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Click the + above and share your thoughts!

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Our students and teachers!

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We celebrate that NC Public Schools continue to serve ALL our NC students.

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Continue DEI initiatives, more support for local and state funding, support from stateto stop private and charter school vouchers, support for continuing IDEA expectations, increased teacher pay to support loss in workforce

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Fully fund lead/exemplar teachers as a position. A position that is reserved for helping teachers grow and improve within a school.

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We need to increase teacher pay. It is not okay that we are still 42nd in the nation.

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Strong CTE programs

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Setting goals with students and celebrating their achievements!

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Jenna Jones at Junaluska Elementary. She is teaching our kids to read and doing it well!

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Quality CTE Programming & Strong Community Partners

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Quality CTE Programming & Strong Community Partners

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Continued CTE growth and higher arts programs (AP Music theory, etc)

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My school and county system (Jackson) has wonderful CTE courses that make an impact on our students and give them windows into career choices.

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Dual enrollment connections between western counties High Schools and local Community Colleges.

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Teachers who do the “extra” without incentives 

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Teachers who do the “extra” without incentives 

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Teachers often lead clubs, events, field trips and more often without compensation or recognition of time causing clubs, and extracurriculars to be cut or not lead for our current generation of students who want those opportunities. They do it because it’s what is best for students and want to see students thrive and continue interest and involvement.

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World Language Programs and Global Education!

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World Language Programs and Global Education!

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These teachers are preparing our learners for a global workforce. Helping our students become the best global citizens they can be. We provide connections to other disciplines and support the portrait of a well rounded graduate. Continue to fund and support these programs.

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To require highly qualified educators to teach in our schools. Teacher training is imperative to ensure that our teachers are capable of handling teaching in the 21st century.

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Providing our teachers with the latest training and resources to support that training to create strong, proficient readers.

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AP classes and partnerships with community colleges

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AP classes and partnerships with community colleges

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Expanded mental health through school based therapy has been reaching hundreds of students in WNC.  Each school would benefit from having a bilingual provider to meet student and parent needs!

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Expanded mental health through school based therapy has been reaching hundreds of students in WNC.  Each school would benefit from having a bilingual provider to meet student and parent needs!

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Underfunding of per pupil spending and educator pay

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Underfunding of per pupil spending and educator pay

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Solution: advocate for increased funding by our General Assembly

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Our CIHS program is nationally renowned with early colleges in NC. This is something to be proud of!

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Lack of federal funding for EC due to cuts from this administration 

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Lack of federal funding for EC due to cuts from this administration 

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Solution: North Carolina General Assembly must commit to filling the gap through the state budget

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Ensuring that the programs and funding through the Title I program don’t go away.

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Some of the most compassionate teachers are in this state. Let’s hold on to them!

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The EC, AIG, and title one programs that ensure children with different needs are getting a high quality education that is provides evidence based curriculum that helps them thrive. Also, the trade classes and arts should be celebrated and supported to continue.

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AIG students are often ignored with patchwork supports leaving our early achievers behind or unsupported leading to burnout and drop out risks. Students who are AIG are often not recognized as twice exceptional. They are not supported with fidelity, and programs are minimal at best. We must support our AIG students in the same ways as our other exceptional students with cultured lessons, certified support faculty and differentiated education. They should be under the umbrella of EC and served in the same targeted and supportive way. It’s not more, it’s not just honors, it’s not just accelerated, it’s different… encouraged, evaluated, and supported through fidelity.

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Reduction of the Department of Education at the Federal Level

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Reduction of the Department of Education at the Federal Level

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As a state, we have to work across party lines to ensure that funding is not cut for EC and Title I schools.

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We need more EC support, ESL programs, CTE teachers, teachers, TAs, and beyond. Public schools should have smaller class sizes with support.

Asking for more funding to attract and maintain staff.

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Incredibly concerned about the attack on our migrant families and the threat of students from migrant families. There are safety, emotional, and academic concerns around allowing ICE in schools.

