Number 10

Register for 2025 RISE Back to School Safety Summit

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 9

WUNC: "A State-Funded Program Helped this 19-Year-Old Finish College"

"When Richie Basile was a junior at Panther Creek High School in Wake County, he came across a flyer in his school cafeteria that changed the course of his education.

'In big lettering it said: Career and College Promise, get started with your college career, basically in high school,' Basile recalled.

That intrigued him.

'I always knew, ever since I was a little kid, that I wanted to be a lawyer,' explained Basile, now 19. He knew that getting there would be expensive, and that there wasn't much in his college fund to pay for the bachelor's degree he'd need first.

'I came to the realization that I know I'm going to be funding my own college, and I know I want to go to law school, so that's even more,' Basile said.

So Basile went to the information session. There, he learned that while he was still in high school, he could also take classes at his local community college, at no cost to him. The state would pay for the tuition, through the Career and College Promise program."

Read the full story here.

Number 8

Register for NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) Summer Opportunities

Join the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) this summer for transformative professional development. These residential programs provide educators with the tools, strategies and support to elevate their teaching. Each week, teachers engage in content-rich instruction, explore proven methodologies and receive coaching to implement new insights effectively. The goal is to empower educators to create classrooms where students are more engaged, self-motivated and successful.

Learn more about the professional development opportunities available at NCCAT this summer and register here.

Number 7

Apply for K-12 Math Standard Course of Study Standards Writing Team

The NC Department of Public Instruction K-12 Math Team is excited to announce the NC State Board of Education has approved to transition from the review phase of the N.C. K-12 Math Standard Course of Study to the revision phase. The process is guided by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) Procedures Manual, adopted by the Board of Education in February 2022.

The first step is establishing the Standards Writing Team (SWT). Working in grade-level/content area groups, the SWT considers possible revisions to K-12 Math when and where applicable. This may involve slight modifications, major modifications, deletions, additions, or no changes to current standards. The SWT Scope of Work provides a full explanation of the requirements for the SWT.

All SWT members will be asked to participate in an in-person kick-off event July 29-31 in Asheboro, NC. NCDPI will reimburse for any travel costs associated with the training.

SWT applications are due by 8 a.m., Monday, May 12, 2025. Applicants will be notified of their selection status between Monday, June 16, 2025 and Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

Click here to apply. Please contact Dr. Charles Aiken (charles.aiken@dpi.nc.gov), Section Chief for Math, Science, and STEM, with any questions.

Number 6

Public School Matters Podcast: "The Art of Education Advocacy" 

This week, the North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA) welcomed two guests to help explain the “Art of Education Advocacy:" Dr. Stephen Fisher, Superintendent of Cleveland County Schools and President-Elect of NCASA’s Board of Directors; and Dr. John Lassiter, Principal of Hertford Grammar School in Perquimans County Schools and the 2025 Wells Fargo Northeast Regional Principal of the Year. Together, along with host, Katherine Joyce, Executive Director of NCASA, they discuss the importance of education advocacy and how anyone can become a champion for local public schools.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Number 5

Quarterly PIO Call May 7

Public Information Officers and Charter School Communications Leaders are invited to join the quarterly PIO call on Wednesday, May 7.

Please reach out to communications@dpi.nc.gov if you did not receive the meeting information and Zoom link that were shared this week.

Number 4

EdNC: Perspective Piece from North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority - "North Henderson High School Honored as School of Excellence for Supporting Applications to College"

"On April 2, 2025, ACT’s American College Application Campaign (ACAC), announced its annual 26 School of Excellence awardees from around the country, including North Henderson High School in Henderson County.

The campaign is 'a national effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential,' according to a press release from ACAC.

Leigh Leik, a school counselor at North Henderson High School, was instrumental in bringing the recognition to her school, but she is humble about the acknowledgement.

'Receiving the ACT’s American College Application Campaign School of Excellence Award is such an honor, but I really want to emphasize that this recognition is not just for the counseling department,' she said. 'It’s a reflection of the entire school and community coming together to support our students. Everyone here plays a part in helping our students prepare for life after high school, and this award belongs to all of us.'

In particular, Leik shouted out other members of the school’s student services team for their efforts, including:

• School Counselors Natalie Anderson and Joey Wilson,
• ESL High School Success Advocate America Moreno Jimenez,
• Blue Ridge Community College NC Career Coach Kate Stucke, and
• Registrar Katie Strickland"

Read the full perspective piece here.

Number 3

2024-25 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest - Deadline Friday, April 18

Every year, thousands of school districts in over 40 states participate in local and state-level competitions to select artwork that depicts school bus safety-related themes and encourages and promotes school bus safety. The winning posters are used to promote safer school transportation for everyone. State winners advance to the national contest.

This year the theme is: Safety First – Safety Always

The deadline to submit posters to NCDPI is April 18. Learn more about the contest and contest rules here.

Number 2

English Language Arts (ELA) Standard Course of Study Draft 2 Survey - Deadline Friday, April 18

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 1

Pitt County Middle Grades Teacher Named 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year

"Rachel Candaso, a Pitt County Schools middle school teacher and AVID coordinator, is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made today at an awards luncheon honoring Candaso and eight other regional finalists at the Umstead Hotel in Cary.

State Superintendent Maurice 'Mo' Green said educators like Candaso set the standard for achieving academic excellence in our public schools.

'Every student in North Carolina deserves a teacher like Ms. Candaso,' Green said. 'It is clear that she is committed to a vision of comprehensive, intentional student preparation, empowering educators, families and communities to ensure that all students are poised for success.'

In addition to being named the North Carolina Teacher of the Year only five years into her tenure in the classroom, Candaso also holds the title of Pitt County Schools’ Teacher of the Year and is a 2024-25 Kenan Fellows Program participant. She is also active in the Teach for America organization, having served as a storytelling fellow, advisory board member and corps member.

Candaso was drawn to the Northeast region of the state by the opportunity to contribute to addressing disparities in resources between rural and urban schools, and her efforts in her time as an educator reflect a lifelong commitment to this issue."

Read the full press release here. Congratulations to Ms. Candaso and all of the regional Teachers of the Year!