A daily round-up of education news and views for the Carolinas.
Carolinas
21st June 2021

A daily round-up of education news and views for principals, superintendents, teachers and administrators in North and South Carolina.

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STATE NEWS
Guidance for N.C. social studies standards approved
The N.C. State Board of Education has voted 7-3 to approve guiding documents for new social studies standards which place greater emphasis on race and gender in teaching U.S. history. The vote means that the K-12 social studies glossary, strand map, crosswalk, and K-5 “unpacking documents” were approved. The decision comes as lawmakers in the General Assembly are weighing legislation to delay implementation of the standards, which are scheduled to go into effect this fall, by one year. Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt comments: “The most significant way that we ensure that various groups of people are not left out, is that we are leaving it in the hands of our teachers to determine what they’re going to do.” During the meeting last week, staff reported that 88% of comments from the public received so far have been urging the board to resist injecting critical race theory into public school classrooms.
NATIONAL NEWS
Electric school bus coalition launched
The Copper Development Association (CDA), a market development, engineering, and information services arm of the copper industry, has announced the launch of a new coalition dedicated to promoting the expansion of electric school bus fleets across the U.S. The Electric School Bus Coalition, a group of school bus manufacturers, NGOs and material providers, aims to drive adoption of electric bus fleets and the infrastructure needed to support them through education and actionable, market-driven policy development. John Hipchen, director of energy and electrical systems at the CDA, comments: “We are calling for $25 billion in federal grant funding (enough to replace 20% of the current diesel school bus fleet) as part of current infrastructure package negotiations.”
Lawmakers seek to ban teaching of critical race theory
In the wake of a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Education prioritizing racial, cultural and ethnic diversity in history and civics curriculum nationwide, state legislators are moving to ban the teaching critical race theory (CRT) in schools. The latest proposal came in Washington, D.C., where Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican lawmaker from Wisconsin, has introduced legislation to require that no employee of D.C. public and charter schools "shall compel a teacher or student to adopt, affirm, adhere to, or profess ideas that promote race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating." The bill is thought unlikely to pass; the nation's capital is under the authority of Congress, with both chambers in Democratic control. In Montana, meanwhile, Attorney General Austin Knudsen has issued a 25-page legal opinion characterizing critical CRT and antiracism. not as academic ideas but as potentially discriminatory ideologies propped up by universities, corporations, government agencies “and even late-night television.” “The CRT and ‘antiracism’ movements demonstrate that although ‘racism’ is widely understood and accepted as an epithet, it encompasses vastly different meanings for different people,” Knudsen wrote. “The gravamen of CRT and antiracism’s theories, however, rely on the popular shibboleths of ‘systemic,’ ‘institutional,’ or ‘structural’ racism. A minimal investigation into these claims exposes them as hollow rhetorical devices devoid of any legally sufficient rationale for purposes of civil rights law, as well as a threat to the stability of our institutions.”
More school superintendents opting to step down
More and more school superintendents are leaving their posts, far more than in a typical year, a result of the extraordinary challenges of keeping kids learning after schools closed in spring 2020 and serving as crisis managers for months on end while dealing with pandemic pressures on their own families. The departures are from the top spots in large cities, including the largest three, New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, but also in many midsize and smaller districts in suburban and rural areas, according to AASA, the School Superintendents Association. The turnover this year has been unprecedented, superintendents say, with the usual job responsibilities and tensions exacerbated by crisis management and debates with communities and school boards over when and how to reopen schools during the pandemic. Conflicts over equity and education that addressed racial issues also boiled over, with superintendents often feeling the brunt of the disputes. Daniel Domenech, AASA’s executive director, who served as superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools from 1998 to 2004, said he can’t remember a time that was more fraught for those in the top leadership role in school districts. “In this environment, there’s no joy. It’s all like boom, boom, boom, constantly being hammered over one issue or another,” he said.
DISTRICTS
Critical race theory banned by Brunswick County board
As the controversy over the spread of critical race theory teaching in classrooms across the country continues, the Brunswick County School Board has become the latest to approve a policy banning the practice in its schools.
Cumberland County graduations take place
The Fayetteville Observer features a report on Cumberland County Schools' in-person commencement ceremonies held last month. Students from Wilkins High School and Cape Fear High School were among those who graduated.
Greenville Utilities Commission working with Pitt County Schools on skills program
Greenville Utilities Commission has participated in local program TradesFormers for the second time. The Daily Reflector notes that "As an industry-led initiative started by local trades companies, program partners like GUC work closely with Pitt County Schools, Pitt Community College and other community partners to address skills needs and gaps."
Lexington students training as utility line repair workers
Energy provider Dominion South Carolina is working with students from the Lexington Two and Lexington Three school districts on a large-scale project to train the next generation of utility line repair workers. A report notes that "The venture was created after a chance meeting between Bernard Trotter, a building construction teacher at Batesburg-Leesville High School, and Robby Feaster, Dominion's manager of electric safety and training."
Beaufort County School Superintendent among SC public officials caught out
A report on South Carolina public officials who abused their positions notes "the case of Beaufort County School Superintendent Jeffrey Charles Moss. The Ethics Commission cited him twice — in 2016 for using his position to get his wife a $90,000 job as the district's 'innovation' director and then again in 2019 for going to conferences on the district's clock and snagging thousands of dollars in speaking and travel money on the side."
CCS budget vote delayed
School trustees at the Cherokee County School District are to be asked to adopt a continuing budget resolution at this week's meeting. The spending plan could be affected by potential changes in state funding.

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