Press Releases

Ten North Carolina Summer Nutrition Program sponsors are among 118 nationwide this year to receive Turnip the Beet awards, given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to recognize outstanding providers who work hard to offer high quality meals that are appetizing, appealing and nutritious. North Carolina has the most 2019 Turnip the Beet awardees of any state in the Southeast.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction today announced the 2019-20 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy for free and reduced price meals for children enrolled in North Carolina’s schools. The Federally-assisted school nutrition programs help ensure all students have access to wholesome, nutritious, appealing meals at school.

State Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced the addition of two senior staff members to the leadership team at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

North Carolina Summer Nutrition Programs are adding a focus on farms to the food, fitness and fun they provide to children by offering foods grown locally and educational activities about agricultural, food and nutrition. This year's Farm to Summer feature is a win for kids, farmers, schools and communities.

Today Superintendent Mark Johnson announced that Maria Pitre-Martin, deputy superintendent for district support, has been chosen to lead the Petersburg, Virginia city schools as superintendent.

Many students rely on the nutritious meals served during the school year through the School Breakfast Program, School Lunch Program, and Afterschool Meals Program. But hunger doesn't take a summer break. Nearly 1 million children in North Carolina struggle with hunger when school is out.

NC State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced today that the state education agency has contracted with Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) to provide a statewide Say Something Anonymous Reporting System in the 2019-20 school year.

Parents, educators and all other community members are invited to provide feedback regarding Draft 2 of the proposed revisions to the content standards for the following 4th Level Mathematics Courses

Schools in the Wake and Cumberland county public school districts and a private school in Durham are among 35 schools nationwide named today as U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for their efforts to reduce environmental impact, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective sustainability education.

A student culinary team from Apex High in Wake County won first place in the Southeast Jr. Chef Competition earlier this month for their grilled chicken street tacos with mango salsa, seasoned black beans and cilantro lime rice. The team of two students, Amanda Marrott and Alyssa Townsend, represented North Carolina in the second annual regional competition held May 9-10 at Sullivan University in Kentucky.

Matthew Bristow-Smith, a past regional teacher of the year who has led Edgecombe Early College High School to high student performance for the last five years, was named Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year at an awards luncheon today in Cary.

Three public school students from North Carolina where announced as 2019 Presidential Scholars by the U.S. Department of Education. The agency recognized 161 high school seniors from across the country for their accomplishments in academics.

State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced today the launch of a publicly accessible website, www.schoolfinance.nc.gov, to provide better financial transparency for North Carolina’s public schools.

Mariah Morris, a second-grade teacher at West Pine Elementary School in Pinehurst, was named the 2019 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year during an awards luncheon today in Cary. Morris was selected from a field of nine finalists representing the state's eight education districts and charter schools.

This week marks the six-month anniversary of the creation of FAST NC, the bipartisan initiative led by current and former education leaders to combine efforts and raise funds in response to Hurricane Florence. Dubbed “Florence: Aid to Students and Teachers of North Carolina (FAST NC),” the unprecedented effort has helped schools return to normal following the devastating storm.

Parents, educators and all other community members are invited to provide feedback regarding proposed revisions to the content standards for 4th Level Mathematics Courses. The surveys will be available through May 4, 2019.

The Apex High School culinary team from Wake County won first place in the second North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition, held Monday at the Piedmont Food & Agricultural Processing Center in Hillsborough. With their grilled chicken street tacos with mango salsa, team members Alyssa Townsend and Amanda Marrott took home a trophy and a ticket to Kentucky to represent North Carolina in the Southeast Jr. Chef Competition.

State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced Friday the appointment of David Stegall as the new deputy superintendent of innovation at the Department of Public Instruction. Stegall, who will begin his duties in June, brings with him more than 20 years' experience in education, most of it in North Carolina K-12 public schools.

March 14-16 marks the 6-month anniversary of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, and State Superintendent Mark Johnson is using the half-year mark to remind all North Carolinians of the damage wrought by the storm and of the ongoing recovery efforts.

Elementary school students and their parents will team up to learn computer coding Tuesday evening at the Friday Institute for Education Innovation during an event to kick off North Carolina Family Code Nights, a program available to all elementary schools statewide to host their own “code night” this spring.