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Independent. Informative. Intelligent.

Education

Continuing ed cuts for the professions?

A trio senators wants to reduces the number of continuing-education courses people in a long list of licensed professions have to undertake. Senate Bill 451 takes aim at requirements embedded in regulation or statute for, among many others, landscape architects, athletic trainers, exterminators, appraisers, general contractors, auctioneers, real estate brokers,...

By Ray Gronberg

March 26, 2025

School calendars: Peace in our time?

For years now, the Senate’s been the place where bills that would give school districts flexibility to start classes in early or mid-August go to die. Now, Senate leader Phil Berger and a few of his key lieutenants are floating a proposal to give local school boards the option of...

By Ray Gronberg

March 26, 2025

Newton stepping down

Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus, is retiring from the Senate as of 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the chamber’s GOP caucus says. Newton is leaving office in the middle of his fifth term. Sources indicated that he’s departing for the general counsel’s job at UNC Chapel Hill, but a caucus news...

By Ray Gronberg

March 26, 2025

Supremes allow student-fee lawsuit to continue

The state Supreme Court has sided with a pair of UNC Chapel Hill and NC State students who are trying to get a refund on the student fees they paid back in the fall of 2020 when classes were online-only because of the pandemic. Via a unanimous ruling from the...

By Ray Gronberg

March 24, 2025

A meeting of the minds on teacher pay scales?

It should almost go without saying that GOP legislators are unlikely to go along with Gov. Josh Stein’s idea of putting a moratorium on new private-school vouchers to help pay for a two-year, 10.6% average pay increase for public school teachers. But it remains to be seen how they react...

By Ray Gronberg

March 20, 2025

State leaders backing Howell

The UNC System’s selection of Kevin Howell as the next chancellor of NC State University is winning support from across the political spectrum. Gov. Josh Stein led the parade of praise on Twitter, said he “think[s] the world of Kevin” and looks forward to working with him in his new...

By Ray Gronberg

March 19, 2025

NCInnovation update

NCInnovation’s handling of the private grants it’s received and the research grants it’s distributed both followed state law, a report from State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office says. As of mid-2024, the nonprofit had $25.7 million in private pledges, with all of them documented in writing and due for delivery by...

By Ray Gronberg

March 17, 2025

NC State’s next chancellor on deck

UNC system sources say the Board of Governors will meet early next week to ratify the selection of NC State University’s next chancellor. A report from Pack Pride editor Cory Smith published on Wednesday indicates that system President Peter Hans is set to hire UNC Health Chief External Affairs Officer...

By Ray Gronberg

March 14, 2025

NCI touts BOG-member support

The folks at NCInnovation want the world to know that despite their battle with UNC System Board of Governors member and former state Rep. Art Pope, their work has strong support from others in the system. The group put out a news release Tuesday quoting among others BOG member and...

By Ray Gronberg

March 12, 2025

Berger and Belichick

Senate leader Phil Berger has confirmed his role in the recruitment of UNC Chapel Hill head football coach Bill Belichick, as first reported by ESPN. “That was one of the most unusual calls that I have received since I’ve been elected to the Senate,” Berger said of the call he...

By Ray Gronberg

March 12, 2025

A warning to the UNC system

The Trump administration has warned the UNC System that it has to take “immediate and appropriate action” against any harassment of Jewish students that creates a hostile environment for them. The warning came in a March 10 letter to system President Peter Hans from Craig Trainor, the acting assistant director...

By Ray Gronberg

March 12, 2025

Poole leaves NCSEEA to work for UNC System President Peter Hans

Andrea Poole stepped down as executive director of the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority to become chief of staff to UNC System President Peter Hans. Poole joined the authority in 2021 after working as vice president for strategic initiatives at the N.C. Community College System. She worked from 2013-19...

By Ray Gronberg

March 11, 2025

Task force to look at child care, early education in the state

Executive orders are the order of the day, and Gov. Josh Stein got in the spirit Monday with plans for a task force to study child care and early education. The group will be co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt and Sen. Jim Burgin, a Republican from Harnett County. Its purpose is...

By Ray Gronberg

March 11, 2025

Target Belichick

A 4,100-word March 7 story by ESPN unearthed more details about the hiring of football Bill Belichick and dissension between UNC Chapel Hill board of trustee members and university officials. Perhaps the story’s main news involved Sen. Thom Tillis’ involvement in the hiring, which UNC fans hope will lead to...

By Welcome

March 11, 2025

UNC System adopts new protest policy

UNC’s Board of Governors has ratified a new campus-protest policy that requires protest organizers to give administrators at their campus 24 hours’ notice if they gather indoors or in designated outdoor areas. The notice requirement applies to anything other than “university sponsored instruction, classes or research,” and to any group...

By Ray Gronberg

March 3, 2025

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