Number 10

Kindergarten Readiness Resources

If you have young learners headed to kindergarten in the fall, visit the Early Learning Info for Families website, NCDPI’s hub for kindergarten readiness resources. Start with the “Let’s Get Ready!” guide, full of family-friendly tips, at-home activities and ways adults and children can learn together.

Find kindergarten readiness resources in both English and Spanish here.

Number 9

February is National Children's Dental Health Month

February is National Children's Dental Health Month, reminding families that healthy smiles start early. Check out the free English and Spanish language resources, from the American Dental Association, such as posters, flyers and coloring pages to help encourage kids and teens to build lifelong habits for strong teeth and healthy gums.

Find resources and learn more here.

Number 8

In 2026, Don’t Fear the FAFSA - A Streamlined Form Makes FAFSA Simpler

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may have felt overwhelming for some families and students in years past. But with a streamlined form and multiple improvements, there’s no reason to procrastinate.

Find out why now’s the time to see what financial aid you qualify for and to stop being intimidated by the FAFSA.

Number 7

NCVPS CoverED

Whether it’s long-standing vacancies or an unexpected staffing gap, NC Virtual Public School's (NCVPS) team can step in quickly to provide full instructional support with licensed North Carolina teachers. Schools across the state already rely on NCVPS's CoverEd to keep learning on track for entire classes. Licensed teachers paired with NCVPS' flexible, high-quality online courses are a seamless solution that minimizes disruption and maximizes student success.

Connect with NCVPS when you need whole-class enrollments. Contact the Virtual Support Center to get started.

Number 6

2026 Growing Success for Multilingual Learners Summer Conference Call for Proposals

The call for proposals is open through March 1 for the Growing Success for MLs Conference, inviting K–20 educators to share effective practices, innovative ideas and strategies that strengthen student outcomes.

This free conference takes place in-person, June 23–25 at Cleveland High School (Johnston County Public Schools), and virtually July 13–16.

Learn more and submit a proposal here. The proposal submission period closes March 1.

Number 5

EdNC Perspective Piece from State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis: "Centering Partnership and Brighter Opportunities this Black History Month"

These remarks are an excerpt of Chair Eric Davis’ opening remarks at the Feb. 4 State Board of Education meeting, later sent in a Board email. The remarks have been lightly edited.

"I want to ground our work in the significance of this month: February, Black History Month. For those of us charged with stewarding public education in North Carolina, this is not an abstract observance.

Our system of public schools exists, in large measure, because during Reconstruction formerly enslaved people and the state’s first Black legislators demanded the right to education be written into our state’s constitution. And so it is. Public education in this state was not created as a convenience, it was created as a moral commitment — and a democratic necessity, born out of struggle and hope.

Black History Month is often misunderstood as a time to compress African-American history into four short weeks, and in truth, it’s an invitation to do the opposite."

Read the full article here. 

Number 4

District Highlight: Buncombe County Schools - T.C. Roberson High Baseball Coach Named NFHS 2024–25 National Coach of the Year

Congratulations to Eric Filipek of T.C. Roberson High (Buncombe County Schools), recently named the NFHS 2024–25 National Coach of the Year in Baseball!

One of just 24 coaches honored nationwide, Filipek has built a powerhouse program—leading T.C. Roberson High to four North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 4A state baseball championships, including an unprecedented run of three consecutive championships. He has a career record of 313–87 and 12 conference titles. Beyond the wins, he champions inclusion and organized the Ted E. Tourist Adapted Baseball League!

Read more about Coach Filipek and the award here.

Number 3

It’s Love the Bus Month and This Week is School Bus Driver Appreciation Week

Governor Stein has proclaimed Feb. 9-13 as School Bus Driver Appreciation Week in North Carolina. 

Thank you to our school bus drivers who commit their time, energy and love to safely transport North Carolina’s public schools students every day.

Be sure to show your bus drivers some love this week and thank them for their dedication to the safety of our students!

Number 2

Celebrate the Good Blog: "Elevating Student Support: Creating Intentional Spaces and Celebrating the Professionals Who Make It Possible"

Feb. 2-6 is National School Counseling Week. This post was written by Tuere Dunton-Forbes, a seasoned school counseling professional with two decades of experience in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). She currently serves as one of the district’s three School Counseling Program Managers, championing middle school wellness, interdisciplinary collaboration and staff well-being. As a member of the School Health Advisory Council, Dunton-Forbes brings strategic insight and heartfelt advocacy to initiatives that support the whole child — and the whole educator.

"Strong student support begins with creating intentional spaces for school counselors, social workers, psychologists and mental health professionals. This isn’t a luxury — it’s essential. When structured student service teams, inclusive of an administrator, consistently meet to discuss achievement, social-emotional and career development programming, schools deliver comprehensive plans that boost student success.

Why It Matters: When these teams collaborate, students benefit from proactive, data-driven support across academic, emotional and behavioral domains. It means early intervention — not just crisis response — and wraparound care that sees the whole child, not just test scores.

• School counselors help students apply academic strategies, manage emotions, build interpersonal skills and plan for life after graduation — whether college, career or military service.
• Social workers reduce barriers through assessment, dropout prevention, McKinney-Vento services and crisis intervention.
• Psychologists bring a mental health lens to learning, supporting social-emotional, behavioral and academic development.

These roles are not interchangeable. They are complementary. And when they operate with fidelity, schools become ecosystems of care."

Read the full blog post here. 

Number 1

Nearly One Quarter of Public High School Seniors Access Higher Education through NC College Connect

"More than 23,000 public high school seniors have accepted direct admission offers from North Carolina colleges and universities through the NC College Connect program.

Between August 2025 and January 2026, students accepted more than 88,000 offers from participating colleges and universities in the second year of the direct admissions program.

That means approximately 21% of the Class of 2026 accessed higher education through NC College Connect.

'A key pillar of our plan to make North Carolina public schools the best in the nation is ensuring our students have clear pathways for postsecondary success,' said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice 'Mo' Green. 'NC College Connect provides students with a simple process for learning about colleges where they meet the admissions criteria. That so many students have taken advantage of this opportunity is incredibly exciting.'”

Read the full press release here.