Politics For Happy People
A podcast about politics for happy people!
Politics For Happy People
Confessions of a Freshman Legislator
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North Carolina State Representative Brian Echevarria joins Joseph Backholm to share what he’s learned during his first two years inside the state legislature. Echevarria reflects on entering politics as a small business owner, father, and Christian—and how his faith shapes his approach to public service. The conversation explores frustration with political institutions, the pursuit of equal justice, what really happens behind the scenes in Raleigh, and why public debate still matters. They also turn to the state of education, discussing students struggling with basic reading and writing skills, the role of parents and teachers, and whether the current system is delivering the outcomes families deserve. It’s a candid look at politics from a freshman legislator who still sees himself, first and foremost, as a constituent.
Welcome to Politics for Happy People, where we have fun conversations about serious issues. I'm your host, Joseph Backle. My guest today is North Carolina State Representative Brian Echeveria, who represents the 82nd District in Canberra County, just northeast of Charlotte. Brian's a Miami kid who built his career the old-fashioned way long before he ever ran for anything, as a financial advisor, a small business owner, and a building contractor. He also chaired his County Republican Party, then got himself elected and sworn in at the start of 2025, which makes him something of a rare species in Raleigh, a newcomer who still remembers what life is like on the outside. He's also a man sincerely trying to follow Jesus in a re in an arena that doesn't always do that well, which is a big part of the reason I wanted to talk to him today and find out how it's going. So today, to provide some confessions of a freshman legislator, we welcome Brian Echeveria representative. Thanks for joining me today.
SPEAKER_01Hey man, thank you for having me. That was quite the introduction. That's not the way the Democrats introduced me.
SPEAKER_02Well, why don't you give us that introduction then? How would they introduce you if you want to role play to start?
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, you know what? The what I found is in politics, when people run for office, there's this burden to make normal people abnormal. So I think I'm just extraordinary. So, you know, as opposed to being extraordinary, I'm extraordinary. And that's that's kind of become a superpower, actually. I'm just like my neighbor. You're just like your what? My neighbor. You know, my neighbors and I were all, you know, fathers, husbands, trying to figure out how to provide, pay mortgage, pay taxes, you know, all the things we do.
SPEAKER_02Well, you're just like your neighbor, but you're different in some ways, which is you decided to run for office because most of your neighbors haven't done that, and they're like, you know, over my dead body do I ever try to, you know, get in the political process. And you obviously made a different decision. Um, talk a little bit about that, a little your your journey, and then what ultimately led you to run for office?
SPEAKER_01Well, I can tell you my neighbors are more intelligent than myself, obviously. Okay, because running for office is noble, but it's a terrible idea. Uh for me and Raleigh. I had someone ask me yesterday, they said, Brian, you love it. I said, No, I love why. But I don't love being in Raleigh, right? So my life is here in Cabaras County. It's here with my neighbors, my children, going to practice, you know, my girl volleyball, uh reading. Okay, you know, I have a I have a student that is, we're pressing forward to more proficiency in reading here in our house. Uh so I I man, by the time you realize it's a terrible idea, it's too late to quit. That's basically what happens.
SPEAKER_02Well, you've you've got an interesting story, you know. Small business owner, just kind of, as you describe, a normal guy. You're also a sincere Christian, and a lot of people campaign as Christians, um, but it's just kind of something they think might help their campaign, their political career in the South, because everybody kind of self-identifies that way. You're not. But there's also this really common refrain within certain circles of the church that politics is a place for Christians who care more about power than people. What is your reaction to that sentiment that I'm sure you've encountered?
