Mo Wants to Know - NCDPI Staff by

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 12:48:41 UTC

Click the + above and share your thoughts!

We have really dedicated educators across the state who are committed to supporting students.

kristinebarberio1 — 2025-03-10 13:43:54 UTC

CTE workforce development

2025-03-10 13:44:39 UTC

Preparing students for the workforce and to support the future economy of NC

Early literacy work across the state

annenixon1 — 2025-03-10 13:44:45 UTC

The collaboration between colleges and high schools

2025-03-10 13:44:46 UTC

2025-03-10 13:45:16 UTC

We should continue to celebrate teaching excellence and the myriad of ways it is executed.

We should celebrate the dedication of all of our educators and district leaders

2025-03-10 13:45:49 UTC

New enrollment in NC's Educator Preparation Programs is up 20% in the last decade.

2025-03-10 13:46:31 UTC

Where to start? There's so much!

2025-03-10 13:47:03 UTC

• Amazing teachers and staff that are helping our students learn and grow!

• CTE classes that are teaching students skills to use far beyond high school graduation!

• CCP classes!

• Summer meal programs!

I could keep going for forever!

Continue Leading in AI Literacy

vcuberoWNC — 2025-03-10 13:47:09 UTC

Preparing students for the future in which AI literacy will be necessary, not optional. AI Literacy will be crucial for future endeavors, helping our students stay safe, and ensuring they develop the skills to leverage emerging technologies to make the world a better place.

Regional support

2025-03-10 13:47:17 UTC

Supporting each region of the state and honoring the differences and uniqueness in each region and building on their strengths with leadership that knows and understands both.

Multi-tiered Systems of Support to address the needs of ALL students and support the educators that serve them.

hollywilliamson3 — 2025-03-10 13:47:36 UTC

heatherpennica2 — 2025-03-10 13:47:40 UTC

The innovative practices being implemented into our schools to allow all students to explore futuristic opportunities to prepare them for the workforce that we can't even imagine yet!

Let's celebrate student and educator recognitions, like diploma endorsements (ex. GLE, NC's Seal of Biliteracy) for graduating seniors, as well as initiatives and PD that teachers and administrators dedicate themselves to in order to improve their practice.

2025-03-10 13:49:36 UTC

Compared to many states, NC has rich data resources to use to monitor student progress and test the effectiveness of new strategies.

2025-03-10 13:50:38 UTC

Regional Work and TA

2025-03-10 13:51:14 UTC

Having the ability to move to being regionally based in the Office of Federal Programs has allowed for real-time technical assistance and relationship building capacity with PSU district and school-based leadership.

Darlene Schaefer, NCVPS

2025-03-10 13:51:36 UTC

Educator excellence and expanded options for students.

Celebrate the Work Of the Office of Virtual Instruction Services

2025-03-10 13:51:45 UTC

Celebrate and continue the hard work of all of the remote academies across the state!

Tericia Eller - Office of Virtual Instruction Services

Multiple Pathways

vcuberoWNC — 2025-03-10 13:53:16 UTC

Continue supporting Career & College Promise, CTE certifications in High School, and other alternative pathways for those who do not choose a 4 year college degree.

NC MTSS

julieweatherman — 2025-03-10 13:53:25 UTC

I would like to celebrate and continue the great work of supporting the NC MTSS framework toward total school improvement. The strategic planning happening between regional consultants and district leadership has been amazing this year. The problem solving and planning toward data-based decisions has been exceptional.

Support for the new NCSIS

2025-03-10 13:53:48 UTC

I am proud to be part of the NCSIS Professional Learning Team at NCDPI. It has been a great success for DPI to support all PSUs in the transition to the new Student Information System. This needs to be a continuous process to maintain the integrity of our student data in NC. Thank you

MTSS and Regional Support Teams

2025-03-10 13:53:56 UTC

Regional Support Teams create the relationship and structure necessary to maximize DPI support. MTSS provides a framework to make the work happen in districts and schools. Great teams of people collaborating through both of these.

Heart and Soul

2025-03-10 13:54:28 UTC

The heart and soul that so many educators and support staff dedicate to students and public education every day. Celebrate the legacy of educators that have made a difference in the lives of citizens throughout NC. Most people have a story of how education affected their lives.

