Happy Holidays!

[O Really]

Isn't today when the Titanic hit the 'burg?
Seems appropriate in light of our banana repubic gummint.

[GoCubsGo]

Isn't today when the Titanic hit the 'burg?
Seems appropriate in light of our banana repubic gummint.

Tomorrow, but the sentiment stands.

[Vrede too]

Isn't today when the Titanic hit the 'burg?
Seems appropriate in light of our banana repubic gummint.

Tomorrow, but the sentiment stands.

On a more positive note:

Happy
Hippy
Happy, y'all

[GoCubsGo]

Seven leaves?

[Vrede too]

Seven leaves?

... The first pair of leaves usually have a single leaflet, the number gradually increasing up to a maximum of about thirteen leaflets per leaf (usually seven or nine), depending on variety and growing conditions....

[Vrede too]

It's here at last!

[GoCubsGo]

It's here at last!

[Vrede too]

It's here at last!

https://preview.redd.it/does-anyone-els ... 5f3aa97542

https://c.tenor.com/u9Mq4fxP3bUAAAAM/st ... murray.gif


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-t2n_jk1QM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_o2FjzMeoI

Happy Teecher Apreciation Day
NC is the only state that has not past a bugget for the Fall.
Pay them moor, much moor.

[O Really]

Happy Teecher Apreciation Day
NC is the only state that has not past a bugget for the Fall.
Pay them moor, much moor.

Sure, pay them moor, but bring back respect and job stability. Teaching has never been a high pay job, but there were offsetting advantages, including decent benefits, summers off to spend time with their own kids, and a job they can keep for as long as they like. Plus there used to be some personal satisfaction for teachers in the difference they made in their students' lives as well as vicarious pride in the accomplishments of those they taught. Most of that has gone away now and they get treated like crap, moved around, laid off, restricted in how/what they teach and are in one of the lowest paid jobs requiring a college degree. Add all that to school systems' stubbornness on "one size fits all" teaching methods and content and across the board test scoring and people again (or still) want to know "Why Johnny Can't Read"

[Vrede too]

Sure, pay them moor, but bring back respect and job stability. Teaching has never been a high pay job, but there were offsetting advantages, including decent benefits, summers off to spend time with their own kids, and a job they can keep for as long as they like. Plus there used to be some personal satisfaction for teachers in the difference they made in their students' lives as well as vicarious pride in the accomplishments of those they taught. Most of that has gone away now and they get treated like crap, moved around, laid off, restricted in how/what they teach and are in one of the lowest paid jobs requiring a college degree. Add all that to school systems' stubbornness on "one size fits all" teaching methods and content and across the board test scoring and people again (or still) want to know "Why Johnny Can't Read"

All true, plus NC pays less than almost all other states.

[O Really]

Isn't teachers actual pay a combination of state and local? So the state rate may the lowest but actual pay may, at least in good economic districts, be much better?

[Vrede too]

Isn't teachers actual pay a combination of state and local? So the state rate may the lowest but actual pay may, at least in good economic districts, be much better?

I'm not sure if they just look at the state rate or if they average out total pay across the state.

EDIT: Looks like it's the latter:

NC falls to 46th in teacher pay in national ranking


Wake County parent Candice Solis holds a sign that says, "Teachers need more than apples" at a Wake NCAE rally.

In a new national report on average teacher pay, North Carolina dropped three spots to 46th in the nation. The state also ranked 46th in per-student spending, down seven spots from last year. Those rankings from the National Education Association are based on estimates for the current 2025-2026 school year.

"Every year, the story for North Carolina continues to get worse," said North Carolina Association of Educators President Tamika Walker Kelly.

The NEA's annual report on educator pay and school statistics is the gold standard for ranking teacher pay and school funding across states. NEA researchers rely on data from state departments of education to estimate average teacher salaries for the current school year....


National rankings for average teacher pay, based on the 2026 Educator Pay Report by NEA.

Worse than GA, SC and TN is really really bad.

NC's per-student spending is $5,000 less than national average

... "The downward trend in our rankings reflects the choices of a General Assembly that has spent years funneling public money away from public schools through corporate tax cuts," said Walker Kelly....

Thanks, GQP.

While acknowledging the need for a budget, NCAE's rally this week that's expected to draw thousands of educators is not focused merely on the passage of a budget. Instead, NCAE's "Kids Over Corporations" campaign is centering on its demands to end planned corporate tax cuts that are scheduled to zero out corporations' contributions to state taxes by 2030.

"The cruel irony is that the corporations benefiting most from the tax cuts are the same exact ones that depend on public schools to educate their future workforce. They are getting a subsidy paid for by teachers," Walker Kelly said.

In its campaign, NCAE is calling for a 25% across-the-board raise to teacher pay in North Carolina.

North Carolina is only state to see average teacher pay decrease this year

High School English teacher Stephanie Wallace said she pays close attention to the annual ranking of teacher pay.

"It is extremely infuriating and disheartening to see the numbers continue to drop," said Wallace, who teaches at East Forsyth High. "I know personally I'm spending more money in my classroom than I have in ages."

Wallace said she also works two extra jobs throughout the year. In addition to her classroom teaching, she works for the NC Virtual Public School and is a waitress at Chili's.

Wallace has been in the classroom 25 years, and she noted that North Carolina's recent budgets have done little to support veteran teachers. Since 2018, she said her salary rose 9%, while inflation rose more than 30%. Meanwhile, her healthcare costs on the state health plan have also gone up.

"So I am, in fact, making less than I was making about a decade ago," Wallace said.

The loss of teachers' buying power is a common refrain across the country. NPR reported that teachers' salaries — although rising nationally — are falling in spending power due to inflation. NEA researchers estimate that when adjusting for inflation, teachers' earnings have declined nationally by nearly 5% over the last ten years.

But this is especially pronounced in North Carolina, where the average teacher salary also declined in real dollars, even before being adjusted for inflation.

"This year, North Carolina is the only state in the country where average teacher salaries are projected to decrease," Walker Kelly said.

NCAE says that drop is due to the lack of a state budget in North Carolina holding salaries nearly flat combined with veteran teachers leaving the state.

Editor's note: In the latest report, North Carolina ranks 46th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia. Five states ranked lower: Missouri, West Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

What do those five states have in common? RepuQs say they love fetuses, but they despise children. Weirdos.

[Vrede too]

Today was No Socks Day. I failed.

[Vrede too]

Happy Dance Like a Chicken Day. Not much time left.

Yesterday was Root Canal Appreciation Day. Kinda strange, but I do appreciate mine - 3 years and no issues.