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Free Breakfast, Lunch, & Snack for students 

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Free Breakfast, Lunch, & Snack for students 

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I teach in Swain County Schools. This year we are able to offer free breakfast, lunch, & snack for ALL students. We have so many students who experience food insecurity. I can’t over estimate how important it is to meet children’s basic needs, before we are able to meet their academic needs.

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I hope that NC will take concrete steps to ensure that a broad Social Studies curriculum will continue to be taught in NC. There are threats on the federal front. Kiddos who have a good knowledge and understanding of world and American history and social studies matters will be better all around citizens and wiser voters.

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Reduced support for Title One will impact the majority of schools in Haywood County and most of WNC schools. Children facing poverty deserve a level playing field, educators that help them meet their needs, and strong support for facing the future. We need to prepare the state to work smart and strategically to bolster children with food, housing, and stability challenges through more community involvement in schools like the United Way program that runs community and tutoring nights. Additionally cultural and social organizations can help address achievement gaps through real DEI initiatives and parenting and peer support.

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Targeted and differentiated high quality professional development.

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Targeted and differentiated high quality professional development.

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Different levels of teaching may require different types of professional development. Local PD is often lacking and unsupported after the training is over. Lateral entry teachers often don’t have pedagogy or training in childhood psychology or understanding of students. Instead of online modules, engaged, high quality, state funded and supported PD should be provided to all counties. Local champion educators can help guide but standard levels of instruction targeted to the region and students need to be made a priority.

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Currently, students are not able to earn a failing grade even if their work mirrors the grade which means students are receiving a false sense of grades/accomplishment. Allow students to fail if they are not doing their work instead of pushing them through each grade level.

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Our educators are being asked to shoulder more and more burdens. Staff is stretched so thin. Expectations are very high but so are the needs.

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Citizens need to have a better understanding of the negative impacts vouchers have on public education.

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With school violence on the continuous rise and no seeming plan to further improve student safety in our state what are your plans to improve the safety of our schools in terms of strategy and implementation? Something has to change. Suggestions include nightlocks, more safety policies related to school entry at any point in the day. What about metal detectors or clear bags. Students sometimes unfortunately put themselves in the place to injure themselves or others and we keep the mentality of it couldn't happen here. We need to make some change before the next regret.

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Recruiting and retention of good teachers. 

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Recruiting and retention of good teachers. 

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It is hard to find good teachers and keep them in front of students. We need a way to incentivize educators.

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Teachers have been leaving public ed in droves—especially in NC. The reasons for this need to be examined. Just a few:

-salary

-unreasonable expectations put on teachers w/ no time to complete these tasks

-lack of parent support, very little involvement anymore (very big cultural shift)

-disconnected county level staff

-too much emphasis/pressure on testing

-increased discipline concerns with little support

-underfunding in EC, to the point where students are missing out on these services

The list goes on….

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Bring back the Teacher Cadet program in all counties to encourage students to become teachers. 

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Bring back the Teacher Cadet program in all counties to encourage students to become teachers. 

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Also, make Teaching Fellows fully fund college, as well as other programs that promote and retain teachers

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We need both sides of the aisle to understand how the current calendar law is preventing districts to think outside the box and prohibiting us from developing a calendar that is best for our students.

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Recruitment and Retention of Highly Qualified Educators. 

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Recruitment and Retention of Highly Qualified Educators. 

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Reinstate masters pay for teachers who gain higher level degrees.

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Our K-8 school has only one ESL teacher for the entire school. We need more human resources to serve this ever growing population.

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Increased ML specialists are needed to help all school staff be proactive in planning and facilitating quality learning environments and opportunities for our multilingual learners that celebrate and draw upon their rich linguistic repertoires, aid them in meeting their educational goals, and prepare them abundantly to be successful in the pursuit of life goals after graduation

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Appropriate class sizes make meeting the needs of all of our students more manageable. As our state struggles with teacher retention & recruitment, our class sizes are growing, making meeting the needs of our students more challenging.

