English Teacher, York Comprehensive High School
English teacher at York Comprehensive High School, a high poverty rural high school in York, South Carolina; writer on education and other topics for the Charlotte Observer and author of Notes from a Classroom: Reflections on Teaching
Education, State Finance and Teacher Bashing Between education reformers and union busters, teachers feel like they're "crying in the wilderness, or perhaps just crying." That's according to Kay McSpadden, who teaches high school English in a rural South Carolina and author of Notes from a Classroom : Reflections on Teaching. Will bashing teachers improve education? Are they being scape-goated for conditions they didn't create and can't change?
Education, State Finance and Teacher Bashing The top priority for most Americans is education, and public school teachers around the country say the past two years have been a nightmare. Reformers, from the President on down, are pushing to abolish seniority, hold teachers accountable for student performance and even close some schools altogether. Has that paved the way for teachers to become punching bags for Republican Governors who want to balance budgets and bust public sector unions? Will bashing teachers improve education? Are they being scape-goated for conditions they didn't create and can't change?
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?