RALEIGH, NC (April 21, 2023)- The Inaugural North Carolina Bring Your Legislator to School Day will take place on May 15, 2023. Members of the NC Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year Network, the Public School Forum of North Carolina, and bi-partisan legislative sponsors kicked off the initiative by inviting the entire North Carolina General Assembly to visit schools in their respective jurisdictions and engage with school communities. Currently over 40 legislators have accepted the invitation.

“Strong public schools are the heart of North Carolina’s families, communities, and economy. I am a proud sponsor of ‘Bring Your Legislator to School Day’ because we, as legislators, have a moral and economic responsibility to show up in our local schools and listen to the needs of our students, teachers, and parents,” said Sen. Rachel Hunt. 

Legislative Co-sponsors of Bring Your Legislator to School Day include Sen. Amy Galey, Sen. Rachel Hunt, Sen. Graig Meyer, Rep. Vernatta Alston, Rep. Allen Buansi, Rep. Ashton Clemmons, Rep. Kevin Crutchfield, Rep. Zack Hawkins, and Rep. John Torbett.

“Relationships are the core of public service. Bring Your Legislator to School Day is an important opportunity for General Assembly members to connect with educators in their communities, build relationships, and learn more about education from the classroom perspective,” said Sen. Amy Galey. “Often we attend conferences, lunches, presentations, and seminars where we discuss policy; however, decision makers need to refresh their understanding of the impact of those decisions by visiting children where they are learning.” 

“All state lawmakers can benefit from spending a day in our public schools to see the hard work and innovations occurring to ensure the success of our K-12 students, and it also will help them see the needs they can help address,” said Katherine Joyce, Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators. “We hope members of the House and Senate will participate in this important opportunity in large numbers!”

Bring Your Legislator to School Day was introduced to create an opportunity for legislators to experience the day-to-day reality of North Carolina’s elementary and secondary schools for a better understanding of what is working well for students and educators as well as the challenges they face. During their visits legislators will engage in a walk-through of schools with the principals and superintendents, and participate in conversations with teachers, students and parents. The goal of these visits is to show legislators what current state investment in education looks like in practice. 

“It is essential to have legislators that normally wouldn’t come in contact with schools, to be updated with the current climate of today’s classroom,” said Rep. John Torbett.

“This event is a great first step toward building strong relationships between educators and the legislators that represent us. We need those lawmakers in our schools and talking to principals, teachers and students to know how the decisions they make can impact each of us,” said 2022 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Dr. Patrick Greene. “We are so excited that there is tremendous support for this event and we know that great progress will come from the day.”

About The Public School Forum of North Carolina 

Since our founding in 1985 as a nonpartisan “think and do tank,” the Public School Forum of North Carolina has been a champion of better schools and one of the most trusted sources in the state for research and analysis on vital education issues. In order to provide meaningful action on our state’s most important public education issues, we bring together leaders from business, education and government to study education issues, develop ideas, and ultimately inform and shape education policy. We do this through research, policy work, innovative programs, advocacy, and continuing education for educators and policymakers. Follow us on social media at @theNCForum and visit our website at http://www.ncforum.org/