Thankful for Our NC Educators!

This year we are increasingly thankful for our wonderful NC educators and the many support staff who make our public schools places where all students can come together to learn and grow into thoughtful, engaged community members.

Thanks to our educators, our public schools are beacons of hope where our students learn alongside people from all walks of life. They act as sources of inspiration, support, and guidance for students, especially during difficult times. Educators nurture students' dreams, empower them with knowledge and skills, and provide safe and supportive environments that help them achieve their potential.

Despite North Carolina being one of the least supported education systems in the nation, ranking 49th worst of 50 states in funding effort and 48th of 51 (DC included) in funding level, NC educators and students continue to perform far better than we have a right to expect.

This year NC students achieved a three-year high in most standardized tests at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, according to the end of grade and end of course test data released in September. More schools earned an A, B or C, while the number of schools earning a D or F declined substantially. The number of schools exceeding or meeting growth increased as well.
NC made state history with record high Advanced Placement course participation and exam scores, beating the national average for the second year in a row.
NC graduation rates were also up, reaching 87.7%, their highest mark in 10 years.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results released in 2025 showed that NC students are at or above the nation in all tested areas, though, not surprisingly, pandemic gaps still persist.

Thank you, educators! North Carolinians are getting much more than they're paying for! These metrics reveal results far beyond what our legislative leadership should expect given their dismal investments in public schools over the past decade.

Your grit, persistence, and professionalism in the face of culture war disruptions and chronic underfunding is remarkable, especially when the legislature has not passed a state budget. No state budget means that NC educators are being paid at last year’s salary levels, positions have been cut or left unfilled, and an already challenging job has became even harder.

We are also thankful for the Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green’s new strategic plan to become the best school system in the nation by 2030. This comprehensive plan sets out goals, actions, and clear metrics for measuring progress. He traveled the state sharing plan details with communities and he made it clear that to achieve success, lawmakers must commit to more funding.

THANK YOU to all NC educators and supporters who keep our schools strong. You truly are the heart of our communities! We encourage all educators to remember that we cannot let anti-public education voices take away your vital role or diminish your passion for teaching - you are needed! You are preparing our children to live their dreams and aspirations!

We hope you have a restful Thanksgiving holiday next week. THANK YOU for all you do for North Carolina's students and their futures!

ICE in NC Communities

This week saw major increases in the number of ICE agents deployed in several NC communities, including Charlotte, Durham, and Raleigh. Fearful that scenes from ICE deployments in other major cities would play out in North Carolina, communities took to the streets to protest. On Monday, more than 30,000 Charlotte-Mecklenburg students were absent. When ICE came to the Triangle on Tuesday, nearly 20,000 Wake County students students stayed home.

These disruptions to student learning as well as the fear and trauma to students and their communities caused by the raids led many school leaders to respond. Leading the way was North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green. His statement on Tuesday emphasized the state’s commitment to providing a safe learning environment for ALL students.

"Every child in North Carolina has the constitutional right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status," Green said. "This is not a choice, it is our legal responsibility. Our schools are places of learning, growth and opportunity. When students are absent due to fear, their education suffers and our entire community is diminished.

"Consistent with binding legal precedent, North Carolina public schools remain committed to ensuring every student can safely attend school and receive the education they deserve.

"Our educators and school staff are focused on what they do best – teaching and nurturing young minds. We will continue to work with local boards of education and school leaders to maintain safe, welcoming environments where all students can learn and thrive."

Thank you, Superintendent Green!

The legislature took no action on the budget this week after House and Senate leaders rejected Governor Stein's call to action on a budget.

Some lawmakers came to Raleigh on Monday to signal their willingness to work on a budget. The budget stalemate is due to lawmakers' inability to agree on Medicaid funding, tax cuts, educator and state employee salary raises, and more. As majority leaders in both House and Senate, the responsibility for moving negotiations forward rests with the Republicans.

Contact budget conferees (members assigned to work on a budget) to share your views. We have created several email templates, including a "write your own" version you can use to email the budget conferees.

