Number 10

Registration Open for 2026 RISE Back to School Safety Summit

Registration is now open for the 2026 RISE Back to School Safety Summit! RISE will be held from Tuesday, August 4, to Thursday, August 6, at the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, N.C.

Join the Center for Safer Schools for sessions including bullying prevention, suicide prevention, critical incidents and threat assessment.

Find additional details and register here. Please reach out to CFSS@cfssnc.gov if you have questions.

Number 9

Golden LEAF Schools Initiative Request for Proposals

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative's Personalized, Competency-Based Education, Cohort #2, is live now. Eligible schools are invited to apply through 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18.

The RFP includes details about the initiative and cohort, application materials and links to upcoming informational webinars. 

Find the RFP and additional information here.

Questions? Email rachel.wrightjunio@dpi.nc.gov or jay.johnson@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 8

NCVPS Parent Orientation - Jan. 28

NCVPS will be hosting an orientation for parents and caregivers on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m.. Parents and caregivers will learn how they can help students make the most of the NCVPS experience. Learning how to use the Canvas Parent App, Observer Access, Peer Tutoring Center and many other student supports will be highlighted.

Topics Include:

• Who is NCVPS?
• Canvas Parent App & Observer Access
• NCVPS Virtual Support Center
• What students and parents should do to be successful
• Instructor Expectations
• And many other students supports
• Q&As

Register for Parent Orientation here.

For more information and archived recordings, visit the Parent Open House or Parent Resource pages.

Number 7

TWC Survey Educator Counts - TWC Coordinators Submit by Jan. 26

As a reminder, educator counts for the 2026 Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey are to be entered by Jan. 26.

TWC Coordinators and principals received a communication with instructions for this process on Jan. 12 and a reminder email on Jan. 20.

Number 6

Learning Happens Here: 2026 Teacher Ambassadors Program Accepting Applications

The application period for the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources’ Learning Happens Here: 2026 Teacher Ambassadors program is now open through March 1.

This statewide program gives K–12 public school teachers the chance to connect classroom learning with North Carolina’s historic sites, museums, parks, aquariums, the zoo, the symphony and more through exclusive, behind-the-scenes experiences. Selected ambassadors receive stipends, travel assistance, and CEUs, while discovering new ways to bring history, culture, science and the arts to life for students.

Learn more and apply here.

Number 5

Recording Available - Teacher Working Conditions Survey Webinar for Educators

A recording form the Jan. 22 Teacher Working Conditions Survey Webinar for Educators session is available now.

This webinar addressed questions about survey administration, provided program updates and reviewed next steps as we move closer to the March 2 release date.

Access the recording here and find more resources at nctwcs.org. 

Number 4

Register for NCED Connect Symposium - Feb. 2026

Registration is now open for the next NCED Connect Symposium, which will be held in Greensboro in February 2026! This event brings together digital teaching and learning leaders, technology directors, central office leadership, instructional coaches, NCSIS data managers and leads and other innovators for three days of powerful collaboration.

Learn more about the symposium, including the schedule, here.

Register for NCED Connect here.

Number 3

EdNC Perspective Piece from Guilford County Schools Superintendent: "Reading Today, Leading Tomorrow: Guilford County’s Literacy-to-Career Pipeline"

"Walk into a second grade classroom in Guilford County Schools (GCS) today and you’ll witness something remarkable: a student who once hesitated over simple words now confidently sounding out 'pilot' and 'dentist,' excitedly reading about careers she once never knew existed. This transformation isn’t a fluke. It’s the result of a districtwide investment in literacy that begins in pre-K and extends through high school and beyond.

Guilford County Schools is seeing positive results from our commitment in the early grades, but that success is only the beginning. Building on literacy achievement through middle and high school is essential to prepare students for college and career readiness in an increasingly competitive economy.

Our approach to literacy progresses systematically, grounded in high-quality instructional materials."

Read the full article here.

Number 2

Celebrate the Good Blog: "From Bus Driver to EC Teacher"

"For Shaneta Little, teaching wasn’t always the plan — but life’s demands and Union County’s grow-your-own teacher program led her to discover her purpose.

Now in her third year as an exceptional children’s classroom teacher at East Elementary School (Union County Public Schools), Little started her career in education as a bus driver in 2014.

When her oldest child matriculated to middle school in 2019, Little was in the process of completing her bachelor’s degree and decided to look for a job that would better align with her family’s schedule. She became a teaching assistant at Benton Heights Elementary School of the Arts and East Union Middle School."

Read the full blog post here. This post is part of Pride & Purpose, a series profiling the educators who make North Carolina public schools great. Know a teacher who should be featured? Tell us about them!

Number 1

Sponsors Needed to Help Provide Summer Meals

"The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is seeking schools and fiscally responsible community organizations to serve as sponsors for NC Summer Nutrition Programs in 2026 to help ensure children who have limited access to food at home get the educational enrichment and nutritious meals they need for optimal growth, development and overall well-being.

Of particular need are schools and community organizations in rural areas, Indian Tribal Territories and areas with a concentration of migrant farm workers, where access to summer meal sites or transportation has been an issue.

'When school is out, Summer Nutrition Programs offer children not only nutritious meals, but also educational enrichment to help children succeed in and out of the classroom,' NCDPI’s Senior Director of School Nutrition and Auxiliary Services Rachel Findley said. 'School and community partners are key to helping make sure no child goes hungry during the summer.'”

Read the full press release here.