Celebrate and Continue

stephanie_cyrus1 — 2025-03-10 13:55:17 UTC

I really appreciate the intentional way that during the State Board of Education meetings, there are efforts to celebrate students and educators and their accomplishments. I think it keeps us all grounded and connected to see and hear what's happening in schools and districts - and I love the stories and then be able to lift up to the community what I've seen and heard.

External Partnerships

2025-03-10 13:55:54 UTC

I’m truly grateful for our strong partnership with the Community College system and The UNC System office! Together, we're making a real impact for students across the state through the NC College Connect initiative and so many other programs.

CTE Middle Grades

amattsmith14 — 2025-03-10 13:56:25 UTC

The career exploration opportunities provided to middle grade students through CTE that starts as early as 6th grade and CTSO participation.

Portrait of a Graduate

vcuberoWNC — 2025-03-10 13:56:30 UTC

The NC Portrait of a Graduate is a great guiding framework for preparing students with the 7 Durable Skills that are increasingly in demand by employers.

Expansion of School Based Medicaid

2025-03-10 13:56:53 UTC

Expanding school based Medicaid will continue to help students stay health and stay in school.

Celebrate advanced learning!

2025-03-10 13:56:54 UTC

Celebrate the work involved in broadening access to advanced learning opportunities for all NC students. Office of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education.

More Support Needed for Districts and Charter Schools

kristinebarberio1 — 2025-03-10 13:57:15 UTC

There is a need for increased support for our districts and charter schools due to ESSER funding cliffs, federal funding challenges, and staffing issues.

NCDPI can support the regional support teams to ensure that divisions and positions are maintained to ensure ongoing needs with work that is not "siloed" but comprehensive.

2025-03-10 13:57:44 UTC

Operationally, I think that our cross-functional teams have done an incredible job implementing the new SIS and integrating that data into ECATS. This is complex task, with far more work to do, but the collaboration has been incredible.

Regional Support Teams

julieweatherman — 2025-03-10 13:58:06 UTC

The Regional Support Team model and the continued work and alignment toward agency goals is a point of celebration and need. The alignment of work among the divisions and articulated into support for the districts with boots on the ground and in the districts and schools is exceptional.

2025-03-10 13:58:39 UTC

Public Schools seem to have an optics issue these days, with negative stories often drowning out the good. Are there some ways to “raise up” the positive stories (ie. the successful students addressing the SBE last week) and really get those stories out to North Carolinians?

heatherpennica2 — 2025-03-10 13:59:02 UTC

The lack of funding for a continued refresh of student and staff devices is a challenge now that ESSER funding has ended. We need to advocate to place a continuous line item in the budget for replenishing devices each year.

Hiring and keeping high quality teachers and professionals

2025-03-10 13:59:08 UTC

This is a big one, and the solution most likely will be broad and cover familiar topics: teacher pay, recruiting methods, culture and climate, etc.

AP courses

2025-03-10 14:00:00 UTC

It is great that so many are taking advantage of the AP courses offered in the schools. They are critical in challenging students and allowing them to shine when colleges are reviewing their applications.

Staff Wellness

2025-03-10 14:00:02 UTC

We must continue to support school staff both physically and emotionally so that they can in turn support students. We may be able to address this by working with state health plan to provide large scale supports.

SIS Data Monitoring

2025-03-10 14:00:48 UTC

As the NCDPI SIS Professional Learning Team continues to support PSUs in the transition to Infinite Campus we should start a monitoring process by each regional support consultant. The regional consultant would develop a systematic way to monitor student data at each PSU to ensure data is entered and maintained consistently across the state. The best way to insure we have data integrity is to implement a data monitoring system.

Resilient educators & students in NC

annenixon1 — 2025-03-10 14:02:02 UTC

I am appreciative of the resilience of NC educators and students across the state. I believe the NCDPI-led support around Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child, as well as Social and Emotional Learning, Portrait of a Graduate and NC MTSS have been instrumental in helping our students and educators navigate difficulties such as Covid, political unrest/uncertainty, etc.

Continued Support Needed for Remote Academies and Online Instruction Programs

tericia_eller — 2025-03-10 14:02:09 UTC

With the new remote academy legislation from 2022, NC now has 38 public remote academies across the state! Staying connected to each other can be challenging. The Office of Virtual Instruction Services has worked to connect those educators so that they can network, share, and learn together. This type of support needs to continue to grow and develop so that those educators can continue to provide effective instruction for their students.