SPEAKER_01Well, I can tell you uh, number one, your first statement, sometimes people, you know, they use it as a political issue. And it offends me. It offends me because as a Christian, we share in the cup and the cross of Jesus Christ. And whoever's not bearing that burden, I don't think in all good faith should carry that label. Okay, so it's, you know, it's shared struggle. You know, the book of Revelation, you know, we're our brothers in the kingdom, patience and tribulation of Jesus Christ. So he wrote that letter to people who were enduring with him, even though he was isolated. So it offends me because those who are with him are faithful. And, you know, my pastor tells me it shouldn't offend me. You know, let people have their journey. And I'm getting better, right? I'm getting better. Uh, but that's that's basically it. It's important to me, it's guided every decision since I became a Christian. So I'm not like my children. My children had the opportunity to grow up in Christ, be aware of the word of God. My journey's been the opposite. You know, before I became a Christian, I could tell you exactly what I was. Not a Christian. You know, some people they were, they were just, you know, I'm a pure reclamation project, okay? When you talk about the born-again new heart dude, that's me. And I wish I was better. I wish I was better. Uh, but here I am. I I wish the church would get involved. Because we're seeing it now. We're seeing mosques pop up all over the country. And, you know, so much has been lost from the traditions of our nation. Okay. Uh, so when we talk freedom of religion, we're having different conversations. When we talk church and state, we're having different conversations. And and those conversations changed because the church wasn't involved. So I think pastors, ministers, everybody should just jump in and be more involved.
SPEAKER_02Why is it not a distraction for you from the from the Great Commission and just kind of an evidence that you've been derailed by the things of this world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, recognition, power politics, all of those things. Why do you see this not as a distraction from the purpose but part of it?
SPEAKER_01Oh man, when I when I think about what's happening with me in office, one, there's no power. I'm a legislator, right? I'm one of what, 170. And and I'm not one of the people who are guiding the conversation, right? So this is more than anything for me, it's been it's been humbling. It's been humbling. You don't get your way in the North Carolina legislature. I mean, you know, there's a debate whether some people get their way, but for the most part, definitely as a new member, definitely as a person without seniority, even if you're not new, you don't get your way. And this has been actually more formative and humbling for me. Because it doesn't matter if you have a great idea, it doesn't even matter if you can explain it well, right? You just you're not gonna get your way. There's a well-oiled machine that I think is genius, okay? The well-oiled machine is we take baby steps. And me, I'm at heart, I'm a reformer. I'm a let's get this over with kind of guy. Let's change what needs changing so that we can move forward. And the government isn't set up that way. So, for those who say, you know, you go in for power, I mean, maybe some people, I mean, I we've we've seen it. More than anything, is it's not that you go in for power. People don't mind that. They actually mind the abuse of power. And so then they begin to connect the idea of power and abuse of power and make it the same thing, you know. Uh, and I think that's that's where the whole country is. We're tired of abuse of power. North Carolina, we're tired. My neighbors are tired, Democrats are tired, right? And when I say Democrats, I mean the Democrat voter, the liberal, right? Uh, Republicans, the Republican voter, the unaffiliated, the unaffiliated person, I mean, they they still have their values. So they might not check a box at the uh registration, but they have their values.
SPEAKER_02Do you think, Brian, you know, that point, I think the sentiment that you just expressed there kind of explains MAGAT in significant ways because it was kind of the the counterrevolution to the establishment. Right now, on the left, we're seeing the Democratic Socialists of America, I think, do the same thing to the to the establishment. Is there just this general main street frustration with whoever we perceive to be in control of things right now that we're willing to try whatever the apparent alternative is, right or left?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I believe so. And rightfully so. I mean, because we're humans. So I think what's happening, Joseph, in in our country, we've had two big incidences that brought the left out and the right out. We had George Floyd in 2020. I don't mean the validity of anything, I'm just talking about the incident. So I'm not debating, you know, how things went down. But you had this cry, and somebody said to me, they said, if you're not careful, you'll only hear the activists. And you know, the activists always take advantage of what's happening. But if you listen to what the people are saying, in 2020, the people were saying, We want justice. Forget the activists, right? Forget the accusation of racism. Right? Then you had on the right, us, Epstein. So, you know, the whole Epstein issue, people act like it's new. The truth is, it's been going on for 15 years, and President Trump is the only one who even began to let us look into it and have the conversation. Remember, he arrested Epstein, nothing happened, somebody killed Epstein. Well, he committed suicide, right? Uh, or did maybe.
SPEAKER_02Who knows?
