In every organization (governments, police departments, businesses, hospitals, courts, etc.), there exists the importance of determining the type of training its employees need because employees must be effective in their field. Therefore special training, determined by that organization, is conducted according to available resources and the experts in that organization to aid in the accomplishment of organizational objectives. This is known as staff development. Yet, when the conversation of staff development for teachers is presented, there seems to be an assumption that teachers do not need to teach teachers; so much so that the North Carolina General Assembly is proposing cutting a number of staff development for teachers.

The belief is that staff development for teachers does not have an impact on student learning. What must be entered into this debate are facts that illustrate the importance of staff development for teachers. First and foremost is that which teachers are expected to know and do has increased in subject-matter knowledge, pedagogical skills, understanding cultural and psychological factors that affect student learning. So in order to meet these demands, teachers must engage in specific training and will need time to share lessons and ideas with other teachers via workshops and seminars.

RALEIGH -- It hardly came as a surprise that, after gaining control of the North Carolina General Assembly, Republicans moved quickly to loosen gun laws in the state.

Republicans have always been more closely aligned to gun rights activists.

That the legislature would approve some version of the Castle Doctrine, which provides more legal protections to people who shoot intruders entering their home, became a foregone conclusion.

Legislation allowing concealed handgun permit-holders to take their guns into restaurants serving alcohol and parks has met more resistance. The same is true for a bill that would bar employers from keeping their employees from locking their guns away in a car on a company parking lot.

RALEIGH – It would be easy enough to poke fun at Glen Bradley.

Bradley is a first-term Republican state legislator from the Franklin County town of Youngsville. He has filed a bill to create a legislative commission to study having North Carolina issue its own currency.

He's also considering legislation to require state government to accept gold and silver in payment of taxes and other bills. That way the state can begin backing that new currency with precious metals.

And he's filed bills aimed at restricting federal regulation of guns and agricultural goods produced and sold solely within North Carolina.

Congress votes on no-fly zone for National Public Radio

The day the United Nations Security Council passed UN Resolution 1973 authorizing military action in Libya, our own House of Representatives were busy passing H.R. 1076 – a bill to defund National Public Radio. This new and improved Congress really has their hand on the pulse of the American heartbeat.