Topics Related to Education
Today, Governor Josh Stein issued a proclamation recognizing the week of February 10th – February 14th as School Bus Driver Week, recognizing the work they do to get students to school safely and the need to address driver vacancies across the state.
Governor Josh Stein visited Eastern Elementary School in Greenville this morning as the school continued its “Wellness Week,” which focuses on building healthy habits. He met with students, faculty, and parents, and learned more about the school’s free school meals program and STEM program.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper celebrated the progress made during his time in office building and strengthening North Carolina’s workforce. The Governor spoke at Durham Technical Community College and was joined by Durham Tech Community College President J.B. Buxton, Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board Executive Director Wendy Walker-Fox and Durham Tech student and Finish Line Grant recipient Laura Harris.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina State Superintendent-Elect Mo Green celebrated the progress made under the Governor’s leadership to build a better educated North Carolina. The Governor and State Superintendent-Elect visited classrooms, toured the new school building and spoke at Claxton Elementary School in Greensboro. They were joined by Guilford County Schools Superintendent Dr. Whitney Oakley and Guilford County Schools Teacher of the Year Jeffrey Silverthorne.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that he has selected two outstanding classified school employees - Cedric Blow with Pitt County Schools and Beryl Torrence with Kannapolis City Schools - as North Carolina’s nominees for the 2024 Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award. The award, passed by Congress in 2019 and overseen by the U.S. Department of Education, honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service.
Today, Western North Carolina local leaders and educators are speaking out and asking the legislature to prioritize substantial investments in storm recovery instead of locking in billions of taxpayer dollars on private school vouchers.“The people of Western North Carolina need our support right now to continue recovery and rebuilding their communities,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “When legislators return to session, they must prioritize helping our neighbors in Western North Carolina instead of sending hundreds of millions more in taxpayer dollars to private school vouchers.”
Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced in coordination with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services that more than $129 million in food assistance has been distributed to more than one million children through the SUN Bucks program during its first summer of operation in North Carolina.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced $1 million in new funding for public school field trips with North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) Secretary Reid Wilson at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. The “Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund” will provide North Carolina public school students with access to enriching field trips to the over 100 DNCR locations across the state.
Legislative Republicans’ plan to spend $625 million this year on taxpayer funded private school vouchers instead of public schools will hurt rural communities the most. And school boards and leaders in rural North Carolina are speaking out. Voucher expansion would disproportionately impact rural North Carolina counties, where access to private education is limited and public schools serve as the backbone of communities. Recently, local papers have highlighted this attack on public education in North Carolina.Read how communities will be affected below:
Today, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed HB10, the Republican scheme to take taxpayer money out of public schools and redirect it to private schools. The Governor was joined by education and business leaders from both sides of the aisle to highlight the disastrous impact this would have on public schools, particularly those in rural areas.Governor Cooper issued the following statement on his veto of House Bill 10 Require ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments: