Given the widespread devastation to the western part of the State, the NC General Assembly is preparing to convene next week for a 1-day previously scheduled session, now to vote on an initial disaster relief package, according to a joint statement from Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland). The NC Department of Public Instruction has compiled a list of asks for the legislature related to public school relief (continue to the State Board of Education section of this Update for more information). Senator Berger was quoted after the skies cleared saying, “North Carolina has a healthy savings account that will help us respond to the catastrophic nature of this storm.” The State’s “rainy day fund” is roughly $4.75 billion. Since the extent of the damage is not yet fully known, the legislature’s response next week will likely be just the first round of relief aid.

The House and Senate could also take up HB 10 next week – the bill establishing universal Opportunity Scholarships (private school vouchers). HB 10 was approved by the General Assembly on September 11 but vetoed by Governor Cooper nine days later. This will be the first time the legislature will have had a chance to try to override the Governor’s veto. Their next opportunity will be during a 4-day scheduled session between November 19-22.

As North Carolina and our public schools rise to respond to this disaster with strength and resilience, the darkness of this situation remains undeniable. To that end, we would like to offer a brief moment of light by raising up two major K-12 accomplishments that were announced towards the end of September.

NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS:

Five North Carolina public schools were named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024 by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. These NC winners are among 356 schools nationwide recognized this year as models of effective school practices, reflected in either their overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps. Congratulations to these schools and their respective districts!

• Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy – Buncombe County Schools
• Hope Middle School – Pitt County Schools
• McDowell Early College – McDowell County Schools
• Willow Springs Elementary School – Wake County Public School System
• Rock Ridge Elementary School – Wilson County Schools

To learn more, click here for the DPI press release.

ADVANCING TROUGH ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP):

North Carolina high school students are setting records! In AP courses during the 2023-24 school year, NC high schoolers reached the highest participation levels and final scores across the 10-year partnership between the NCDPI and the College Board, which administers the AP program and exams. During the last school year, 84,372 NC public school students took 155,935 AP exams and exceeded the national average for results of a proficient score of 3 or better. “APsolutely” amazing!

To learn more, click here for the DPI press release.

The State Board of Education dedicated time during this month’s meeting to express an outpouring of love and support for those communities, schools, and families impacted by Hurricane Helene. The 28 school districts directly impacted include those in: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties, along with Asheville, Newton-Conover, Hickory City Schools, and the Qualla Boundary.

The State Board and NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) reported on a variety of steps being taken to address basic demands, such as transportation and internet accessibility, as well as academic and extracurricular needs, including impacts to school attendance and athletics. A LISTSERV has also been established for local superintendents to communicate with each other, which they are able to access now or when connectivity is restored to their area. DPI and stakeholders will continue tracking who’s back online, while the Department of Insurance has begun reaching out to school leaders to begin the process of making claims.

Instead of presenting her scheduled topics, Superintendent Truitt used the time dedicated for her monthly report to present DPI’s Hurricane Helene Relief Asks (pictured below). The legislature has already received this document, which is still in progress until the extent of damage is fully assessed. Truitt made it clear that the number one concern other than safety is keeping teachers and staff financially whole during this time. The second biggest concern is providing school calendar flexibility and ensuring that impacted counties will have the choice to either make up days, mark up to 20 days as completed, and/or provide remote instruction. Necessary class size waivers and similar flexibilities will also be sought. The NC High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) will be looking at rescheduling games.

To view the full October State Board agenda, click here. To learn about specific items that may impact or be of interest to local school boards, please read on.

(APPROVED) Corrections and Further Discussion on 2023–24 Student Performance Data: DPI officials provided updated information based on corrections submitted by PSUs following the Board’s approval of the Student Performance Data Report at the September meeting. Chair Eric Davis noted that standardized testing and graduation rates are not necessarily connected, and that our schools clearly require a more robust and comprehensive measure of success. The Board will take a deep dive into these measures during their December work session to better understand their relationship and learn from experts to make improvements. Board Member Catty Moore noted that work has already been done on school performance grade redesign, and while movement has stalled, that doesn’t mean the work has stalled. Superintendent Truitt added that this work was never meant to supersede achievement and growth, but to satisfy a request to look at multiple measures and examine them alongside what exists. Click here to see the data corrections, here to see the updated presentation, and here to see low-performing districts from 2018–19 through 2023–24.

