Excellent Public Schools Act Propels K-3 Reading Proficiency
North Carolina’s youngest students are continuing to improve on reading benchmarks due to literacy reforms included in the Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021.
News and Opinion
Leader Reives Statement on NC Teacher Attrition
The State Board of Education released shocking numbers regarding the state of teacher attrition in North Carolina. According to reporting from the News & Observer, “10,376 of the state’s 90,638 teachers left the profession” between March 2022 and March 2023. The state’s attrition rate rose 47% over the prior report.
John Hood: Light Touch Can Make Homes Affordable
RALEIGH — Because North Carolina is one of the seven states likely to determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, and also boasts highly competitive contests for governor and other statewide offices, local races may not be top-of-mind for most voters. Nevertheless, North Carolinians will elect hundreds of county and municipal officials this year — which essentially puts the issue of adequate, affordable housing on the ballot.
Andrea DeSantis named Assistant Secretary of Commerce for N.C. Division of Workforce Solutions
Raleigh, N.C. - Andrea DeSantis, Ph.D., will serve as the next North Carolina Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary for the Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS), Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders announced today. She will succeed current Assistant Secretary Chet Mottershead, who is retiring and will remain at the agency for a short time during the transition period.
Governor Cooper Announces Two Superior Court Appointments
Governor Cooper announced two judicial appointments to the North Carolina Superior Court.
John Hood: No Silver Bullet for School Woes
RALEIGH — Because of the tremendous benefits conferred by better education, it would be great if policymakers knew precisely what silver bullets to fire to eliminate obstacles to higher achievement.
Governor Cooper Announces Superior Court and District Attorney Appointments
Governor Roy Cooper announced one judicial appointment to the Superior Court and one District Attorney appointment.
Governor Cooper Announces North Carolina Reaches Electric Vehicle Registration Goals Two Years Early
Governor Roy Cooper announced North Carolina has surpassed initial electric vehicle registration goals two years early in yet another indication of the major shift in underway for American drivers, and emphasizing the need for the state to rapidly increase access to electric charging infrastructure.
The Case Against School Vouchers on Steroids
Following his declaration of 2024 as the Year of Public Schools, Governor Roy Cooper is illustrating the risks the extreme Republican voucher plan poses to children and public schools, where more than 8 in 10 North Carolina children attend school . Today, the Governor released a new video walking through the problems with this voucher plan on steroids, along with a new fact sheet and web page.
Op-Ed: Employers Are Letting Their Employees Down and Hurting the Health System When They Don’t Support Weight Loss
Helping to change to trajectory of obesity and chronic disease is good for employers’ and for employees’ health and saves the health system money. Moreover, people with obesity are more likely to experience other health conditions, like depression, cancer and heart disease, that cause people to miss work.
One Year After Signing Medicaid Expansion Law, Governor Cooper Celebrates the Progress as Other States Look to North Carolina’s Playbook
Today marks the one year anniversary of Governor Roy Cooper signing Medicaid expansion into law, making North Carolina the 40th state to join this critical program. Just under 4 months since expansion went into effect, nearly 400,000 North Carolinians have gained access to affordable, quality health care. As North Carolina shows tremendous success with the program, holdout states are looking to Governor Cooper’s leadership as a model for how they too can expand Medicaid.
North Carolina’s February Employment Figures Released
The state’s seasonally adjusted February 2024 unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, unchanged from January’s revised rate. The national rate increased 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.9 percent.