House Select Committee on an Education System for North Carolina’s Future
This Committee was created in December and met for the first time on Monday. Members heard a presentation on Constitutional and Statutory Provisions for Public Education in NC from Jeanette Doran, President of the NC Institute for Constitutional Law. The presentation included a history of educational authority, divisions of educational authority, the process of rulemaking, and notable court cases regarding education.
The Committee’s senior chair, Representative John Torbett, R-Gaston, then led the Committee in discussion on what an education system in NC could look like if they were to start from the beginning. Discussion points included:
- Questioning why age dictates grade level
- Lack of life skills being taught in schools
- Learning to read and reading to learn
- Reinstatement of master’s pay
- School calendar issues
- Early childhood education
- Electing members to the State Board of Education, rather than appointment by the governor
- Lack of financial literacy being taught in schools
- Shortage of skilled labor across the State
Chair Torbett stated that this Committee will most likely be a two-year effort. Additionally, the Committee’s next meeting is planned for Monday, February 7, at 1:00 pm and will include a presentation from the State Superintendent. The Chair expressed intent to meet again later in February to receive a presentation from the State Board of Education Chair. Business and industry representatives, as well as teachers, will be invited to present in future meetings. Click here for an article on the meeting.
On Wednesday, NC Chamber President Gary Salamido and State Superintendent Catherine Truitt held a joint webinar discussing the gap between NC’s K-12 public schools and its workforce. Discussion included what’s currently being done to address the gap and what can be improved for the future. Truitt highlighted programs that connect students to future workforce opportunities, like the ROC in Charlotte that trains high school students in construction trades. She also critiqued the State’s current school accountability metrics that do not take into account academic alignment with workforce needs.
Additionally, Truitt outlined four key goals that are part of DPI’s new workforce development website:
- Prepare the future workforce with the skills and experiences required to be successful, productive citizens, providing a robust talent pipeline that powers the State’s economic development efforts.
- Ensure that all students have access to post-secondary pathways that align with growing, high-wage careers that meet local, regional, and/or statewide industry demand for talent.
- Assist all students and parents in making informed plans and decisions about future education and career opportunities
- Ensure that all students engage in career exploration and real-world learning activities throughout the K-12 journey.
Both Salamido and Truitt noted the role that the COVID-19 pandemic has played in clearly revealing where the gaps between K-12 education and the workforce are and reigniting a spirit of alignment in closing those gaps. Truitt explained how DPI’s “Portrait of a Graduate”, which will be presented in the fall, “will provide a critical foundation for a revised accountability approach that will better align the K-12 education system with the State’s workforce needs.”
The following are resources from the webinar:
- Webinar recording
- NC Chamber’s Talent Pipeline Management Program
- DPI’s Workforce Website: Future Focused, Career Ready
- DPI’s Workforce Goals
- DPI’s press release on the webinar
- EdNC’s article on the webinar
On Tuesday, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Committee of Practitioners held a meeting. This Committee was established as an advisory committee to the State Board of Education and DPI to provide feedback and recommendations in the carrying out of the State’s responsibilities under the ARP.
During the meeting, Committee members elected Dr. Valerie Bridges, Superintendent of Edgecombe County Schools and NC’s 2022 Superintendent of the Year, to be the Committee’s chair and Tamika Walker-Kelly, President of the NC Association of Educators, to be the Committee’s vice chair. The meeting agenda included various presentations on promising practices, learning recovery, funding and programing updates, and research and evaluation updates. Click here to access all meeting materials.
As of January 28,
- 26 school districts have mask optional policies (five have mask optional policies with certain stipulations)
- 89 school districts have mask mandates (three have mask mandates because the district reached a certain positivity rate)
The number of districts that require masks has increased by one since last Friday, January 21.
NCSBA continues to track local school boards’ mask policies as districts vote monthly on whether to modify their current policy (required by Section 10 of SB 654/SL 2021-130). Click here to access a chart of school board actions. If your school district changes its mask policy or you have corrections to the chart, please email information to Rebekah Howard at rhoward@ncsba.org.
On Tuesday, February 1, at 1:00 pm the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, Subcommittee on Use and Distribution of Federal COVID Funding will meet in the Auditorium of the Legislative Building. (live stream)
Additional Education Meeting
On Wednesday, February 2, and Thursday, February 3, the State Board of Education will have its monthly meeting. Click here for the agenda. (live stream)
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org
Rebekah Howard
Governmental Relations Research Specialist
N.C. School Boards Association
rhoward@ncsba.org