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Click the + above and share your thoughts!

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The diverse cultures and providing more understanding of the cultures to establish camaraderie in the schools.

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A challenge is better response time or response at all as it pertains to complaints filed through your website

Solution actually coming up with an action plan when solving those complaints.

In the elementary school establishing a better form of communication with elementary school and teachers to be able to prelude behavior problems in the classroom

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We should celebrate diversity in our schools. Diversity in skill trades and creating an environment for all students from all orientations, economic statuses and backgrounds.

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implementing more food options for the kids

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Volunteering to provide safety for teachers and students

Work along with teachers to ensure student is operating on grade level

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We should celebrate our student as they travel though public school. In the small thing leading to the big. Meeting our student where they are, should continue.

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Bus drivers, teachers and admin roles being just that without need of dual responsibilities. Additionally, behavioral supports and more legs in our I.E.P program. We are having more students with learning disabilities and not enough man power to give quality attention to those needs and supports.

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Implement a more comprehensive social emotional learning curriculum at all ages/grade levels to help mitigate mental health issues.

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One of the challenges for our school bus drivers throughout the state concerns being prohibited from using GPS devices while driving the school bus. Drivers are allowed to use maps but they are not allowed to use the gps apps on their phone or a separate gps device they own. Can we change this restriction statewide so that drivers can use this technology to their benefit to avoid traffic accident delays and to navigate unfamiliar bus routes (there are days bus drivers have to drive other bus routes at the last minute to replace another driver)?

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Ensuring students in our communities have meals at home and access to food for the weekends and school breaks. Collaborating with the schools in our proximity to explore the additional needs and assisting in building that support network. Explore the need for tutorial supports.

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Between the districts and regional support teams

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Continue providing local teachers for local communities. It is so important to make sure our teachers understand the communities where their students live. 

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Continue providing local teachers for local communities. It is so important to make sure our teachers understand the communities where their students live. 

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Our schools offer a little something for everyone CTE, CCP, WCECCP, Arts

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I have made a life and career in CCS, and with almost 20 years in various roles,

I can safely say that my colleagues have been some of the hardest working, most diligent educators I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. They come to school every day to fight for our students and our shared future! I am proud to be one of them.

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We should celebrate the opportunities and the leaders that are produced by public education. The efficency of the the public education.

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Cumberland County needs more busses so we don’t need to double up on routes. It would also be great if middle school here didn’t start so early (7:30am is rough on EVERYONE).

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We should celebrate our melting pot. So many cultures make the fabric of our Nation and school makeup.

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Celebrate the diverse education in schools and continue the open communication of what schools offer.

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We should continue to celebrate student growth.

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Diversity within staff and administration.

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Challenge: Students' alarming and rampant absenteism.

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Challenge: Students' alarming and rampant absenteism.

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Solutions: parents' accountability

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Safety funds for schools to be allocated vs by grant

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I believe we should celebrate and continue the early college programs in NC.

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Unreasonable teacher to student ratios in self contained classrooms.

Self contained classrooms being kindergarten through 5th grade, and all instruction being placed on one teacher. It prevents students from receiving instruction for every academic standard.

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We want to see new books for our students. We are using old books that they are over 20 years old.

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We must work on recruitment and retaining quality Speech Language Pathologists to serve our students with SI.

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Challenges

Decrease in enrollment in teacher education

Increase/widening of the opportunity gap

Solutions

Diversify the path to licensure, pay teachers for advanced degrees

Establish or expand the grow your own program and Teaching Fellows

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NC is not producing enough teachers to supply our schools. We are relying on foreign countries to staff our schools.

Pay is low and not competitive. We need to do better as a state, county, and community.

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Challenge- literacy rates and motivation in schools

solution- provide resources to help students from the bottom up to learn how to be an effective reader. Have more community activities (pep rallies, carnivals, volunteering) to encourage student to engage in fun and education.

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Our teachers and bus drivers are horribly underpaid. I believe the solution is for the people to know who by name is a road block into making this happen or who to talk to that is willing to make this happen.

