Number 10

Mo Wants to Know - Superintendent Green's Listening and Learning Tour

State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green’s “Mo Wants to Know” tour is coming to all eight regions of North Carolina this March and April. 

The superintendent is hosting listening and learning sessions with community stakeholders statewide, including the eight public events. All parents, students, educators, school and district staff, public officials and other community members are invited to attend.

Please join Superintendent Green for one of the remaining two Mo Wants to Know sessions: 

• April 7, 6 p.m. - North Central Region – Northern High School (Durham Public Schools)
• April 9, 6 p.m. - Northeast Region – Northeastern High School (Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools)

Find additional details on the Mo Wants to Know sessions or submit your input online here.

Number 9

April is Month of the Military Child - Purple Up Day is April 11

April is the Month of the Military Child. Did you know that more than 110,000 military-connected children call North Carolina home?

Please show your support for our state's military-connected students on April 11 by wearing purple to celebrate Purple Up Day. The color purple represents all branches of the military, combining Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red and Navy blue.

Number 8

NCDPI Summer Internships

NCDPI is offering a summer internship program for 2025 for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in public policy, public administration, education, communications, business management and related fields.

Interns can expect one-on-one guidance from agency staff, opportunities to meet with elected leaders and advocate and support educators and students across North Carolina.

Learn more about the program and how apply here. The deadline to apply is April 8.

Number 7

English Language Arts (ELA) Standard Course of Study Draft 2 Survey

State Board of Education policy specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction will formally collect feedback on the draft revised standards from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives and other education agencies.

To support creation of Draft 2 of the Proposed 2025 ELA Standard Course of Study (SCOS), the ELA Data Review Committee (DRC) completed a formal report summarizing the data and trends from Draft 1 standard-by-standard surveys. The report was provided to the ELA Standards Writing Team (SWT) for Draft 2.

The purpose of the Draft 2 General Survey is to obtain input from educators and stakeholders familiar with the English Language Arts (ELA) Standard Course of Study in order to inform further revision decisions. As such, the ELA team requests your thoughtful input and comments on the draft revised academic standards for ELA to inform the revision process.

To support completion of the general survey, a Survey Companion Document has been created to explain in detail key changes and updates made within Draft 2 of the Proposed 2025 ELA SCOS. Based on data compiled and analyzed from standard-by-standard surveys for Draft 1, the ELA DRC made the following suggestions for revisions:

• Provide more specificity within the standards and objectives and clarify terminology where possible;
• Create supporting resources to clarify expectations and provide guidance, especially for fluency with secondary grades;
• Confirm developmental and grade-appropriateness of skills;
• Confirm vertical progression of skills across grade-bands;
• Clarify mentioning of the Holocaust/genocide in secondary grade-bands; and
• Revisit grade banding for high school.

Review the proposed draft here.

Find the survey here. The deadline to submit feedback is April 18.

Number 6

Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) Impact Grant Request for Proposals

The Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) Impact Grant offers an inclusive, supportive and sustainable opportunity for Public School Units (PSUs) to prioritize North Carolina Digital Learning Competencies and Digital Learning Standards for Students. This grant cycle supports a range of innovative and impactful practices, including:

• Blended Learning
• Innovative Digital Teaching and Learning Practices
• Coaching
• Data-Informed Instructional Practices
• Emerging Technologies
• Personalized Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Library Renovation, Programming, Collection Development and Community Support for areas affected by Hurricane Helene

To support applicants throughout the process, office hours will be offered through April 11. There will also be a webinar March 11 that will offer an overview of the Digital Learning Initiative Emerging Technologies Grant. Learn more here.

Grant submissions will close on April 11. For additional information or questions, contact Lindsey Sipe, Digital Teaching and Learning Consultant.

Learn more here.

Number 5

2025 RISE Back to School Safety Summit Registration Open

The 2025 RISE Back to School Safety Summit will be held from Monday, July 28 to Wednesday, July 30 at the Statesville Civic Center in Statesville, N.C. 

The Center for Safer Schools is also accepting session proposals and sponsor applications.

Learn more about the RISE Back to School Safety Summit and register here.