SPEAKER_01Who knows, right? Um, but then you heard with the Epstein files, you heard the people on the right say, wait a minute, forget the activists. They said, we want justice. And there's probably no greater peril in our nation today. It's not, it's not oil. The peril is we are discussing the American promise that doesn't seem to exist right now, which is equal treatment under the law. And that's the cry you hear.
SPEAKER_02And I think that is bipartisan. I think I think people are frustrated by they're they're triggered by different episodes. There's different people that we think should get justice that aren't getting justice.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_02We think different people are taking advantage of the system. Perhaps we're more bothered by one particular group of powerful people than another, but I do think that there is this general perception that there is a an elite, a ruling class that is above the law that can do whatever they want, and whatever they do, they will get away with.
SPEAKER_01And it's two things. There's a ruling class and there's a wealthy class, right? Uh, and what happens is if a young man goes to the grocery store and steals steak, okay? Forget his reasons. He's stealing. He's gonna be introduced to a police officer, they're gonna put him in handcuffs. If he has a bad attitude, maybe the handcuffs will be a little tighter. Then they're gonna put him in the car. Right? And he's gonna go to jail, he's gonna have to beg the DA, he's gonna have to explain his story. He's gonna, if he doesn't have money, he's gonna need a court-appointed attorney who is likely overwhelmed with cases. But he goes through that. But apparently, you can steal a whole human and enslave them. We say trafficking. And we don't even get an arrest. So you steal a state, you have to deal with all the politics of our justice system. DAs running for office, not running for office, right? You steal a human, and we don't even get to see your name for the accusation. That's on that side, right? So you get the wealthy, you steal a stake, or you you steal money from an ATM, you get introduced to the police officer. But apparently you can steal $700 million at a time through different schemes in business. And we never, the best you get is a civil penalty that your company pays. You're never actually treated as a criminal yourself. And that's the two-tier system that the Joseph, that 18 to 25 year old who's being seduced by a terrible seduction called socialism, what they're really looking for is justice. That's what they're looking for. And if and if we deliver justice, the American promise, equal treatment of the law, you will be shocked at how patriotic nearly all Americans are.
SPEAKER_02Well, let's talk about that a little bit because you are you've just finished your second year, so first full two-year session in the North Carolina legislature. And so not that long ago, you were just a normie like the rest of us. I want to hear a little bit about your kind of initiation into the sausage factory, and you've talked a little bit about, you know, the pursuit of justice, and I I know you had issues that you've cared about for a long time, and probably an agenda that you brought in and some priorities. You know, how have your expectations been met or not met? What have you learned about the process uh now that you're kind of, you know, you you describe yourself as somewhat powerless, but you're certainly part of the process in a way that most people aren't.
SPEAKER_01You know, so when I first get there, campaigns have a terrible effect. I'm gonna tell you what campaigns do. Campaigns scare everyone else in Raleigh. Okay, so what happens is I ran in 22 and I came up short. I did not win. There was a terrible campaign against me. The primary there was nasty. So you had these rumors going on about this guy down in Cabaras County, okay? Uh this extraordinary guy. Then I run in 24. The campaign was nasty, uh, and it was an incumbent. So the incumbent was spreading all kinds of mess about me and my character in Raleigh. So when I first get to the building, the process was a little different in my mind. My first duty was to introduce myself to my colleagues and to give them the opportunity to handle me and prove for themselves what was true or not true about me. Right? So that took a lot of time. Um I jumped in on other folks' legislation because you know you come to Raleigh with ideas, but there's people there who have better ideas, who have, excuse me, the same idea. And so I had a chance to just get on board with them. But what made it easiest, and I'll tell you, it was started the process because I didn't just come in as this normal guy. I'm I'm a I'm a pissed-off constituent. Okay. That's relatable. Yeah, man. So, so, and I'm still, and I never give up my constituent status. Okay, that's that's I never give it up. I'm a constituent of North Carolina in Canberra's County. So you come in there, and all you want is right. That's all you want. And so you kind of get linked up with those people. But the healing process for me, when I say healing, meaning the breach from the campaign, it actually started early. Uh Destin Hall reached out to me. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um, who has Destin Hall's the speaker of the house, just so people are following along.