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We absolutely need more mental health supports (I am one counselor to over 600 students, whereas professional ASCA standards recommend 1:250). Our students today are facing more Adverse Childhood Experiences, more trauma, more poverty, more transience than ever before. We do not have the mental health staff to meet their needs, but what we CAN do is find a way to take inappropriate tasks off counselor plates so the ones we do have can focus their full attention on the mental health needs of our students. Take SST and 504 case management off our plates. We should be in consultation for that, not scheduling, doing the paperwork, and leading the meetings. For example, I’ve managed over 100 cases in SST this year, by myself. I have documented over 89 hours in meetings for these purposes, and over another 100 hours spent on the related paperwork, data annalysis, and planning. I have managed 25 504 cases this year, over 100 hours total. These activities take away from my ability to service the actual children and their needs! We need dedicated case managers for before kids reach the IEP team. That need doesn’t just appear with the creation of an IEP.

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Ask the Teachers in the classroom. It seems like no one listens to them. They shouldn’t have to raise money and spend their money to setup their classrooms.

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We would like to introduce entrepreneurial education into the classroom. Entrepreneurship is about problem solving and meeting needs. We already have the curriculum built as well as online modules for students and staff.

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Student behaviors are out of control and our schools are getting little support from home.

Parent accountability is needed because it starts at home.

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Have the standard path

Create a trade path

Create a collage path

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A challenge in schools across NC are the various math curriculums. There should be a state curriculum per grade level since they all essentially take the same test. Another challenge is not having math certified teachers teaching math to fill a position.

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Just like the food lion commercial. The student was hungry but had no food he went to the schools free food pantry!

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Just like the food lion commercial. The student was hungry but had no food he went to the schools free food pantry!

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Many children in our community face significant challenges, including food and financial insecurity, as well as unstable home environments. While numerous resources exist to support them, these services are often scattered throughout the county, making access difficult for families who lack the time or transportation to reach them.

Meanwhile, several closed school buildings in our community remain in good condition and could be repurposed to serve a vital function. We propose transforming one of these buildings into a centralized Community Hub—a space where nonprofit organizations and service providers can come together to offer critical resources directly within the neighborhoods that need them most.

This hub would provide essential services such as mentoring, tutoring, a food bank, showers, and recreational facilities, creating a safe and supportive environment for children and their families. By consolidating these resources in one accessible location, we can significantly reduce barriers to assistance and offer a structured, positive space for youth engagement.

Investing in a Community Hub would not only address pressing needs but also foster a stronger, healthier, and more resilient community. We have an opportunity to make a lasting impact—let’s work together to bring this vision to life.

Issac

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Problem: districts across the state are eliminating school library media coordinators.

Solution: Keep qualified school library media coordinators in libraries. We are required to have a Masters degree in library and information sciences and our job is more than checking in and out books. Having a qualified and certified librarian helps improve literacy and reading engagement, ensures equitable access to resources (especially in areas where students don’t have access to books at home), supports research and literacy skills, and promotes a passion for lifelong learning.

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The school system and county should invest in Community Hubs that provide essential resources directly within the neighborhoods they serve. By centralizing services such as mentoring, tutoring, food assistance, and recreational activities, these hubs would help alleviate many of the challenges faced by school-age children and their families. Investing in these spaces would not only improve access to vital support but also foster stronger, healthier communities and create opportunities for long-term success.

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We need to celebrate the success all schools.

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One of the challenges is lack of staff. There are not enough people who want to come into the profession, this includes bus drivers, instructional assistants, EC teachers and regular ED teachers. As a principal, it is extremely difficult to fill positions.

Increasing pay and benefits would help tremendously.

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We keep coming back to teacher pay not being competitive in NC, and that is especially true for our veteran teachers in years 15-25 who get NO step increase until their last increase at step 25, and then never again. In what profession do you cap out your earning potential at 15 years? Every benefit we were promised 20-25 years ago has been stripped away from longevity to health benefits. Whenever the state talks about raises, those beginning years get much higher increases and veterans may get a 1-2% increase, but the overall average is what is advertised to the public and people think educators are just ungrateful complainers. Veterans have poured an entire career into our children. They deserve the recognition and pay increases that should match that sacrifice.

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A major challenge is the testing requirements for teachers which is causing good teachers to go to the private school sector. What can the state do to assist with keeping good teachers who struggle to pass required assessments?

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Competitive funding and educator pay, PreK for all students, an instructional assistant in every classroom in elementary school, smaller class sizes, less testing, less micromanaging what our teachers can and can’t do, more support staff to meet our students educational and mental health needs.