Re-envisioning Education

vcuberoWNC — 2025-03-10 14:02:40 UTC

Traditional education systems that over-emphasize high-stakes testing, rote learning, memorization, individual work, lecture-based learning etc will need to evolve to include responsible AI implementation and more transformational learning methodologies. Renewed focus on authentic project-based learning (PBL), learning portfolios, and emphasis on the process of learning over the projects of learning will ensure that public schools serve ALL of our students for the future they will inherit.

Idk who to ask

2025-03-10 14:03:03 UTC

Districts/charters sometimes feel like they are the “only one” or that there are no resources available to address their unique challenge(s). By creating spaces where districts and charters can be thought partners alongside NCDPI facilitators as support, we can provide guidance as well as best practices for PSUs.

hollywilliamson3 — 2025-03-10 14:04:00 UTC

In working with districts on school improvement work there appears to be a disconnect in implementation of initiatives at the district and school level. Much of this is due to PSU level administrators that are having to serve in too many roles. Many wear 4-5 titles/positions. In addition, many of the things that we ask of PSUs and schools do not come with the funding or positions to build and sustain the initiative. In contrast, the state-wide literacy work was legislated and provided with positions and resources to support the work across the state. How can we replicate this approach?

Regional Support Models

vcuberoWNC — 2025-03-10 14:04:48 UTC

Serving our individual regions with RST teams and regional in person support sessions has been very well-received and successful- especially for our far west and far east systems for whom travel to Raleigh requires too much time and funding.

Increasing parent engagement.

2025-03-10 14:04:50 UTC

Parent engagement

2025-03-10 14:04:52 UTC

Engage parents as partners in teaching their children, which can include training for parents to help them support academics at home and gathering feedback on how parents can collaborate with the school to improve student outcomes.

Collaboration across offices

2025-03-10 14:04:59 UTC

As NCDPI employees we need to be able to point districts and stakeholders to updated resources that are offered across the agency. Providing our stakeholders with resources to assist their on the ground efforts and being able to be in person quickly coming along side to help problem solve whatever obstacles are faced.

2025-03-10 14:05:05 UTC

Challenge: rapid growth of charter school numbers, high turnover rates in PSU contact lists.

Solution: ensure all NCDPI regional support teams/structures include services for charter schools

CTE Credentials

2025-03-10 14:05:05 UTC

358,069 student credentials earned in SY23-25!

Supporting Student Behavior

julieweatherman — 2025-03-10 14:06:35 UTC

Challenges continue across the state in supporting positive student behavior. Our behavior data is on a decline and exclusionary discipline is also on the rise. The behavior work supported through the NCMTSS framework has made a positive impact. The solution of utilizing the NCMTSS system of support has made positive outcomes for districts.

heatherpennica2 — 2025-03-10 14:07:23 UTC

We still work in SILOS! We need to be more intentional about inviting the right people to the "table"; it may slow the work at first but will speed us up and make our work more effective in the end. We need to model this as an agency so that districts can see how important it is for all of us to work together for children. Breaking down the silos is the only way our children truly get the education they deserve.

Teacher Turnover and Hiring

2025-03-10 14:07:46 UTC

Collaborate with school districts to develop and support a 'Grow Your Own' or 'Teacher Cadet' program that encourages students to pursue teaching careers. More educators are recognizing the benefits of these programs, as they help students return to their home counties as teachers, addressing critical staffing needs in local schools.

Regional Support Teams

2025-03-10 14:07:52 UTC

The Regional Support Team intentionally strengthens the field, fosters collaboration, and enhances systems of support. Through both area-specific and collective efforts, we drive meaningful change, ensuring sustainable impact for educators, schools, and students.

Solution: Learning from the schools that are positive outliers

2025-03-10 14:08:21 UTC

We can use our data to find schools where proficiency rates are increasing across all subgroups or where chronic absenteeism has decreased dramatically. Maybe what they are doing won't really scale, but it could!

Better Aligned NCDPI Support

annenixon1 — 2025-03-10 14:09:02 UTC

I am so excited to hear about the upcoming NCSBOE-aligned strategic plan. I hope this will lead to more aligned supports coming from our agency. One solution is adopting a statewide continuous improvement framework, such as Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS).

