newsobserver.com projects - Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep - Comments

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

MItransplant — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:39:09 -0400

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE...

I think too many people hear us "whining" about pay, and don't consider that MOST teachers not only work during the school year, but also nights, weekends, and holidays (when else will you grade papers, plan lessons, email/call parents back?) How many other professions have to PAY TO TAKE A DAY OFF (even if it is for your own children, an illness, going to court)??? And how many other professions have to buy their own office supplies for themselves AND their employees (students)?

We are getting taken advantage of because everyone knows that teachers will ALWAYS show up the next day...because we love our students and we want what is best for them.

There is TOO MUCH wasteful spending in NC! I have worked with teachers who have moved here from all over the country...none of us has EVER seen as many tests as NC gives. We can't raise student achievement if we are CONSTANTLY reteaching the things students get incorrect on the test (which is the stance most principals take). How are you supposed to move forward if you keep looking back???

I agree there should be an end-of-year test, but one EVERY QUARTER, and sometimes at THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR??? COME ON!!!

Re: Where is Perdue's Transparency?

ThomasPaine — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:06:14 -0400

I'm not a teacher. I was at the meeting. I didn't see anyone kicked out. Easy to lie from behind a keyboard andarm chair quarterback hiding behind fake names to smear folks, folks who are doing the heavy lifting for this horrible economy we've been handed. The tough decisions have to be made and everybody can't be happy. The bottom line is they have to be made and we are fortunate not be in the bad shape of many of our neighbor states who are firing essential personnel and essentially gone bankrupt. We'll get through this recession, with or without you backbiters.

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

greenswamp — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:58:30 -0400

I see a lot of complaints about the increase in taxes but nothing complimentary about the tax cuts which tells me that this is just the same old empty attack machine from the Republican side. Perdue is not perfect, but at least she trying to balance the pain between the two sides, tax increase and spending cuts. If you want to cut waste in education, look toward the local level where waste is everywhere. There are positions at the board supervisory levels that are completely unnecessary such as a curriculum specialist for every school. This is a $50,000 plus position that is absolutely useless. Ask any teacher. Also, the board offices, which are loaded with unnecessary supervisors and assistants. This money could be used to pay for teachers instead of seatwarmers. Again, all at the local board level.

Where is Perdue's Transparency?

concerned53 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:19:59 -0400

It's curious that Perdue will only speak to friendly groups, i.e. to union teachers about her tax increase. Why doesn't she have either a press conference and/or a citizen's forum to address questions about the proposed tax increase, her position on Easley(s) and the corruption in the NC democratic party? Apparently, her security kicked out someone that was trying to ask her a question that she did not want to answer. Inexcusable. She may be less transparent than Easley, if that is possible.

You are not being fair!

grinder — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:39:36 -0400

You people are not being fair with the gov. Look at it like this. Obama was elected in part due to the unions. So he gave billions and billions to GM and Chrysler. And then gave these same unions big stakes in the companies. So he did the right thing. He paid them back for their support.

Our gov was electd in large part due to the teacher union and state employees union. And so it is time to pay them back for their support.

Obama used tax money to pay back the auto workers. And now Ms. Bev needs you to give a little more tax money so she can settle up with our unions.

You might think that this concept is flawed in that you are paying your debts with other people's money. But it really is a pretty neat idea. Now us poor taxpayers have just got to figure out a way to make it work down on the farm. Just get other people to pay your bills! Simple.

If you figure out how to make it work please give me a call. That's BR-549. And thanks.

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

radioman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:31:13 -0400

I THINK THAT THAT CHICKEN LADY SHOULD PRUNE SOME OF THE EXCESS SALARIES AT UNC FIRST !

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

eastwest — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:35:49 -0400

Perdue is a loser. She and other incompetent govt employees should all be fired. They don't have a clue how to run a real business so they try to run government and in doing so just ask for more money instead of getting rid of all the non-sense we have in this state.

Take for instance the Wake County bussing debacle. They bus kids hours away from their home neighborhood thinking a kid will do better in a rich neighborhood while all along the problem lies in other areas. Does Wake county actually think people are stupid to believe that test scores improve when you just bus kids around to spread out the problem? In the meantime they spend MILLIONS on gas, labor, maint and busses. No results from this other than exhausted kids and frustrated parents who get their kids reassigned every 2 yrs. Wake county does not even want to submit to a need assessment to prove their program works. This insanity must end.

I am at a loss why people even vote anymore. Either party is without a clue. The stuff they spend money on is shameful. Politicians from both sides have this quick to the draw "we need more taxes" solution when the true solution is not cutting education but cutting all the unnecessary pork and redundant functions. When private sector has to cut, do they ask their customers to pay more money for nothing? No they find ways to be more efficient. That is the problem with a monopoly, there is no competition. We need to have competition for education dollars and other things.

We need a NEW SYSTEM of govt. The current one both state and fed is BROKEN and not fixable. Its like a broken down car with 200,000 miles on it and a cracked engine. It will never be fixed, gotta buy a new one!

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

teacherforyears — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:25:33 -0400

Dear Governor,

Instead of needed, in-school people, have you considered cutting:
* DPI personnel, many of which have never seen a classroom?
* Central Office "directors" of educational whims and pet-projects?
* EOG/EOC tests, field tests, and/or needless, frequent revisions?
* Unproductive paperwork: PEPs, writing folders, math checklists, 15 page RTI applications, Dibels, reading records, IGPs, etc.?
* Worthless workshops: For example, 15 hours of "Drug and Alcohol Awareness" (I don't touch either!), 15 hours of "Math Partners" (A "new" powerpoint presentation for an old curriculum), etc.?
* "Cutting Edge Initiatives" that "We build as we fly it!" but soon forget all about it? (The "Career Development" program that cost millions of dollars and hours.)