Number 4

Joint Statement from North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice (Mo) Green and the North Carolina State Board of Education

"We are deeply concerned with the U.S. Department of Education's (USDOE) March 28, 2025 decision to terminate immediately the ability of public schools and school districts, including some in North Carolina, to use federal Education Stabilization Funds to pay for approved projects that were underway. This unprecedented action undermines the careful financial planning of school districts across North Carolina and threatens critical programs supporting students. In particular, it threatens the financial integrity of four North Carolina school districts – the Public Schools of Robeson County, the Richmond County Schools, the Lenoir County Schools and the Halifax County Schools.

These four public school districts have strategically allocated the federal resources to address projects approved by the USDOE. They have made financial commitments, including contracts for facility improvements, based on a previously approved liquidation timeline. These districts will now face potential cancellation of projects or, worse, will not have the resources to pay the bills for work already done. This sudden reversal creates an administrative and financial crisis for districts that had legitimately relied on the USDOE prior approval.

We strongly urge United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to reconsider this harmful decision and honor the previously approved extensions. The Department's suggestion that school districts reapply for extensions on a "project-specific basis" is duplicative of information already submitted and creates an unnecessary administrative burden. Further, it introduces unacceptable uncertainty into school operations. Our students' education should not be jeopardized by an arbitrary deadline change when districts have been operating in good faith under approved timelines. However, to the extent Secretary McMahon will not simply reverse this decision and honor the previously approved extensions, we urge her to promptly grant the appeals that will be submitted.

The North Carolina State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction remain committed to supporting our districts through this challenge. We will work diligently to protect these critical resources for North Carolina students. While we hope for a swift reconsideration by the USDOE, we stand ready to assist our districts in navigating this unprecedented situation."

Number 3

EdNC: "Stein, Green Address Educators at 2025 NCASA Conference on Educational Leadership"

"Gov. Josh Stein and state Superintendent Mo Green, both newly elected Democrats, spoke about budget priorities and public schools at-large on Thursday at the 2025 N.C. Association of School Administrators (NCASA) Conference on Educational Leadership.

Stein started by thanking educators, school staff, and administrators for their service, highlighting their perseverance in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Thursday is six months to the day after Helene devastated western North Carolina.

'You supported children and community members in a time of unbelievable grief and desperate need,' Stein said.

Green later took the stage for a dynamic speech that addressed the crowd of superintendents, principals, and other leaders in North Carolina public education."

Read the full story here.

Number 2

Teacher Attrition Declined in 2023-24 School Year; Still Higher than Average of Past Several Years

"The 2023-24 State of the Teaching Profession report, presented to the North Carolina State Board of Education today, shows an improved attrition rate for teachers in public school districts for 2023-24 over the previous year.

The report also shows that over 90% of the principals in public school districts remained in that role from March 2023 to March 2024.

Mandated by the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA), the report measures teacher attrition and vacancies between March 2023 and March 2024 for North Carolina’s 115 public school districts.

The attrition data shows how many teachers left their employment in North Carolina public schools. It does not include teachers who leave the classroom but stay employed in non-teaching roles such as school administration. The report also now includes data about the movement of school administrators, per the NCGA's request."

Read the full press release here.

Number 1

Cabarrus County Schools Teacher Named NCCAT 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Beginning Teacher of the Year

"The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) proudly announces Summer Espinosa, a kindergarten teacher at W.R. Odell Primary School in Cabarrus County Schools, as the NCCAT 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Beginning Teacher of the Year. The award was presented at a special ceremony held at the Elliott University Center Auditorium on the campus of UNC Greensboro. Prior to the recognition event finalists attended a week of professional development at the Truist Leadership Institute.

In its sixth year, this prestigious award aims to honor promising new leaders in North Carolina’s public and charter schools. This initiative recognizes the potential of beginning teachers, providing them with essential support and resources.

Ms. Espinosa’s kindergarten classroom is filled with energy, learning and community. A colleague shared about her: 'Kindergarten has a huge impact on a child’s entire educational experience—and she is a bright light to North Carolina students.'”

Congratulations, Summer! Read the full press release here.