Number 10

Wake County Public School System Librarian Announced as School Library Journal's 2023 School Librarian of the Year

"At the door to the library at Mount Vernon Middle School in Raleigh, NC, students are greeted with a sign.

'You are just the student I hoped would show up! Welcome to your library. I’m glad you’re here.'

Those words encapsulate the library program Julie Stivers has crafted over the years, built through actions dedicated to creating a space that is an incubator of joy and belonging, traits that are particularly welcome for the students she serves."

Read the full article here. Congratulations, Julie! Thank you for all you do for North Carolina's students. 

Number 9

Feedback Requested for Draft 2 of 2023 K-12 Science Standards Draft

Draft 2 of the proposed 2023 K-12 Science Standards is available for public review and comment. Stakeholder input is valuable to the process as it may inform additional revisions to the draft standards.

Review and comment here by March 26.

Number 8

NC Students Would Start Career Planning in Middle School, Under Proposed Bill

"North Carolina seventh graders would be required to start planning for a career, under a bill that passed out of the Senate Education and Higher Education Committee on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 193 also requires high school sophomores to revise their plan before they can move on to junior status.

The plans would be completed and hosted online, with parents able to access them and sign off on certain details. Students would be required to complete them beginning with the 2024-25 school year, though students in some school districts may begin as soon as next year in as a part of a trial version of the planning process.

The plans have been pushed by state Superintendent Catherine Truitt, myFutureNC and others to make sure more of North Carolina’s young people are prepared to enter the workforce out of high school or are ready for college coursework."

Read the full article here.

Number 7

Podcast from 2022 TOY: How Advice from My Gen Z Class Made Me Up My Tech Game with Leah Carper in NC on Teachers in America

In this Teachers in America podcast, 2022 Burroughs Wellcome Teacher of the Year Leah Carper talks about using technology to make meaningful connections with students.

Listen to the podcast here.

Number 6

Rethink Education Accessibility Tools

Rethink Education has created an accessibility tools dashboard to help keep teachers informed about extensions and tools that can support making content more comprehensible for Multilingual Learners (MLs) and other students. 

Find the accessibility tools here.

Number 5

Sign Up for New Parent Newsletter from Superintendent Truitt

Superintendent Truitt is starting a twice yearly parent newsletter that will help parents and guardians stay in the know on education happenings in our state. 

Sign up for the newsletter here by entering your email address and selecting "Superintendent Truitt's Parent Newsletter" under the "Internal Lists" section and keep an eye out for the first edition this spring!

Number 4

North Carolina Council on Economic Education Professional Development Opportunities

The North Carolina Council on Economic Education (NCCEE) is providing several professional development opportunities across the state this summer for North Carolina educators teaching, or slated to teach, new Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) courses. 

Preview the session dates, learn more and register here.

Number 3

Bell Scholarship Webinar for School Counselors

Join the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) for this informative webinar to learn more about the Victor E. Bell, Jr. Scholarship for 7th graders! This $20,000 scholarship is made possible by College Foundation, Inc. to encourage and assist high potential North Carolina students to pursue higher education.

The webinar is March 30 at 10 a.m. Learn more and register here.

Number 2

Superintendent Truitt Honored with Communities in Schools NC All in for Kids Award

This week, Communities in Schools NC honored Superintendent Truitt with the All in for Kids Award for designating the 2022-23 school year as the Year of the Workforce in North Carolina Public Schools. 

The All In for Students Awards have been an annual tradition for Communities in Schools (CIS) since 2007 to honor, recognize and celebrate the contributions of key alumni, education and funding partners, legislative representatives, businesses, and community leaders who have demonstrated their commitment, expertise, compassion and fulfillment of the mission of CIS: to connect students in need with a caring adult who empowers them to stay in school and succeed in life. 

Congratulations, Superintendent Truitt! See more about the recognition here.

Number 1

Center for Safer Schools Marks 10th Anniversary

"State and local education officials from around North Carolina gathered Friday, March 17 as the Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) marked its 10th anniversary at the Education Building in Raleigh. The meeting recognized the accomplishments of the CFSS while also keeping the focus on the importance of safer schools.

On March 19, 2013 – as a direct response to the December 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. – then-Gov. Pat McCrory signed an executive order creating the Center for Safer Schools. The CFSS was created on the concept of assisting North Carolina schools to ensure their personnel are equipped, trained and have the skills required to make schools safer. The vision for the CFSS is that all schools in the state are safer, secure and offer an environment conducive to learning."

Read the full press release here.