Press Releases

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North Carolina has long been home to a large population of active duty, guard, reserve and veteran armed service members. In recognition of the state’s rich military history, the Department of Public Instruction is pleased to recognize hundreds of schools as part of its Purple Star Award Designation initiative which first launched in the 2019-20 school year.
Nine outstanding public school principals have been selected as regional Wells Fargo North Carolina Principals of the Year who will now compete for the state title of 2022 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. The winner will succeed the 2021 recipient, Dr. Elena Ashburn, principal of Needham Broughton High School (Wake County Public Schools).
Two North Carolina elementary school teachers were honored this week as recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the highest award K-12 teachers can receive for instruction in those two subjects by the federal government. In all, 102 teachers nationwide were named by President Joe Biden as 2020 award recipients in an announcement earlier this week.
Five teams of high school students enrolled in food and nutrition and culinary arts courses will vie for the state title in the 2022 North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition. Based on applications and recipes submitted, teams from Apex High (Wake County Public Schools), Ashe County High, Monroe High and Parkwood High (Union County Public Schools), and Swain County High were selected as finalists in the statewide cook-off next month.
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction announced today a collaboration with Microsoft and Prodigy Learning to bring the award winning ‘Coding in Minecraft’ credential program to all middle school students across the state over a three-year period. 
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has launched a new web-based resource to promote promising practices that motivate, engage and provide measurable results in North Carolina’s public schools. This new Promising Practices Clearinghouse will support teachers, administrators, district personnel, and other education advocates seeking strategies that have proven successful in North Carolina districts.
The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards has announced that North Carolina continues to lead the nation with teachers who hold national board certification, with 399 teachers achieving this demanding certification in 2020-21.
The western campus of the North Carolina Governor’s school will have a new home beginning this summer, moving from High Point University, where it was located for the last three years, to Winston-Salem State University.
To address North Carolina’s growing need for a skilled and competent workforce, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt today called for new steps to ensure that all students graduate well prepared for postsecondary opportunities.
Partnering with the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals’ Association (NCPAPA) and the Belk Foundation, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and its partners will establish the Assistant Principal Accelerator Program, a statewide leadership initiative for rigorously selected Assistant Principals with a high potential for being fast-tracked into principalship.
Nine teachers from across North Carolina have been selected as the state’s regional Teachers of the Year for their dedication, innovation and ability to inspire students to achieve.