Coffee with Catherine: Superintendent Truitt's Parent Newsletter

North Carolina Public Schools sent this bulletin at 10/15/2024 06:00 PM EDT

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October 15, 2024

Coffee with Catherine

Parents and Guardians,

To say there has been a lot going on this fall would be quite the understatement. Heading into the season we are experiencing some extreme highs - like record breaking student achievements and dollars awarded by grant funding - but also the extreme lows brought on by Hurricane Helene.

Our schools, students, educators, staff, families and community members in the west are facing unimaginable challenges at this time and are looking at a long road to recovery. NCDPI has remained in touch with local district and school leaders and is committed to supporting students, staff and others through this period by advocating for their needs and offering any support we can. My heart goes out to the adept, resilient people of Western NC and their loved ones.

Thank you for your continued interest in North Carolina's Public Schools.

Catherine Truitt
Superintendent, NC Department of Public Instruction

NC Teacher of the Year Heather Smith Says Recovery is Transforming Chaos into Hope

The 2024 Teacher of the Year, Heather Smith, is from Haywood County, an areathat suffered extreme devastation from Hurricane Helene. Heather is an inspiration and agent for change in her school, and by extension, her community.

Being a leader, educator and member of the community of a county that has been deemed a disaster area has given Heather a unique perspective on this cataclysmic event and what she's seen come from it. She says in the chaos she sees the beauty of schools, learning, educators, resiliency, and hope. I encourage you all to read her beautiful, honest and heart wrenching words in her feature story published by EdNC, which I've included below.

heather smith and students loading supplies

"Friday morning, we awoke to trees bending and swaying in the strong winds that Hurricane Helene brought to Waynesville. After a short time on the porch, anxiously watching for any sign that those trees might fall on our newly built house, we saw sparks light up the sky, followed by a loud boom. In an instant, the lights went out.

When the rain finally settled, we decided to assess the damage. Being higher up the mountain, we assumed there would be several downed trees and branches covering the road. Little did we know we were not going anywhere. The stream, which ran beautifully under the entrance to our community through a culvert and out on the other side had become a raging river that rushed swiftly over the road. That raging river brought hundreds of large rocks and debris. The powerful water went out of its banks and created its own path. A path that was running right through my neighbor’s field and hitting against their house. A path of destruction.

Tears. Instant tears. My heart became overwhelmed with the thought of what so many were going through.

They told us to prepare. They told us it would be catastrophic. They told us to brace ourselves. They were right, but how do you prepare for what just happened?

Everything is broken.

It is broken like the many mountain roads in Haywood County where pavement is ripped to shreds or completely swept away. These are the roads needed to connect the members of our community, who are isolated, to town to get supplies needed to survive. These are the roads that buses run on to transport our students to school."

Read her full story here.

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Recent Funding: Hurricane Helene Relief Bill

Last week, the General Assembly passed the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024. I am pleased and grateful to see the NC General Assembly's Helene legislation include almost all of our asks for NC Public Schools:

Protecting school staff financially by allocating $16 million for School Nutrition Staff deemed employed for scheduled instructional days missed due to Hurricane Helene, keeping principal bonuses intact, and ensuring that all employees employed by a public school unit shall be deemed employed for scheduled instructional days missed due to Hurricane Helene.
Calendar and remote instruction flexibility, allowing impacted counties flexibility in missed instructional time by making up days and/or deeming up to 20 days completed, and allowing for maximum flexibility beyond the currently allowed 15 remote instructions days or 90 remote instruction hours for good cause.
Educator preparation exceptions that allow future teachers currently enrolled in Educator Preparation Programs in an impacted county to be deemed having completed the clinical internship requirement if graduating in December 2024 despite not meeting the full 16-week requirement.

This is a great first step to helping our schools, staff and students recover, and I know the NCGA will appropriate additional funding in terms of building and equipment damage in due time.

Recent Student and School Achievements: 2024 Blue Ribbon Schools, 2023-24 Accountability Results and Record-Breaking AP Achievements

NC Students Set Record High for Completed AP Exams, Scores Outperform National Average
North Carolina high school students in 2023-24 participated and performed in college-level Advanced Placement (AP) courses at record-setting levels – reaching the highest participation and final scores in 10 years! Of the over 155,000 exams administered, 65.4% resulted in a proficient score of 3 or better, exceeding the national average of 65% and up from North Carolina’s 59% in 2022-23.

To outperform the nation is a tremendous accomplishment. These results are a testament to students’ tenacity and commitment to their futures. Increasing access to AP exams is just one way we can ensure students are prepared to pursue the postgraduate plan of their choice, and we are thankful to the General Assembly for the increased funding that enabled us to truly expand access in the 2023-24 school year.

Read more about 2023-24 AP scores here.

2023-24 Accountability Report Shows Continued Academic Growth for North Carolina Students
We are very proud of the steady progress reflected in this year's state test scores. This progress highlights the hard work and incredible dedication of educators and students across our state. The data in the accountability report provides us with a clear picture of what’s going well in our schools and what areas need additional support. This year’s data shows us that we’re headed in the right direction in most areas, but that we must remain committed to advocating for additional support for our teachers.

Read more and find details on the results here.

Five North Carolina Public Schools Earn National Blue Ribbon Recognition
Five North Carolina public schools were named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024! The schools are among 356 schools nationwide recognized this year for their overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps. North Carolina public schools that received this honor are:

Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy – Buncombe County Schools
Hope Middle School – Pitt County Schools
McDowell Early College – McDowell County Schools
Willow Springs Elementary School – Wake County Public School System
Rock Ridge Elementary School – Wilson County Schools

I’m so proud to see these schools recognized for their incredible accomplishments and dedication to students. These school communities – including educators, students, parents and members of the community – illustrate the amazing things happening in North Carolina’s public schools, ultimately leading the way toward stronger schools across our state and even better outcomes for students.

Read more about the 2024 Blue Ribbon Awards here.

School Safety Update: "Protecting Our Students" Videos

Last week, schools received the long-anticipated "Protecting Our Students" grooming videos which are required as part of the Protect Our Students Act (HB142). This essential programming is aimed at equipping K-12 school employees with vital information regarding inappropriate behavior and adult sexual misconduct in school environments.

The law requires the videos to be shown to students in grades 6-12 in all public school units. A staff video has also been made and shared with schools.

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