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Additional Salary supplement for beginning teachers that were classified as “highly qualified” in licensure programs that enter into title 1 schools

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Go back to new schools money being provided to give students in early colleges opportunities to take field trips and provide community service to our students. Some of our first generation students have never been out to eat in a restaurant, to another county, and never to a college. We want to give them social and emotional opportunities to experience all of the things they need to be successful in college and away from their parents and town. Currently early colleges are funded through mostly local support, and our lower income districts cannot seem to make it a priority.

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On a quite specific and personal level, my kindergartener's school, Lucy S. Herring Elementary, has been amazing. His teachers and the staff there have helped him grow so much this year.

We really appreciate the small class sizes and the caring environment there.

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The science of reading movement and encouragement to use evidence based instruction practices.

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We need help protecting all students in our schools. We need a statewide policy that protects privacy of all students from invasive tactics of ICE in this current anti immigrant policies. Families are afraid to send their children who have a civil rights to access education! We need to treat all families as contributors and advocate for their participation every day. We need to make schools off limits to ICE and harassment.

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Our school is short teachers, custodians, and bus drivers. Teachers do double duty driving buses and cleaning bathrooms. Teachers teach oversized classes. Assistant principals drive buses.

A possible solution is better pay and benefits for school staff. Having taught in another state with much better pay and benefits for all educators, I can see the impact on recruitment and retention for all staff members.

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If teachers are required to be highly qualified, our district leaders should also be highly qualified, certified, or at least trained to support teachers within their curriculum and grade levels.

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Link between enrollment, funding, and EC support

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Link between enrollment, funding, and EC support

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I see a lack of enough support staff and teachers to be a huge challenge. Many people blame Charter Schools and broadening of the Opportunity Scholarship for taking funding that would otherwise support these positions, but we need to ask ourselves "Why would a family choose private school or a charter school over our public schools?" From my observations and experience in getting my quirky child enrolled in kindergarten, there are many neurodiverse kids whose needs aren't being met in the classrooms, which also means their neurotypical peers aren't getting their needs met either. One factor is the removal of ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) providers from public schools in 2023 due to an NC DPI mandate. Our son had ABA during Pre-K, and it made a world of difference in his ability to stay regulated and interact with his peers. In higher grades, these providers serve as a 1:1 aide for kids that need it. For kids that were getting ABA prior to 2023, which my understanding was primarily paid through medical insurance, the schools now have to fund the cost of an EC assistant to provide the support, if they provide it at all. Many charter schools and private schools allow ABA techs. | personally know of one family who attend a charter school specifically because the school allows ABA. This child's needs are so significant that he isn't able to attend even the charter school without the ABA tech. What would they do in a public school? I chatted with a single mother this morning who spent $8000 of her savings on a lawyer to get a public school to provide 1:1 support for her son, who had been getting ABA prior to 2023. And another family ! know is homeschooling their child because his needs weren't being met in public school, resulting in frequent disruptions to his learning and that of his classmates.

At last week's Asheville City Schools Board of Education meeting, one teacher shared how she struggles to manage her classroom without a full-time assistant. I assume the position was cut due to budgeting. She was describing that she has children eloping out of her classroom, and she doesn't know if she should go with the child or stay with her class. It was heartbreaking to hear the struggle in her voice.

For every story of neurodiverse students not getting their needs met, it represents a whole classroom of kids not getting their needs met, teachers getting closer to burn-out, and a funding allotment that leave the school system. Since charter schools and private schools aren't required to direct funding towards things like transportation, meals, or even keeping demographic records, they have flexibility to direct more of their funding to staff that can help these students. They can also choose to allow ABA techs into the classroom to providefamilies to choose public schools, we need to provide sufficient classroom assistance for both teachers and students, which requires money to pay their salaries and benefits.

Unfortunately, since Helene, Buncombe County's government is experiencing a huge revenue shortfall, about $20 million. The Buncombe County Commissioners have already taken back about $4.5 million from schools this budget year, and are planning to cut more next year. In addition, there's a bill in the legislature that would also take funding intended for school capital improvements and allow the Commissioners to use it how they see fit. Meanwhile in Raleigh, the legislature approved $463.5 Million dollars for private-school vouchers. How many lAs and other staff positions could that have supported? Buncombe County wouldn't have to make any budget cuts if just a portion of that money had been used for hurricane relief. There is also a loophole that allows a charter school to keep the funding allotment for a child, even if the child leaves the school after 60 days. Shouldn't that money come back to the school they're attending?

