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Dear North Carolina Educators, Parents and Public School Champions,
As we enter this season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to celebrate the extraordinary people who make our public schools more than just places of learning—they make them places of belonging, growth and hope.
Every day, 1.5 million students across North Carolina are touched by countless acts of care that often go unnoticed. The bus driver who waits an extra minute for the child running late, knowing that missing the bus means missing breakfast. The crossing guard who knows every child's name and greets them with encouragement on difficult mornings. These moments matter more than we realize.
Walk through any of our schools and you will witness this level of commitment and care. The cafeteria worker who remembers that a student does not like green beans and offers carrots instead. The custodian who not only keeps our schools clean and safe but collects lost jackets, knowing exactly which third-grader left theirs on the playground. The media center director who saves that perfect book for a reluctant reader, knowing it might be the one that changes everything.
Our principals who stand in hallways before dawn and long after dusk, being both protector and encourager. Our teachers see potential where others might see problems, investing not just in test scores but in the whole child. They spend their own money, their own time and pour their own hearts into ensuring every student knows they matter.
But our schools are more than their staff. They thrive because of parents who volunteer despite busy schedules, community members who mentor and tutor and local businesses that provide supplies and support. You make our schools the center of our communities across North Carolina. From the mountains to the coast, our schools serve as gathering places, safe havens and launching pads for dreams.
Gratitude is truly seeing the care and commitment each person brings to the work of public education. It is recognizing that the path to becoming the best public school system in the nation is not just about Advanced Placement test scores or graduation rates, both of these are now at the highest levels in North Carolina history, or other academic achievement measures, it is also about the million daily kindnesses that tell a child they are valued, capable and loved.
As we approach the holidays, our work to make North Carolina's schools the best in the nation continues with renewed purpose and urgency. In these times of change and uncertainty—whether in federal policy, state funding or the anxieties facing many families in our communities—your dedication shines as a beacon of stability and hope for our children.
It is precisely because of these challenges that the million daily kindnesses in our schools matter more than ever. They remind every student that no matter what happens beyond school walls, they have a place where they belong, where they are safe and where their dreams matter.
To everyone who makes our public schools places of possibility—thank you. Your dedication does not go unnoticed. Together, we are not just educating children; we are building futures, strengthening communities and achieving educational excellence one caring act at a time.
To our parents and caregivers, thank you for allowing us the honor and responsibility of educating your child.
Finally, to our students, thank you for being exactly who you are and for allowing us to help you become who you want to be.
With deep appreciation and warm wishes for the season,
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