February 15, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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Showing Our Public Schools LOVE

The conclusion of Love Week is a great time to highlight efforts by public
officials to truly support our public schools and foster excellence for ALL
students.

This week Mo Green, NC Superintendent of Public Instruction, released the
department's funding priorities. They include a focus on supporting ALL
students and educators. If our legislators follow Green’s lead, our public
schools will start to get back on track to being tops in the nation!
* $377 million for free breakfast and lunch for all K-12 public school
students
* $229.8 million for a weighted school funding formula to better support
students with disabilities
* $253 million to replenish student laptops purchased with federal
COVID-19 relief funds
* $120 million for school resource officers in middle and elementary
schools
* $100 million to repair school facilities damaged by Hurricane Helene
* $65.5 million to hire more school counselors, nurses, social workers,
and psychologists
* $635,000 to help start three new innovative high schools
* Additional funds to raise teacher pay so that North Carolina has the
highest teacher salaries in the Southeast.

This $1 billion price tag (before teacher raises are included) is no small
ask. However, when put in context with the $1.4 billion the NCGA has
already appropriated for private school voucher spending over the budget
biennium (FY 2025-26 & 2026-27), Green’s budget request seems modest.

Add the fact that public schools currently serve more than 1.4 million
students in North Carolina and ALL private schools, including those that
don’t enroll voucher students, served just [7]131,230 students in 2023-24,
the funding for vouchers seems far outside a reasonable range.

Two bills introduced this session further highlight the value of our public
schools and shortcomings of private/home schools. [8]House Bill 7 “NC REACH
(Reclaiming College Education on America's Constitutional Heritage) Act”
requires all graduates of UNC universities and NC community colleges to
take an American History or American Government course. Required readings
are included in the bill. American History is already a requirement of NC
public schools, but it is not a requirement for private/home schools. This
bill simply address shortcomings in the private/home school sector. A
cheaper remedy would be to require private/home schools to teach American
History.

Another bill, [9]Senate Bill 48 “Access to Sports and Extracurriculars for
All” permits students who attend private or home schools to participate in
sports and other extracurricular programs at their local public school. In
other words, private schools that often refuse to admit students who are
hard to teach, adhere to the “wrong” religion, or are simply not the “right
fit” would be able to save money by trimming extracurricular activities and
sending their students to the local public school that accepts ALL
students. This bill highlights the fact that public schools usually offer
more and better programs than private schools.

Our communities should support our public schools and stop sending
much-needed public funds to private schools. We LOVE Green’s focus on our
children, schools, and communities, and we encourage everyone to
[10]contact ALL legislators to urge them make Green’s priorities their own.

A Look at the North Carlina Teacher Pipeline

North Carolina’s teachers are dedicated and hardworking, and their
professionalism made our public school system a jewel in the United States
in the early 2000s. Even today, North Carolina continues to lead the nation
in the number of teachers who have earned certification from the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards. However, North Carolina
currently trails the nation in [11]education funding level and funding
effort, and is well below average in teacher salaries.

Although salary is just one of many elements contributing to the
desirability of becoming a teacher, it is one that can’t be ignored when
evaluating the factors affecting why people enter and remain in the
teaching profession. (See [12]The Facts on Teacher Pay)

[13]The teacher pipeline is an interconnected system that extends from
recruiting individuals into the profession, developing them as teaching
professionals, and retaining them through retirement. The pipeline begins
with attracting new teachers to enter the field. Once inside the
profession, teachers are developed, and retained over time through
administrative support, local policy support, classroom support, peer
support, and community involvement

The teacher pipeline in North Carolina has been shrinking for years. The 16
universities that make up the [14]UNC school system are the largest
supplier of public school teachers in North Carolina. There has been a
sharp decline over the years in the number of students enrolled in a
bachelor’s program in education, a critical pathway for the teacher
pipeline.

Data collected from the [15]UNC System Interactive Data Dashboard show that
between 2012 and 2024, enrollment in bachelor’s programs dropped 45% (from
12,434 to 6,793).

However, enrollment in alternative pathways has surged, helping to offset
the decline in traditional pathways. The NCDPI Educator Pathway Pathway
(EPP) [16]dashboard shows that there are currently more teacher candidates
enrolled in alternative pathways than traditional pathways. The residency
license (RL) accounts for much of the surge. This pathway allows
individuals to teach while they obtain their professional educators’
license.

[17]READ MORE: The Facts on the NC Teacher Pipeline

Legislative and SBE Updates

The House and Senate both convene again on Monday, February 17. The House
is scheduled to meet at 11:00 a.m. ([18]livestream) and the Senate at 4:00
p.m. ([19]audio).

Check the [20]legislative calendar for updates as meeting dates and times
change frequently.

Check our [21]Week in Review for highlights of legislative actions and the
status of bills. Below are a few highlights.

[22]House Bill 121 ” SchCalFlex/Statewide/Open Cal.” and its companion
[23]Senate Bill 103 “Make School Calendars Great Again,” would return
control of school calendars to local school districts statewide. As in
previous years, this effort has bipartisan support and is likely to sail
through the House but be met with resistance in the Senate, where a few
senators, especially [24]Senator Lee of New Hanover County, are staunch
supporters of the current calendar law.

[25]House Bill 82 "Study Commission for LEA size" establishes a commission
to study whether there are negative consequences for students of large
districts due to their size. The commission would recommend remedies. The
sponsors, Reps. [26]Lambeth and [27]Zenger, both represent Forsyth County.

