Do High Pensions for Superintendents Encourage Status Quo? - District Dossier - Education Week

Do High Pensions for Superintendents Encourage Status Quo? - District Dossier - Education Week

In St. Louis, more than 10 percent of operating costs go to pensions. Chicago's school district leaders cited high teachers' pension costs as one of the reasons behind their most recent round of teacher layoffs. And, of course, public-sector pensions are one of the major factors in Detroit's historic bankruptcy.

Most of the conversation about doomed pension plans in the education world has focused on teachers' pensions. But what about superintendents and administrators? Education Nextrecently published an article examining how school and district administrators' pensions play into this picture—and why those leaders have very little personal incentive to reform the pension system.

Superintendents and principals are generally enrolled in the same pension programs as teachers, Education Next reports, but, since they're receiving higher pay at the end of their careers, they draw significantly more in pension than the average teacher. "Promoted individuals, who have large late-career salary increases, benefit disproportionately from a formula that determines the value of the annuity based on the highest few years of earnings," write Cory Koedel, Shawn Ni, and Michael Podgursky, all in the economics department at the University of Missouri, Columbia, in an analysis of data from Missouri educators' pension system.

In Missouri, superintendents' expected benefits are 89 percent higher than teachers', and their average contribution is just 53 percent higher. The authors suggest that a system that prioritizes early-career take-home pay instead of pensions might attract more talent to the profession.

Whether or not you agree with the authors' conclusion that administrators are "on the same side of the table" as labor in terms of reconsidering pension programs, it's interesting to see this particular facet of the pension issue in the spotlight. Pension programs in other states may look different than in Missouri, and in charter schools, most teachers and administrators don't have traditional pension programs at all.

Another point from the piece: Pensions systems are designed to reward those who stick around, but to eventually encourage them to retire. Superintendents and principals, like teachers, are likely to retire around 55 or 56, the article reports.

One question this raised in this reporter's mind: Could this incentive to retire at a (relatively) early age be related to why there's so much churn at the top of districts? Are superintendents simply encouraged by their retirement plans to retire once they've hit a certain point in their careers?

Education Week: Duncan Reluctant to Tweak Accountability-System Oversight

Education Week: Duncan Reluctant to Tweak Accountability-System Oversight

Secretary responds to Indiana grade-change flap

By Michele McNeil

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sees no need to step up the federal role in oversight of new accountability systems that are part of his department’s No Child Left Behind Act waiver program, even in the wake of a school-grading flap that last week cost Florida Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett his job.

In a wide-ranging interview with Education Week last week, Mr. Duncan did not defend Mr. Bennett—embroiled in a controversy stemming from his previous job as Indiana state schools chief—or Mr. Bennett’s actions. Nor did Mr. Duncan say there’s a reason at this point for federal officials to investigate what happened in the Hoosier State, which involved a grading system at the heart of its NCLB waiver agreement.

Instead, the secretary said, it’s important that those systems be developed and implemented transparently. And in the case of Indiana, given that the grading-system changes were exposed in the media, transparency prevailed, he said in the Aug. 1 interview.In a wide-ranging interview with Education Week last week, Mr. Duncan did not defend Mr. Bennett—embroiled in a controversy stemming from his previous job as Indiana state schools chief—or Mr. Bennett’s actions. Nor did Mr. Duncan say there’s a reason at this point for federal officials to investigate what happened in the Hoosier State, which involved a grading system at the heart of its NCLB waiver agreement.

“I’m not worried. See what happens when someone messes up?” Mr. Duncan said, adding that he doesn’t know if Mr. Bennett did anything wrong. “You need maximum transparency, and if anyone’s looking to do something silly, the costs on their lives and careers is profound.”

The Indiana changes came to light after the Associated Press obtained internal state education department emails from last fall.

Indiana is one of 39 states plus the District of Columbia with federal waivers allowing them considerable flexibility to design their own school accountability systems and freedom from many of the constraints of the NCLB law as written in 2001.

Mr. Duncan said that all the facts of the Indiana situation will come out soon enough.

“I think the facts will emerge, and we’ll look at them,” he said.