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Schools are pillars in the community that drive the entire spirit of the community. As you said the work done in response to the hurricane was nothing short of amazing. Education and supports for the whole child and their families is what supports the community as a whole.

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Revamp school report cards — growth is the most important for all students to be successful, we don’t need so much focus on proficiency until we are able to properly support and catch back up.

Teachers are scared to fail students because graduation rate will suffer.

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I propose a state wide security initiative in which each school is comprehensively evaluated for the security of the school from the outside looking in as well as the possibility of students acting on their own desires to hurt themselves or others. We need to evaluate how to prevent actions from outside and inside sources

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Wnc has federal community clinics committed ready to partner at all level of school without charge. We would appreciatea way to collaborate on a regional level to address mental health, health, and parent needs.

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We have access to plenty of instructional technology as teachers and kids have one to one devices.

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Please support the weighted pupil formula for funding EC - full funding of this formula would solve the biggest part of the deficits most of us face. Salary and benefits need to be fully funded in all allotments. But if charters are here to stay, and we are all PSUs now, then if we really want to level the playing field to make adjustments we need to operate most efficiently, then we should be able to get the same one pot of funding they get. With the flexibilities they get to spend it. And the flexibility of rules that help them function would also help us.

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Require parent involvement into their child's education. Allow for parents to feel wanted, needed, and guided on how to help. Provide options for different volunteer hours, in person, or online.

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Allow ABA providers back into classrooms to support students that need 1:1 help. This would help both ND and NT kids, keeping more families in public schools.

﻿﻿More in-depth training about strategies that can help neurodiverse kids stay regulated and specifically about autism, ADHD, etc.

﻿﻿Require that the funding allotment follow a student back to the public school if they leave a charter school.

﻿﻿Look into the specific reasons why people are choosing charter schools, private schools, or homeschooling and address those.

Reframe “funding,” “pay,” or “money” as PEOPLE or POSITIONS that help our kids.

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Class sizes of 20 or less with appropriate support staff to push in or be full time TAs in all classrooms.

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developmentally appropriate arts education in all public preschools

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Four day school week to help promote teacher retention and recruitment. Extend school year to ensure instructional hours are met with the four day week.

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Educators and those who support educators need to unite as a voting block at the State level to see changes to funding and policies.

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Take the politics out of education! Our kids and our staff should not held for ransom as political capital. Our kids deserve better.

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Reinstate Mental Health and ABA Services in our Schools 

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Reinstate Mental Health and ABA Services in our Schools 

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Introduction

Behavioral health services have historically played a critical role in supporting students with behavioral, social, and emotional challenges in our school systems. Over time, many of these services, particularly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, have been reduced or removed from schools, creating significant challenges for both students and staff. This proposal outlines the need for the reintroduction of these essential services within the classroom setting and presents a sustainable plan to integrate these services through partnerships with community mental health providers, with funding from Medicaid and private insurance.

Problem Statement

The removal of behavioral health services, including ABA therapy, has caused significant strain on both students and school staff:

1. Increased Teacher Burden: Teachers are being asked to manage students with diverse behavioral needs without adequate support, which leads to classroom disruptions, burnout, and reduced academic success for all students.

2. Family Impact: Many parents are faced with the difficult decision of choosing between sending their child to school or attending essential therapy sessions. This creates a barrier to full participation in school and limits students’ ability to succeed both academically and socially.

3. Lack of Support for High-Need Students: Without behavioral health services, students who need additional support are at risk of falling behind, facing disciplinary actions, or even being excluded from school activities.

Proposed Solution

We propose the reintegration of behavioral health services, specifically ABA therapy, back into the school system to directly support students, alleviate pressure on teachers, and reduce the burden on families. The key elements of this proposal include:

1. Service Definition and Funding Mechanism:

A clearly defined service model for behavioral health services that aligns with Medicaid and private insurance billing requirements.

This will ensure that the services are financially sustainable and accessible to all students, regardless of income.