Teach for America

2025-03-10 14:10:18 UTC

One of the key challenges facing NC public schools is staffing in some of our most rural districts. Is there a way we can partner with our local universities to create initiatives that encourage high school graduates to attend college and return to their communities to teach? Teach for America has provided a nationwide model, and it would be incredibly valuable to replicate that approach in our local school districts. This is already being successfully implemented in Edgecombe County Schools by Matt Smith and in other districts across the state.

Mental Health needs of students

2025-03-10 14:10:20 UTC

We need to address mental health needs of students throughout the school day. Prevention strategies through encouragement of teaching standards at the elementary level and working to ensure more SISP to address specific needs of students. Possibly bringing back Child and Family Support Teams to ensure a team approach to addressing students needs.

Career Technical Student Organizations

2025-03-10 14:11:04 UTC

Aligned intracurricular Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), such as FBLA, FFA, DECA, and SkillsUSA, provide students with opportunities to develop real-world skills that are highly valued by business and industry. These include durable employability skills, technical skills, and academic competencies. Over the next six weeks, several State Leadership Conferences will take place in Greensboro.

Support for low performing schools

2025-03-10 14:11:30 UTC

The Regional Support Teams are tackling this by providing customized support. For example, using a Critical Friends Framework, a highly effective, cross-functional collaborative process, schools receive targeted support, including on-demand PD in AI & technology, literacy, and more, ensuring principals and educators have the tools they need to drive student success.

Loss of support positions, devices

vcuberoWNC — 2025-03-10 14:12:11 UTC

The alarming trend of cutting ITF and Media Coordinator positions is having a drastic negative impacts on PSUs ability to support and train teachers and ensure that digital technologies are implemented safely, responsibly and effectively to prepare our students for a rapidly changing future. Additionally, the lack of funding for device refresh after COVID funding is necessary for high-quality digital learning. Another issue that has hurt is the changing requirement that no longer requires specific Digital Learning credits, which has reduced emphasis on digital learning in the PSUs.

Talent Development at DPI

2025-03-10 14:12:15 UTC

Instructional leaders who make the move to DPI often have a hard time continuing to stay current with developments in their fields. There is an academic assistance program to help employees at state agencies continue their education through tuition help. That has not existed at DPI for the last two administrations. It would be great to bring that back to help DPI employees continue to learn and grow to better support the field.

2025-03-10 14:12:41 UTC

Celebrate the work of the CTE team in providing credential, WBL, and leadership opportunities for students. Additionally for providing curriculum, assessment, and teacher professional development to equip students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in their future careers. CTE works collaboratively with a number of other offices within the agency to enhance overall student success.

NC MTSS

2025-03-10 14:13:22 UTC

NC MTSS is making a powerful impact across the state, building capacity from the district level to the classroom. In a time when many supports and programs are being cut, NC MTSS remains a model for strengthening core instruction, layering supports, and enhancing communication and collaboration—especially through data analysis. By continuing to equip leaders, we ensure sustainable, student-centered success.

Support for Low Performing Schools

2025-03-10 14:14:55 UTC

With the loss of ESSER coaches that supported 115 schools in 24 districts, we need to look at our existing staffing configurations and prioritize support to bottom 5% of schools.

Consolidated School Improvement Approach

2025-03-10 14:15:50 UTC

There have been many variations, models and initiatives regarding school improvement. The CNA team has not been connected to the Regional Support teams who have the best relationships. Then these are not connected to the Multi-Tiered System of Support which schools are trying to implement. Solution: would be a consistent consolidated improvement framework/approach and training all agency staff. MTSS is a national framework for school improvement, it allows differentiation of support, is adaptable and is essentially free to implement.

The loss of support staff positions, especially School Library Media Coordinators. We need to lift up the important work that jobs like Librarians and Instructional Technology Facilitators play in supporting not only classroom instruction, but also the retention of educators who often feel unsupported in their daily work. We need to lift up to the legislature that Remote Academies (which are required to have an ITF and a Librarian) are not the only types of schools who need these positions.

2025-03-10 14:16:40 UTC

Weekly Top Ten

2025-03-10 14:17:30 UTC

I look forward to this every week! This is a good practice to keep us aware of what is happening across the agency and our great state.