Waiver Renewals Loom

Even as states continue to work out the kinks in their waiver systems, it’s almost time for those state-federal agreements to be renewed. Federal approval of the waiver plans expire as early as the end of the 2013-14 school year. But Mr. Duncan wouldn’t offer any details about what a renewal process might look like.

“It’s early. We’re starting to think about it; we’d love to figure out if reauthorization has a shot in a bipartisan way,” he said.

By reauthorization, Mr. Duncan meant a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, whose current version is the NCLB law. While there are bills moving in both chambers of Congress to revamp the outdated law, Mr. Duncan has not been out front as a strong advocate for renewal, as he’s been on other issues, such as President Barack Obama’s proposal to greatly expand access to preschool.

“You want to spend time where people are serious,” said Mr. Duncan, explaining that he doesn’t view the House Republican version of an ESEA reauthorization, approved last month on a party-line vote, as “serious” in a bipartisan way. “I want to spend time where there’s a chance to get things done.”

Even though Mr. Duncan has not been making many public appearances in support of President Obama’s preschool initiative, no bill has yet been introduced, nor is there an appetite in Congress to raise taxes to support public programs. But Mr. Duncan sharply rejects the view that preschool legislation is a lost cause.

“Totally disagree. Why is this not a wild goose chase? Because there is such extraordinary bipartisan investment and support across the country that we’re seeing from governors, Republican and Democrat,” he said. “And while it is not public yet, we have had many, many conversations with Republican leaders in the House and Senate that are frankly encouraging.”

Mr. Duncan said preschool is one of the most important policy initiatives he wants to accomplish in Mr. Obama’s second term.

“You have 3½ years to think about what are the big things you want to get done, and the fact that today so few children in this country have access to high-quality early-childhood education, the fact that so many start kindergarten so far behind, the fact that so many never catch up, to me is morally unacceptable, ” he said.

District Agreements?

Mr. Duncan wouldn’t talk much about the tailor-made waiver that nine California districts are seeking in order to get out from under provisions of the NCLB law just as states have done. That would be a first-of-its-kind waiver and would upend the traditional relationship districts have with states. With the beginning of school just a couple of weeks away, those school districts—which cover about 1 million students and include Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Fresno—are anxious for an answer.

But Mr. Duncan gave no clues about whether he would go forward with granting such a waiver, except to say his staff hasn’t presented him with a proposal to consider.

“Our teams have been working hard,” he said. “At some point, staff will bring a recommendation to me; we’re not at that point yet.”

Davie Teacher Charged With Abusing Disabled Student - Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach - News - The Daily Pulp

Davie Teacher Charged With Abusing Disabled Student - Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach - News - The Daily Pulp

Deborah Tersigni, a 44-year-old Davie school teacher, has been charged with child abuse after she allegedly restrained an 8-year-old intellectually and physically handicapped student.

She also reportedly sat on top of the student, a Broward County School Police report says.

Police say the incident occurred in January at Silver Ridge Elementary School.

Tersigni allegedly grabbed the boy from his chair and forced his hands behind his back, then put him face-down on the floor.

She then sat on top of his back, which made it difficult for the boy to breathe.

According to the Sun Sentinel, the boy weighs 30 pounds, while Tersigni weighs 155 pounds.

Records show that Tersigni has been with the district for close to a decade.

Silver Ridge Elementary says she was reassigned in January after the incident while the investigation is ongoing.

Tersigni was taken into custody on Friday.

Former Antioch teacher charged with physically abusing young autistic students - Inside Bay Area

Former Antioch teacher charged with physically abusing young autistic students - Inside Bay Area

PITTSBURG -- A former Antioch special education teacher accused of physically abusing her young autistic students at Mno Grant Elementary School was arraigned Tuesday on six felony counts of child abuse.

Theresa Allen-Caulboy turned herself in Tuesday at the Pittsburg courthouse, complying with a $600,000 warrant for her arrest that was issued last week when the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office filed charges alleging six victims -- boys and girls ages 5, 6 and 7 -- were abused between October 2012 and Jan. 30, 2013.

Allen-Caulboy, 55, of Brentwood, resigned from the Antioch Unified School District in February, a month after parents reported her to police and she was placed on administrative leave.

At a bail hearing Tuesday, prosecutor Melissa Smith said Allen-Caulboy "preyed" on vulnerable children, some of whom are nonverbal, and that there is "nothing to indicate that something prompted her to act out this way."

