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The Most Important Political Race In 2026 For Public Education | caffeinated rage
Think of LEANDRO. Think of district mapping. Think of voting rights. And think of what this guy tried to do to get a place here. In the scope of things, the most important election in 2026 may not be for an office in Washington or West Jones Street, but may be the one involving this…
SNAP, WIC, & Public Schools | caffeinated rage
When kids go hungry, they have a hard time learning. Most kids who receive these benefits attend public schools. Disagree? Then show the data. For a child to use a voucher to attend a private school, the private schools receive the money for tuition. What the federal government shutdown is doing is exacerbating the situation.…
Go Ahead And Permanently Eliminate School Performance Grades | caffeinated rage
State Superintendent Mo Green and DPI are discussing possibly changing the school performance grading system. Again. This is not a new idea. It was talked about in 2024. And now... They don’t need to be changed; they need to be eliminated. For over ten years, this system of “measurement” has stigmatized public schools and has been…
Remembering When Mark Johnson Said… | caffeinated rage
Remember when Mark Johnson talked about how the teacher starting salary in NC was really good? January 26, 2018: During a question-and-answer session Thursday at the N.C. School Boards Association’s policy conference in Raleigh, Johnson said that the base state starting salary of $35,000 for North Carolina teachers was “good money” and “a lot of…
A Fear Of Possible Next Cuts In WSFCS | caffeinated rage
A local supplement is an additional amount of money that a local district may apply on top the state’s salary to help attract teachers to come and stay in a particular district. While people may be fixated on actual state salary schedule, a local supplement has more of a direct effect on the way a…
So, We Have A New (Interim) Superintendent | caffeinated rage
Depending on when a permanent school superintendent is hired, WSFCS could have four different people occupying the top office in this system within the span of one and a half years (give or take a couple of months). With Catty Moore's final day fast approaching, the school board has hired Dr. Don Phipps to be…
Hyperbole & Context: About That Recent LTE In The Winston-Salem Journal | caffeinated rage
The following "Letter to the Editor" ran today in the Winston-Salem Journal in a response to previous editorial concerning the WSFCS financial situation that was critical of lawmaker Donny Lambeth's response to the school board's request for help. And while there is plenty of blame that has yet to be placed on those involved in…
It’s Really Just A Cut In Salary For Teachers | caffeinated rage
When the same legislative body that votes for rate increases in utilities and health plans for state employees, but does not raise state employee salaries to at least offset those price increases, then the state is actively cutting pay for people like public school teachers. A new budget was not passed; therefore, the state automatically…
Every Local School Board Should Allow A Public School Teacher To Serve | caffeinated rage
Many have asked me over the years if a teacher can be a school board member and still be in the classroom. At least in my LEA, one cannot. Many teachers over the years have run for positions on the school board, but each has had to stipulate that he/she would step away from the…
We Are Hiring After RIFs And Layoffs? | caffeinated rage
When you have a hiring freeze in place and just concluded yet another round of "layoffs" on top of multiple RIFs and then say you have vacancies to fill, then something seems wrong. As reported this past Tuesday evening: "Among the budget items discussed was news that recently cut employees could have the opportunity to…
WSFCS Just Literally Cut Our Benefits During The School Year | caffeinated rage
Bottom line - if we now have to pay for something that had been paid previously by the school district as part of a working contract, then that means a loss of net income. A pay cut. A lowering of the local supplement. As reported last night on WXII.com, the WSFCS school board voted to…
Phil Berger’s Ideal Job Description Of The North Carolina Teacher | caffeinated rage
Seems that this state has a lot of classroom vacancies. And if you want to be one of the lucky candidates for any of these positions, remember that there are some “unwritten” but very apparent qualifications that need to be met before our lawmakers want you teaching our kids. 1. Have A Fear Of Calling Students…
Public School Teachers & Free Speech | caffeinated rage
In the last few years, public school teachers have been under a lot of unfair microscopes being examined with untrained eyes and arraigned in courts of public opinions by "experts" who received their credentials from social media and Google. We have gone from Common Core to Critical Race Theory to Book Bans to "Wokeism" to…
