K-3 Teachers, Students to Benefit from Read-to-Achieve Funds
All Schools with Early Elementary Grades Getting $200 for Each K-3 Reading Teacher
 State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced last week that the Department of Public Instruction is providing nearly $5 million to school districts and charter schools for additional K-3 literacy support. Every district and charter school with early elementary grades will receive $200 for each K-3 reading teacher to purchase literacy materials.
"Early-grade teachers are working extremely hard to get students reading on track by the end of third grade, and we are very pleased to be able to support them with these resources," Johnson said. "Rather than make the decisions for them in Raleigh, we want districts and principals to partner with their K-3 reading teachers to decide what materials they need for their students and classrooms."
The funding, part of the Read-to-Achieve state funding, totals $4.8 million and represents $200 for each of the 24,000 K-3 teachers and their 479,000 students across the state.
"Preparing our youngest students to read successfully in school will prepare them for success in life," Johnson said.
The funds can be used for literacy instruction and parental engagement, either in the classroom or at home. Funds can be used for literacy materials including:
- Books to send home with students to support and encourage reading over the summer
- Books for classrooms
- Online subscriptions for digital or downloadable books and instructional materials
- Hands-on resources for individual students, small groups, or work-stations – especially materials to support students at risk of being reading retained
- Equipment, instructional tools, and supplies to aid teachers in whole class, small group, or individual instruction
Districts and charter schools will receive the funds this month. When classrooms will receive books and supplies will vary by district.
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State Board Sets Supplemental Budget Requests for 2018-19
Technology Support High on the List
 Members of the
State Board of Education voted this month to request $156 million in additional
state spending for schools in 2018-19 with stronger technology support, more
school nurses, counselors, psychologists and social workers and increased
funding for textbooks, digital learning resources and other instructional resources
and classroom supplies.
The request was
made in response to the Office of State Budget and Management for its
development of Gov. Roy Cooper’s supplemental budget recommendations to the
General Assembly to consider during its short session this year. The board’s
requests represent a 1.7 percent increase of the state’s General Fund budget
for the current year. The Office of State Budge and Management asked state
agencies to limit their expansion requests to no more than a 2 percent increase
in spending.
The largest
single item on the board’s list of expansion items would be an investment in
school building technology support for digital learning, at a cost of $56
million. The funds would allow school districts to provide one technology
support position for every three schools. The board is also asking for $18.7
million to hire additional instructional support staff, such as counselors,
psychologists and social workers, to make gains on its five-year goal to
achieve a ratio of one support position for every 200 students. The current
ratio is one to 219 such positions. To reduce the ratio of school nurses to
students to one to 750, the board is requesting $12.8 million to hire
additional nurses.
As part of its
$156 total expansion request, the board is also asking for $8.3 million, of
which $2.9 million would be non-recurring, for the Department of Public
Instruction to better support schools with teacher professional development
focusing on personalized learning, cybersecurity training for public school
staff and improved school business support for local districts.
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In addition, as part of its letter accompanying its expansion requests, the board is asking the state to roll back $5.1 in additional reductions to DPI’s budget for 2018-19 included in the two-year budget adopted by the legislature last year.
“To function at a high level, the system of schools also requires significant support and technical assistance from the state education agency, NCDPI,” states the letter, signed by Bill Cobey, board chairman. “The agency has been reduced by approximately $25 million and 250 full-time equivalents over the past 10 years while the system of schools has grown in size and complexity; as a result critical serves to districts and schools are beginning to suffer.”
In its letter, the board also urges the governor to continue efforts to increase pay for teachers and other school employees.
“A system of excellent public schools requires a well-trained, committed cadre of staff,” the letter states, “and recruiting and retaining the best staff requires competitive salaries.”
 The North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey opened March 1 and runs through March 31. The Department of Public Instruction's goal is to hear from every school-based educator in the state. To increase the percentage of educators that participate, we have provided a number of survey enhancements:
- Longer survey period, March 1-March 31
- Anywhere, anytime access
- A robust, one-stop-shop website: www.ncteachingconditions.org
- Archived instructional webinars for School-Based Coordinators and Principals
- Recognition/prizes for the first elementary, middle, high, charter, and district
- Two school-based coordinators where applicable (School Improvement Chairs & NCAE Reps)
- Live helpdesk for school-based coordinators
In addition to the enhancements mentioned above, we have created a number of tools to help school leaders understand changes made in 2018.
Visit https://ncteachingconditions.org/resources for a 2016 vs. 2018 comparison table, 2018 survey questions, and/or details about scoring changes.
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State State Superintendent Mark Johnson is sponsoring a statewide arts initiative. The Superintendent’s Arts Initiative is an opportunity to recognize student artists and to encourage participation in all of the arts throughout the state, as well as in each school district and charter school. Districts may submit one work each.
The initiative is open to all K-12 public school students in all arts disciplines (dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts.) All two-dimensional artwork, such as painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography, will be displayed permanently at the Department of Public Instruction building in Raleigh.
Johnson is also encouraging all NCDPI staff to enjoy special short performances by students in the first-floor lobby of the Education Building each month as we highlight the important work our educators, students, and communities are doing through arts education in North Carolina. We'll also be spotlighting partnerships with professional organizations during each of these performances.
 myFutureNC, a statewide education commission focusing on educational attainment for all North Carolinians, is holding a series of eight listening sessions throughout the state designed to hear from communities about what they perceive as their region’s economic strengths and identify the educational opportunities that are most needed to capitalize on those strengths.
Typical Listening Tour Session Agenda — Participants are welcome to join for any or all segments, as personal schedules allow.
- 2:00-2:30 – Doors open (meet-and-greet; information-sharing; light refreshments)
- 2:30-3:00 – myFutureNC overview
- 3:00-4:00 — Listening Session focus groups
- 4:00-4:15 – Break
- 4:15-5:00 — Location-specific educational attainment pipeline conversation
The next two sessions are listed below:
Region 3 – March 22
NC Rural Center (4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh)
Local Focus: The HBCU perspective: Donald Barringer, NCCU
Northeast – April 19
Museum of the Albemarle (501 South Water Street, Elizabeth City)
Local Focus: The principals’ perspective: Guests TBD — potentials include Michelle White (Region 1 Principal of the Year; D. F. Walker Elementary, Edenton-Chowan County); Steve Basnight (J.P. Knapp Early College, Currituck County); Steve Lassiter (Assistant Superintendent, Pasquotank County)
For more information visit the myFutureNC website.
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