Eleanore Wood

‘Silent Sam’ deal cost UNC-CH a $1.5M grant from major foundation donor

By Eleanore Wood / December 16, 2019 /

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in the world and they are in the final stages of withdrawing their grant after finding out the UNC Board of Governors agreed to a settlement giving the Sons of Confederate Veterans the monument and $2.5 million to maintain it. The Andrew W.…

Leandro report released: What it will take for NC children to receive a sound, basic education

By Eleanore Wood / December 13, 2019 /

In the Leandro vs North Carolina case back in 1997, the North Carolina Supreme Court decided that the state was not meeting its constitutional obligation to provide all students with a sound basic education. More than 20 years later, the situation is worse, not better. Judge David Lee came up with recommendations to meet the mandates of…

WRAL: NC sees decline in teachers passing exams and decline in teachers from colleges of education

By Eleanore Wood / December 5, 2019 /

A 20% drop in the number of teachers being produced in North Carolina can be directly related to a lack of real investment into teacher pay by lawmakers in Raleigh.  The most recent and rejected pay plan gave hard-working educators a paltry pay increase with some outrageous political strings attached.  Our legislators need to address this teacher…

The Washington Times: FDA must fast track insulin for the millions of Americans living with diabetes

By Eleanore Wood / November 26, 2019 /

Did You Know? Three Canadian researchers discovered insulin almost a century ago and sold the patent for $1 so the world could access this life-saving medicine for diabetics. Today just three big Pharma companies control the U.S. market for insulin. Result? The price of insulin has gone up 900% in the last 18 years. From…

2020 legislative maps finalized, congressional maps still up in the air

By Eleanore Wood / November 19, 2019 /

Could it be? Is our long statewide nightmare over gerrymandered political maps finally over? Well… not quite yet. The 2020 legislative maps appear to be final after the State Supreme Court declined last week to take up yet another legal challenge. However, we’re still waiting to find out whether the newly-passed congressional maps will pass a court…

NC Teachers Back Governor’s Choice to Veto Pay-Raise Bills

By Eleanore Wood / November 11, 2019 /

Gov. Cooper on Friday vetoed what he called “paltry” pay raises for public school educators that were passed by state lawmakers with almost no Democratic votes in the state legislature. Teachers stood with Gov. Cooper during his veto announcement and teachers across the state are thanking Cooper for standing up for public education and against…

Long-awaited sexual assault bill finally clears the General Assembly

By Eleanore Wood / November 5, 2019 /

At long last, North Carolina is no longer the only state in the country where a woman cannot revoke consent to have sex once sex has begun. After years of NCGA leaders killing bills to update North Carolina’s sexual assault laws, the legislation finally made it to Gov. Cooper’s desk last week. Before this law was passed, if…

Deadline passes for NC universities to change student IDs for use in voting

By Eleanore Wood / October 29, 2019 /

The deadline has passed for North Carolina colleges and universities to decide whether to update their student IDs so students can use them to vote in next year’s elections. So which colleges decided not to make it easier for their students to vote, and whose fault is it? All 17 UNC system schools applied to…

A third of female undergraduate UNC students reported sexual assault, survey found

By Eleanore Wood / October 22, 2019 /

A new study has found that nearly half of women who have been studying at UNC-Chapel Hill for four or more years say they have been sexually assaulted that is at a four-year level or higher. This survey also stated that more than a third of all female undergraduate UNC students reported being sexually assaulted as well.…

Wake Schools offers praise, an apology to 14-year-old who exposed student racism. Parents demand more.

By Eleanore Wood / October 17, 2019 /

Cenayia Pope Edwards stood her ground against racist group messages that had hateful messages against black students at East Wake HS in Wendell, NC. This Tuesday at the Wake County Public Schools board meeting,  her courageous efforts were acknowledged by the superintendent and board members. Cenayia’s efforts were praised, but those standing with Edwards want…