Raleigh, N.C. — Today, the North Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 558, “Eliminating ‘DEI’ in Public Higher Education,” to prohibit UNC System schools and community colleges from promoting discriminatory policies and practices.
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Governor Josh Stein Highlights Need for Cold Case Unit During Sexual Assault Awareness Month
(RALEIGH) Today, Governor Josh Stein, Attorney General Jeff Jackson, and North Carolina Department of Administration Secretary Gabe Esparza joined law enforcement, local officials, and survivors at the Guilford County Family Justice Center in Greensboro to highlight April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and to bring attention to ongoing efforts to solve cold sexual assault cases.
Lieutenant Governor Hunt Leads First Meeting of Child Care Task Force
RALEIGH: Today, Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt led the first meeting of the Governor’s Task Force on Child Care and Early Education. The task force is working to find solutions to the child care crisis by identifying strengths and gaps in the current system, strengthening public and private investment in child care infrastructure, and working to recruit and retain a strong child care workforce.
Teacher attrition declined in 2023-24 school year, still higher than average of past several years
The 2023-24 State of the Teaching Profession report, presented to the North Carolina State Board of Education today, shows an improved attrition rate for teachers in public school districts for 2023-24 over the previous year.
Op-Ed: This TikTok Feature Actually Makes You Smarter
For years, critics have accused tech of "rotting young minds." But in an unexpected twist, TikTok has quietly rolled out a feature that's doing the opposite: making kids smarter.
NC Senate approves cell phone ban for K-12 public school students
The North Carolina Senate passed a bipartisan bill 41-1 Tuesday requiring public schools to restrict student use “wireless communication devices” during instructional time.
State Senate bill would okay students attending off-campus Bible classes during school hours
Republicans in the North Carolina Senate recently introduced a bill that would allow public school students to attend religious instruction during school hours.
Superintendent Green, State Board of Education unveil joint legislative priorities
Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green shared the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s (NCDPI) legislative priorities and budgetary asks for North Carolina’s public schools at the February State Board of Education (SBE) meeting. During this meeting, the SBE officially adopted the NCDPI’s legislative agenda, marking the first time in several years that the two have shared a joint set of legislative priorities.
Governor Cooper Celebrates Public Education and Supporting Children from Cradle to Career
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina State Superintendent-Elect Mo Green celebrated the progress made under the Governor’s leadership to build a better educated North Carolina. The Governor and State Superintendent-Elect visited classrooms, toured the new school building and spoke at Claxton Elementary School in Greensboro.
Op-Ed: The fight for public education in the wake of Hurricane Helene
The devastation brought by Hurricane Helene to western North Carolina has left communities grappling with significant loss and upheaval. As we witness the aftermath, one thing is clear: the path to recovery will require time, commitment, and considerable resources.
NC House overrides veto, votes to boost school voucher program by $2B over next decade
The North Carolina House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon overrode Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of House Bill 10 — a bill that would boost funding for the state’s private school voucher program by more than $2 billion over the next decade. The vote was 72-44.
Op-Ed: Private School Vouchers are Unpopular, Failed Policy
On November 5th, voters in three states rejected private school voucher measures on their ballots. A majority (58 percent) of voters in Nebraska chose to repeal a recently passed voucher law
Governor Cooper Announces $1 Million in Field Trip Funding for Public Schools
Governor Roy Cooper announced $1 million in new funding for public school field trips with North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) Secretary Reid Wilson at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
On Election Day, Other States Rejected Expansion of Voucher Programs
Voters in three states rejected the expansion of taxpayer-funded voucher schemes last week, similar to a policy that Republican legislators in Raleigh are keen to push forward before the year ends.
John Hood: Let’s Reform How We Pay Teachers
RALEIGH — During the just-ended 2024 election campaign, candidates for offices such as governor, legislature, county commission, and state superintendent of public instruction talked a lot about raising the pay of public schoolteachers in our state — as well they should have.
John Hood: Why College Return-on-Investment Matters
RALEIGH — The University of North Carolina system enrolled more students this fall — about 248,000 — than ever before. But continued growth is far from ordained. Indeed, as America’s college-age population levels off and then begins to decline over the next decade, many institutions will see enrollment declines. Some will be forced by shaky finances to merge or shut down.
John Hood: Pro-Hamas Protestors Strike UNC Again
On April 30, a mob of pro-Hamas protestors defaced public property at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and yanked down, for a brief time, the American flag fluttering over a prominent part of the campus called Polk Place.
After House vote, NC is on the cusp of universal school choice
North Carolina House voted Wednesday to pass a bill that will clear the waitlist for the state’s voucher program and bring true universal school choice to the state for the first time.
John Hood: NC Campuses Rank High on Speech
As recently as 2015, nearly 60% of Americans told Gallup that they had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in U.S. colleges and universities as a whole. Today, just 36% of respondents agree — not much different from the shares who say they have only “some” confidence (32%) and very little or none (32%).
Governor Cooper and Democratic Leaders Slam Push to Divert $625M from Public Schools to Private Vouchers
RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper and Democratic legislative leaders held a press conference highlighting Republican legislators' disastrous plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on taxpayer funded private school vouchers while that should be going to public schools. The Governor was joined by Rep. Robert Reives, Sen. Dan Blue, Sen. Michael Garrett, Sen. Lisa Grafstein, Rep. Sarah Crawford and Rep. Cynthia Ball.