Number 10

NC Regional Teachers of the Year Named; Nine Vie for the 2023 State Title

Nine teachers from across North Carolina have been selected as the state’s regional Teachers of the Year for their dedication, innovation and ability to inspire students to achieve.

These accomplished educators will now compete for the title of 2023 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. The winner succeeds the 2022 Teacher of the Year, Leah Carper, an English teacher at Northern Guilford High School in the Guilford County School district.

The 2023 North Carolina Regional Teachers of the Year are:

• Northeast: Casey Schulte, Bath Elementary (Beaufort County Schools)
• Sandhills: Teena Robinson, Mineral Springs Elementary (Richmond County Schools)
• Northwest: Shea Bolick, South Caldwell High (Caldwell County Schools)
• Piedmont-Triad: Tiffany Wynn, Thomasville Middle (Thomasville City Schools)
• Southeast: Laura Wilson, Roger Bell New Tech Academy (Craven County Schools)
• North Central: Kimberly Jones, Chapel Hill High (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)
• Western: Rachael Ray, Madison High (Madison County Schools)
• Southwest: Rachel Frye, East Lincoln High (Lincoln County Schools)
• Charter School: Ryan Henderson, Sugar Creek Charter School

Congratulations to all nine regional Teachers of the Year! Thank you for all you do for education in our state. Read the full press release here.

Number 9

NC Student Clearinghouse Student Tracker Report

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is now partnering with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to provide unique national data resources to schools and administrators to assist education leaders in better understanding student pathways and outcomes. The student tracker report tracks if North Carolina high school graduates go to college, where, and if they graduate.

View the report, that includes more than 30 color graphs and charts outlining the postsecondary enrollment and achievements of high school graduates, here. 

Number 8

2022-23 Purple Star Award Accepting Applications

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction launched the Purple Star Award Designation initiative to recognize the state’s strong military presence and its support for military families. The Purple Star designation is awarded to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families.

The deadline to apply for the 2022-23 Purple Star Award designation is February 1, 2023.

Learn more and apply here.

Number 7

myFutureNC State of Educational Attainment in NC Livestream

myFutureNC will host the State of Educational Attainment in North Carolina virtually on Monday, February 6, from 3-3:45 p.m. All sectors and North Carolina citizens are invited to join as the top findings from North Carolina's State of Educational Attainment Report are shared and solutions proposed to address the state of emergency around workforce talent and the education pipeline in NC. The event will highlight success stories among K-12 and higher education partners and forecast needs and clear solutions to help achieve the state's educational attainment goal of 2 million degrees or industry-valued credentials by 2030 among North Carolinians ages 25-44.

Learn more and register here.

Number 6

Announcing the 2023 NC Jr. Chef Competition!

Teams of high school students (grades 9-12) currently enrolled in a North Carolina public school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are encouraged to work with their teachers and local School Nutrition Program to create a school lunch entrée recipe that adheres to NSLP regulations, features at least two North Carolina grown ingredients and one USDA Foods item, and appeals to students for the 2023 NC Jr. Chef Competition. Student members of the top three teams win scholarships to attend Sullivan University. The 1st place teams advances to the Southeast Jr. Chef Competition.

Applications with recipes and permission forms are due February 3. Learn more and apply here.

Number 5

Lady Cardinal Program

Do you know a high school girl interested in public service and a future career in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics? The NC Department of Administration (DOA) is accepting applications for the summer Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program. This four-week, paid annual mentorship program with state government leaders is open to North Carolina high school girls, grades 9-12.

Learn more here.

Number 4

Brussels-Lux Study Tour for Educators

With support of a National Resource Center (NRC) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and in cooperation with the Center for European Studies at the University of North Carolina, each summer the University of Pittsburgh's European Studies Center plans a week-long study tour to Brussels, Belgium for educators to learn about the European Union. The ESC provides funds to support summer study tours of Brussels for K-12 educators and faculty teaching at community colleges or minority serving (Title III- or Title V-eligible) institutions. This study tour will provide educators with the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and experiences to further their understanding of Europe and the European Union. The travel dates include a visit to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

All selected participants for the 2023 cohort will receive grants providing up to $1,300 toward the cost of their airfare to Brussels and six (6) nights double (shared) occupancy in a four-star hotel located in the EU Quarter are provided. Hotel breakfasts are included, as is one group dinner.

Learn more and apply here.

Number 3

NCVirtual Beyond the Basics: Effective Online Teaching and Content Development Virtual Professional Development

The course “Beyond the Basics: Effective Online Teaching and Content Development” is part of Teacher Online Training 2 (TOT2), NCVirtual's free professional development program designed as a follow-up to the ToT1 Introduction Course. This course will focus on the digital teaching and learning strategies critical to effective online teaching and content development.

It is recommended to complete the “An Introduction to Online Teaching and Content Development” (TOT1) course or have previous basic knowledge of online teaching and learning before taking it. A pre-assessment is provided at the beginning of this course to help determine if TOT2 is appropriate for you.

Learn more about the virtual course, including cohort dates, here.

Number 2

NC Pathways to Excellence for Teaching Professionals Website

The North Carolina Pathways to Excellence for Teaching Professionals is an opportunity to make impactful reform on how North Carolina recruits, retains, prepares, supports and compensates teachers.

Visit the NC Pathways to Excellence for Teaching Professionals website to learn more about the work underway to reimagine licensure, professional development and compensation for our state's teachers.

Number 1

Truitt Issues Updated Operation Polaris Plan, Outlining Progress and Ongoing Initiatives

Entering her third year as North Carolina’s leader of K-12 education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt is sharpening her signature strategic plan, Operation Polaris, with new focus areas while continuing to press for progress along a number of key fronts, from pandemic recovery to strengthening student literacy.

Truitt launched Operation Polaris in 2021 to guide the Department of Public Instruction in new efforts to address longstanding challenges in the state’s public schools, to improve educational opportunities for all students, and to ensure high levels of support for districts and schools across North Carolina.

Read the full press release here. Operation Polaris 2.0 can be found here.