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Only three states are expected to spend less per student than North Carolina in the current school year, according to the latest rankings from the National Education Association.

North Carolina's per pupil spending for the 2012-13 school year is estimated at $8,433 with only Texas, Utah and Arizona spending less per student. The U.S. average is $11,068.

The state also ranks No. 48 in teacher salary among the 50 states and District of Columbia in the current school year, paying an average $45,947. Only Oklahoma, Mississippi and South Dakota pay less. The U.S. average is $56,383.

Both rankings in per pupil spending and average teacher salary represent a decline in the NEA rankings from the previous year. North Carolina spent $8,492 per student in the 2011-2012 school year and paid an average teacher salary of $46,605.

The N.C. Association of Educators has hired Ann McColl to be its first in-house lawyer.

In addition to legal work, she'll work on policy and lobbying.

McColl moves to NCAE from her job as lobbyist for the State Board of Education, where she's been for about two years.

"Ann brings a wealth of experience, talent, and commitment to our Association's work," said NCAE President Rodney Ellis. "Whether the issue is employment, working conditions, or education reform, Ann believes that educators deserve a strong voice. NCAE is stronger with Ann on our team."

The N.C. teachers association is hitting Republican Pat McCrory for his support of a  charter school company being investigated in Florida for using uncertified teachers and asking school employees to hide the practice.

The company under fire is K12 Inc, a for-profit, publicly traded company. Earlier this year, McCrory singled out a school being proposed by the company during a speech in Asheboro. “I am a firm believer in competition and support charter schools," McCrory said, according to local reports. "I am supporting a virtual charter school in Concord."

K12 Inc. is facing national scrutiny and lawsuits about its educational rigor, the most recent being an inquiry launched earlier this month in Florida after documents showed that company officials asked teachers to take credit for classes and students that they didn't teach.

Given the questions, is McCrory reconsidering his support for the school? A spokesman for the gubernatorial candidate said no.

The N.C. Association of Educators, a group long associated with Democrats, announced endorsements Wednesday of three Republican House members over their Democratic challengers. 

Reps. Bryan Holloway of Stokes, Linda Johnson of Cabarrus, and Hugh Blackwell of Burke County won NCAE's nod in what the group said is its first round of legislative endorsements. The other 13 endorsements announced Wednesday all went to Democrats.

Holloway and Blackwell are House education budget writers. Johnson is a co-chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee.

The House pushed money toward the K-12 budget this year, though not all made it into the final budget.

"These three legislative leaders were courageous, strong and vocal for public school educators and students this past short session, and our educators are going to be strong and vocal in working for their re-election this November," NCAE President Rodney Ellis said in a statement.

To add context to the unprecedented midnight session last week, the N&O analyzed more than 19,000 votes at the N.C. General Assembly since 2001 to see how often lawmakers took action in the early morning hours.

Nowhere did we find lawmakers starting a different session after midnight -- that remains its own record. But the analysis found that less than 1 percent of all votes are cast after midnight. It weakens Republican claims that late votes are common and adds weight to Democrats and open government advocates concerns about transparency. To read the full story, go here. And here's a few more interesting facts:

-- 7 a.m. was the only hour in which a vote was not taken.

-- Of the 170 votes taken between 12:01 a.m. and 6:23 a.m., the top three issues were the budget, education and taxes.

-- The bulk of votes – 45 percent – occurred between 2 and 5 p.m.

-- 2001 and 2008 were the only years without post-midnight votes.

-- In 2010, during the short session under Democratic leaders Marc Basnight and Joe Hackney, there were 31 votes after midnight, nearly 4 percent of all votes taken that year.

Sen. Tom Apodaca, Hendersonville Republican and Senate Rules committee chairman, won the Legislator of the Year award from the State Employees Association of North Carolina's political action committee.

The group cited Apodaca's work on the changes to the state employee health plan as one of the reasons he won the Lisa B. Mitchell Award.

"During this legislative session, Sen. Apodaca's door was open and we always had a seat at his table," SEANC executive director Dana Cope said in a statement.

The N.C. Association of Educators and retirees didn't like the first versions of the health plan changes. Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed the first health plan bill legislators passed.

The award is named for a former SEANC member who worked to build its PAC.