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NC PreK for all students.

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The growing tech divide isn’t just about access—it’s about how students use technology. As ESSER-funded devices age and funding dwindles, affluent students use tech for creation, collaboration, and innovation, while lower-income students often use it for consumerism and entertainment.

Although NC’s Digital Learning Standards (DTL) exist, they aren’t embedded into core curriculum, making tech literacy feel like an extra rather than a necessity.

To bridge the gap, DTL must be integrated into all subjects—using tech for research in ELA, data analysis in math, coding in science, and project-based collaboration across disciplines. Teachers need training to make digital skills a seamless part of learning, ensuring all students graduate prepared for a tech-driven future.

How can we push for this shift at the district and state levels?

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Our current state testing does not meet 21st century needs. As teachers, we spend the entire year differentiating instruction, engaging our students, and empowering individualized learning. Then we give them a 40+ question test that they sit and do for 2-3 hours. And that is how we measure the success of students and teachers? We need to reimagine how we measure our education system. Education is more than 40 multiple choice questions that pay no attention to potential.

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to have community- there is so much divide between different schools, educators/staff, and communities when the goal is to achieve educational excellence. use all of what is there to impact the people of tomorrow.

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Public schools have a bad reputation - I would like to see a PR/marketing department at each system that informs the community about all the good and celebrates the graduates. This would help let the communities value them more and invest in them more.

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Will they ever reinstate master's pay. It's sad to see beginners teachers making almost as much as a 15+ year veteran teachers with a master's degree.

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Challenge:

North Carolina is losing experienced educators due to a lack of competitive pay and restrictive policies for retirees. Veteran teachers, assistant principals, and other educators are financially penalized for staying beyond year 10 because pay steps have been removed. Many who retire want to return to the classroom but face barriers, pushing them to teach in South Carolina, Virginia, and other neighboring states instead. This results in a loss of expertise, mentorship, and stability for students.

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Solution:

Restore pay steps to fairly compensate and retain veteran educators.

Create pathways for retired teachers to return without financial penalties.

Advocate for policy changes at the district and state levels to ensure experienced educators can continue serving NC students.

How can we push for these changes to strengthen our schools?

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Teacher Assistants in the classrooms again for every class or at least every two classes.

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Eliminate the ACT during school time because it takes a lot of instructional away from both teachers and students.

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As a high school senior, an action i have committed to do to enhance nc public schools is to be involved. I am an active participant in many extracurriculars and academics. This has lead me to attending conferences and forums to learn and share information and ideas about NC public schools.

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More equitable, workforce dual enrollment options for all high school students.

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We have to answer the question, what can a kid do with a high school diploma if they aren’t going to college.

Add vocational classes to every high school curriculum.

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10 month employees had the option to stretch their pay over the summer. It was taken away and now teachers have to get a summer job to have money to survive the summer until August.

Solution-bring back stretch pay!!!

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More comprehensive programs and supports for disabled students, especially in the early years, to help develop their abilities to be as independent as they are able.

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I have personally committed to continuing to supervise counselor interns, and whenever possible, assist in training fellow counselors on aspects of our career that I do well. I am experienced, and even though NC doesn’t see the value in rewarding a 20 year educator, I’m still going to continue pouring into the betterment of my profession to maximize the good we do for our students EVERY day

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We are committed to enhancing NC public schools by supporting the implementation and expansion of Project Lead The Way (PLTW) programs. PLTW provides transformative learning experiences for K-12 students and teachers across the state through hands-on, project-based STEM curricula. Our goal is to help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills that prepare them for college, careers, and beyond.

Through partnerships, training opportunities, and resource support, we aim to increase access to PLTW in underrepresented and underserved communities, ensuring that all students—regardless of background—can engage in high-quality STEM education. We also support teacher professional development to ensure educators are fully equipped to deliver impactful, real-world learning experiences.

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1. Educators should be exempt of state income taxes

2. Educators should be exempt of property taxes.

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I’d love a campaign that would start people thanking public school teachers for their service to our communities and our nation.

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Please incorporate Imagination and Innovation into your main 6 tenets for public education.

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Please incorporate Imagination and Innovation into your main 6 tenets for public education.

