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Click the + above and share your thoughts!

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A number of years ago there was a terrible change to the principal pay schedule. AP pay was corrected and feeds off of the teacher salary schedules so they continue to get benefit of longevity, years of experience and degree, but that was all ripped away from principals. Principal pay is based only on two criteria - building growth and ADM - both largely out of their control AND it is subject to change twice a year. They need to be returned as an expansion of the teacher pay schedule (after APs) so then they get paid on the same criteria. Poor school performance can be managed through evaluations and good or exceedingly good performance can rewarded with an annual bonus. The fact that our top professionals can lose pay with as much or more responsibility is incomprehensible. Also, there is no incentive for a good AP or principal to go to a small or low performing school since they will likely take a pay cut to do so. When there are principals still being paid as a teacher of AP, you know the schedule is not effective.

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We elected you, an educator who understands our public schools.

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We have students do end of course testing on chromebooks but the questions require scrolling up and down as well as right and left. The questions need to fit the technology. 

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We have students do end of course testing on chromebooks but the questions require scrolling up and down as well as right and left. The questions need to fit the technology. 

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NC teachers are incredibly dedicated to our students!

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We spend so much time differentiating instruction for our students, yet we give them all a standardized test. Is there a better way to measure growth? Portfolios?

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Potential solution: Review and advocate for changes to the NC Return to Work policiy that requires state retirees to fully leave the state workforce for 6 months. This creates time pockets of staff absences that are unnecessary. Our 3 neighboring states of TN, SC, and GA have shorter post retirement absence periods.

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What will happen to NC schools if the federal dept of Ed is eradicated? Will the arts and cte suffer?

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What will happen to NC schools if the federal dept of Ed is eradicated? Will the arts and cte suffer?

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I would love to see different testing for academic and honors classes. The honors kids need to be pushed more. I do think testing helps use monitor where kids stand and direct our curriculum. I am also glad we have backed off some the testing we were doing. It was too much. I’d really prefer an overall test in high school required to graduate. 

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I would love to see different testing for academic and honors classes. The honors kids need to be pushed more. I do think testing helps use monitor where kids stand and direct our curriculum. I am also glad we have backed off some the testing we were doing. It was too much. I’d really prefer an overall test in high school required to graduate. 

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We need to celebrate the amazing work of NC Public School educators. Their work is crucial, their dedication is unmatched, and their effectiveness is worthy of celebration.

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We need to keep supporting the arts. Kids need to explore more than the core subjects. 

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We need to keep supporting the arts. Kids need to explore more than the core subjects. 

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We must continue to celebrate the richness of our diversity 

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We must continue to celebrate the richness of our diversity 

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What are the best ways we, as community stakeholders, can support our public schools when they’re under threat and being dismantled by our federal government?

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What are the best ways we, as community stakeholders, can support our public schools when they’re under threat and being dismantled by our federal government?

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Celebrating the expanded inclusion of preschool services in public education.

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I will continue to speak out about what our schools do for our communities and what will be lost if we demonize teachers and our schools. 

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I will continue to speak out about what our schools do for our communities and what will be lost if we demonize teachers and our schools. 

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NC is #1 in the country for number of National Board certified teachers.

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I will continue to vote for candidates who support a strong and equitable public school system.

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Diversity in western NC enhances the learning experiences of all.

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We need to celebrate the amazing work of NC Public School educators. Their work is crucial, their dedication is unmatched, and their effectiveness is worthy of celebration.

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Advanced learning opportunities for NC’s students continue to increase! Celebrating NC’s historic Advanced Placement scores for underserved populations and all students. Highest number of students taking AP exams and making qualifying scores for replacing general education credits in colleges and universities. 🌟

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NC Pre-K- We need to celebrate and continue this program in our public schools. However, the programs within our schools should be aligned with NCDPI rather than DHHS.

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Celebrate TEACHERS!

Celebrate teaching and learning!

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Is there a backup plan for free/reduced lunch? The community will do what it needs to do to help students if we are aware of the need when it occurs, but many community members are also the ones whose children actually need free/reduced lunch.