NC’s General Assembly Gives More In A Voucher Than In A Hurricane Relief Check | caffeinated rage
Farmers in Western NC who were devastated by Hurricane Helene received rather small reimbursement checks for their lost crops as part of the hurricane relief measures from the General Assembly. That's the same General Assembly that gives non-emergency "reimbursement" checks for vouchers to anyone in the state who wants to send thier student to a…
When $55,100 is Greater Than $79,157 – The NCGA’s Assault on Teacher Pension and Retirement | caffeinated rage
If a lawmaker in Raleigh is really being honest, then he/she would have to acknowledge that the revamped teacher salary scale and removal of graduate degree pay are ways to make sure that when teachers retire, they will not be receiving as much in retirement pay as in the past. Consider that a teacher’s pension…
September 2025- Numbers To Consider | caffeinated rage
The most current numbers for the following: Average Gas Price Average Milk Price Average Egg Prices Average Bread Price Consumer Confidence Presidential Approval Rating Federal Interest Rate Dow Jones Index Inflation Rate NC Tax Rates NC Minimum Wage Unemployment Rates Unemployment Benefits Number of People Who Enrolled in ACA coverage Number of Students in NC…
Do You Know How Your NC Public School System Is Funded? | caffeinated rage
This is a quick and dirty guide to give anyone a basic understanding of how school systems (and vouchers) are funded in North Carolina. My own school system, Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS) will serve as the running sample throughout. There are 115 LEAs (local education agency) or school systems in the state each…
This Year Is More Expensive, But We Are Budgeted With Last Year’s Numbers | caffeinated rage
When Pat McCrory was governor, the GOP super majority changed budget protocol and made the state budget a biennial process. In an odd-numbered year, a budget is set forth to encompass the next two fiscal years. Amendments to the budget can be made in even-numbered years. Furthermore, if a budget is not passed, then the…
“LARGEST Recruitment Effort Of Teachers In History?” Mmmmmm…No. | caffeinated rage
If you have caught wind of Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters's latest public spectacle, then you are familiar with the Prager U "Teacher Integrity" Test. You can take the test yourself, if you would like. Billed as "recruitment" tool based on "America First" ideology, Walters is claiming that anyone who takes the test is automatically…
The Cruel Irony Of Labor Day In WSFCS | caffeinated rage
This is actually from the U.S. Dept. of Labor: A day that should be spent by people working in the service of the community relaxing and renewing their energy was a day for many in WSFCS waiting to hear if they still had a job. Specifically speaking, those who are Exceptional Children teachers and their…
Almost As Bad As WSFCS’s Financial Awareness Is Their… | caffeinated rage
... sense of timing. It was the night before students arrived on campus for this school year (a little over two weeks ago) that WSFCS sent out an email outlining the latest round of layoffs. Then that first Friday, the first weekend of the new school year, notices began to be sent out VIA EMAIL.…
The Prager U “Teacher Integrity” Test | caffeinated rage
Prager University has received a few more mentions in these last few weeks, especially if you follow the saga of Oklahoma's state super, Ryan Walters. This morning on his foundational blog, Curmudgucation, Peter Greene (who also writes for Forbes) highlighted the "anti-woke" test and even showed how he scored. You can take the test yourself,…
About That New Ill-Timed Email From WSFCS | caffeinated rage
Right after school ends on Tuesday, every employee gets this email: Kind of funny considering the state of the school system and the reasons why we are there. Legally speaking, this might not be the most pressing issue facing Central Office or the school board. IEP's that might not be met because of reductions, the…
Dear WSFCS School Board, Maybe You Should Have A Bake Sale. Or Big Lemonade Stand. | caffeinated rage
Not ten minutes after hearing on various outlets how more assistant principals in our school system received notices for reduction in force, I see a neighborhood elementary student in her front yard with a lemonade stand and baked goods. It is not too uncommon still to see kids doing such things to raise money, sometimes…
The Most Frustrating Thing About The WSFCS Budget Crisis | caffeinated rage
When the state audit of the WSFCS finances was released in response to the budget crisis of 2025, it combed through years of financial statements. What was found was not a one time incident that set the district astray, but a series of mistakes that compounded upon each other to create this storm of a…
1/2 Of My Administration Has Been RIF’ed Since Last School Year. Damn. | caffeinated rage