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Develop Imagination and Innovation teams on the state level, every county, and every school. Our teachers and administrators are naturally innovative and we need to provide them the opportunities to use their educational imaginations and innovative techniques to help public schools adapt to a rapidly changing environment!!!

I've combed the ncdpi website for the words innovation and imagination and that doesn't seem to be a huge emphasis. I would love to discuss this in more detail. Sorry for typos...dkoonce5@umd.edu

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Problem: We have non-traditional teachers attempting to fill our teacher shortage needs. However, the praxis requirements are so stringent that they must take it repeatedly, which is costly and not always indicative of their ability to implement teaching strategies in the classroom.

Solution: Non-traditional teachers who are not licensed need an alternative licensure program completely redesigned. They need a state developed program with a standard curriculum at universities for alternative licensure teachers. In this program, the universities will work collaboratively with school district personnel to practice strategies as they learn them. Instead of a praxis, they will develop a portfolio throughout their alternative licensure program. The portfolio will be evaluated throughout the program and the teacher will be fully licensed without a praxis.

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I am a ten year teacher, with a Master’s degree…that I receive no pay for. 90% of the country pays teachers for their Master’s degrees. NC does not.

A Master’s degree encourages further and deeper learning for teachers. They lead to highly educated educators. And they help teachers find their “niche” and re-ignite their passion.

NC has the most National Board Teachers in the country, myself included, which is amazing, but there is a reason: we are trying to make a live able wage.

As a 10 year NC teacher, I have done everything I can to earn the highest wage I can. I still earn less than the state average and struggle to find stability. Please work with Governor Stein to advocate for masters pay reinstatement.

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As a teacher, there is a need for trust and flexibility. We are given standards, curriculums and a strict set of instructions to follow. While upholding standards and having a curriculum is important, creating lifelong learners should be a primary goal of education. Trust that the rapport that I’ve built with students and parents will create a healthy environment that promotes student engagement and a willingness to learn. The voices of teachers matter.

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As a teacher we are required to pass an exam to teach. I completed this exam during my student teaching course and passed it but because I didn’t start teaching right after student teaching it is required for me to retake it again after receiving proficient are high on all my evaluation as well as have a high GPA of a 3.9 while earning two master degrees. One in special education and the other in administration. I have been teaching in Cumberland County School system schools now for 10 years. I have tried taking the exams several times but I have not passed the exam yet. In the last three years have been hard on me because I have been grieving while still trying to figure out how I am going to make ends meet. My concern is that I have been trying but this year my have been cut to sub pay and I still have to complete full time employment time. At the end of last year I was told that I can get an extension on my license but then was told in February that due to my EVVAS scores the last three years I can’t get the extension.  But I person can come in with a degree in other fields get paid more then a person who have years of experience and the education to show

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I agree that teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria workers need higher pay but so do support staff.  Many bookkeepers, clerical staff and data managers are not only required to do their jobs but they must also cover the reception desk, give out medications, handle behavior issues, deal with sick children and the list goes on and on.  We are told per job duties it say other duties as needed.  We do not mind doing these things as we love our students and staff.  We need a livable wage as well.

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I agree that teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria workers need higher pay but so do support staff.  Many bookkeepers, clerical staff and data managers are not only required to do their jobs but they must also cover the reception desk, give out medications, handle behavior issues, deal with sick children and the list goes on and on.  We are told per job duties it say other duties as needed.  We do not mind doing these things as we love our students and staff.  We need a livable wage as well.

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Student behavior is a challenge. It's hard for teachers to teach effectively when they are constantly having to deal with behaviors, even with interventions in place to support the students. Some teachers have 2-3 students who require extra support. Staff is assisting, but it's not enough. We need behavior support personnel assigned to each school. Even with school-based mental health support in place, we can't make parents take advantage of those resources.

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In Nc we do well in the areas of diversity, communication, and differentiation. There are so many forums sending out information and invites on a regular. I also appreciate the diversity and differentiation effort to reach and teach everyone.

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1. We need teacher assistants in 3-5. solution: change the rules or use subs

2. EOG is 2-3 hrs. long and children who will not pass are required to take the test. solution: make EOG match the grade levels allotted time for that subject. and children who will not pass take a lesser test to just show any growth has been made or exempt them.

