Justin Parmenter is a nationally board certified English teacher in NC. At a professional conference he was asked what advice he would give himself if he were a 1st year teacher. Be aware as you read that Justin teaches in a state that was once considered the leader in the South in education policy, in the number of NBCT teachers, and in teacher pay. Since 2010, when a hard-right Tea Party Group took control of the legislature and gerrymandered the state, many laws have been passed with the intent of reducing the professional status of teachers and privatizing public schools. As poverty goes up, school grades go down. Justin described the changes he made in his teaching so that students found the school work meaningful. The results did not necessarily show up in test scores, but he could see a difference in student work and engagement. ”
At www.ednc.org
