North Carolina continues to lead the nation in the number of teachers who have earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the highest credential in the teaching profession. The national certification is a rigorous performance-based assessment taking anywhere between one to three years to complete. About 21,500 North Carolina teachers have obtained...
The legislature's strategy for reforming teacher compensation is based on solid empirical evidence and focused squarely on the ultimate goal of maximizing student success.
Pay supplements for teachers with graduate degrees was a colossal flop, wasting hundreds of millions of tax dollars while doing nothing to enhance student learning.
RALEIGH — Six months after leaving office, former Gov. Mike Easley’s legacy as an “education governor” is beginning to crumble under the twin pressures of an economy in recession and legislative indifference. Some of his key education initiatives, popular with budget writers and educators alike during times of plenty, have been targeted for reduction or outright elimination as the economy forces legislators to prioritize.
Government measurements offer helpful information only if the government chooses appropriate measures.
RALEIGH — The N.C. Court of Appeals recently ruled that a career development education teaching coordinator at Onslow County Schools was eligible for pay raises that are awarded to teachers after being certified by the National Board for Professional Standards.
The quality of teachers, research shows, matters more than the amount of money thrown at schools.
When it comes to educating children, how do we measure success? Should we look only at isolated test scores, or should we assess academic growth over time? Recent policy changes will undoubtedly reignite this debate.
Henry Brooks Adams, historian and political biographer (and grandson of John Quincy Adams) had this to say about the indelible and enduring impact of teachers: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Well said – and true of both our best and worst teachers.
Do minimum wages keep more highly educated, and thus—by federal No Child Left Behind standards—more 'highly qualified' teachers out of the classroom? When wages are legally determined and inflexible downward, the demand side of the market will seek out the lower-wage employee, as long as that employee meets legal professional standards. The teacher supply problem may really be a teacher demand problem.
RALEIGH — Like other states, North Carolina maintains a system of certification and licensing for public school teachers. Proponents argue that certification standards will separate out teachers, but there is no evidence that these standards determine teacher quality.
