More than 900,000 North Carolina students rely on the nutritious meals and snacks served during the school year through the School Breakfast, School Lunch, and Afterschool Meals programs. But hunger doesn't take a summer break, especially this summer, when social distancing is necessary to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
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The State Board of Education approved the allocation of $70 million today from federal CARES Act funds for school districts and charter schools to provide summer programs aimed at helping elementary students who were in kindergarten through fourth grades during the 2019-20 school year needing extra instruction in reading or math because of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meeting while demonstrations nationwide continue over the death of George Floyd, members of the N.C. State Board of Education today issued an urgent call to action to eliminate inequities and racism from the state’s public schools. Board Chairman Eric Davis opened the board’s regular monthly meeting by invoking Floyd’s name as an alarming wake-up call that exposes the “systemic practices which continue to plague our nation and result in the physical and mental deaths many black and brown citizens experience every day.”
The board’s action follows COVID-19 legislation by the General Assembly earlier this month that mandated the development of the remote instruction plans to ensure quality teaching and learning outside the traditional classroom. The legislation required that the plans address a number of issues, ranging from parent involvement and effective instruction to equitable access and provisions for monitoring student attendance.
The Department of Public Instruction and all agency staff have new phone numbers, and starting today, previous phone numbers for individual staff members are being deactivated.
North Carolina students and their families should be recognized for their remarkable resilience and perseverance throughout this pandemic, and the UNC System and NCDPI understand the unique challenges ahead.
Tuesday May 5, 2020 is Teacher and School Staff Appreciation Day, and NC Public Schools are asking people to show their appreciation statewide in a special way. Among many other options, families can display lights in windows, on porches or in their yards to acknowledge their appreciation for teachers and staff. Beginning at 8:20 pm on Tuesday, families are asked to shine the light for 20 minutes.
Some North Carolina high school seniors are going to have an unforgettable graduation this spring. State and Cabarrus County school officials, along with the Charlotte Motor Speedway, have announced plans to hold several graduation ceremonies for the Cabarrus County Class of 2020 at the speedway. The events will allow students to participate in an in-car graduation ceremony. Students will receive their diplomas at the start /finish line on the track. State Superintendent Mark Johnson made the announcement today.
North Carolina is home to a large population of active duty, guard, reserve, and veteran armed services members, and the state’s public schools reflect that. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has launched the Purple Star Award Designation initiative this school year to recognize the state’s strong military presence and its support for military families. The Purple Star designation is awarded to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families.
The N.C. State Board of Education took additional steps today in response to the state’s continuing efforts to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.