Arne Duncan

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sounded an important alarm this weekend saying:

"I'm desperately concerned about hundreds of teachers being laid off as we head into the fall."

I'm concerned about this too - and urge Senator Burr to take action today. The Senate will vote Monday on an amendment that would provide $300 million to North Carolina that will go to directly saving teacher jobs. All in all, that will amount to 4,500 educators being saved and keeping our schools running for another year.

The funds are completely paid for - offset by cuts that do not add to the deficit.

It doesn't take much digging to see North Carolina's dysfunction in the area of charter school policy. Caught in the crossfire of partisan politics, the kernel of a good idea has languished between free-market extremists who seem eager to dismantle public education altogether, and left-leaning politicians who fear that any crack in the dam will unleash a torrent of angry teachers. Both sides should reset their priorities.

Yesterday, I was honored to host Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Education Secretary Arne Duncan in Hamlet, NC for a continuation of President Obama’s Rural Listening Tour. Over 600 of our concerned citizens took time from their day to participate, ask questions and tell members of the Administration as well as myself, what Washington can and should be doing for our rural communities.

Some of the press in attendance seemed almost shocked at the civility and respect shown by attendees.

Civility and respect rule at bipartisan town hall meeting

Breaking a pattern of raucous encounters across the country, more than 600 people Monday attended a town hall meeting marked by civility, substance and even bipartisanship.