After last week's well-publicized open microphone comments by Republicans in their caucus gathering, the N.C. Association of Educators today shot back with an invitation to House Speaker Thom Tillis to meet with teachers on Wednesday to talk about the Republican-authored budget's impact on children.

NCAE President Sheri Strickland said she was disheartened to hear of Tillis' threat in the caucus to ban payroll deductions by teachers for association dues, she wrote, "as political retribution for not supporting your budget."

She said she was shocked to read about Tillis' comment at the GOP convention over the weekend, when he stated that NCAE members don't care about kids or classrooms.

"Respectfully, nothing could be further from the truth and such comments and actions are not in line with the values of our educators or the dignity of your position," Strickland wrote.

Strickland pointed out that North Carolina has dropped to 46th in the nation in per pupil spending. She wrote that the Republican budget makes drastic cuts to early childhood education, professional development programs, at-risk student programs and resources to improve teacher effectiveness.

"It is apparent to the public that this legislature is determined to privatize our public school system at a time when resources are so desperately needed in the classroom," she wrote.

She asked Tillis to come to the NCAE center on Wednesday for a discussion about the impact of the cuts.

She said the teachers group would provide "a chalk board and ample chalk to share our concerns."

About 100 students with signs and homemade drums raised a ruckus at N.C. State University's Bell Tower this afternoon in a warm-up rally to oppose proposed budget cuts.

The crowd included high school students and college students from various UNC campuses as far away as Appalachian State University.

"This is no budget crisis," said Bryan Perlmutter, a sophomore at N.C. State, where a cut of $80 million is feared. "It's a moral crisis. We will no longer sit back and watch the legislature tear apart the future of this state."

The House budget proposal includes a cut of about $1 billion to all sectors of education. The UNC system would face the highest percentage cut -- more than 15 percent.

After a few passionate speeches, the crowd marched down Hillsborough Street to join thousands of teachers at a rally sponsored by the N.C. Association of Educators. Gov. Bev Perdue is scheduled to speak to the big crowd late today.

Members of the state's education group voted to boycott businessses owned by Raleigh businessman Art Pope.

Brian Lewis, lobbyist for the N.C. Association of Educators, said Pope takes profits out of poor communities to fund organizations that work against the interests of poor people and public education.

Pope, who owns Variety Wholesalers, has used his money to bankroll groups such as the Civitas Institute and the John Locke Foundation. He is also an Americans for Prosperity director. The groups have taken positions and espoused views that NCAE opposes.

"He funds things that attack not only teachers, but students," Lewis said.

NCAE members voted to boycott Pope-owned stores at their conventiont two weeks ago, but the group  is waiting to hear back from the state NAACP on whether they will join in before it makes a formal announcement,  Lewis said.

UPDATE:

Pope said NCAE is "lying about my record of support for public schools."

While he was in the legislature, Pope said he supported increased funding for low wealth schools, supported the ABC reforms and was a principal supporter of a bill to expedite school construction.

The state Democratic Party called for a boycott of Variety Wholesalers stores before the election last fall. Pope said it had no effect on sales.

To read Pope's full response to the NCAE boycott and to a recent NCAE video about charter schools, click on attached document.

Legislators are getting a Valentine's Day message from students, teachers and parents today: "have a heart" for pre-K through 12th grade education.

The effort is being coordinated by the NCAE which wants law makers to protect schools from budget cuts. are receiving Valentine hearts today from teachers, parents and students as part of a coordinated effort by the NCAE.

“The NCAE valentines won’t have the traditional romantic messages,”  NCAE President Sheri Strickland said in a statement. “Our message is for legislators to prioritize our state’s future — our children — by having a heart for pre-K-12 public education. NCAE is lobbying the General Assembly, through the Valentine’s Day messages, to keep their promises to minimize cuts to the classroom.”

NCAE members and a group of students will join Rep. Maggie Jeffus, a Democrat from Greensboro, and House Appropriations Chair Rep. Linda Johnson, a Republican from Kannapolis, at a press conference in the General Assembly Legislative Press Room at 4 p.m. today for the Valentine’s Day delivery. Jeffus is a retired educator.

NCAE is the state’s largest education association, representing nearly 60,000 active, retired and student members.