five children in Wake County does not attend a government school. It's really time we scrapped the entire monopoly of government schools and allow free markets to provide this service. The G.I.Bill is an example of how a voucher has done wonders for higher education; we need the same for K-12, allowing tax dollars to follow the child, just as is done in most foreign countries. Teachers with a backbone should reject unions and think for themselves. Unions are the bane of free enterprise and for this reason have been abandoned in nearly all other professions in our country, to the benefit of our economy. Public schools though will continue their downward spiral as long as unions are involved and mediocrity is protected.
It's the NEA, not the teachers, that's a problem
Sat, 07/05/2008 - 20:55 — Dadof3In America, we guarantee that right, so we might as well agree that living fish are wet, too.
I have never read that sentiment on this blog, nor have I heard such a sentiment expressed amongst friends. While that is anecdotal, I am strained to believe it is common. Despite our apparent disagreement regarding the NEA, I, too value your work as a teacher. The NEA wishes to conflate your good work with their parasitism.
We volunteer readily and have no need to prove that point with anyone. It's a thin strawman (as strawman are) to sugest otherwise.
I'll do it again proudly and not to mock you. I have no doubt that a good teacher cares about performance. The NEA, however, cares about their own existence and PR that supports that. I'll repeat that again and again. Unions played in critical role for the American worker from the early to mid 20th century. Today they are a sad anarchonism at best and a revenue and life-sucking parasite that firstly benefits themselves.
It might be comforting for you to think that my anti-NEA opinion is formed out of do-nothingness -- but on the contrary. I know many unhappy teachers who must restrain from public profession of their opinions. I honor and respect that as I honor their vocation.
The NEA is a serious education-debilitating problem, not a solution.
April Fool's Joke, Right?
Thu, 07/03/2008 - 08:22 — kmisegadesReading this article I had to check my calendar: nope, it's not April 1st. What a joke. NC was already the laughingstock of the nation for its blantant inflation of high school graduation rates, bottom-of-the-barrel standards and ridiculous ABCs tests. It shouldn't be too suprising though that the NEA gives Weasley the award, just has they have sucked up to Jim Hunt and Bill McNeal in the past. Who could blame them? North Carolina is their ElDorado as long as Weasley and his cronies keep handing blank checks to the government school establishment. Clearly though they are scared of widespread dissatisfaction with government schools in North Carolina, which is why they resort to one of the oldest tricks in the book: a smokescreen. Nearly one of five children in Wake County now attends a non-public school, double the national average. In short, the opponents of school choice are circling the wagons in desperation. While Weasley's award (or Re-ward?) makes of mockery of responsible governance, it does signify that the Guv and his buddies in the government school system are standing on wobbly legs. Let's keep up the pressure! Reject government schools and DO SOMETHING, for instance build a Thales Academy (low-cost private school equivalent of the Franklin Academy charter school) as we are doing in Apex and Wake Forest. Any community can afford one of these. Contact me for details, kmisegades@bellsouth.net
NEA Award
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 19:01 — MissVHow did you miss the fact that NEA President, John Wilson, (former NCAE President) is the impetus behind this worthless award? It's the first given? During a major election year? Y'all ain't usually this slow.....
money corruption
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 16:32 — bigwinniebetween the Easley's, that city worker and his trips/expenses GPS units, etc. and the BoE and their trips to Nashville and the like I relaly think Les needs to veer away from the colleges at the moment and check out the Capital city and the County school system......anybody notice how quiet the BoE has been since they were handed the budget? wha happened?
America's Greatest Education Governor....
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 16:15 — CitizenmomWow! Let that one sink in a bit. This is as good as it gets according to the largest union representing teachers nationally. Scary stuff kids. Hard to find hope in that.
A good day to be king
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 15:15 — Dadof3What a great day to be king and queen of NC. Unions lay rose pedals at your feet and your wife gets a nice, big, fat raise. Dine in Paris tonight; you earned it. Help yourself to the public treasury, my hard-working public servant.
Back on planet earth, raise your hand if you make $79 k, let alone get that as a raise. I thought so. Animal Farm, meet the new king.
That's our education lottery gubner at work.
I'll remember this, Bev; good goin'.
wait a minute
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 12:45 — bigwinnieuhm, didn't Jim Hunt have something to do with all this prior to Easley?
There is NO teacher's union
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 11:27 — bigwinnieThere is NO teacher's union (technically) in NC, is the suggestion then that the NEA "acts" as a teacher's union?
and if the Gov and Mrs. need to answer for the cost of their trips, while still relatively smaller why doesn't the BoE have to answer for their little jaunts througout the year, N&O? Dollar amounts differ, but the theories are similar.....
Right to work state, thank goodness
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 11:34 — Dadof3One key reason NC retains economic performance is that we're a right to work state -- meaning the unions can't come in and blood-suck the life out of whatever industry they symbiotically attach to, like they have in the NE US states, IL, CA and Michigan. But that they're not here isn't for lack of desire.
That there's no wolves in the chicken coop doesn't mean they won't go through an open door. It is meaningful they give props to Mike.
KYLE, english, please...use
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 11:39 — bigwinnieKYLE, english, please...use very plain language. :+) so ok, no teacher's union ...
Mike supports unionization? or appears too?
dunno
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 11:46 — Dadof3I honestly don't know where Easley falls on the matter, either explicitly by him or by union mouthpieces. My bias is to suspect he'd open the chicken hen house to the wolves -- but I am open that I could be wrong. I would love to be wrong.
oten not though wht with the
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 12:46 — bigwinnieoten not though wht with the current pols and BoE, oh wait that's one in the same, isn't it?
NEA = KKK of Education
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 11:13 — WuptdoAn award from a teacher's union. How touching. Gov. "Tax Hike" Mike must be employing the same low-life PR flaks as WCPSS and the BoE(eR). Under Gov. Weasley tenure:
SAT scores have ________
HS Graduation rates have ________
EOG "base-line" test score have been ________
Overall Education in NC has ________
"More at Four" as all but been ______ by the NCGL because it didn't work
Two things can be said about Gov. Weasely: 1) Probably one of the worse governors in NC history; 2) Proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that NC does NOT need a governor.
I think....
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 10:55 — RiversideRealistI just puked a little in my mouth.
I was TOTALLY thinking the
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 11:09 — bigwinnieI was TOTALLY thinking the same thing, just how clueless are these people? Let's see what they say about him when the new EOG's for reading are used, six months after they were taken...
EOG results? That's irrelevant.
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 11:17 — Dadof3To the NEA, educational performance is irrelevant, despite the PRs, unless performance advances the union's self interest, period. The NEA has been putting lip stick on a pig for so long, (the pig, in this metaphor, is the NEA) they couldn't really care less about anything else.
NEA = heel striking snakes
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 10:45 — Dadof3Getting an award from NEA is meaningless pap -- in fact, you can extrapolate an inverse relationship for what it really means; "Mike will sacrifice our kid's education for the sole advancement of the teacher's union."
Grab for it, Mike; that "education lottery" is real plus, too. Your legacy is quickly heading for the landfill.
The NEA knows about education like a wolf knows chickens.