SPEAKER_01Yes. So Destin reaches out. And, you know, I'm from I'm from Miami and I wasn't always a Christian, so I know Bull when I hear it. And he didn't have it. Destin was straight up. This is what we need, this is what uh this is what you can offer, this is what I've seen in you, right? Another person who reached out to me in a big way was um actually Matthew Winslow. So he reached out, and I mean he got on board, helped me in the general. But those kind of conversations where the only thing any of us are asking for is the same opportunity. And I got that when I got to Raleigh.
SPEAKER_02The same opportunity as everybody else, is that what you mean?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, not to be not to be mistreated because of what someone else has said who had a self or personal interest in winning, right? So you got to tear down the candidate that you're running against as opposed to, especially in a primary. In a primary, you might share ideas, and so those nuances become important. So what often happens is people descend into mudslinging because they can't really fight about ideas. Yeah, right? So you get that cleaned up. It was good, but that that's that was that was really good for me.
SPEAKER_02Well, that is encouraging. Did anything about your first two years catch you by surprise?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. You know, I'll and and I'll say it, people, let me say this as uh nicely as I can. I was shocked at the willingness of Democrats to stand on the floor and bold face lie about the bill that was in front of it. Because, you know, I I can accept ideas being different. Okay, and and that's that's the big push. We have different ideas within the Republican caucus. But what really shocked me was dishonest debate. The dishonest debate, the bold-faced lie. I don't care if we were talking about books in elementary schools, parental rights, the bold-faced lie about election bills. You know, that was probably the most shocking thing. I knew that we would have competing ideas, because that's what the government's about.
SPEAKER_02But give me an example of that. What comes to mind when you think about just a a dishonest representation of legislation during a debate?
SPEAKER_01When they stood up and said that we were banning books. There was no book ban. You just couldn't get sexually explicit material to elementary kids. You could get it on Amazon, right? You could go to the store, you could get it at the public library. We were saying that government schools should not be perpetuating sexual material, sexually explicit material, heterosexual, homosexual, doesn't matter to elementary age kids. And they were saying that we were banning books. It was dishonest. And they knew better.
SPEAKER_02Brian, a lot of people are gonna hear you say that and say that's just a partisan statement. Everybody lies, left and right.
SPEAKER_01I didn't lie one time on the House floor.
SPEAKER_02Did you see any examples of, I mean, because I I'm a I I would attribute what you're describing there as just, you know, kind of spin, certainly. Do did you see that moving both directions, or do you think there was a a a more conscious effort to avoid misrepresenting ideas in the other direction?
SPEAKER_01Well, I can tell you, so on the Republican side, they don't they don't really speak a lot on the floor. So I was a little different. Okay, I probably spoke as much as anyone on the floor. Uh, because I believe that we are contending for the narrative also, not just to pass the bill. For sure. You know, they have a saying that when you're in the majority, you vote, when you're in the minority, you speak.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Right? And and I don't ascribe to that. I think we have to be honest. Spin is one thing. I can understand exaggeration. I get that. So, you know, and I and believe me, I know some wonderful Democrats who I've had the opportunity to work with and get to know. And I mean, great, great guys. Abe Jones, Amos Quick. I've had a chance to speak with uh minority leader Reeves, you know, solid dudes. So I'm not demonizing every single one of them. What I'm saying is there were debate situations where it wasn't spin, it was a lie. And there's a difference. Right? There's a difference. We have perspective and then we have dishonesty. I can have a different perspective, but I don't get to be dishonest about the facts. Right? The facts are the facts. My perspective might be unique, but the facts are the facts.