2. Collaboration with Community Mental Health Providers:

Partnering with local community mental health agencies to provide trained professionals, including Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), therapists, and social workers.

These professionals will work directly in the classroom setting, offering both individual and group support tailored to students’ needs.

3. On-Site ABA Therapy and Behavioral Health Support:

Reintegrating ABA therapy into the school environment, where it can be delivered on-site to students who require it.

ABA services will focus on improving academic, social, and behavioral skills, as well as addressing individual learning and behavioral challenges.

4. Comprehensive Support for Teachers and Staff:

Professional development and ongoing training for educators on how to effectively implement behavioral strategies and collaborate with behavioral health professionals.

In-school consultations and support from behavioral health staff to help manage students’ needs and reduce classroom disruptions.

Benefits of Reintroducing Behavioral Health Services

1. Enhanced Student Outcomes:

Providing targeted behavioral health services will lead to improved academic and social outcomes for students, particularly those with behavioral and emotional challenges.

2. Reduced Teacher Burnout:

Teachers will have greater support in managing students with complex needs, which will reduce stress and improve job satisfaction, ultimately leading to better classroom environments for all students.

3. Support for Families:

Parents will no longer need to choose between school and therapy. By providing ABA therapy and other behavioral health services in schools, families can ensure their children receive the support they need without additional logistical challenges.

4. Financial Sustainability:

By utilizing Medicaid and private insurance billing for these services, the program will be financially viable, reducing the burden on school budgets and ensuring long-term sustainability.

5. Workforce Development and Community Impact:

Partnering with local community mental health providers creates new job opportunities in the mental health field, offering career pathways for students pursuing careers in social work, psychology, and behavior analysis.

Implementation Plan

1. Service Definition Development:

Collaborate with insurance providers and Medicaid to define the service delivery model and ensure reimbursement eligibility for ABA and behavioral health services within the school system.

2. Partnership with Community Mental Health Providers:

Establish formal agreements with local mental health agencies to provide on-site support in schools, ensuring that professionals are trained and ready to work with students.

3. Staff Training and Professional Development:

Develop a comprehensive training plan for educators, including understanding behavioral health interventions, effective collaboration with behavioral health professionals, and strategies for maintaining a positive classroom environment.

4. Pilot Program:

Begin with a pilot program in a selected group of schools to assess the effectiveness of the model and make necessary adjustments before expanding district-wide.

5. Evaluation and Feedback:

Implement a system of regular assessment to monitor the success of the program, gather feedback from educators, students, and families, and make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.

Conclusion

The reintroduction of behavioral health services, including ABA therapy, in our schools is essential for the well-being and academic success of all students, particularly those with behavioral and emotional needs. By partnering with community mental health providers and utilizing Medicaid and private insurance for reimbursement, we can create a sustainable model that supports students, alleviates burdens on teachers, and strengthens our community. We urge you to consider the urgent need for these services and take immediate steps to reintegrate behavioral health support in our schools.

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We will continue to advocate and fight for what is right for our kids! Thank you for holding these sessions!!

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Bring back diploma tracks relevant to student post high school goals. Not every NC high school student fits into Future Ready or Occupational (EC) tracks.

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NCCAT is a wonderful model for renewing teacher’s passion for teaching. I’ve had numerous opportunities over my 23 years of teaching to take seminars. It has greatly opened my mind to new areas of study… from epigenetics to coastal ecology, from building skills to teach creative writing to elementary students to understanding the Holocaust. Please keep funding this important teacher support.

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They are being asked to do too much for too little. Pay the teachers more.

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For towns or districts with colleges (especially where early colleges and dual-enrollment) they should have choice in their calendar start and end dates to align with other education institutions to give kids true alignments and breaks.

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She’s not wrong. Research shows that recess & social play is good for our students. We need to prioritize this in our days, instead of minimizing it.

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Support teachers in pursuing advanced degrees. Why is there not more emphasis on this? Other states REQUIRE teachers to acquire an advanced degree!

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Teachers who are true teachers- teachers by heart and teachers by degree will continue to hold students to high expectations and encourage them to keep being the best version of themselves.

