The Work of the 2023-24 Legislative Session is Underway

Jones Street is once again abuzz with activity from the General Assembly, who gaveled in on January 25 for the start of the 2023-24 session. NCAE has been working diligently to achieve the things our public school students and educators deserve. During our January 10 all member call, we offered up new approaches and strategies for the 2023 long and 2024 short legislative sessions that include three working frames:

• Our vision and broad long-term legislative agenda. This requires continued analysis of the General Assembly, more relationships and work over time.

• Our short-term, immediate priorities for the 2023 long and 2024 short sessions. This requires bipartisan support and cooperation as well as coordinated work in targeted counties across the state and is focused on per-student funding and educator retention and recruitment.

• Our ”Must Stops,” bad policies proposed.

At the top of the 2023 long and 2024 short sessions priority list is to increase per-student funding from $11,651 to $15,000. This increase in per-student funding can be spent on things like, but not limited to, student physical and mental health. An expansion of funding will allow schools to hire additional teacher assistants, school nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists.

Again, the list above isn’t the exhaustive list of our 2023-24 session priorities. We will continue to advocate to fully fund Leandro, to work toward a teacher licensure system that works to attract and retain quality teachers to the profession, to provide a COLA for retirees, and other issues important to NCAE active and retired members, educators across the state, and our students.

North Carolina’s public education system is at stake, now more than ever, and will remain in limbo without the help and collaboration of educators, parents and those who support the profession. In the past 20 years, schools have gone from having teacher assistants in most early grades to inconsistent placement and none in upper elementary classes; from due process for teachers to the elimination of those rights; from pay for advanced degrees to no incentives for one beyond the bachelor’s level; from some of the best salaries in the South to among the worst in the country ... and the list goes on and on. And to top it all off, schools are experiencing unprecedented staffing shortages across the board. It’s going to take a movement, with NCAE spearheading the efforts. We need all hands on deck and there are things you can do to get involved:

• “Tuesdays with Tamika” will be offered twice monthly with special guests who will take a deeper look at developments through the General Assembly.

• Education Insight, published weekly during the legislative session, includes a briefing on things you need to know from the week before in the General Assembly and what to watch for in the week ahead.

• Monthly Legislative Briefing Calls will be held on March 22, April 12 and 26, May 10 and 24, and June 14 and 28.

• Member Lobby Days are scheduled in March, May and July (more details forthcoming).

Become a Legislative Contact Liaison or Build a Legislative Contact Team — LCLs/LCTs should:

• Be members or potential members engaged with their local affiliate

• Have an interest in policy, the legislative process, issue advocacy or electoral campaigns

• With support, be willing to build a relationship with and hold elected officials accountable

• Work or live in the county the legislator(s) represents

• Collaborate and communicate well with local leaders and NCAE GR staff

To sign up, visit https://link.ncae.org/LCT

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators’ (CMAE) President Amanda Thompson-Rice recently participated in the NEA Gun Violence Prevention Convening at NEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. NCAE was one of 13 affiliates represented to discuss the NEA New Business Item on gun violence.

Thompson-Rice said NEA is reviewing its crisis guide on how to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and follow up on incidents of gun violence. The participants heard from a panel of educators and staff who shared their experiences, discussed what NEA has to offer, and dug deep to review processes and fill potential gaps. Also offered were ways to include community stakeholders in the conversation.

“As someone who has personally dealt with gun violence, finding preventive measures and lobbying our elected officials is where my heart resides. Schools cannot become prisons for our students. They, along with our communities, must begin to heal so we can become wellness centers. Communities must become trauma-informed and students and families must have access to highquality, culturally competent, coordinated, social, emotional and mental health supports to address the impact of trauma.” Click here to see NEA resources on gun violence