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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Remember That She Could Have Been Our State Superintendent | caffeinated rage
Last October right before Election Day, Mo Green’s campaign published a website that explicitly showed the multiple examples of the actions and words attributed to Michele Morrow that more than proved that she wasunfit to lead the public schools of North Carolina. It is still active and it’s called “The ABC’s of Michele Morrow” and…
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.
12 Qualifications To Be A Public School Teacher In North Carolina | caffeinated rage
Seems that this state still 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…
North Carolina Is The Most Cruelly Ironic State When It Comes To Public Education | caffeinated rage
A teacher with 24 years of experience makes the same salary as a teacher with 15 years of experience. North Carolina has had record budget surpluses but refuses to acknowledge the LEANDRO decision that emphatically states that NC has failed to fully fund our public school system for decades. Teachers fill out a working conditions…
July 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…
This Teacher Has Lost Over $15K In Longevity Pay. What About You, Veteran Teacher? | caffeinated rage
When August approaches, teachers begin a new school year and their “step” will increase by another year. That “step” is the number of years served in schools. Not long ago, teachers who served the state for at least ten years would receive what was called “longevity” pay as part of their commitment to public schools.…
No One Has Hurt Public Schools In NC More Than Phil Berger | caffeinated rage
Senator Phil Berger has done more to try and dismantle public schools in North Carolina than any other person in this state. In the past fourteen years, Berger has spearheaded as many attacks against public schools and the people who work in them as any lawmaker in the country. Teacher Pay Kept Well Below National Average Removal…
WSFCS Lost Over 4 Million Dollars This Month. In Fact, Every School District Lost Money. | caffeinated rage
On July 1st the federal Dept. of Education under Linda McMahon froze billions in funds earmarked for any school district that serves underprivileged students and other student support services. North Carolina is set to lose 169 million as a state. A "district-by-district accounting" report by New America shows the effects of that funding freezing throughout…
Yes, WSFCS Has “Lost The Locker Room” | caffeinated rage
It's a way of saying that the leadership has lost the trust of those they are supposed to be leading. As Scott Sexton used it in his most recent column in the Winston-Salem Journal, it's an apt "sports analogy" of what is happening in the WSFCS school system. As was mentioned in the last part…
9 Of 10 Southeastern States Give Graduate Degree Pay To Teachers. Guess Who Does Not. | caffeinated rage
Take a look at the states that surround North Carolina. While NC shares a border with 4 other states, it does not take long to travel to some others. Some lawmakers like to construct “favorable” comparisons to other southeastern states to make the argument that we as a state are fairly treating our teachers. Hogwash.…
About Cellphones In Class Next Year… | caffeinated rage
If you did not notice amongst all of the happenings in our world and with the endless stream of news and social media, Gov. Josh Stein signed into law yesterday a bill that may change the landscape of the North Carolina classroom in a very positive way for teachers and ultimately students. From today's Winston-Salem…
How Local Supplements For Teachers Are Propagandized By Raleigh (Average Teacher Salary Vs. Percentage Raise) | caffeinated rage
Look at the average teacher salary in North Carolina. Then look at the average pay increase that Raleigh may be giving to teachers in a certain budget cycle. Those two values are not looking at the same set of numbers. When politicians and policy makers in Raleigh talk about average salary they are counting in…
10 Things You Should Know About Public Education In North Carolina | caffeinated rage
In short, many of the people who set policy in Raleigh are banking on the premise that educators in NC are not truly knowledgeable of all the facets of pubic education to really see how matters can be manipulated for special interests. Educators wear many hats, have various undefined expectations, are constantly bombarded with tasks,…
A Big, Beautiful Thank You To Thom Tillis | caffeinated rage
Sen. Thom Tillis put North Carolina ahead of party when he voted against the procedural measure in the US Senate pushing Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" as it would adversely affect Medicaid coverage millions across the country and North Carolina. Trump immediately went after Tillis on social media threatening to primary him this coming election cycle.…
NC Must Confront The Use Of AI By Students | caffeinated rage
When The Ohio State University announced its push for all undergraduates to become fluent in AI, it raised some eyebrows. Many posts on social media immediately bemoaned that OSU was simply rolling over to the expectation that students are going to use AI to supplement work in class. And that happens. And will continue to…