Press Releases

Schools in the Wake and Cumberland county public school districts are among 39 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.

The North Carolina State Board of Education voted today to ask the N.C. General Assembly to waive certain state accountability requirements for the current academic year because of statewide school closures ordered last month to slow the spread of COVID-19.

In consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, UNC-TV started today to provide programming for students in grades four through 12 designed to complement existing remote learning efforts from the state’s public schools.

The State Board of Education took steps on three different fronts today to support schools across North Carolina coping with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

State Superintendent Mark Johnson today praised the efforts last week by schools and educators to respond to the COVID-19 crisis that has shuttered schools statewide, and he acknowledged that today’s decision to keep schools closed until May 15 will require even more from everyone – teachers, school staff, and families.

This afternoon Gov. Roy Cooper announced that the closure of public school facilities as instructional settings for K-12 students will be extended through May 15.

The North Carolina State Board of Education voted unanimously today to seek a one-year waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for federal student testing and accountability requirements for the 2019-20 school year because of school closures ordered to combat COVID-19.

While schools are closed to students, yellow school buses remain in operation in many areas of the state, delivering meals and instructional materials to students.

As you know, on March 14, 2020, Gov. Roy Cooper entered Executive Order No. 117 Prohibiting Mass Gatherings and Directing the Statewide Closure of K-12 Public Schools to Limit the Spread of COVID-19. Section 2 of the Executive Order directs that "all public schools close for students effective Monday, March 16, 2020, until March 30, 2020, unless extended beyond that date."

Digital Teaching and Learning in North Carolina’s public schools will benefit from a new round of competitive grants approved Thursday by the State Board of Education.

After record-high completion on the last NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey, State Superintendent Mark Johnson sets the goal for North Carolina to be the top in the nation for completion rate this year.

The student culinary team from Apex High School in Wake County won first place for the second year running in the 2020 North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition, held Friday at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte. The team’s banh mi with turkey meatballs and slaw brought the trophy home for Sydney Brock, Demaree Persson and Molly Todd.

Rachel O’Kelley arrived at John A. Holmes High School today like any other; ready to teach several science courses in the small school in Edenton in rural northeastern North Carolina. The day will end for her like no other.

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.

High school students from across North Carolina have won the chance to compete in a cook-off and spice up school lunch with entrée recipes they created for the third North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition . Eight finalist teams from Career and Technical Education food, nutrition, and culinary arts courses will compete in a cook-off Feb. 7 at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte.

North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that 15 districts and schools have been awarded grants totaling $800,000 under the Coding and Mobile App Development Grant Program that was launched in 2017 with funding from the General Assembly.

North Carolina continues to lead the nation with teachers who hold certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards after 710 additional teachers earned the well-regarded credential this month.

Several Summer Nutrition Programs that fulfill a critical need in providing nourishment and educational enrichment to children when school is out were recently honored for going above and beyond to serve children. In all, 16 program sponsors and a similar number of program sites received one of five state-level awards.

North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that $73 million in grant funds from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded this year to school districts in Camden, Graham, Hertford, Northampton, Rutherford and Wilson counties. The grant awards will allow for construction of new school buildings in these economically distressed areas.

North Carolina’s results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress held steady on exams administered during the 2018-19 school year, with fourth and eighth graders performing at levels similar to 2016-17, when the nationwide assessment of reading and math skills was administered last.