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I’d be happy to advocate for our public schools at the state level and I’m hoping to get more parents involved in advocacy as well.

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I will continue to persevere as an educator.

I will teach with joy, passion, and loving kindness.

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Mo…I’m wondering how you’ll be able to get the necessary political support to achieve your goals?

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Can we look at current initiatives and revamp or change? Starting new programs and ideas are fantastic but also some programs in place are just as good, just not supported and evaluated.

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Eliminate the NC public school micromanagement. Almost all of that could already be done if we didn’t have all of the rules tests reporting grades laws policies and restrictions to deal with - we could be doing SO much more and more efficiently.

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Testing in its current form is not working

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Testing in its current form is not working

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I started teaching before No Child Left Behind, then I took a few years off to have my babies and be a full-time mom. When I went back, NCLB policies were in full swing. 20+years later, are we any better off? I would argue NO. In fact, I believe the extreme focus on state testing has created young adults that cannot think creatively or problem solve. My husband works in higher Ed and he's seen a huge shift in college students that cannot think for themselves beyond choosing ABCD.

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Students are hungry, and hungry students can’t learn well. Families are struggling, even if they don’t qualify for free/reduced meals. Especially in current economic times, families are stressed and struggling. Pass state legislation for free meals for all students in NC so the burden doesn’t fall to our local school budgets.

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I am committed to growing my restorative practices in my classroom. I am committed to inviting my colleagues to join me in the journey. I then would like to expand our restorative community across the state.

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It's time to end the NCDPI obsession with testing. When testing dictates curriculum and destroys imagination and creativity. We need more opportunities to explore electives. It's time to reevaluate testing and accountability. Let teachers be the professionals that they are!!

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Revamp the data point of “graduation rate” impacting the school report card. Some students graduate, but still cannot read or write at a high school “college or career ready” level, and our other students (typically those in AIG or EC) are dropping out because of the lack of support or encouragement. Graduation does NOT equal success. We also know that test scores aren’t accurate when students miss 45 days per semester, but those test scores are recorded and impact teacher scores more than the student, especially in high school. We need to care about their success before their senior year.

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Reform the way we asses learning. It’s not working!!! We test TOO much and it’s doesn’t measure a child’s abilities or growth AT ALL!

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OCS students are provided a differentiated curriculum to prepare them to be quality employees. Why do we continue to require them to take the same state EOC for Math I, English II and Biology as the honors students ? Allow us to differentiate testing .

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I’ve been teaching for over 20 years. In all those years, there has always been a computer program & students have had mandated minutes each week to be on that program. Trust teachers to teach. If I have to bet on anything to show student growth, it’s on my teaching, and the teaching of my fellow teachers, over that of a mandated computer program.

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Change the child to all shall feel safe

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Continue to fight for our children to be successful no matter what that means for them. No one size fits all.

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Can you include language about academic diversity and individual learning needs being met?

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Restore and enhance funding. Alexis and Jennifer can tell you how this goes back to the Great Recession when the feds gave us money to get us through and then NC didn’t ever give it all back. Classroom materials were slashed, we no longer get sub funding to get those much needed bodies in the buildings and ask the ones already overworked to cover more. CO was slashed. IAs were cut by 1/3 later. And then one of the worst things is the diversion of so much money we could have to other initiatives. And the lottery money - so much has been used to supplant was were general fund line items. If we had any one or two of these kinds of things restored, we would be in a much different place.

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Teaching is the profession that gives birth to all other professions. There is no more noble a profession. Happy teachers = happy students. It's not rocket science. Pay teachers like the professionals that they are. Otherwise, we will lose them.

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I would suggest placing require course work for Letrs and dyslexia into the schools of education at the university level. This would help new teachers understand when and how dyslexia challenges our students. The interventions that are needed for meeting these students needs, which LETRS helps address.

Placing it as a requirement in elementary education would take hours off of teachers plates in the classroom and better prepare them for these issues in the classroom.

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Reaching and teaching kids of all abilities and all kinds of needs- offering early college, alternative high schools and serving them well.