Advocacy

From National PTA: This week the House of Representatives will be voting on the Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which includes language that would allow a waiver from updated nutrition standards for some schools. Unfortunately, the call  to Congress to scale back nutrition standards is not coming from students or their parents – the very people school meals are intended to serve. Congress needs to hear your voice! PTA members have long supported science-based nutrition for school meals, as referenced in PTA’s position statement on Nutrition of Children and Families.  So what exactly may Congress do? Despite the fact that 90% of school districts are reporting […]

The proposed budget released by the North Carolina House of Representatives today includes several of the items NCPTA and PTA members across the State have advocated for in recent months.  The proposed budget includes an average increase in teacher pay of around 5% and does not include additional cuts to teacher assistants.  The House budget also includes changes to Read to Achieve that we are working on to limit the number of assessments for third grades and require principals provide information to parents at the beginning of the school year on the requirements of Read to Achieve.   House budget

On June 5, the North Carolina Senate passed SB 812 Maintain Authority over Academic Standards.  This bill is commonly referred to as the Common Core repeal bill.  Here are some of the key provisions contained in the bill: 1.  Provides that the State Board of Education shall continue to exercise its authority under the North Carolina Constitution to adopt academic standards for public schools; 2.  Requires the State Board to conduct a comprehensive review of all English Language Arts and Mathematics standards; 3.  Requires that the State Board must consult with the newly created Academic Standards Review Commission prior to

The Senate voted today to adopt SB 812 Maintain State Authority Over Academic Standards.

The House Education Committee approved HB 1061 Replace Common Core to Meet NC’s Needs.  The Senate Education Committee will take up the Senate version of Replace Common Core tomorrow.

The House Education Committee meets today at 10 a.m.  Watch the WRAL live stream of this Committee meeting: http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/video/13696242/  

This past year school districts have been implementing the new Read to Achieve legislation which requires that all third graders (unless they meet limited exceptions) read at third grade level before they can be promoted to fourth grade. NCPTA has received input from parents that the implementation of this law has been stressful for many third graders and their parents.  PTAs, along with other education groups, have been working to get changes made to the law that both ensure its success and make it less stressful for students, parents and teachers. HB 230 was presented and voted on by the NC

The North Carolina Senate released a $21.2 billion proposed budget on May 28 that provides for an average 11% pay raise for teachers in North Carolina who agree to give up their tenure.  If this proposed increase is adopted, North Carolina would move from 47th to 27th in teacher pay in the United States and move North Carolina ahead of Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina in teacher compensation.

The State Senate voted to pass its proposed budget on May 31.  Attention now turns to the House of Representatives as its leaders develop its proposed State budget.  Here are some of the budget advocacy items that NCPTA is working on: 1.  NCPTA strongly advocates for increased teacher compensation to ensure that North Carolina teacher compensation is regionally competitive and that North Carolina attracts the best and brightest students to enter and stay in the teaching profession.  North Carolina ranks 47th in the United States in teacher compensation.  We can do better for our teachers and our children. 2.  NCPTA