Sharing on Social Media

2025-03-10 14:17:48 UTC

We need to be able to champion the good that's happening in our public schools in a variety of ways, like Traci Tillis and others have said. One way to do that is to post on social media about accomplishments and positive stories and/or to re-post what our PSUs share on their channels. However, NCDPI is limited from a social media standpoint. For example, we can have Twitter or X accounts once approved, but our Facebook pages were shuttered in May 2020 and, to date, we've been told that we aren't able to have LinkedIn or Instagram accounts for our areas.

A common School Improvement Model

2025-03-10 14:19:46 UTC

There are many options, tools, self-assessments, etc. for school improvement. This sometimes feels counterproductive and confusing for schools, especially lower-performing ones. I would love to see a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) as the standard school improvement framework across the agency with the use of the facilitated assessment of MTSS (FAM) as the self-assessment and NC Star as the platform to document plans and receive feedback.

Schools as Community Centers

2025-03-10 14:20:04 UTC

We invest so much money into school buildings to have them localized in each community, but largely they only serve one purpose - schools. Schools could serve their communities as rec centers, resource centers, employment centers, etc. (much of this happening after hours, when students are not in the building). This would serve the public in new ways and help parents engage with schools in new ways and potentially elevate public schools in the eyes of communities.

2025-03-10 14:20:31 UTC

I would like to celebrate our new Administration in the Office of School Nutrition! Many great ideas and improved communication is very important for us!

Personalized Learning Powered by AI and HI

2025-03-10 14:20:51 UTC

What if... What if we could create personalized learning schools where every student progresses at their own pace with tailored support. What if our school buildings could become hubs for hands on, face to face learning experiences where HI (human intelligence) is centered - Things like collaborative problem solving, creativity and real-world application. What if we could us AI to enhance learning and make sure that human connection drives it foward?

STEAM Based Schools that integrate science, technology and the arts. These schools would include STEM labs and Drama/Dance as part of daily schedules and emphasize project based learning.

2025-03-10 14:21:38 UTC

2025-03-10 14:22:01 UTC

If resources are not a consideration: Raise educator pay and incentives to recruit (and keep) the “best of the best,” and create – in tandem- a coordinated, state and national recruitment. Bring the “cool” back to classroom to make educators feel respected and appreciated. This isn’t a new idea, but in my 20 years with DPI, it’s one we never seem to be able to accomplish.

Modernize & Diversify Programming

2025-03-10 14:22:10 UTC

Explore high impact alternative schooling visions to meet students’ needs and ensure they are prepared for post k-12 careers/higher education environments. In the current climate and emphasis on school choice, traditional PSUs will need to continue to innovate programming (virtual, magnet, alternative).

Consolidated School Improvement Approach

2025-03-10 14:22:16 UTC

There have been many variations, models and initiatives regarding school improvement. The CNA team has not been connected to the Regional Support teams who have the best relationships. Then these are not connected to the Multi-Tiered System of Support which schools and districts are actively implement. Big Idea: would be a consistent consolidated improvement framework/approach and training all agency staff. MTSS is a national framework for school improvement, it allows differentiation of support, is adaptable and is essentially free to implement. It is structured yet flexible enough for all agency departments to operationalize.

Innovation to Meet the Needs of Every Student

kristinebarberio1 — 2025-03-10 14:23:25 UTC

In our division, we have supported wide spread blended learning implementation and remote academies and virtual programs. ALL of our high schools offer virtual programs often provided by outside providers like NCVPS, CCP, etc. while some provide courses taught by district/school educators.

If we are considering equity for every student, looking at all the ways we can support students through innovation by creating blended learning opportunities and virtual learning can allow for students in rural, low socioeconomic, and low-performing to have access to courses, high quality educators, and opportunities they may not have in face to face environments.

We also can support students with behavioral challenges, neurodivergent, mental health/anxiety, chronic attendance issues, high level athletes, bullying, and other issues that make it more challenging for them to receive effective instruction and support in traditional settings.

If we were able to make blended and virtual learning a wide spread program/plan, we could also use high quality educators to address the staffing issues impacting our schools.

Our division has had data to show statistically significant growth for students who are in classes where educators have been trained in blended learning and that remote academies and virtual programs that are well run can keep students IN our schools rather than losing them to homeschool, private school, or simply dropping out.

My suggestion is to use the strengths of blended learning and remote academies and virtual programs to make it easier for students, families, and educators to access high quality instruction and support.