Please reconsider!

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

sparrow12 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:28:45 -0400

I do not mean to be unkind but you need to proof read your e mail. You have numerous spelling errors. A remedial spelling course would help you and your students. This directed to Tommy Gun.

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

PercyKution — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:53:10 -0400

What's happened to Beverly Marlene Moore is sad. She wasn't like this when I knew her. I think getting around all those scumbag (spit) lawyers is what messed Beverly up. I know Mr. Alfred and Miss Irene would be disappointed too. They were good people.

Percy Kution
Class of '64
Grundy, VA HS

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

TarDawg74 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:30:33 -0400

What else should we expect from her. She is a mile wide and less then an inch deep. We got what we asked for when we elected someone as dumb as she is. She should go back to New Bern.

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

watching — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:14:09 -0400

Gov. Perdue is testing the waters with her rallys. She knows the NCEA is a powerful organization and all this education stuff is going to come back to haunt her in the next election.

I don't think Gov. Perdue has an iota of an idea on how to manage this state with its present conditon. Someone else is telling her what to do and she is governing in name only.

I hope teachers won't be so quick to vote for her the next time.

DEMOCRATS need to learn how to save (or cut spending). Somebody's got to pay the bill. Money don't grow on trees. Will someone tell these DEMOS this?

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

redriver — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:06:09 -0400

We are now seeing the true governor we have. She does not have a clue as to the real budget numbers only what she has been told. Being a lifelong democrat (registered anyway) I can not see how this group keeps getting elected. I stopped voting for them years ago. No one wants to loose their job or pay. She is only pandering to the educators because they have the loudest lobby in Raleigh. I guess the rest of the citizens don't count anymore since we really don't have a lobby. Throwing more money at the education system has done nothing in the past few years. State government budgets increased 50% in the last 6 years and now they say they can not find enough cuts? I hope she gets what she wants because what she is doing, and the others on JOnes st., will surely get different results in the next election. She may be the best thing that has happened to the state republicans in a generation.

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

forschools — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:41:30 -0400

Tommy Gun

Where is it that you received your education? Where would you like our children to receive their education? I agree we need to rid our schools of failing programs and failing teachers. However, teachers have to work with what they are given. If parents and community members do not support the efforts of teachers, then we are all failing. When is the last time you volunteered or entered a public school? Unfortunately, some families are extremely poor and even completing a project is difficult for them. The technolgy gap is widening and our children are failing simply because they can not compete. They are unable to go to the local libraries, the parent teacher conferences, and have tutoring for weak areas. Some children wear the same clothes everyday because the are living out of their cars. When you increase class size, we will have a harder time noticing the children falling behind, being neglected at home, and those who can't afford basic supplies. I have purchased at least $500.00 worth of materials a year since I have been teaching. Not to mention the rewards that I have purchased, books, binders, endless supplies of pencils, and food for children who go home to an empty table. I give out my personal phone number to students and families to make sure their needs are met. My co- workers do the same. I have freinds with children in private schools where that does not happen. The class sizes are the same but the difference is the financial contributions from families in addtion to volnteer time that is expected in the private arena. Public schools can not force people to help but we certainly beg. So.. as an educator, I am crying for you to understand that educators are not asking for money for us. We are asking for the budget to be adaquately funded for the children. As for Bev..... Keep going girl. It doesn't look like you have support on the blogs but I assure you , it is still there.

Re: Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

JPQuick — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:41:20 -0400

Bev Perdue is using education as a political smokescreen to conceal the total failure of House Democrats to make meaningful cuts in entitlement spending and pork-barrel projects.

In reality, House Democrats place greater priority on political giveaways than education or economic growth.

Take a gander at a partial list of pork-barrel projects House Democrats passed in their most recent budget proposal:

$31,000,000 Funding for North Carolina Center for Auto Research
$2,000,000 Funding for ACC Hall of Champions
$2,000,000 Funding for Oyster Sanctuary
$2,100,000 Funding for Roanoke Island Commission
$1,700,000 Funding for Shellfish Sanitation
$1,250,000 Funding for NC Military Business Center
$1,200,000 Funding for Grape Growers Council
$935,000 Funding for Cafeteria in Legislative Building
$866,000 Funding for High Point Furniture Market
$550,000 Funding for UNC Furniture Manufacturing and Management Center
$550,000 Funding for Executive Aircraft
$500,000 Funding for Guest Worker Program
$450,000 Funding for Tree Improvement Program
$450,000 Funding for Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park
$400,000 Funding for Sparta Teapot Museum
$220,000 Funding for UNC Center for International Understanding
$150,000 Funding for River Herring Management Program
$106,000 Funding for NC County Boundaries Program
$91,000 Funding for UNC Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity

The list goes on and on....

Perdue rally sees lukewarm pep

kkiley — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:32:31 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue continued her march across the state today to drum up support for a proposed $1.5 billion hike in state taxes to stave off cuts to education, but received a mixed response.

After a rally in Wilmington this morning, Perdue spoke to a group of about 100 educators at South Central High School outside of Greenville.

She called on the group to contact legislators and voice support for education.

"I need you to walk the walk with me. I need you to talk the talk with me," Perdue said, declaring that the state should not cut teachers or teacher assistants and that it should not increase class sizes.

Attendees at the Greenville rally said they like that Perdue is supportive of education, but they said she didn't offer much of a game plan.

"It seemed like it was just sort of a pep rally," said Ellis Harmon, a music teacher from Edgecombe County, who said he was worried about his pay being cut. "She didn't say anything specific."

Others said they thought Perdue was trying to show support for the people who backed her during the campaign.

"I think she's just trying to make sure we're not totally mad at her," said Bonnie Stebnicki, a preschool teacher. "Teachers are the ones who stood out in the rain for her for all those hours."