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PUBLIC SCHOOL MATTERS PODCAST | |
Episode 18:
Education Legislation Update
This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team goes over the highlights of the first month of session at the NC General Assembly, including an overview of key K-12 education legislation filed so far.
Click the image to listen.
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NOTE: New podcasts will be released periodically as legislative and policy developments occur.
To get the latest K-12 education news visit www.NCASA.net or @NCASAtweets.
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House Education Committee
Passes Computer Science
Graduation Requirement
The House K-12 Education Committee passed on Tuesday a revised version of House Bill 8, which requires students to take a computer science course as a new graduation requirement. While the initial version of the bill would have required the State Board of Education (SBE) to replace the current earth science graduation requirement with the new computer science requirement, the bill sponsor, Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake) revised the legislation following feedback from NCASA and other education stakeholders to clarify that the computer science course would be a standalone graduation requirement. However, the latest version of the bill still requires the SBE to maintain the current 22 credits required for graduation by decreasing the number of required science credits from 3 to 2. As a result, the new computer science credit would not directly replace earth science, and students could still take earth science as one of their required elective credits. It is anticipated, though, that the State Board will remove earth science as a credit to make room for the new computer science credit, if the bill becomes law.
The bill sponsor further clarified in the proposed committee substitute (PCS), as summarized by legislative staff here, that students could take the new high-school level computer science course in middle school as well as high school, although every middle school would still be required to offer an additional introductory-level computer science course as an elective for middle school students. The bill also includes an important change requested by NCASA for an exception to the computer science requirement for students with disabilities whose individualized education program (IEP) would prevent completion of the graduation requirement.
Because NCASA is aware that many school administrators still have concerns about the staffing required to implement these new requirements if the legislation is ultimately passed into law, NCASA has encouraged the bill sponsor and other legislators to assist local districts in hiring the new personnel this bill would require. The bill does provide a waiver from the new requirements for districts in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, if they submit a signed notification to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) stating that no computer science course was available to students. If ultimately enacted into law, DPI would be required to submit a list of computer science courses fulfilling the graduation requirement by July 1, 2023, as well as a list of introductory courses to be published by January 1, 2025.
House Bill 8 passed the House K-12 Education Committee on Tuesday, February 12, and has since been referred to the House Committee on State Government. If passed in that committee, the bill will be sent to the House Rules Committee before a vote by the full House of Representatives and a repeat of the process in the Senate.
For a full list of other K-12 education legislation that was introduced or made progress this week, see NCASA’s weekly Education Legislation Tracking List.
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LEGISLATIVE & POLICY NEWS | |
Proposal To Elect State Board of Education Members Clears Another Hurdle
Emily Walkenhorst | WRAL
A bill that seeks to make the North Carolina State Board of Education an elected body — rather than appointed — passed through another state House of Representatives committee Tuesday.
House Bill 17, if adopted into law, would ultimately put the question before North Carolina voters in 2024: Would they like to amend the state’s Constitution to make the board elected and to make the state Superintendent the voting chairman of it? The bill passed a House judiciary committee without debate.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, said Tuesday it would give the state’s superintendent greater and clearer authority over the state’s education system. Currently, the board is mostly appointed by the governor, and it sets policy based on directives from lawmakers and suggestions from the superintendent.
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State Forecasts $3.25 Billion Surplus
Alex Granados | EdNC
The consensus revenue forecast for North Carolina was released on Wednesday, projecting an extra $3.25 billion in state revenues for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23. With those extra funds, the revised revenue forecast for FY 2022-23 is $33.76 billion.
This consensus forecast is an essential component as the state begins its budget process. The press release puts the revenue forecast for the biennium (FY 2023-24 and 2024-25) at $67.35 billion, with each year seeing a slight decline in year-over-year General Fund revenues. The budget process for this long session will begin with a proposed budget for the biennium from Gov. Roy Cooper, followed by a proposal from the House and then the Senate.
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Task Force Looking To Diversify
NC Educator Workforce Kicks Off
Statewide Tour
Amy Diaz | NPR
A parent-and-educator-led task force working to diversify North Carolina’s teacher workforce kicked off a statewide tour [last] week to learn about local initiatives. The task force is called DRIVE, which stands for Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education. It was established by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2019. DRIVE Chair Anthony Graham says the tour is really a chance for task force members to learn more about local efforts to support teachers of color.