Fully address non academic barriers to student success

2025-03-10 14:23:57 UTC

We must recognize that students come to school with all that is happening at their home. By addressing the non academic barriers to student success in a comprehensive fashion we provide the opportunity for every student to be in school ready to learn.

Tap into Economic Development

2025-03-10 14:24:17 UTC

Have collaboration with economic development entities and resources prioritized as a means to motivate students and families to engage with education that meets their needs and interests. I was part of a team from Beaufort County with the community college, workforce board, economic developer, and Beaufort County Schools to utilize resources like My Future NC and apply available resources to improving each student’s education to fuel a good life and their local economy.

Focus on AI

2025-03-10 14:25:22 UTC

It would be great if we could mobilize the use of AI to create resources (lesson plans, unit plans, etc) to help those districts that lack personnel and high-quality resources. We should be leading this work.

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:25:32 UTC

Jennifer Smith to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:25 AM)

Modernize and Diversify Programming. Explore high impact alternative schooling visions to meet students’ needs, and ensure they are prepared for post-K12 careers/higher education environments.In the current climate and emphasis of school choice traditional PSUs will need to continue to innovate programming (virtual, magnet, alternative, dual enrollment).

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:25:44 UTC

Sneha Shah Coltrane to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:21 AM)

12 month pay for teachers and administrators. For planning PD etc. change the school calenda

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:25:52 UTC

Andy Baxter to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:18 AM)

I'm hopeful that the new Office of Research and Promising Practices can help us identify these schools.

Regional Instructional Leadership Networks

2025-03-10 14:25:52 UTC

Using the regional educational district structure, build school and district capacity to lead for instructional improvement. Create regional networks for district leaders to support each other by providing professional learning, facilitating support networks, and building district capacity for instructional leadership. These networks can be general or content specific.

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:26:02 UTC

Sneha Shah Coltrane to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:18 AM)

Ungraded classrooms. Merge Comm College with us. Make grade 11 and 12 specialized for kids. Pathways. Holistic with health food etc.

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:26:16 UTC

Jennifer Smith to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:01 AM)

Challenge: rapid growth of charter school numbers. Possible solution: ensure that all NCDPI regional support structures include services for charter schools; increasing support for newly opened charters.

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:26:28 UTC

Kim Lawson to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 9:51 AM)

Mo, Just want to say thanks for taking the time to reach out to your DPI staff. In the past my staff was appreciative of how June would move through the building and make contact with staff. Your actions to communicate are certainly appreciated and any time you want to visit us in Plant Operation, please know you are welcome. Kim Lawson Section Chief.

Advanced learning opportunities

2025-03-10 14:28:08 UTC

We need to remember that advanced learning opportunities are not reserved for any one group. We've seen the impact when we work to broaden access to courses like AP - we see our AP participation and performance increase. Expanding excellence! 'At potential vs. At risk'

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:29:50 UTC

Tosha Diggs to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:26 AM)

Change our graduation requirements.

If we are preparing students for their futures, we need to create “their”graduation requirements. If I am going to be an electrician or cosmetologist, what as the skills and experiences I need to be exposed to and master during my high school years? How many and which science credits do I need to meet “my” goals in life? Do I need to read several classical novels? Which math credits are relevant for me?They are not all the same.

More Flexibility

2025-03-10 14:30:15 UTC

Could all schools have a little more flexibility in how they operate? Restart schools have this (similar to charter schools) and it's been helpful for them, especially with budget flexibility and employment requirement.

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:30:29 UTC

Anne Murtha to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:26 AM)

To tie into what Althea is suggesting - How about adding online tutoring?

Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Students and Staff

hollywilliamson3 — 2025-03-10 14:30:38 UTC

As a member of our IABS/ NC MTSS and Piedmont Triad Regional Support Teams, we will continue to advocate for supports for students across areas of concern--academics, behavior, attendance, and social emotional needs. We want to help our PSUs, schools, and families understand that the MTSS is a school improvement framework that centers around utilizing our data sources to make decisions and allocate resources to best support students. We are helping PSUs and schools, through PD and coaching, to build and sustain the leadership skills, communication plans, data systems, and instructional best practices to ultimately improve schools and promote student success!

Increased Preschool Education

2025-03-10 14:31:50 UTC

Decades of research shows that children who graduate from preschool have improved academic readiness, increased graduation rates from high school, lower incarceration rates, and higher earnings. We really need for NC to invest fully in moving towards increasing high-quality, preschool program opportunities for children and their families. My hope is that NC will prioritize this effort and consider preschool access for all, where the only criterion for eligibility is age.