Lawmakers are scheduled to convene again on December 15. Check the legislative calendar for committee meetings happening in the first two weeks of December.

On November 18, the Department of Education announced sweeping changes to the department in a continuing effort to dismantle the agency. Six offices currently within the ED are being moved to other agencies, reversing the move made by President Carter in 1979 to bring the Office of Education and other education-related agencies under one roof to improve efficiency and efficacy. Distributing the responsibilities back out to multiple agencies and cutting funding will sharply diminish their ability to function.

Congress authorized formation of the US Department of Education and is required to authorize any change to its structure. The administration is sidestepping the law by calling the moves interagency “partnerships” that leave policy oversight with the Education Department but grant management and other functions with the newly assigned department.

Management of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Postsecondary Education is being moved to the Department of Labor.
Educational services for Native Americans are moving to the Department of Interior
Child care for college students who are parents and accreditation of foreign medical schools are being moved to Health and Human Services
International education is being moved to the Department of State

Congress can halt these moves. Contact your congressional members with our email template and urge them to reject these harmful changes.

More than $392 million in grant awards through the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund (NBPSCF) were announced on November 18. The NBPSCF, funded by state lottery revenue, was established in 2017 to supplement the other capital, building repair, and renovation funds that distribute lottery revenue to all districts in the state.

The NBPSCF is aimed at districts in low-wealth areas. This year's grants will fund new or replacement school buildings and school renovations in 10 districts.

NCDPI received 92 grant applications totaling nearly $2 billion in requested funding. With just under $400 million funded, over $1.6 billion in grant requests from low-wealth districts were left unfunded.

In 2023-24, just 20.3% of lottery revenue went to public education.

READ MORE

Tennessee’s new universal voucher program went into effect in February 2025 when Governor Lee signed it into law after several years of legislative failures and strenuous public opposition. Now the program is headed to court. Tennessee's program is remarkably similar to North Carolina’s program. The following is excerpted from a piece by Public Funds Public Schools.

Tennessee parents and taxpayers filed a lawsuit on November 20 challenging Tennessee's universal private school voucher program as unconstitutional. The lawsuit, Young v. Lee, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court, argues that the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Act violates the state constitution by diverting public funds to private schools that lack accountability and openly discriminate against students.

The unconstitutional program provides $7,295 vouchers to some Tennessee students to attend private schools and covers a range of other private education expenses. The program is projected to cost taxpayers $1 billion over its first five years.

The lawsuit argues the voucher law violates the Education Clause of the Tennessee Constitution in two ways:

The Education Clause's adequacy requirement: By diverting public funds away from already underfunded public schools, the law prevents Tennessee from providing students with the adequate education guaranteed by the state constitution.
The Education Clause's mandate of a single system of public schools: By funding schools outside the system of free public schools, the voucher law violates this Education Clause mandate

Private schools participating in the voucher program are not required to comply with the same academic standards, accountability measures, or civil rights protections that apply to public schools. They can deny admission to students with disabilities, LGBTQ students, or students of certain religions — discrimination that would be illegal in any public school.

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Did you know North Carolina is the only state in the nation that has failed to pass a state budget for fiscal year 2025-26?

On November 12, Pennsylvania's Governor Shapiro signed their state budget, leaving North Carolina standing alone as the least responsible state legislature in the nation.

Contact budget negotiation committee members to let them know we need a budget. It is inexcusable that lawmakers refuse to work on a budget while North Carolinians suffer.

Use our email template and customize your own message to the budget committee members.

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.

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.

January 22, 2026
February 26, 2026
March 26, 2026

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.

DONATE HERE

Thankful for Our NC Educators!

ICE in NC Communities

Legislative and SBE Updates

STOP Dismantling the US Department of Education

NC Lottery Funds School Construction

Tennessee's Unconstitutional Voucher Program

In Case You Missed It

Did You Know?

Mark Your Calendar!

Words to Remember

Help us support public schools!