[28]Senate Bill 92 "Released Time Education Act" allows public school
student to be released during the instructional day to attend courses in
religious, moral instruction. The students may receive course credit for
the courses, but failure to earn credit will not be marked as a failing
grade on a student's transcript. Bill sponsors Senators [29]Hanig,
[30]Alexander, and[31] Ford may face tough questions about their bill to
allow less academic time in school when many students are still working to
regain pre-pandemic achievement levels.

Many bills introduced early in the legislative session don't move forward.
Hopefully HB 82 and SB 92 stay stuck in place and HB 121 sails forward.

The Teacher Shortage isn't an Accident - It's a Policy Choice

Across North Carolina and the nation, schools are struggling to fill
teaching positions. Headlines warn of a worsening teacher shortage, leaving
districts scrambling to hire educators and keep classrooms staffed (Walton
& Pollock, 2022). But this teacher shortage isn’t an unpredictable
accident; it’s the result of deliberate policy choices that have fueled the
fire of the crisis and left schools burning.

How We Got Here: A Manufactured Crisis

For years, certain lawmakers in North Carolina have pursued policies that
have steadily eroded the teaching profession and public education. For
example, according to the National Education Association (2024), North
Carolina’s teacher salaries rank well below the national average, making it
difficult to recruit and retain qualified educators. Meanwhile, 35% of
North Carolina teachers reported increased feelings of anxiety and
depression in the wake of post-pandemic stress, stemming from underfunding
and inadequate resources (Na’Cole et al. 2024, p. 18). In other words,
policy choices that have resulted in low teacher pay and escalating job
stress have been left to smolder, with lawmakers failing to address the
underlying causes.

Rather than extinguishing the flames of the teacher shortage, a faction of
policymakers stoked the fire by expanding the state’s school voucher
program despite Governor Cooper’s warning that it posed “a serious threat
to education” (Bonner, 2024).

[32]READ MORE

Check Out Our Updated Voucher Video

We updated our voucher video to include House Bill 10 (passed in November)
funding increases. Check it out!

[33]video

In Case You Missed It

[34]NC schools still lag in math, reading after pandemic, but they outpace
the nation

[35]State Health Plan officials make the case for higher premiums

[36]For North Carolina schools, a 31-year wait for court-ordered funding
through Leandro

[37]Could lawmakers break up Wake, CMS? Bill would study NC's 5 largest
school districts

[38]How gutting the U.S. Department of Education would hurt students and
their families

[39]17 states sue to end protections for students with special needs

[40]Will children's right to equal education prevail?

[41]Education research getting DOGE'd will put America last

Virtual Office Hours with NCPTA and PSFNC

Join NC PTA and Public Schools First NC monthly during the legislative
session for updates on bills, policy or budget changes, etc. that impact
public education. Bring your questions and suggestions; participate in the
conversation to support our public schools.

Office hours will be held via Zoom on Thursdays from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. on
the following dates:

February 20, March 20, April 17, May 15, & June 19

[42]JOIN HERE

Don't Miss Our Webinar!

February 27, 7:00 p.m. A Conversation with Mo Green, NC Superintendent of
Public Instruction

Join NC PTA and Public Schools First NC for the first in our series of
interviews with new public education leaders. Green was elected in
November, 2024 to serve as NC Superintendent of Public Instruction.

We will talk to Superintendent Green about his vision for the Department of
Public Instruction and public schooling in North Carolina. Q & A with the
audience if time allows.

[43]REGISTER HERE

Book Signing and Event on March 13

You won't want to miss meeting Derek Black and hearing him talk about his
newest book, Dangerous Learning: The South's Long War on Black Literacy.

Join Public Schools First at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill (752 MLK Jr.
Blvd.) for a book signing and talk.

Book signing begins at 5:30 and the talk begins at 6:00

Network for Public Education National Conference

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: WHERE ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME

April 5-6, Columbus Ohio

Registration is open now for the 2025 NPE/NPE Action national conference.
They already have an amazing lineup of keynote speakers and panel
presentations. Below is a partial list.
* Diane Ravitch, NPE President
* Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota
* Kurt Russell, 2022 National Teacher of the Year
* Gina Hinojosa, TX State Representative
* John H. Jackson, President and CEO, Schott Foundation
* Jess Piper, Rural Communities and Public School Advocate
* Josh Cowen, Professor, Michigan State University
* Derek Black, Professor of Law, Univ. of South Carolina
* Yohuru Williams, Professor of History, Univ. of St. Thomas

[44]FIND OUT MORE AND REGISTER HERE

Mark Your Calendar!

Multiple Dates, 7:00-8:30 pm: Resilience and ACES. Learn about Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACES) and resilience. Join us for this
award-winning, 60-minute film, Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The
Science of Hope. This documentary examines how abuse, neglect, and other
adverse childhood experiences affect children’s development & health
outcomes in adulthood. This powerful movie is a conversation starter and a
perspective changer.

[45]REGISTER HERE

All screenings are on Thursday and include time for discussion. Invite a
friend and contact us about setting up a private screening for your school
staff, PTA, civic group, church, or synagogue.
* February 26
* March 27
* April 24

Words to Remember

“Full and equitable funding of public schools is critical to provide our
nation’s students with the instruction, opportunities, and support they
need to succeed academically and in life.”

— Robert Kim, Executive Director, Education Law Center

Help us support public schools!

Public Schools First NC is a statewide nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit
focused solely

on pre-K to 12 public education issues. We collaborate with parents,
teachers, business and civic leaders, and communities across North Carolina
to advocate for one unified system of public education that prepares each
child for productive citizenship.

[46]DONATE HERE

[47]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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