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:31:51 UTC

Jade Tornatore to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:31 AM)

We would be happy to connect you with districts implementing MTSS who would be happy to share how this drives school and district improvement.

2025-03-10 14:31:53 UTC

In the short-term, my team is committed to providing deep assistance to our ECATS stakeholders support to PSUs transitioning to the new SIS and assisting them with any data concerns regarding the ECATS system in a timely manner. In the long-term, we are dedicated to our state’s special needs students and supporting- in any way that we can- to those students receiving the support that they need.

2025-03-10 14:33:38 UTC

Provide statewide professional development trainings (quarterly) for reading intervention teachers to teach them how to implement interventions using data, best practices, resources available, etc. This is needed at all levels (elementary, middle, and high).

2025-03-10 14:35:34 UTC

If funding was not a barrier, I would like to build a state-wide micro-credentialing program where teachers could get on demand skills that support their particular curriculum. Then every school would have a fully funded ITF that supports them in these skills within their own classrooms. Those coaches, across the state, would then be the ones who provide feedback for the micro-credentialed activities. That feedback from the individual outside of their school would then be a way for the ITF within the school to continue supporting the educators within their building to improve instructional practices that have the highest impact on student learning.

One approach to fit the needs of All-Streamline District/School Improvement

tonyacaulder — 2025-03-10 14:36:09 UTC

A major concern across North Carolina is the significant loss of instructional time due to behavioral disruptions, suspensions, and chronic absences. NC MTSS provides a streamlined, integrated approach—supporting districts, schools, and classrooms with a comprehensive SCHOOL improvement model that embeds effective behavior systems and practices to maximize student success.

Support innovation in digital learning experiences

2025-03-10 14:36:11 UTC

As an instructional designer with the state virtual public school, my hope is that NCVPS can continue to lead innovation in digital learning, particularly AI digital literacy for students and teachers. There is so much potential for expanding course offerings and teaching and learning practice with AI, but providing the right support for students and educators to keep pace is essential.

NC MTSS

tonyacaulder — 2025-03-10 14:37:03 UTC

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:37:57 UTC

Katrina Blount to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:36 AM)

Promoting Parent Involvement in our schools across the state. Providing parents with tools needed to assist and encourage their children with out of school time study habits, reading and educational enrichment activities. Additionally, providing parents with tools needed such as obtaining a GED or financial literacy classes.

AI

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:38:18 UTC

Stacy Lovdahl (Mar 10, 2025, 10:35 AM)

Absolutely. AI is changing everything and in some ways allowing HI human intelligence to take center stage in education in some exciting ways.

Andy Baxter (Mar 10, 2025, 10:36 AM)

How to leverage the profound change coming from AI while keeping the essential adult-child, human to human, relationship is going to be an exciting challenge.

2025-03-10 14:38:23 UTC

The state board recently adopted Micro-credential standards and a rubric to ensure items called micro-credentials are aligned to these standards. I think we should keep pushing into leading in this space for both teacher professional learning and student learning.

Expanding excellence

2025-03-10 14:38:58 UTC

I commit to working with districts and schools to expand advanced learning opportunities to promote excellence in students' achievement and growth.

Sustainability

2025-03-10 14:39:47 UTC

So many of our educators, as in 91% of the 1800 that we have trained, saw significant growth in EVASS scores as a direct result of intensive PD and coaching in blended and personalized instruction. This serves all students and meets children where they are. The challenge is funding, as our office sunsets in July. A solution to so many conversations today is the sustainability of prioritizing blended and personalized instructional models for NC students.

Continued AI Support

vcuberoWNC — 2025-03-10 14:42:20 UTC

Continue support across the state in training all education leaders and educators in the responsible implementation of AI in education as well as other emerging technologies.

Priorities

2025-03-10 14:43:01 UTC

At OVIS, we are committed to putting the students of NC and teachers of NC first in everything we do

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:46:15 UTC

Kristi Day to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:45 AM)

A question to consider: how do the RSTs interact with, communicate with, and collaborate with Offices that are not a part of those regional teams?

Kristine Barberio (Mar 10, 2025, 10:47 AM)

This is such a great point. I think this could be the next step in making the work of the RST even more effective. I think finding ways to make communication more seamless would be great!

