Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s this week’s review: Tony Rand, RIP: Longtime state Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, 80, died in his sleep, family members announced Friday, May 1. Rand, an affable dealmaker, was Senate majority...
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s this week’s review: Common core: A week ago, State Superintendent Mark Johnson sent a survey about Common Core to thousands of parents and educators. The results are in, after more...
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s this week’s review: Contract rules: The State Board of Education is moving forward on efforts to limit the state superintendent’s ability to issue contracts. Board members took issue with how...
The January meeting of the N.C. State Board of Education ran late into the evening, but it concluded with a tense discussion between the board and State Superintendent Mark Johnson. Johnson was at a conference in Washington, D.C., during the board’s Wednesday, Jan. 8 meeting. But the superintendent had time to phone members during a...
State Superintendent Mark Johnson isn’t happy with how the N.C. Department of Information Technology has handled the dispute between Amplify and Istation for the K-3 reading contract, and he’s taking the matter to the courts. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction has formally petitioned the Wake County Superior Court to review DIT’s stay blocking the...
The U.S. Department of Education awarded North Carolina $10 million to bring more educationally disadvantaged students to charter schools, but state constraints on charters may make spending that money a challenge. Joseph Maimone, a member of the Charter School Advisory Board, said some charter schools may find it difficult to take full advantage of the...
The school year may be halfway over — or more — before the contract dispute between competing reading diagnostic companies is resolved, leaving students at public schools in limbo. On Oct. 1 and Oct. 3, lawyers representing the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and rivals Amplify and Istation made their cases before a state...
State Superintendent Mark Johnson is challenging a temporary stay against implementing Istation, the state’s new reading diagnostic tool. “I’m the N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction, but I’m also a lawyer. That’s a good thing on weeks like this one,” Johnson said in a news release announcing the motion to dissolve the injunction. Johnson claims N.C....
Students play a critical role in helping keep schools safe, State Superintendent Mark Johnson said during a May 30 news conference announcing a partnership with Sandy Hook Promise to deliver a statewide anonymous mobile tip line. Starting with the 2019-20 school year, all North Carolina public middle and high schools will be able to use...
The Department of Public Instruction has unveiled a new tool for shedding light on state education funding. State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced Thursday, April 25, the launch of North Carolina School Finance, a website offering data on how public education money spent across school districts. “As the elected leader of North Carolina’s public schools, I...
The Senate, in a 33-11 vote, approved a bill giving charter school operators the option to bypass local county commissioners in winning approval of charter facility bonds. Senate Bill 392 would allow the Superintendent of Public Instruction to approve the issuance of private activity bonds for charter school facilities after a public hearing. Private activity...