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The experiences that our students have in CTE are necessary and provide opportunities for all students to follow their interests.

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The General Assembly has the power to pass regional bills and they've used that power to make school board elections partisan. Advocacy is needed to keep politics out of school boards.

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How will the state recruit and retain teachers? Pay and benefits have not kept up and have in many cases gone backward. I am not a teacher.

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Poverty and trauma has an impact in classrooms. How can we better prepare beginning teachers to support students facing hunger, emotional disregulation, and limited resources?

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Recognizing educators’ work in graduate programs to further their professional learning and skills they implement in the classroom. I know several talented teachers that are meant to be in leadership roles in the future and they are not entering graduate programs because they cannot afford to go back to school, especially without compensation once they graduate.

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I want to celebrate my administration that understands what it is like to be a teacher. My administrators let me focus on teaching and try to minimize paperwork whenever they can.

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Only one high school diploma pathway outside of the OCS pathway, solution bringing back the tech pathway that helps students go to community college

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I'm concerned about the mental health challenges faced by today's students. Many only eat at school. Others belong to marginalized communities. Some are concerned their family or friends will not be there when they come home from school because they will have been deported. Students regularly have to participate in drills for the real danger of school violence. They are exposed to drug use or partake themselves despite their young ages. We have students who are stable now, but the programs that kept them stable are facing an uncertain future.

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We need to raise reading levels for many students. The Science of Reading has 50 years of research behind it. Louisiana has raised the reading scores from very low to 16th in the nation using the Science of Reading. Charlotte has been using it I hear. Check with them.

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Two challenges come to mind:

1-the accountability model that emphasizes proficiency over growth

2-the scaling of scores to determine what is proficient.

Currently for 1 the current system is a proxy for wealth/poverty

For 2 we changed the grading scale to 10point yet an 80 (B) is the minimum for proficiency

Solution is to adjust the Accountability model to reflect the gains that students are making. Secondly adjust the proficiency threshold to better reflect the change int he statewide grading scale

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There needs to be a balance of dollars for hard copy books and use of Chromebooks. I have 3 kids and do not like when I hear that my kids have to be on Chromebooks the whole day. Kids should not have to look at screens all day. I am not totally against technology, but there should be a balance of paper and pencil and online because there is a lot of time that is wasted trying to troubleshoot technology or turning on technology that we used to spend and actual engagement in the lesson.

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Small group tutoring for student struggling in reading and math have helped catch up COVID caused low levels. We should continue this. 

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Small group tutoring for student struggling in reading and math have helped catch up COVID caused low levels. We should continue this. 

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The Science of Reading is helpful for students with learning disabilities, students learning English as a second language, students with environmental issues, and regular kids.

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The Science of Reading is helpful for students with learning disabilities, students learning English as a second language, students with environmental issues, and regular kids.

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We should celebrate the work that our K-5 teachers have done over the last few years to take part in the LETRS training for Science of Reading. I would love to see this expand to the middle and high school levels with age appropriate professional development.

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Replace standardized testing with alternative tools to measure learning. Alternatives may include portfolios, student-led conferences, project-based learning, formative assessments, etc.

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My teachers when I went through NC Public schools could provide for their family on single income educator pay and help send their kids to college. Now, it seems two educators cannot do well to afford a home and we are being penalized by working and not being able to afford do send our kids to college. I think one way to increase the educator pipeline is to reward teachers and their children by making higher education cheaper for students whose parents are teachers. Especially science teachers make more money in the private sector. Adding this fringe benefit would attract teachers who have or are planning to have families.

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When I was teaching my pay was frozen for 7 years, masters pay was also removed when I was in my masters program, and I got my first raise in my 8th year but they took longevity pay away from veteran teachers making those teachers pay go down and also taking away an incentive to stay teaching in NC for 10 years to get that bonus. My college students who are going into teaching are looking at neighboring states who pay more, and also pay them for getting their masters. If we paid better and had better benefits they’d stay in NC.

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We continue to elect representatives that do not prioritize public education. We must find out what those running for election believe about public schools and not vote just by the political affiliation.