(APPROVED) NC Public School Employees Benefit and Employment Policies: The Board reviewed final changes to align the manual with recently approved permanent rules on Professional Educator Discipline and Paid Parental Leave, including provisions for miscarriage and related medical exigencies, some of the first of their kind in the US. Click here for the full updated manual or here for the changes only.

(APPROVED) Annual Report from The Council on Educational Services for Exceptional Children: This council was established under IDEA and NC General Statues to advise the State Board on the unmet needs of children with special needs and recommend polices related to coordinating services and developing corrective action. This year’s recommendations include providing funding and support for students who will study education in postsecondary school and salary increases for Exceptional Children (EC) teachers. See the presentation here and the annual report here.

(APPROVED) Robotics Program Final Grant Review Report: The Competitive After-School Robotics Program was created to help schools increase the number of their students interested in pursuing education and career opportunities in STEM. Interest in the program was greater than what could be funded, with DPI reporting a total of $3.7 million in funding but $8.2 million in requests. Awarded participants in the program came from PSUs across all 8 State Board regions, including both LEAs and charter schools, and all grade levels. For a summary, see the presentation here. For the report, click here.

(APPROVED) Approval of Contracts Over $500,000: The Board approved 4 contracts, including one for Student Tracker, a central repository of information on the enrollment status and educational achievements of postsecondary students. Board members noted the potential of using this resource to inform and craft school life to shape student success after graduation. Click here to view more information about all the contracts.

(APPROVED) CTE Grade Expansion Program Grant Recommendations: The Board approved the recommended applicants for the 2024-2025 cycle for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Grade Expansion Program Grant. Click here to view the presentation of recommendations and here for the grant cycle.

(APPROVED) Waivers of State Laws or Rules Granted to LEAs Report: The Board received a report on schools that received class size waivers in 2023-24 and the counties where calendar waivers were granted for the 2024-25 school year. See the full report here. Please note that these waivers only reflect requests that were approved prior to Hurricane Helene.

(APPROVED) Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs): Both programs, “Want More? Do More!” and “iteach,” were presented during a previous State Board session (view that presentation here). They received final approval.

(APPROVED) Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate Report: The attached annual report on the Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (view here) provides the state-level data and district-level data for the 2023–24 school year.

The next meeting of the SBE will be held on November 6-7.

NC Healthy Schools hosts monthly opportunities to participate in the School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) Learning Collaborative to connect SHAC leaders and learn from peers across the state. Local school board members may participate in their LEA’s local SHAC to help plan, implement, and monitor the Healthy Active Children Policy in their district. These statewide collaborative meetings are held the last Monday of each month, unless scheduled otherwise. SHAC Learning Collaborative meetings are open to all SHAC members and those looking to start a SHAC. Upcoming meetings include October 28th at 3:30 pm and November 25th at 3:30 pm.

FCC Expands E-Rate to Off-Site Technology: In an effort to bridge the digital divide, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken a bold step. On August 20, 2024, the FCC published a final rule modernizing the E-Rate program, a long-standing initiative designed to help schools and libraries get affordable telecommunications and internet access.

The new rule enables the distribution of Wi-Fi hotspots and services to students, school staff, and library patrons for off-premises use. Wi-Fi hotspots will allow students to study at home or in other spaces, giving them the flexibility to learn wherever they are.

Schools and libraries will now also be able to use E-Rate funding to loan out these Wi-Fi hotspots. This includes support for high-speed internet access for students and staff in both rural and urban areas, ensuring that students in areas with limited connectivity don’t fall behind. For more information, click here.

