State Superintendent Mo Green says the Department of Public Instruction is monitoring the Trump administration’s reported efforts to eliminate the Department of Education.
He said without seeing an actionable plan, it’s difficult to predict the potential impact. But Green warned that if the elimination were to come with federal funding cuts, that could create challenges for the state’s schools.
“A productive partnership with — and continuing funding from — the federal government are essential for North Carolina’s students and schools,” Green told the state Board of Education Thursday.
The state gets $1.5 billion in federal funding for schools, Green said. That includes Title I funding, which supports high-poverty schools, and funding for services for children with special needs.
“The complete loss of this funding would be detrimental to students and result in loss of thousands of educator jobs,” Green said.
Green said he intends to keep the public informed, focus on “uplifting public education” and to work with other partners in government and schools to “advocate for solutions that protect educational opportunities for all students.”
State Board of Education member speaks in favor of DEI
Meanwhile, amid efforts by the Trump administration to cut diversity efforts, a new state Senate bill aims to ban diversity, equity and inclusion from public schools. But at least one state Board of Education member spoke out against the proposal at this month’s meeting.
Responding Wednesday to an update on the bill, Vice Chairman Alan Duncan gave an impassioned plea in favor of the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. He said diversity is a “demographic fact” that has long been celebrated through the American concept of the melting pot.
“This was a place that was a beacon of freedom where we could celebrate our diverse backgrounds and yet come together,” Duncan, a former chair of the Guilford County Board of Education said. “Why would we not still be doing that? And why would that be some kind of problem for anyone?”
Regarding equity, Duncan said that children are in different places and face different challenges.
“We as educators need to meet them where they are,” Duncan said. “That’s part of the work that educators do.”
State Senate Leader Phil Berger, who filed the bill, said this week that the bill targets instructional materials that “purport to say that one race is superior to another,” though he did not list specific examples.