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Layered allotments

Some students fit in multiple categories however there is only 1 allotment amount per student that does not take into account all of the students who need additional services.

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A pay raise for support staff would be amazing. They are the unseen folks and non-cerified staff who make our schools run on a day to day basis. Your custodians, your cafeteria staff, your data managers, your receptionists, and attendance clerks. The last pay raise was in July of 2022 and that was for $15 an hour. Unfortunately, a living wage is $20 an hour.

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Education in civic engagement should be weighed just as heavily as training future workers.

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Having a section of the teaching fellows program focused on rural counties where local high school students agree to go back and teach in that county after they graduate from college and do it for general education and special education to help create a teacher pipeline back to rural communities.

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My big idea would be for all students to have opportunities in local businesses or organizations to explore potential interests. This could be through internships, job shadowing, apprenticeships, anything hands on where students can learn what is possible.

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Share how amazing public schools are and how hard our teachers work!

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I will share information with my fellow community members so that people pull away from being single-issue voters and better understand the duty of voting from an educated position.

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Student absenteeism is a tremendous problem for educators, and it's getting worse by the year. There aren't enough counselors or social workers in our schools to follow up fast enough on all of the chronic situations that develop. Many families don't seem to understand or value the importance of having students in regular attendance. In addition to having extra support personnel in each district, would love to see a statewide media blitz to educate families on this topic, including the impact of the learning loss that takes place with every day missed!

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I am a College Adviser through the College Advising Corps. I work at two high schools in Caldwell County. My fellow advisers and I share one common goal: to show students that going to college is a possibility for them. I have been told many times by students that I have been the first person to really talk to them about their future. I am beyond grateful to serve as an adviser and to help our students in Caldwell County.

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Implement strategic staffing models in schools to redesign the roles and responsibilities of teachers to reduce burn out and isolation while increasing job satisfaction. If you want to learn more, visit App State's lab school, the Academy at Middle Fork. It is a solid solution to recruitment and retention efforts.

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Have college students speak to the government about their experiences and concerns with being a teacher in NC

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Improve EOG testing to match teaching standards and measuring students on their correct grade level rather than providing students with tests designed for failure. Over the years, when NC students demonstrate a level of success on tests, the test is revised to be harder. Students are able to achieve success on grade level measures should be celebrated rather than penalizing the next year’s students for the previous year’s success.

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Considering what we have heard tonight about all of our different language learners, it would be a disservice to our students and community to not give them a basic education about learning a foreign language. We do not have enough EL teachers, future EL teachers or general education teachers who have sufficient knowledge to handle multilingual schools and students. I will do my part to give students a chance to learn a foreign language and continue to make them aware of why this is important. Technology has come far but will never replace face to face communication.

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While necessary to measure students’ academic accomplishments, more emphasis should be placed on student growth. The testing measures need to be grade level appropriate. If a larger body of students pass these measures, that success should be celebrated.

I also agree English Language Learners who are newcomers should be exempted from testing. What is the purpose of testing a student who can’t speak or read any English? The same could be asked of students with profound learning disabilities.

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Building on “Mo Wants to Know,” encourage every county Superintendent to hold monthly or quarterly meetings with leaders of teacher organizations such as NCAE. The purpose is to get the pulse of how educators are feeling, which could be categorized and sent to those appointed by Mo to look for trends and issues and potential solutions that deserve addressing. While positivity is encouraged, simmering tensions also need to be identified. Currently teachers are worried about changes with their healthcare. While monthly fees have stayed the same, deductibles, services, and costs of medication have increased. Rumors have indicated teachers may get a raise just enough to cover the cost of paying more for healthcare. Stress impacts performance. Educators knowing their concerns are being heard would be beneficial.

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Busdrivers have very difficult jobs. Our assistants miss many hours out of the classroom because they have to drive a bus. We must pay people more to drive busses because they have a tremendous responsibility to transport children and manage behavior.

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Our public schools are reducing the number of assistants in our schools. Assistants were hired years ago to help with reading. These people are the lowest paid employees but yet are the first ones to be cut. We need to keep assistants in the classrooms.