Less than six months after she started teaching at the school, other district employees began witnessing Allen-Caulboy commit abusive acts, including kneeing a child in the chest, pinching a child's nipples, backhanded slaps, pinning children to the ground and forcing students to "eat boogers," according to Smith. Allen-Caulboy allegedly threatened a school aide that anyone who reported her conduct was "going to get sued," Smith said.

Prosecutors would not say whether there are charges pending against any school district employees who allegedly witnessed or received complaints from parents but did not go to police as mandated by law, before parents sparked the police investigation in January.

"All aspects of this case are still being investigated," said senior Deputy District Attorney Nancy Georgiou.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Grossman described Allen-Caulboy as a "thoughtful, compassionate, hardworking, caring and sensitive human being" who received no prior complaints in her 11 years of teaching.

The defendant was accompanied to court with her family and a former colleague at John Muir Elementary School in Antioch, where Allen-Caulboy taught autistic students in 2011.

"This is a person who very much wants to address these charges," Grossman told the judge, later adding, "I have a lot to say about whether (the DA) will prevail on these counts."

Judge Nancy Davis Stark ordered Allen-Caulboy to electronic house arrest until she can post a $200,000 property bond. The judge further ordered Allen-Caulboy not to teach or care for any minors and issued a restraining order barring any contact with the alleged victims and witnesses in the case.

Allen-Caulboy is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 12 to post bond and enter her plea to the charges.

House Passes Partisan NCLB Rewrite, But Rocky Road Still Ahead - Politics K-12 - Education Week

House Passes Partisan NCLB Rewrite, But Rocky Road Still Ahead - Politics K-12 - Education Week

UPDATED

After two days of partisan debate on an issue that used to bring Democrats and Republicans together in a kumbaya chorus, the House of Representatives passed a GOP-only reauthorization of the long-stalled No Child Left Behind Act.

The bill, approved 221-207, with no Democratic support, would maintain the NCLB law's signature testing schedule and its practice of breaking out student-achievement data by particular groups of students (such as English-language learners and students in special education).

But otherwise it's almost a complete U-turn, policy-wise, from the existing federal school accountability law. States and school districts would get a lot more say on how they hold schools accountable for the progress of all students, including special populations. That has advocates for some school districts (including the American Association of School Administrators) pretty happy. But civil rights organizations, the business community, and urban districts are not on board. More on what's in the bill and who likes and hates the bill here.

What happens next is anyone's guess. The Democratic-controlled Senate education committee approved its own completely partisan and very different version earlier this year. The bill's author, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is hoping to move that legislation to the floor of the Senate this year but it hasn't yet been scheduled. (Harkin's latest comments on the billhere.) It's unclear if the Obama administration, which has its own waiver plan, even wants a reauthorization. And the president has threatened to veto the House GOP legislation.

Yesterday, a key vote illustrated the perils in passing a partisan bill. The measure won support from some of the most conservative members of the House GOP caucus only after Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the bill's author, gave up the ghost on a policy near and dear to his heart: Requiring school districts to use student outcomes to measure teacher effectiveness. Reps. Rob Bishop, R-Utah and Steve Scalise, R-La., persuaded Kline to make such evaluations optional, not mandatory. And those conservative lawmakers were in lock-step with the National Education Association on this issue.

The teacher-evaluation change brings the House bill much closer in line with legislation introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, the top Republican on the Senate education committee, to rewrite the ESEA law. Alexander supports the idea of teacher evaluation tied to student outcomes, but doesn't think it's the federal government's job to mandate it.

And in fact, Alexander released a statement calling the bill a "kissing cousin" of his own legislation, which has the support of all ten GOP lawmakers on the Senate education committee. Alexander encouraged his colleagues to pass legislation similar to the House bill, which he said would halt the administration's efforts to create "a national school board."

"Senate Republicans are thrilled," a Senate GOP aide said. "The House bill is about as good a piece of legislation as there is and we should go to conference and concede to the House...[The vote] shows that when you offer freedom, freedom wins."

