Teachers Are Leading the Revolt Against Austerity

The strikes aren’t just about pay. They’re a rejection of tax cuts for the wealthy and a rallying cry for public goods and services. By Jane McAlevey In less than three months, rank-and-file teachers and educational support staff in five states—West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Colorado and Arizona—have turned the entire country into their classroom. They haven’t…

Classes cancelled May 16 so teachers can rally in Raleigh

Board Vice Chair Carolyn Carpenter and Chair Cindy Fertenbaugh discuss making Wednesday, May 16 an optional teacher workday. The Cabarrus County Board of Education made the decision during its work session on Monday, May 7. Erin Kidd  May 10, 2018 CONCORD— Cabarrus County Schools added its name to the list of districts that will be…

State takeover of JCPS: What the audit says and the district has done

(Photo: Marty Pearl/Special to Courier Journal) Mandy McLaren, Louisville Courier JournalPublished 11:27 a.m. ET May 7, 2018  In recommending a state takeover of Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky’s education chief pointed to 10 main problem areas. Those problems, interim education commissioner Wayne Lewis says, show a pattern of widespread dysfunction continues to exist and can only be fixed through…

Alabama schools struggle with teacher diversity

By Trisha Powell Crain Updated Sep 5, 2017; Posted Jul 13, 2017 This is the latest story in our series Tackling the Gap: A Teacher’s Conversation. The gap between black and white students in Alabama is both large and persistent when it comes to the percentage scoring proficient on standardized tests. AL.com and Spaceship Media are facilitating an online conversation with Alabama teachers, exploring…

Special Report: Arming Educators

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) — Giving teachers guns is a controversial idea, but it’s something President Trump and Governor Reynolds say deserves consideration. And while education groups largely oppose arming teachers, others believe gun-free zones are easy targets. Iowa Code section 724.4B prohibits firearms on school grounds, with some exceptions. One of those exemptions has received…

Arizona educators to continue walkouts Tuesday, Wednesday

BY KTAR.COM | APRIL 30, 2018 AT 5:21 PM UPDATED: MAY 1, 2018 AT 5:38 AM PHOENIX – After three days of walkouts by Arizona educators and supporters at the state Capitol, leaders of Arizona Educators United announced they would continue Tuesday and Wednesday. The walkouts started last Thursday, with more than 50,000 educators and supporters marching from…

Schools need more funds. What are we willing to sacrifice?

04/29/2018 10:01:21 PM MDT Despite what you may have heard, when RE-1 Valley and other area teachers joined the statewide walkout efforts Friday, rallying at the Logan County Courthouse, they weren’t there just because of their paychecks. We’d wager a guess that, while certainly teacher pay and PERA uncertainty were part of the motivation behind the…

Oklahoma Rural, Urban Educators Disagree on School Needs

Many Oklahoma rural, urban educators disagree on school needs during a walkout despite unified calls for increased pay, additional classroom spending and reduced class sizes. April 30, 2018, at 1:02 a.m. By JANELLE STECKLEIN, CNHI OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Even as they presented unified calls for increased funding, rural and urban educators had starkly different…