SPEAKER_02Something else you talked about there when you you said when you're in the majority you vote, and when you're in the minority, you speak. And that's kind of a a small thing that a lot of people observing this might not recognize. But I think what you're describing is the fact that when it comes to speaking on the floor, the opposition actually talks a lot more because basically the best they can do is criticize what's about to happen, because by the time something has gotten on the floor for a vote, they know it's going to pass. They're not going to bring it up if it's not going to pass. So kind of the the outcome is predetermined, and everybody on the note on the floor essentially knows what the outcome is going to be. And so if you support it, you don't really have to defend it because all that work's been done. If you oppose it, now's your time to Of make your your your public stand against it. Is that a fair characterization of what you're describing?
SPEAKER_01That is. And I agree with that opportunity that they take. I agree with the opportunity when they speak. I just don't buy into the narrative that if I have the votes, I shouldn't say anything. I think the the public should understand the debate over the bill. They should understand our perspective as well as those who don't agree. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And and I agree with that. I do think the public needs to hear the defense of it and not just the hey, we're in charge, so we get to do what we want. Somebody has to stand up and explain why it really is a good idea and respond to criticisms of it. And I think that public debate, um, which oftentimes these days seems to happen, you know, behind closed doors, I think it's good for the public to see that happen.
SPEAKER_01And now I can tell you, so throughout the time, too, I heard I heard Democrats make some very great points, right? Like, because they do have a perspective. So even if I disagree and I don't think that their solution is correct, they had some great points where they would give some perspective, and perspective that has to be considered, right? And the debate allows for the spirit of the law to be formed. Right. Okay, so you have the written law, but the spirit of the law is actually shaped in great part by the debate, by the explanation. What are we actually trying to achieve? And and that was so it's it's good. And I learned a lot because listen, there's some, you better stand up with something to say because you'll get ran over if you if you are inaccurate.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. One other point about the the the value of floor debate is every law is ultimately potentially subject to litigation. And the record that is established during a floor debate is often referred back to by a court that will try to determine the intent of the law as drafted. And certain arguments will be presented and made and described on that floor, and that is instructive to courts in the future who might look back and say, we're trying to understand what this law means. So sometimes those arguments and clarifications and statements of this is what we're trying to do with this law, aren't just for like, I want to communicate the to the constituents, but you're you're creating a public record that courts will sometimes refer to in the future.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. So it's good.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Anything you learned about yourself in the first two years?
SPEAKER_01Uh what did I learn about myself? That that I don't know if I learned or reinforced some things, right? I'm idealistic. I think we can do the right thing and that the right outcome will present itself, right? So probably more idealistic. I mean, we have situations where families are suffering, the bail system, all of that with Irena Zarutska and Dominique Moody. I don't think we went far enough on either law. I think there's a lot more. And but the the a lot more that I'm talking about would probably cost more money. It's a little idealistic. It can't be all done at once because you know, it's not just pass a law, it's how can you apply that law and put those things in place? So I learned that uh, especially from those more seasoned, you know, Julia Howard, you know, we we we we have this conversation, and she is keenly aware on what it's gonna take for what we're passing or suggesting to actually be accomplished. And so I learned that my idealism needs to shape legislation, but the patience to take those smaller steps definitely has to be there, or you can or you can uh cause damage with the right thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely Brian. I didn't initially think we were gonna get into kind of any policy discussions, but um just last night as I was getting ready for this conversation, I came across this video that I'm gonna play um for you and for those who are uh listening, joining our conversation here, just for come some context. And it has to do with kind of the outcome of our education system. And this is a teacher who is, you know, we're at the beginning of a school year and uh just kind of describing his experience in these first couple days. It's longer than I typically play, a couple minutes, but I think it's worth kind of absorbing the emotion and the situation he's describing. And then I want to get kind of your reaction to this as a legislator whose part of your job is kind of superintending uh the education system. So, Eli, if we got that, let's go ahead and play that.
SPEAKER_00I literally broke down in the middle of class because I'm teaching seniors. These kids are leaving high school and going to college, hopefully, after they finish. We had two paragraphs to read, one sentence complete to write. I gave them the sentence stamps. I basically completed the sentence for them in the mind. These are seventeen and eighteen-year-old kids, and they couldn't fill in four words. Four words. I gave them the scenario. We annotated together. I gave them the answers before we even had the problem, and they couldn't do it. I don't know. I simply don't know where the problem is. This is only day two, and I have seniors who simply cannot read, and seniors who cannot write. They cannot write. They can reason, they have the ability to defend their reasoning if it's talking to their homeboy, but applying that to a written text, two paragraphs, that they couldn't do it. Our young black men, our young brown men, our young black girls, and our young proud girls. Oh God.