Ultimately, 12 Republicans in the House crossed party lines to vote against the provision. The detractors included some northeastern GOP lawmakers, such as Reps. Michael Grimm and Tom Reed, both of New York, who had worked with the NEA on amendments. And in a somewhat unusual move, Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the speaker of the House, and a key architect of NCLB, voted to support the bill. (Typically, the speaker abstains from voting on most legislation.)

Perhaps the high-point today—the final day of debate—came during an exchange between Rep. George Miller of California, the top Democrat on the House education committee, on an amendment introduced by Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., the majority leader. The amendment would allow parents to take Title I dollars to any public school of their choice, including a charter.

Cantor argued this Title I portability amendment would make a huge difference for children who are caught in failing schools. But Miller argued that NCLB already allows those students to transfer to the school of their choice—and the vast majority don't bother to take districts up on that flexibility.

"It's a decision that doesn't work for them because of lack of transportation in poor neighborhoods," Miller argued. He noted that Cantor had originally wanted to allow studentes to transfer to private schools as well and called the policy an "imitation voucher."

The Cantor amendment was ultimately passed on a voice vote. The AASA and the National School Boards Association, two traditional education groups that support the bill but not the Cantor amendment, are continuing to endorse the legislation, even though Title I portability is now part of the deal. Essentially, the organizations are holding their noses and hoping that the school-choice language gets scrapped in conference. (If there ever is a conference. Which is a very big if. More on all that here.)

Here's NSBA's official response to the Title I portability addition: 

"NSBA will support [the bill] in view of the overwhelming shift in direction to ensure that greater flexibility and governance will be restored to local school boards. While there is no perfect bill, HR 5 clearly acknowledges that the footprint of the federal government in K-12 education must be reduced. While NSBA opposed the Cantor's amendment a Title I portability amendment, we believe that this provision—as well as other NSBA concerns—will be addressed when the Senate passes its ESEA bill, and both the House and Senate ESEA bills go to conference. The alternative is to shut down the legislative process and maintain the status quo—which is not acceptable to NSBA."

The House also voted down a substitute amendment, written by Miller, which would have essentially replaced the entire bill with the Democrats' vision for reauthorization. Miller wanted to require states to establish accountability systems that set performance, growth, and graduation targets. On teacher evaluation, the Miller measure would call for districts to craft evaluation systems and use them in professional development and to ensure the equitable distribution of teachers.

In a made-for-C-SPAN-highlights-reel-moment: Miller got very fiery when the House presiding officer tried to cut off debate on his amendment. "Who's running out of time? Children are running out of time in this nation!" he shouted, as the gavel came down.

[UPDATE (5:30 p.m.) On Friday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan tweeted his feelings about the so-called "Student Success Act." ]

Education Week: Fla. Schools Chief Resigns Amid Grade-Change Controversy

Education Week: Fla. Schools Chief Resigns Amid Grade-Change Controversy

Florida Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett today resigned his position, following revelations July 29 that during his tenure as Indiana’s K-12 chief in 2012, he altered the state’s A-F school accountability system after discovering that an Indianapolis charter school that was run by one of his political donors received a lower-than-expected score.

Mr. Bennett, who took over the top Florida education job in January, is a nationally prominent K-12 official who is widely admired in some quarters of the education policy community for his aggressive approach to promoting school choice and school accountability, and for overhauling teacher evaluations in Indiana. He also has strong political connections as a member of Chiefs for Change, a group of state superintendents that is affiliated with two K-12 advocacy groups run by former GOP Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Mr. Bennett lost his 2012 re-election bid in Indiana to Glenda Ritz, a Democrat.

During 2012, Mr. Bennett had assured the operator of Christel House Academy in Indianapolis that the school would receive an A grade. But on Sept. 12 of last year, emails published by the Associated Press reveal that he and his staff were spurred to change Indiana’s A-F accountability system when they saw that Christel House would not earn an A.

In a press conference Thursday in Florida, Mr. Bennett called allegations of wrongdoing based on those stories "malicious" and "unfounded," but said he had decided to resign to eliminate distractions for Florida education and political leaders. He also said he would ask Indiana's inspector general to investigate the grade-changing situation in Indiana and was "fearless" about the results of such an investigation.

"It's not fair to the children of Florida that I continue as commissioner and deal with the distractions," Mr. Bennett said.

