Hosted by Superintendent Dr. Steve M. Lassiter Jr., the most recent PCS Connect podcast episode dived into the latest legislative developments affecting education in North Carolina with guests NC State Representatives Gloristine Brown (District Eight) and Dr. Tim Reeder (District Nine). The discussion offered valuable insights into what these changes mean for students, teachers, and families across Pitt County and the state. A link to the podcast is included at the bottom of the article and everyone is encouraged to listen to the episode. Highlights and questions from the conversation include:
School calendar flexibility – How do you think the legislature will address the demand from school boards as well as educators in the community for calendar flexibility? The legislation around school calendar flexibility introduced during the current session, SB 103, has passed in the house and is currently in the Senate. The Senate has been universally opposed to it over the last several years. Almost every school district in the state would like to have more school calendar flexibility.
Expanding advanced teaching roles – How do you see legislative measures allowing PCS to have flexibility with advanced teaching roles with the funding sources? PCS has been a model across the state modeling advanced teaching roles which allows teachers to stay in the classroom but also have advancement opportunities. This role helps to support teachers. Part of the challenge is to educate the other members about why we want to do things differently. Many legislators don’t know what advanced teaching roles are and how they work. Advanced teaching roles provide a framework for retaining your best teachers.
Cell phone use in classrooms – Conversations ongoing in the legislature about a cell phone free education in NC. How do you see this bill benefiting the schools and what challenges do you see with the particular bill? Universal agreement that when children are in school that they are focused on education. This issue and many others are complicated and nuanced and that is why creating a bill to address the different factors is hard. Discussion about how to give flexibility to local schools and principals to come up with guidelines that make sense to their district.
Teacher pay – What is the legislature doing to ensure that teachers are compensated well, that makes the profession attractive and recruits top talent to NC? HB 192 has been introduced this session to raise teacher pay across the state. This is the key that shines the light on teacher recruitment when they can see that NC is trying to step up and show teachers what they are truly worth. Getting school bus drivers is a challenge and increased pay for school bus drivers has been considered as well. Currently about 60% of the state budget is spent on education (preK – 12 as well as state universities). Compensation has to also be a continued focus on classified staff, which Pitt County is already doing, and wants to ensure the legislature is also considering compensation for classified staff.
Federal accountability standards – What is happening at the federal level that has your attention right now related to public education in NC? There is a general sense of nervousness for some people about the impact of the attempt to dismantle the federal Department of Education. The Department of Education Organization Act was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in October of 1979. Discussion about how to ensure a continuity of services provided through the federal government in the midst of possible changes.
Expansion of opportunity scholarships (vouchers) – What measures are in place to make sure our public schools are adequately funded and put in a position to thrive and do great things for our students? Both representatives were transparent about their positions related to opportunity scholarships and described their position on opportunity scholarships.
A great way to be engaged is to be educated and informed about current events and legislative developments affecting education in NC so that you can best advocate on behalf of each child in Pitt County to have access to a high quality public education.
Don’t miss this critical conversation on education policy! Listen Here: https://bit.ly/41Vc63T
