The General Assembly has so far failed to pass a bill to ensure nationally accredited school psychologists can get licensed. House Bill 933 would have instructed the State Board of Education to grant licenses to people certified by the National Association of School Psychologists. The bill became controversial after Senate lawmakers added language allowing small...
More than 2,000 North Carolina elementary teachers have failed the math portion of their licensing exam since the state started using a new test in 2013. The test itself may be the problem. Before the 2013-14 school year, North Carolina required all elementary teachers to pass Praxis 5015 to earn a license to teach in...
Big changes are coming to the Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced July 24 the reorganization of DPI and the creation of a few new positions. Meanwhile, SBE Chairman Bill Cobey said he won’t seek another term as chairman in September. “Well, I think that 5...
What can lawmakers consider during the 2018 short session? Not everything, because of limits imposed by the long session Adjournment Resolution. Important issues such as school funding, certificate of need repeal, work requirements for Medicaid, repeal of the capital gains tax, changes to the ABC system, and more will be delayed until 2019. But there’s still plenty of work for legislators. Cross-over bills are OK, as are all budget bills and...
The House unanimously voted Thursday, May 17, to approve a bill allowing nationally certified school psychologists to work in North Carolina. House Bill 933 would allow the State Board of Education to license an individual who holds a Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential from the National Association of School Psychologists. The goal is to fulfill...
Despite concerns from a handful of members, the State Board of Education voted April 5 to let Achievement for All Children operate the first Innovative School District school. Seven board members voted for AAC’s involvement, while Eric Davis, Wayne McDevitt, Becky Taylor, and Patricia Willoughby opposed it. Discussions about AAC spanned two days. Robeson County’s...
Superior Court Judge David Lee has rejected the State Board of Education’s request to be removed as a defendant in the long-standing Leandro case. The Leandro case started in 1994 when five rural school districts sued the state, arguing they couldn’t raise enough tax revenue to provide a quality education, while their wealthier neighbors could....
The landmark Leandro case may be short one defendant if a Superior Court judge grants the State Board of Education’s motion to withdraw from the case. Judge David Lee heard arguments Feb. 15 over the state board’s motion to withdraw from the longstanding educational lawsuit. If Lee goes along, the state would be the only...
The fate of the state’s public education system is now in the hands of the North Carolina Supreme Court after justices heard two cases regarding the constitutional authority of the State Board of Education. The morning of Feb. 7, the Supreme Court justices heard North Carolina State Board of Education v. The State of North...
Southside Ashpole Elementary will have to wait before learning who will run the school as part of the Innovative School District. ISD Superintendent Eric Hall during the February State Board of Education meeting said neither the Romine Group nor Achievement for All Children met expectations to manage the first ISD school. The decision was based...
The State Board of Education voted unanimously to approve Southside Ashpole Elementary School as the first to join the Innovative School District in 2018-19. The ISD — originally called the Achievement School District — places the lowest-performing schools in the state under management of charter or education organizations for five years. The goal is improving...