He announced that Pam Stewart will serve as the interim education commissioner. Ms. Stewart, currently the chancellor of public schools at the Florida education department, had previously served as commissioner between the resignation of former Commissioner Gerard Robinson last year and Mr. Bennett's appointment. The next permanent Florida education commissioner will be the fourth to serve Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican. Mr. Bennett said at his press conference today that Gov. Scott told him that he should stay despite the news.

In a separate conference call on July 30 with reporters, Mr. Bennett denied any wrongdoing, stating that he would never alter accountability measures to benefit charter schools or any political donor.

Last month in Florida, Mr. Bennett shepherded through a change to Florida’s A-F grading system for schools intended to limit the consequences from an expected drop in grades as the Common Core State Standards and tests aligned with them are phased in through the 2014-15 school year. And he is facing pressure from Florida elected officials to drop out of a federally funded consortium developing common-core-aligned tests.

Prior to today’s developments, Tom Loveless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Brown Center on Education Policy, said of the Indiana controversy that Mr. Bennett “has a lot of different things he’s juggling. And this does not help.”

Mr. Loveless said the Indiana revelations also highlight the importance of states’ protecting their accountability systems from the appearance of political influence. “You have to be very careful that you wall off accountability, which should not be influenced by elected officials, from the politics of the state,” he said. “Until you do that, you’re going to have these ethical questions.”

Trail of Emails

SEE ALSO

Read the email exchange Tony Bennett had with his staff regarding Christel House Academy and its grade from the state.

The Indiana firestorm was ignited this week when the Associated Press published emails from September 2012, when Mr. Bennett was still Indiana’s elected state superintendent. At that time, they show, Mr. Bennett and top aides learned that the Christel House Academy charter school would earn a C grade for the 2011-12 school year—largely because of low 10th grade algebra scores.

That prospect set off a flurry of activity by the state education department to see how it could alter the A-F system, an accountability measure that Mr. Bennett had championed.

Mr. Bennett had previously assured the school’s operator, Christel DeHaan, and Indiana Speaker of the House Brian Bosma, a Republican, that the school would receive an A grade. Given the mediocre scores for Christel House, Mr. Bennett wrote to aides that his pledges amounted to “repeated lies.”

Subsequent email correspondence shows that Mr. Bennett and staff members discussed and ultimately made changes to school grading as it related to Christel House and other schools, although it remains unclear exactly what those changes were. The school’s score ultimately rose to an A, or a 3.75 on the scale.

Ms. DeHaan contributed a total of $130,000 to Mr. Bennett’s political campaigns in 2008 and 2012. Campaign-finance records show that for the reporting period from last Oct. 23—after the email exchanges obtained by the Associated Press occurred—through the end of 2012, she gave Mr. Bennett’s campaign $15,000. She has also contributed to Indiana Democrats and to President Barack Obama.

In a July 30 conference call with reporters, Mr. Bennett denied that he had acted improperly. In fact, he said, officials changed the grades for Christel House and 12 other schools that were “unfairly penalized” for not having graduation statistics. At the time, 10th grade was Christel House’s highest grade level.

Mr. Bennett also said that confidence in Florida schools’ A-F grades shouldn’t be compromised as a result of the Indiana disclosures.

“It has never been, and it won’t be, about political donors or making charter schools or private schools look good,” he said.

Florida Debates

Meanwhile, Mr. Bennett, who was hired to lead the Florida schools after losing his Indiana re-election bid, had been dealing with the aftermath of the Florida state board’s July 16 vote to alter the A-F accountability system (on his recommendation) so that no individual school’s grade will drop by more than one letter grade in one year for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years.

The 2013-14 year is the first time the common core will be implemented in all Florida grades, and 2014-15 is the first scheduled year for new assessments aligned with the common core.

“I believe the transition to [the common core] will be an opportunity to provide greater transparency in our state accountability system,” Mr. Bennett wrote to the state board.

Florida’s A-F system was enacted in 1999 and supported by then-Gov. Bush. Patricia Levesque, the executive director of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, a K-12 advocacy group chaired by Mr. Bush, had written a July 15 letter to the board opposing the change.

