Number 10

Career and College Ready Graduate (CCRG) Survey for Staff and Students Open Through May 10

NCDPI and the North Carolina Community College System seek to gather feedback on the CCRG Program. The optional surveys were sent via email to curriculum leaders and CCRG leads and will remain open until May 10, 2024. The surveys will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

Regarding the student survey, a sample parent letter is linked below so that you have a guide for communicating the survey intent to parents/students. We recognize PSUs communicate surveys to students in various ways, thus the NCDPI asks PSUs to distribute the survey link to CCRG students who have ‘opted in’ to take surveys. Contact Dr. Erica Shoulders-Royster with questions.

• Sample Parent Letter
• Staff Survey
• Student Survey

The surveys will close on May 10, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. 

Number 9

Next NC Scholarship Offers Students Money for College that Doesn't Have to be Paid Back

Seniors are finalizing their plans for life after high school. For those planning on college, most NC students from households making $80,000 or less will qualify for the Next NC Scholarship, a financial aid program that combines the Federal Pell grant and state aid into one, easy to understand scholarship.

Eligible students attending a community college will receive at least $3,000 per year, which means qualifying North Carolinians can choose from any of the 58 community colleges across the state and have all of their tuition and fees 100% covered. Those attending a public university in North Carolina will get a minimum of $5,000 per year. That pays for more than half, if not all, of tuition and fees at any of the 16 public universities in the state. Students with the greatest need for financial aid could qualify for even more to help make paying for college more manageable.

Students apply for this scholarship by completing the FAFSA. Encourage students to go to nextncscholarship.org for more information. School leaders can find Next NC materials to share with students here.

Number 8

Grant Opportunity: 2024 Renew America's Schools Prize

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the $500 million Renew America’s Schools Program to promote the implementation of clean energy improvements at K-12 public schools across the country. This first-of-its-kind investment aims to help school communities make energy upgrades that will decrease energy use and cost, improve indoor air quality and foster healthier learning environments.

DOE is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize. This three-phase opportunity will help districts will fund energy-efficient and clean energy infrastructure improvements at school districts across America.

Learn more about the funding opportunity and apply here. 

Number 7

Superintendent Truitt's Parent Newsletter

The April edition of Superintendent Truitt's parent newsletter, Coffee with Catherine, went out last week.

Check out the most recent newsletter here. To sign up for the newsletter, click here and enter your email address. When prompted, select "Superintendent Truitt's Parent Newsletter."

Number 6

School Lunches Will Have Less Added Sugar, Sodium Under New Rule

"New US school meal standards announced Wednesday will limit the amount of added sugars for the first time and slightly reduce sodium content among other adjustments, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service said.

The final rule announced on Wednesday will be implemented in phases over the next few years.

K-12 schools serve breakfasts and lunches to nearly 30 million children every school day. These meals are the main source of nutrition for more than half of these children, according to the USDA.

While school meals are paid for by local and federal funding, the standards for what is served are set by the USDA in line with the US Dietary Guidelines. The changes announced Wednesday are the first large-scale reform of school meal standards since President Barack Obama signed the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law. The Biden administration has also set forth a national strategy to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease by 2030."

Read more here. 

Number 5

Earn While you Learn Apprenticeship Programs Increase Access to Jobs in Banking and Finance

"Lupita Montiel is on her way to becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. The youngest of her siblings, it has been a dream of hers to go further in higher education. Thanks to an apprenticeship program through Blue Ridge Community College, she’s one step closer to achieving that dream.

'I want to get my degree. None of my siblings have a degree — they’re working,' Montiel said 'They tried, but it just wasn’t for them… and I understood that.'

After three semesters of working and studying, she earned a certificate in business from Blue Ridge Community College. The sense of accomplishment and pride gained from earning her certificate had an impact on more than just Montiel. At the ceremony where she received her certificate, family and friends filled the room."

Read the full story here. 

Number 4

NC Virtual Public School Offering Free Summer School Classes

The NC State board has extended special funding for NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS) summer classes. Be sure your school maximizes its funding! Enrollment is open now and classes begin June 25.

Learn more on NCVPS' Summer 2024 webpage.

Number 3

NC Officials Head West to See a New Model for Teaching

"State Superintendent Catherine Truitt has long pushed for changes in North Carolina’s teacher pay and licensure, saying the current system provides too little support for rookies and too few opportunities for veterans. Ultimately, she says, it’s the students who suffer when new teachers struggle and good teachers leave the profession.

But the Pathways to Excellence program she’s been backing has stalled, mired in teacher skepticism and legislative inaction. So Truitt recently told the state Board of Education that schools should check out the Next Education Workforce program created by Arizona State University’s College of Education.

Truitt and a couple of other top officials from the Department of Public Instruction recently went to Mesa, Arizona, to see the model in action. The easiest way to describe it is team teaching – but not the way we approach it, she said. This is more than just a group of teachers gathering to share lesson plans and crunch data."

Read the full story to learn more here. 

Number 2

Governor’s Budget Proposes 8.5% Average Pay Raise for Teachers, Master’s Pay

"Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper presented his $34.5 billion budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 on Wednesday, calling for approximately an additional $1 billion to go toward public education — including an average 8.5% raise for teachers, a $1,500 retention bonus, and reinstatement of master’s pay.

His proposal includes a 5% raise for most state employees, which includes non-certified school employees, and most community college employees.

Cooper said his proposal presents lawmakers with a choice to invest in North Carolina’s public schools, instead of prioritizing further tax breaks and the expansion of private school vouchers."

Read the full story here. 

Number 1

Top Two Magnet Schools in the US are in Wake County

Two Wake County Public School System magnet schools received the highest national distinctions awarded.

Athens Drive Magnet High School in Raleigh won the Dr. Ronald P. Simpson Magnet School of Merit Award of Excellence, given each year to the top magnet school in the country. Conn Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh won the organization’s Donald Waldrip Magnet School of Excellence Award. That honor goes to the second-best magnet school in the nation."

Read more here. Congratulations to Athens Drive High and Conn Elementary!