State Board of Education Vision:Every public school student in North Carolina will be empowered to accept academic challenges, prepared to pursue their chosen path after graduating high school, and encouraged to become lifelong learners with the capacity to engage in a globally-collaborative society.
State Board of Education Mission:The mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is to use its constitutional authority to guard and maintain the right of a sound, basic education for every child in North Carolina Public Schools.
February 9: Voter registration deadline (at 5 p.m. EST) If you are registering to vote by mail, forms must be postmarked by February 9 and received in the office by February 14.
February 15: In-person early voting begins; same-day voter registration available. You can register and vote with same-day registration during early voting. You will need to provide an acceptable photo ID and proof of residence.
February 27: Absentee ballot request deadline (at 5 p.m. EST)
March 2: In-person early voting ends (at 3 p.m. EST)
NCDPI Press Release| Jan. 24, 2024: Center for Safer Schools Awards $35 Million in School Safety Grants - Two hundred thirty North Carolina school districts and charter schools will benefit from $35 million in safety grants announced today by the Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools (CFSS). In 2018, the General Assembly worked with the Department of Public Instruction to launch a new School Safety Grant Program to improve safety in public school units by providing grants for school resource officers, services for students in crisis, training to increase school safety, safety equipment in schools and additional school mental health support personnel. A list of public-school units that were awarded 2023-24 School Safety Grant funding can be found here.
NCDPI Press Release | Jan. 23, 2024: Three High School Teams Vie in 2024 N.C. Jr. Chef Competition - Three teams of high school students from across the state will cultivate culinary creativity in the 2024 North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition. Based on applications and recipes submitted, teams from First Flight High (Dare County Schools), Garinger High (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), and Northern High (Durham Public Schools) will compete as finalists in the statewide cook-off.
Supplemental Grant Applications [per SL 2023-134, Section 4.3.(c)] -The special FY23-24 application period for FY22-23 NBPSCF Grant recipients, with projects that are not yet under construction, is NOW OPEN. The deadline for submitting applications and supporting materials under this provision is June 30, 2024.
The Regular Session of the 2023 General Assembly adjourned October 25, 2023, and will reconvene on the following dates: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 12:00 P.M.; Wednesday, February 14, 2023 at 12:00 P.M.; Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 12:00 P.M.; and Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 12:00 P.M. (S.J.R. 760).
The Short Session of the 2023-2024 legislative biennium will convene on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 12:00 P.M. See this MEMORANDUM for matters that may be considered for the 2024 Short Session.
During thesesessions, your PSU team will receive the *NEW* Year Over Year Report for your district or charter schools and an overview of the various NC education-relevant dashboards to facilitate a data-driven approach to evaluate investments and make sound budgeting decisions beyond September of 2024.
Each session will begin at 10 AM and end by 3:30 PM. Lunch has been graciously provided at each session by the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology (SMT) Education Center. Due to site capacity, these sessions are limited to 6 attendees per district and 3 attendees per charter school. Please work with your leadership team to assemble a team of key decision makers around ESSER, budgeting, and strategic planning. We suggest considering the following individuals as part of your team Superintendent or designee, CFO or designee, Federal Programs Director, Academics/Accountability Director, Human Resources Director, Technology Director, Communication Director, or any other leader who has large budgetary responsibility.
Once you register, you will receive an automated email that contains the address of the session you registered to attend. Registration will close on January 31st.
In preparation for these sessions, OLR hosted three webinars last week to introduce the Funding Cliff Toolkit which is the framework for our in-person session. If you were unable to attend those sessions, please feel free to review the slide deck and webinar recording (Passcode: FLd=sR9d), prior to the session.
The submission period for the Purple Star Award is open and will closeFebruary 1. Help honor those schools that go above and beyond to demonstrate their commitment to military students and their families by encouraging them to apply.
NCDPI seeks amazing young leaders for summer 2024 paid internships! We have opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in education, public policy, business management, public administration, communications, and more.
Instagram photo: ncsymphony - Your North Carolina Symphony welcomed more than 1500 4th graders to our Education Concert this week and we were pleased to be joined by the new Wake County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Robert P. Taylor at Meymandi Concert Hall in downtown Raleigh.
For more than 75 years, the North Carolina Symphony’s Education Concerts have been a cornerstone of music education in the state, offering engaging one-hour performances tailored for students in grades 3 to 5. These concerts explore “What Makes Music, Music?” through diverse repertoire that spans various musical genres and styles. Through these concerts, young audiences are taken on a journey of musical discovery, exploring the fundamental elements that define the art form. With a rich history of inspiring students, these concerts continue to be a vital resource for educators, fostering a deep appreciation for music and enriching the cultural education for students across North Carolina.
Check the “Frequently Asked Questions” at this LINK or contact the North Carolina Symphony’s Education department at education@ncsymphony.org for more information.
Instagram photo: ncpublicschools - First cohort of America 250 NC Freedom Fellows, sponsored by NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources and Carolina K-12 -12, as part of the America 250 NC initiative.
Seventeen educators from across the state will spend the next six months as Fellows visiting N.C. Historic Sites and engaging in virtual learning to deepen their historical scholarship and enhance their teaching practices. This opportunity also aims to create a community of learning where educators can network with other historians, scholars, cultural institutions, and authors from around the state.
Learn more about these incredible education leaders, the Fellowship, and the America 250 NC initiative at go.unc.edu/2024freedomfellows.
RALEIGH – Applications are open to receive free bicycle helmets from the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Organizations can applyonline at NCDOT’s Bicycle Helmet Initiativewebpage to receive free helmets. The deadline for applications is Feb. 9. Applicants may request 25, 50, 75, or 100 helmets and are encouraged to partner with a local law enforcement agency, parks and recreation department, schools, churches, or other organization to host bike safety events. The helmets will be distributed in the spring in advance of National Bike/Walk to School Day in May.
Criteria/Requirements for Applying
Applicants/Organizations must be located within North Carolina and activities must take place in North Carolina.
Applicants must be government entities or nonprofit organizations.
Helmets should be distributed to low-income children 17 & under.
Bicycle safety programs should consider ways to identify and invite children in the community who would benefit most from receiving a helmet through this initiative.
Bicycle helmet distribution is intended to coincide with a bicycle safety education program.
Helmets cannot be received for personal need.
Helmets cannot be sold.
Helmet distribution must take place within the awarding calendar year unless otherwise granted approval.
Awardees will submit a report on their bicycle program within 30 days following event (Final deadline for report/ status update is December 31, 2024).
Questions: Contact Kim Nguyen, Transportation Planner at kpnguyen1@ncdot.gov or at (919)-707-4676
Education Articles and Briefs
Education Week - Sarah D. Sparks | Jan. 23, 2024:What’s the Secret to a Long, Healthy Life? Staying in School, a Study Finds- For each additional year of schooling, mortality for adults younger than 50 fell by nearly 3 percent, with smaller but still significant benefits for older adults, too. Completing 18 years of education—the equivalent of K-12 plus a four-year college degree—cut adult mortality by 34 percent. That’s similar to the level of health protection linked to eating a healthy, vegetable-heavy diet and getting plenty of exercise.
NC STEM Center - The NC STEM Center is a Web Portal for All Things Related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education in North Carolina.
EDDIE (Educational Directory and Demographical Information Exchange) is the authoritative source for NC public school numbers and demographic information, is used by multiple NCDPI technology systems including: Accountability, PowerSchool, NC School Report Cards, and is used to meet federal reporting requirements.
LEAs and charter schools are responsible for ensuring their data in EDDIE are complete, accurate, and current. EDDIE is located at: http://apps.schools.nc.gov/eddie