If you are a teacher/educator/administrator in the WSFCS system, you know that emails began to be sent to people identified in the "Reduction In Force" currently in its latest stage. What's so egregious about this round is its timing: when it happened and how fast it was announced and then implemented. Not even EIGHT school…
In This WSFCS Financial Crisis, We Are Not “All In This Together” | caffeinated rage
One of the common "loose mantras" being thrown around during this recent WSFCS financial crisis is, "We are in this together." No we aren't. Some voices are louder than others. Some are just hearing and not listening. Some things are being planned behind closed doors. It is hard for a veteran teacher who still sends…
So, We’re Going To Pay More For Insurance? | caffeinated rage
It's not the news one wants to hear, especially with no raises. And just remember, there is no new budget passed this year. If a budget is not passed, then the state automatically reverts to the previous budget’s recurring spending levels which is exactly what has happened this year. The only “budgetary” item that has…
August 2025- Numbers To Consider | caffeinated rage
The most current numbers for the following: Average Gas Price Average Milk Price Average Egg Prices Average Bread Price Consumer Confidence Presidential Approval Rating Federal Interest Rate Dow Jones Index Inflation Rate NC Tax Rates NC Minimum Wage Unemployment Rates Unemployment Benefits Number of People Who Enrolled in ACA coverage Number of Students in NC…
Pink Slips Start Today In WSFCS | caffeinated rage
As was voted upon in this past Tuesday’s school board meeting, the first notices for reduction in force actions (this round) will start today. On a Friday. The day of the first football games. The eighth day of school for students. Some people will get an electronic notice in an email transmission while they are…
Yet Another WSFCS Budget Update (And The Stages Of Grief) | caffeinated rage
I do not envy any part of the job that the WSFCS Interim Superintendent is tasked to do. She came into a situation whose negative inertia is still allowing it to create more havoc. It's been nearly five months since the first concern over WSFCS's finances became public. Since that time, it seems that the…
UNIONIZE! NC Teachers (And All Public Employees) Should Have Collective Bargaining Rights | caffeinated rage
It’s a special kind of cruel irony that the only state in the country with the lowest legal minimum wage, no collective bargaining rights, delayed Medicaid expansion, loosely regulated vouchers and charter school expansion, a school performance grading system that measures achievement over growth, and the lowest corporate flat tax in the nation cannot even…
Dear Fellow NC Public School Teachers – What We Do Cannot Really Be Measured | caffeinated rage
Despite what lawmakers and reformers may say, you can’t really be measured. Not even EVAAS scores that will arrive well after school starts come close to attempting to measure you. In fact, those who are measuring you do not have instruments complex enough to really gauge your effectiveness. They are too busy trying to disparage…
A Teacher’s “Amazon Wishlist” For The NCGA | caffeinated rage
The fact that many teachers in this state (and others) have set up Amazon Wishlists is a strong indication of the NCGA’s unwillingness to fully fund public schools. The NC General Assembly has acknowledged the fact that teachers need fully funded schools and resources as well as the professional license to pursue what they know…
This Year Might Be The Toughest School Year Yet. And It Hasn’t Really Started. | caffeinated rage
Year 28 in a public high school classroom. I have seen the comings and goings of many an initiative - NCLB, ABC, PLAN, RttT (Race To The Top), Common Core, ASW, AMO, EVAAS, etc. I have taught with Betsy DeVos as the highest ranking education official in the country. Linda McMahon has not been in…
Hey, Donny. Berger Tell You To Say That? | caffeinated rage
It's cruelly ironic that a man who used to lead the WSFCS school board and retired from heading one of the largest hospitals in the state to literally say, "Hey. I can't help. You're too late." Or maybe it is not cruelly ironic, but rather should be totally expected. Here is how the man who…
No Raise For You, NC Teacher | caffeinated rage
When Pat McCrory was governor, the GOP super majority changed budget protocol and made the state budget a biennial process. In an odd-numbered year, a budget is set forth to encompass the next two fiscal years. Amendments to the budget can be made in even-numbered years. Furthermore, if a budget is not passed, then the…
North Carolina: Where A Bill To Create “Cell Phone-Free Education” Turns Into Praising The “Big, Beautiful Bill” | caffeinated rage
On February 10th, House Bill 87 was initially filed. The third edition of the bill came a little over a month later with some changes. AND THEN IT TRANSFORMED INTO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Nothing about cell phones in class. But it does talk about this: And remember, still no new budget.