NC Universities Receive Teacher Workforce Grants: Two North Carolina universities, High Point University and UNC-Charlotte, have received grants as part of the US Department of Education’s Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program. The grants were awarded to recruit, prepare, develop, and retain a strong, effective, and diverse educator workforce for classrooms across the country. The TQP program funds teacher preparation programs in high-need communities at colleges and universities for the undergraduate, “fifth-year” level, and for teaching residency programs for individuals new to teaching with strong academic and professional backgrounds.

High Point University won a grant of $7.9 million over five years and UNC-Charlotte won a grant of $2.1 million over five years. To see the complete list of grant winners, click here. To read the Department of Education’s press release, click here.

Click here to read more about these topics and others in the September 16^th report.

Senate Hearing – Improve School Meal Programs: The US Senate is exploring ways to ensure students are receiving meals at school, including a recent Senate Nutrition Subcommittee hearing titled, “Keeping Kids Learning in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.” In his opening remarks, Subcommittee Chair John Fetterman (D-PA) said, “School lunch should always be free and definitely free of judgment.” “Honestly, it shouldn’t be a conversation — it would be like asking the kids to pay for the school bus every morning or to pay for their own textbooks at school,” Fetterman added. Fetterman introduced two bills in June to expand free or reduced-price meals access for kids. To watch the entire hearing, click here.

NC Central Wins Workforce Diversification Grant: NC Central University has won a $122k grant from the US Department of Education to help with educator prep and recruitment. These grants, specifically for HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), serve to increase the number of and retain well-prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds working in underserved elementary and secondary schools.

To read a press release and see the full list of winners, click here.

Click here to read more about these topics and others in the September 23^rd report.

Federal Government Stays Open – For Now: Congress was unable to pass its annual spending bills by the end of the federal government’s fiscal year on September 30, instead choosing to once again pass a continuing resolution. The measure passed the House by a vote of 341-82 and passed the Senate by a vote of 78-18. It was then signed by President Biden. The government is now funded until December 20^th. Lawmakers will not be back until after the election, with sessions scheduled for the week of November 12^th.

Click here to read more about these topics and others in the September 30th report.

The following links are recent news articles, press releases, and reports on state and national education-related issues.

State News
EdNC: DPI presents Hurricane Helene relief request, includes pay for impacted school employees
WRAL: How to apply for FEMA assistance after Helene
NC Newsline: Biden approves more federal aid to North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
EdNC: In McDowell County, education leaders band together in the wake of Hurricane Helene
New York Times: Lost Lives and an Epic Crisis in North Carolina
EdNC: Cooper vetoes mini budget, centers rural educators’ concerns on private school voucher expansion
High School OT: Judge rules public school athletes in North Carolina high schools can profit off NIL
EdNC: North Carolina education leaders discuss cellphone use in schools
WRAL: Durham Public Schools approves supplement increase for some employees
EdNC: Robeson County homeless education program recognized by state
EdNC: ‘Lead, learn, win’ with Iredell-Statesville Schools
North State Journal: THOMPSON: NC’s economy depends on strong public schools
EdNC: The art of expanding Latine educational opportunity in North Carolina
The Daily Record: Schools take funding plea to DC
EdNC: Two rural NC school districts discuss how they responded to the pandemic
EdNC: Applications for a new NC State program for students with disabilities are open
WRAL: Wake school leaders take a stance against private school voucher expansion bill
Transylvania Times: Pattons donate $500,000 for affordable teacher housing

National News
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Press Release: $965M Available to Fund Clean School Buses that Reduce Pollution, Save Money, and Protect Children’s Health (Applications for this year’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program are due on the EPA online portal by 4 p.m. EST on January 9, 2025)
The74: New Report: Special Ed Students, English Learners Face Greatest Setbacks
K-12 Dive: Parents push back on school cellphone bans
K-12 Dive: To keep CTE programs up to date, look to the community
Washington Times: Most K-12 Teachers Unhappy As Staffing Shortages Learning Losses Persist, Report Shows
New York Times: Bulletproofing America’s Classrooms