But in an interview, Mr. Bennett denied the change represented a “relaxation” of accountability along the lines of the state’s decision to lower the cutoff score on its writing test last year, following a drop in student performance.

Mr. Bennett also had to deal with opposition to common-core assessments from Senate President Don Gaetz and Speaker of the House Will Weatherford, both Republicans, who said the state should drop out of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, testing consortium. (On a national level, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also voiced opposition to the common core late last month.)

Before news of his impending resignation, Mr. Bennett said the state is weighing a potential “Plan B” alternative to the PARCC assessment, but said that support for the standards in Florida remains strong. So far, no legislation to repeal the common core in Florida has been introduced.

The Most Backward Legislature in America - John Wilson Unleashed - Education Week

The Most Backward Legislature in America - John Wilson Unleashed - Education Week

By John Wilson on July 29, 2013 6:30 AM

I realize many of you in states like Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, and Tennessee could tell similar stories, but the North Carolina General Assembly, with its GOP super-majority and leaderless Governor, who is also a member of the Republican Party, have managed to destroy the reputation of a state. Once known for having the most innovative and progressive public school system in America, North Carolina is now a trajectory of backwardness.

This legislature has put North Carolina in a race to the bottom on per pupil expenditures. This legislature chose to cut education by a half a billion dollars--even though the state had more resources available than in previous years. North Carolina will lose over 5,000 teachers, counselors, and school psychologists. A reading program that provided teaching assistants for K-3 classrooms was decimated by the elimination of almost 4,000 positions. Cuts to textbooks and instructional supplies exceeded $120 million. This is backward.

This legislature had plenty of funds to provide generous tax cuts to the wealthy. Ninety percent of the individual tax cuts go to the wealthiest 5 percent in NC. To show their disdain for the poor and middle class, state lawmakers eliminated the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) as well as the tax holiday on back to school clothes and supplies, which has been an economic driver for our retail merchants. Everyone knows that tax relief for the poor and middle class are better economic drivers because the neediest people spend their money---unlike rich people who have the luxury of saving tax benefits. This is backward.

This legislature also had plenty of funds to provide generous tax cuts to corporations, many of them headquartered in other states. North Carolina has always been rated as a great place to do business because of its renowned universities, research and innovation, and strong public schools. However, this legislature has cut the institutions that prepare North Carolina's workforce. This action is more about rewarding friends and donors than it is about economic development and recruitment of new employers. This is backward.

North Carolina was recently rated 46th among all states and DC for teacher pay. The state was already projected to be 48th this coming year, but that did not satisfy this legislature. Lawmakers wanted their teachers to be last in the nation so they failed to provide them with a salary increase. To underscore their anti-intellectual credentials, they eliminated additional pay for those who earn master's degrees and other advanced degrees in the future. To add insult to injury, in two years, they will give 25 percent of the teachers a little over $300, after taxes, if their test scores are the highest. Of course, to silence teachers, they eliminated career status (so-called tenure) for all teachers and replaced it with terminating contracts. This is backward.

North Carolina has been known for its programs to improve teacher recruitment and retention. This legislature eliminated our crown jewel, the Teaching Fellows Program, which provided scholarships annually to 600 high-achieving high school students who wanted to make teaching a lifelong career. Instead, they chose to give Teach for America an allocation of $5 million to place 175 teachers in our schools next year. Of course, school districts must pay salaries, benefits, and finder's fees for these TFAers. There are 6,000 Teaching Fellows who are still teaching. Those175 TFAers will be gone in two years. What kind of ROI (return on investment) is that for the taxpayers of NC? This is backward.

North Carolina has been acknowledged for its good citizenship efforts to encourage voting. We have a special program for high school students to help them pre-register to vote when they are 16 or 17 years old. This program is now gone. Suppression of young, minority, and disabled voters reigns supreme in North Carolina. This state has returned to the dark days of segregationist practices. This is backward.

Yes, North Carolina has the most backward legislature in America. However, thankfully, NC still has a majority of progressive and pro-public school people who have learned a great lesson about studying candidates' positions on issues and voting in every election. They've also learned about encouraging good people to run for office and the power of civil disobedience to call attention to the misdeeds of a misguided legislature. The majority of concerned and compassionate Tar Heels will prevail. It will just take time, mobilization, and voting.