SPEAKER_02Brian, what's your reaction to that?
SPEAKER_01I I feel with it. I mean, I don't think it's just a black and brown problem. I think it's across the board. Uh, but I feel with it. I know what it is to have a struggling reader, but my struggling reader has a father at the house who is helping, right? And and you know, we talk about the education system, and I I don't do too much with education. Okay, I just, I mean, there's people who specialize in it in the house, and I follow their lead and hear their explanation. But I'm gonna tell you this our education system needs to improve. Kids can't read, but they know they know how many genders there are, and they know what their sexual preferences are, right? And and that's the that's what's hijacked the system is the extra. It's not the money. People want to talk about money in education, but it's the use of money. Okay, so are you using it to teach those first to third graders how to read so that this senior high school teacher doesn't have to cry? Or have we simply become a daycare with kids running around and we do our best to keep them safe, but it's really not our responsibility to teach them. What has happened? I mean, I don't know what's happened.
SPEAKER_02Is there when when you see that, and and and this is you know, he he does a uniquely good and I think an emotional job of kind of describing the problem and and clearly he's a person who cares because he understands the challenges facing a 17 or 18-year-old who is illiterate, right? That that is a hard, hard future in front of them, and and you can tell he's he's connecting with that and and and he's grieved by that. What do you attribute that to? Because you just talked about an education system that is you know advancing people, are we just essentially a daycare? And and I have criticized our government education system in the past as basically primarily being an employment system where the real primary job from the policymakers' perspective is to employ as many teachers as possible because the teachers are the ones who actually vote, the students are not, right? So it's all about appeasing the education professionals. But when you see outcomes like this, and I know this uh this is not everywhere, and we all have teachers that we know and love and they care very much, and many of them are doing a great job, and there's so many kind of systemic challenges, most of them are at home that are really the root cause of the students who are getting to 17 and 18-year-olds, 18 years of age uh not being literate. But is it not a just complete failure of the system for somebody to get to their senior year of high school and not be able to read and write? Yeah, how does that happen?
SPEAKER_01Well, it's it's easy. We uh and and I might be this this might be a broad statement, but the question is where is your father and your mother? So, and the reason that's the question, we even talk about teachers who have to buy supplies for their classrooms. Well, when I was a kid, you took your school supplies to school. Mom and dad, grandma, grandpa, whoever, your family made sure you had what you needed as a student to go to school and learn. Then, secondarily, you got this report card and you were held to account at the house. Somebody just graduated from Butler High School with a, I think it was a uh.37. And maybe the high school is wrong. I think that's it. It might have been an employee at Butler that told me, but there was a student that graduated in Mecklenburg County. I thought you couldn't graduate if that was your GPA.37 GPA. Now I see the GPA. So either I I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say that that teacher was crying for someone like him.
SPEAKER_02Well, yes, but I um what I hear more often than than a somebody graduating with a 0.37 is somebody who's graduating with a 4.0 who has to go to college and redo. I mean, there was a remedial math classes, but I read an article in the last week about the remedial remedial math classes that has to basically cover middle school math to get you ready for the remedial math class that you need to take in order to actually do college-level mathematics, right? So how do you I mean to me the greater problem is the 4.0 student who actually knows nothing.
