It should come as no surprise to anyone in NC education that the NCGA does not want teachers to visit Raleigh as a large group. Need some evidence?Look right here in this article:  Budget language seems to block future teacher protests, school closings If this passes, school districts will only be able to change their calendars based on a finite list of items.  The proposal would lock school calendars in place at the beginning of the school year, forbidding local boards of education from changing them except in response to "a severe weather condition, energy shortage, utility failure, public health crisis, school safety crisis, emergency related to a school building or school transportation, or act of God."  Don’t you love the use of the word *forbidding*? Personal leave will only be allowed if a sub can be found. I can’t even find a sub now when I’m sick. When Ron had his eye surgery, guess what? No sub. You know what else? Subs cancel at the last minute! Protests ...

I was going to add this little tidbit to yesterday's post about the pay of NC teachers, but I didn't save it and couldn't find it! Thanks to my friend Johnny for posting it today! Why Teacher Pay Matters Guess who the largest employer is in most counties in NC? The school system. It is the largest employer in 64 counties. It is the second largest employer in 12 other counties. There is only one  (yes one) county in the state in which the school system is not in the top three employers. If you think of a raise as an economic stimulus, more money in the pay checks of 95,000 teachers (spread out from Manteo to Murphy) will mean more middle-class people buying groceries, going on vacations, etc. And that will have a real, immediate economic impact on the state as a whole.