Jade Tornatore (Mar 10, 2025, 10:47 AM)

Maybe they can become part of the teams? As an RST member I generally try to reach out on a regular basis to other Depts that I know support my region.

Continued Whole School, Whole Community Whole Child supports

2025-03-10 14:46:46 UTC

Our team continues to use data to address the non academic barriers to student success. We are committed to continue working between and across areas of the framework to support students and staff and including the community as part of the model.

Expanded Course Offerings

2025-03-10 14:46:54 UTC

As a curriculum coordinator specialist at North Carolina Virtual Public Schools, we are working hard to provide students across the state with access to high-quality education opportunities taught by North Carolina Certified Teachers.

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:49:09 UTC

Stephanie Cyrus to Everyone (Mar 10, 2025, 10:48 AM)

This notion of building capacity is critical for long-term success across multiple areas.

Collaboration

2025-03-10 14:49:11 UTC

The Restart Team is committed to continued support of our Restart Schools and want to find more ways to pull in other parts of the agency to help us with this support. For example, we have taken baby steps and have had folks from the IABS and ML Teams support us with our monthly virtual Professional Learning Network meetings. We want to explore how we might bring in other departments to help with this and other possible supports for our Restart Schools.

General Education Social Emotional and Behavior Support (IABS)

2025-03-10 14:49:19 UTC

The IABS team has worked to pro-actively address district and school social emotional and behavioral needs. These actions include data-based problem solving, pd for district and school leaders in a variety of formats, observing side by side with schools, and providing positive behavior and supports. The needs are enormous right now as reflected in the data and from the asks of the field.

Retired teacher pool

2025-03-10 14:49:26 UTC

how can we harness an opportunity to change the six-month rule after a teacher retires, or allow them to work more hours if need be to support schools/districts with high teacher turnover.

Hope

2025-03-10 14:50:01 UTC

I am deeply committed to speaking life into our school systems and highlighting the important work being done every day. I will actively work to raise awareness and inspire others to recognize the value of education. My goal is to encourage young people to see the potential and impact of a career in education, motivating them to consider it as a meaningful and rewarding path. Additionally, I will push colleagues and district leaders to maintain optimism and stay focused on the endless possibilities that exist for our students and schools, especially in finding hope during what can appear as desolate times.

NCVPS is committed to our mission of ensuring that students, regardless of zip code, have options and opportunities. Our teachers go above and beyond to meet the needs of a diversity of students. We offer every course to graduate with both diploma types and are problem solvers and offer solutions to complex school and district needs. We love to be challenged to expand and think differently to meet student, school, and district needs.

2025-03-10 14:53:44 UTC

lucypittman — 2025-03-10 14:54:09 UTC

Erin Wolfhope to You (direct message) (Mar 10, 2025, 10:53 AM)

Include foods and nutrition in vision

2025-03-10 14:55:28 UTC

All districts could consider the grow-your-own teacher model to recruit and retain high quality teachers.

2025-03-10 18:41:45 UTC

There was a big influx of EL students into the schools within the last few years. Schools need training and support on how to reach those students. Statewide PD for principals and teachers would be beneficial.

21st CCLC programs

2025-03-10 19:59:18 UTC

Our team is deeply committed to providing out of school time support to communities and families across NC to assist schools with graduating successful, skilled students who know their strengths and how to capitalize on those to create a joyful life for their family and to recognize their weaknesses and understand how to compensate for those in the strengths of others or by learning coping strategies to mitigate those weaknesses.

Incentives for breaking down silos

2025-03-14 18:59:56 UTC

Related to Goal 2 of Superintendent Green’s Entry Plan - As others have mentioned, we work in silos. Those silos breakdown efficiencies across the agency. They also make it more difficult for PSUs to understand who to reach out and how to reach out when they have a problem or issue. Creating incentives for leadership (Directors, Section Chiefs, etc.) to coordinate and collaborate across teams and subject areas would help to break down silos. The way we work now there is no incentive for folks to work together. Creating incentives could look like adding agency requirements when applying for grants or beginning new projects that include ideas for working across multiple sections or offices and designing solutions and approaches that require input from more than one area. At a time when public education is losing funding we need to be efficient and adaptable, we need to get creative and be scrappy and one place to start would be with breaking down the silos across the agency.