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State To Support Family
Child Care With Federal Grant
Liz Bell | EdNC
The federal government has awarded a $4 million Preschool Development Grant to the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which the state will use to support family child care homes and increase access for children and families, DHHS announced this month. Family child care homes are licensed facilities within residences that care for a small number of children. They provide more intimate environments and more flexible hours than child care centers.
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DOJ Giving States $231M For
Gun Violence Prevention Programs
Lindsay Whitehurst | Associated Press
The Justice Department is sending out more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer “red-flag laws” and other crisis-intervention programs as part of the landmark bipartisan gun legislation passed by Congress over the summer, officials said Tuesday. Red-flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, are intended to temporarily remove guns from people with potentially violent behavior and prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have red-flag laws.
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‘A Growing Wave Of Sadness’:
Data Shows Worsening
Mental Health Crisis For Teen Girls
Julian Shen-Berro | Chalkbeat
Nearly 60% of teenage girls reported feeling persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2021, compared to just under 30% of their male counterparts, according to new high school survey data. The disparities come as the share of students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness leapt from just over a quarter a decade ago to more than 40% in 2021. Mental health experts have warned of a crisis brewing among young people, as schools struggle to respond to a wave of new challenges spurred by the personal, academic, and economic losses of the pandemic.
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MEMBER RESOURCES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: | |
Governor Cooper Announces Public Forums For The Commission On The Governance Of Public Universities In North Carolina, Encourages North Carolinians To Participate
[On Tuesday], Governor Roy Cooper announced a series of Public Forums hosted by the Governor’s Commission on the Governance of Public Universities in North Carolina at which members of the commission will seek ideas and suggestions on how to enhance and refresh the governance structure of our public universities.
There will be six Public Forums held on the dates and times at the following locations listed below. Members of the Commission will be present at each Forum but full Commission membership will not be at each event. Detailed information for each location and a virtual option will also be made available prior to the meeting date on the Commission website.
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DATE | TIME | LOCATION | February 21, 2023 | 11:00AM - 2:00PM | Wilmington, NC: Live Oak Bank - Lucky Dog Auditorium, Bldg. 1 | February 28, 2023 | 9:00AM - 12:00PM | Asheville, NC: Asheville Chamber of Commerce | March 13, 2023 | 9:00AM - 12:00PM | Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Chamber of Commerce | March 20, 2023 | 10:00AM - 1:00PM | Greenville, NC: Pitt Community College | April 4, 2023 | 1:00PM - 4:00PM | Greensboro, NC: Guilford Tech Community College | April 11, 2023 | 9:00AM-12:00PM | Triangle: Durham Tech Community College | | |
Individuals interested in attending one of the Forums and speaking should contact Minda Watkins at minda.watkins@nc.gov at least two days prior to the Forum. Not all individuals are guaranteed an opportunity to speak, and priority will be given to those that sign up by the deadline. Each speaker will be given 2-3 minutes and speakers are encouraged to bring comments in written form so commissioners have the opportunity to review all comments.
The purpose of the Forums is to hear ideas and suggestions on how to enhance existing governance within the NC public university system, as stated in the Executive Order. The Forums are not an opportunity to air grievances or discuss past failures and efforts to speak to such matters will be out of order and not addressed.
For more information, visit the Commission website.
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What You Need To Know To Be An
Effective Advocate For Education In 2023-24
Mebane Rash | EdNC
Much of my career has been spent trying to make sure people across the state are comfortable and confident participating in state government, from walking into the legislature to interacting with policymakers. Here is what I think you need to know to be an effective citizen advocate.
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Changes To US School Meal Program
Helped Reduce BMI In
Children And Teens, Study Says
Janelle Chavez | CNN
Changes to school nutrition standards that pushed more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products significantly decreased kids’ and teens’ body mass index after the standards were implemented in 2010, a new study finds. The new study comes as the United States again considers updates that would put more limits on added sugars and sodium in school meals.
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The Pandemic Changed Teacher Recruiting.
Here’s What It Looks Like Now
Elizabeth Heubeck | Education Week
In March of 2020, just as district recruiters were ramping up for their peak season, in-person job fairs came to a grinding halt. What had long been the main method of attracting and vetting the upcoming year’s crop of teachers suddenly was no longer accessible. As schools pivoted to online instruction for students that spring, many recruiters followed suit. The virtual job fair replaced the traditional job fair. Three years later, classroom instruction has largely returned to in-person learning, but virtual job fairs remain part of the recruitment mix.
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