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There is far too much standardized testing in NC schools, in particular the extreme requirements of all students to take all the ACT exams and training programs, which take weeks away from instruction each year and cost the state a fortune.

Only 10 states, including NC, require the ACT exam, the PreACT exam, the ACT WorkKeys exams, and the ACT Bootcamp Training in every high school for every student.

All of these tests take up weeks out of our school year, extending over several days, closing down schools and stressing out students, teachers, and volunteers as we struggle to make accommodations and test every student.

Less than 40% of NC high school graduates enroll in postsecondary schools - so for the majority of our students these 3-4 hour long exams are completely unnecessary to their future plans.

In March of last year the non-profit company that owned the ACT Exams was bought by the private equity firm Nexus Capital Management and transitioned to a for-profit company - which should be cause for scrutiny of their practices going forward. Non-profits serve the public good, while the goal of for-profit companies is to generate profit for their owners.

Our state could free up millions of dollars and countless hours of instruction time by joining the majority of the states in the country that do not require the ACT, the PreACT, the ACT WorkKeys, and the ACT Bootcamp in every high school.

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Remove Dual/Triple Roles of Support Staff

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Remove Dual/Triple Roles of Support Staff

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Our support staff are overburdened with an abundance of duties not specific to their jobs. For example, we have our vital clerks and teacher's assistants driving buses each day, or proctoring tests, or filling in other areas. It's hard enough to get any quality support staff with the low salaries they are offered, but forcing them to do duties outside of their job descriptions only exacerbates this issue. All our support staff never know what their days are going to look like and it's difficult for them to do their core jobs effectively.

We need our Bus Drivers to drive buses.

We need our Clerks to do office and administrative support duties.

We need our Teachers Assistants to be assisting teachers.

Bus driver shortages are the biggest diversion of our support staff, so I would suggest starting there. The most obvious solution is to increase the pay and hours of bus drivers, so they are full time employees with competitive pay to city bus drivers.

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At least in our county, we have a nice variety of school choice programs. STEAM Academy, Fire Science Academy, International Baccalaureate, Academies of Health Science and Engineering Technology, and more are offered at various schools and students can apply to transfer according to their career goals or interests.

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If we have people in local and state government willing to fight for our public schools and propose and champion for much needed changes, the educators of NC are ready to rise up and join in. Though we do not have unions in NC, we have group emails and social media so we can spread the word when action is needed. Whether it be showing up for meetings such as this one, writing letters, signing petitions, or even getting out to the capital buildings... we are ready to support those who are willing to fight for our schools.

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The pay for teachers, teachers assistants, bus drivers and others in the schools is terrible. They have degrees and are barely getting by. This is a big reason many educators are quitting. They have to put up with poor behavior from students who's parents don't take accountability for their part in their child's behavior, lack of support from administration because they are afraid of dealing with parents bad attitudes, endless meetings, no pay throughout the summer, being forced to do more than one job without making more for the extra work and seeing people in jobs such as fast food making more than they do. Educators shouldn't have to get government assistance to pay for food or housing. There are other jobs that require no education that pay more. So pay us more. show you care about the educators

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Eastover Central School in CCS- Arts Education on display- tonight 3/28 at 7:00

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Eastover Central School in CCS- Arts Education on display- tonight 3/28 at 7:00

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Please attend our play tonight (3/28/25) as part of your tour of the southeast! It is a shining and amazing example of why Arts Education is a vital part of public education. Show starts at 7:00- get here early- it will be a packed house/gym!

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Celebrating and recognizing diversity and community by including all groups in the curriculum 

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Celebrating and recognizing diversity and community by including all groups in the curriculum 

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Accessing behavioral supports without undue burdens on teachers

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Accessing behavioral supports without undue burdens on teachers

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continuing to recognize and celebrate diversity ina hostile political climate

Supporting students with learning needs in the regular classroom with a significant amount of accommodations and modifications and then testing them on the general curriculum

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Bring back master’s pay to attract teachers from other states

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Bring back master’s pay to attract teachers from other states

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We need a better system for our EC students especially with students with bad behavior that are violent in the classroom. There should be better support system in place for these students to get the help they need instead of keeping them in the classroom to terrorize other students and staff. All students deserve a safe environment to learn.

We also need a bigger Vocational lab to help students with daily living skills and job skills.