SPEAKER_01Well, and and and you're correct, but that's what it's it's showing one, the family is busted up. Yeah, there's there's only if we're truthful, there's only one side of the aisle that thinks that's really not a problem. Okay. Uh the second thing is competing visions. So there was a time, I don't know if I'm the last generation like that, I'm 48 years old, but there was a time when everybody was trying to make America better. They wanted the American student to be exceptional, to be the standard. That is no longer the case. So now, for some people, turning out this voter who can't read, it's it's okay because the communist government that they hope to install one day will take care of them. They don't need to read, they'll have nothing, they'll make no decisions for themselves, uh, they won't be able to go to church because that's what follows all of that, right? They won't have religious freedom, they won't need a gun because the government will protect them. So you you get these people who are unable to, even if they're they're smart, okay, because not being able to read or struggling doesn't mean you're not smart. It means you can't get the information to use your smarts, okay? So you have these these people, humans are humans, we're resilient, made in the image of God. I am I am bullish on humans, okay, but they don't have the ability to ingest information for themselves. So they have to be told things. And then the outcome is you're gonna have folks like in Venezuela who vote for Hugo Chavez, and that's exactly what they've been playing for for many years. And you know, we I don't know what we're gonna do about that. I don't know what we're gonna do about it. I'm just a I'm just a pissed-off constituent, right? I don't like the world that we're giving to my children. I think we could do better.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I I everybody feels that I think we can do better. You know, the the challenge is uh understanding what is better. And uh, you know, I I I just w again reflecting on the kind of in this video, a budget was passed this year that the legislature celebrated as this grand achievement, and perhaps the primary achievement celebrated was this teacher pay raise. And we all love teachers and we want people to be paid their value, but we also recognize that that the problem that that gentleman is describing is systemic. And if is it really a victory to simply pay teachers more to pay teachers more when you have 4.0 high school graduates who are functionally illiterate and have no marketable skills because the system has just passed them on because really the the goal is just paying teachers. I don't know.
SPEAKER_01Well I could tell you, I I agree with you. I think that we have to figure out a way. I actually filed a bill that would have required DPI to come up with three separate uh measurements, evaluations for teachers, so that we can pay the best teachers the best money. And interesting enough, you know, the teacher who's a D-devil teacher doesn't want that system because they all can get this up to $14,000 bonuses when I think uh up to $7,000 bonuses, excuse me, when I think that the top 10% of teachers, 20% of teachers, should get all of that bonus. And all teachers should uh strive to get into that top 10, 20%. And that would inevitably benefit our students. Maybe one day. I mean, that's up to DPI. It was I filed the bill, it didn't get through. Uh, maybe it's one of those implementation things. Um, one thing, I'm gonna tell you something that I've said this for years, okay. Teachers work with the most gentle, the most vulnerable part of our nation, which is our children. So it's heartrending, right? Whenever uh our students are in a position, our children are in a position where they're not you know thriving. Additionally, I never forget that teachers are government employees, like an IRS agent. So when we consider the way government runs, I don't even know. I had someone tell me that uh in this was a Mecklenburg County teacher that the curriculum is basically let out and and they're and it is so structured, the teacher doesn't have the opportunity to deploy a full skill set, all of their ambition to help those students. So when we think about them being government employees, we have to consider how rigid government is, and once that rigidity reaches the education system, even the best teacher is sort of hamstrung from helping and doing things that they know that their classroom needs.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, because yeah, I mean that risks opening up a can of worms that we don't have time to open right now about just the the the lack of local can you know how much control does the classroom teacher actually have over the classroom? And you know, on some level a lot, on some level none, right? Because there's so much they can't do. You know, and your idea about paying the best, the best, and allowing kind of schools and superintendents and principals to make those decisions about who's the best. I mean, we know that a meritocracy improv in improves quality wherever it is deployed. Yes. But we we're we're sensitive about doing that in an educational system. Uh and so we don't. And uh I I just wonder if that's one of the reasons why we have these quality issues. But Brian Echaveria, we're not gonna have time to totally finish this conversation today because I know you've got other things to get to today as well. But I'm so grateful for your time um and just the insight that you've given us today into the process and the way you're working and uh you know in in attacking these problems that we all care about. And uh we we uh appreciate your willingness to serve because it really is its service and really grateful for your time today. Thank you so much. And friends, thank you for joining us today here on Politics for Happy People. Quick reminder new episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. So make sure you find the next one. Like and subscribe wherever you have found us so you don't miss it. We will see you then.