Legislative Progress Reports

The Center for Racial Equity in Education brings you this update on happenings in the North Carolina State Legislature. We hope that you will take a moment to review it, and then act on the information provided. A quick tweet, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference.

2025

April 2025

CREED Legislative Progress Report

Legislative Progress Report
The Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) brings you this update on the happenings in the North Carolina General Assembly related to education. We hope that you will take a moment to review it and act on the information provided. Clicking on the graphics and links takes you to a webpage where you can read the full text and see which lawmakers sponsored the bill. A quick post, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference! You can also download the images to share them on social media.

Tuesday, April 1st, 2025

Here's What You Need to Know

March saw the introduction and advancement of several bad bills that would harm students in North Carolina by making schools less welcoming. One such bill is SB 227, which attempts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in North Carolina public schools. Using recycled language from an anti-CRT bill from a couple of years ago, this bill would violate free speech rights and prohibit school districts from having offices that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. The bill was passed in the Senate on March 11th and is now being reviewed in the House. Similarly, SB 153, would heighten hostility toward immigrant communities by pressuring state employees to violate privacy protections. The bill passed the Senate on March 4th. These are dangerous bills that purposely undermine safety and wellbeing for students of color. Our children deserve much better!

Policymaker Shoutout
Shoutout to Representative Robert Reives for co-sponsoring HB 365 alongside representatives Willis, Campbell, and Roberson! The bill provides additional resources for North Carolina's community colleges. The bill would expand funding to foster collaboration between community colleges, public schools, and industry that build pathways to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Education Bills to Watch
The Raise Teacher Pay & Dollar Allotment Study Act, HB 192 , would increase pay for licensed teachers and restore pay boosts for earning Master's degrees, which the legislature foolishly took away in 2013. The bill would also commission a study on alternative approaches to funding schools, some of which could undermine public school budgets given the recent massive expansion of private school vouchers. NC ranks 42nd in beginning teacher pay, which is lower than all of our neighboring states.
The School Psychologist Omnibus Act, SB 259, would provide bonuses to school psychologists in North Carolina, with additional pay increases for those with national certification. The bill allocates nearly $25 million to increase compensation, provide training, and bolster university programs in school psychology. The bill would also establish a School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact to allow professionals to work in schools in multiple states, which could increase numbers in NC.
The Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education Act, SB 227, recycles language from a 2023 anti-CRT bill in a shortsighted attempt to score cheap political points. The bill is so out of step with what North Carolinians want that it appears to be someone's audition for a role in the Trump administration. The bill has very little to do with diversity, equity, and inclusion except the single line banning school districts from having offices with that title. However, the bill's chilling effect on support for marginalized students has already started.
view this email in your browser
Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

February 2025

CREED Legislative Progress Report

Legislative Progress Report
The Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) brings you this update on happenings in the North Carolina General Assembly related to education. We hope that you will take a moment to review it and act on the information provided. Clicking on the graphics and links takes you to a webpage where you can read the full text and see which lawmakers sponsored the bill. A quick post, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference! You can also download the images to share them on social media.

Friday, February 28th, 2025

Here's What You Need to Know

Lawmakers have introduced a flurry of bills this session that represent competing visions for the future of our state. Some bills would affirm the rights of all North Carolinians while others would undermine important protections. For example, House Bill 78 would ensure all children and families in North Carolina felt safe to learn, heal, and worship by preventing officers from participating in immigration enforcement activities in churches, hospitals, and schools. However, House Bill 171 would likely discourage state agencies from ensuring equal access to educational opportunities, while eroding civil rights protections and overwhelming state courts in the process. Which path lawmakers will take is still uncertain, but our voices will help decide!

Policymaker Shoutout
Shoutout to Representative Maria Cervania (District 41 - Wake) for sponsoring HB 78, a measure that would prevent authorities from making schools hostile environments for many students. Representative Cervania is working to ensure all North Carolinians can thrive and achieve their dreams. Thank you for representing!

Education Bills to Watch
HB 171 is a dangerous copycat of legislation from other states and recent executive orders. Misleadingly titled "Equality in State Agencies / Prohibition of DEI," the bill attempts to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in all state agencies, including universities and community colleges. It would also prohibit funding of DEI efforts from other sources. State employees accused of violating the ban could be terminated, removed from office, or sued in civil court.
SB 55, the "Student Use of Wireless Devices Act" would require school districts to create wireless device use policies that prohibit students from using phones, laptops, and tablets during class time. The goal may be to reduce distractions, but further guidance is needed to avoid disproportionately affecting low-income students, multi-lingual students, and others who may use these devices for instructional purposes.
HB 7, the "NC Reach Act" (and it's definitely reaching!), would require students enrolled in the University of North Carolina system and community colleges to take a scripted American History course in order to graduate. The seven documents from American history that students must read as part of the course offer a narrow, white washed view of American history. This bill is recycled from 2023 when it passed the House but stalled in the Senate. 
view this email in your browser
Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

2023

May 2023

CREED Legislative Progress Report

Legislative Progress Report
The Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) brings you this update on happenings in the North Carolina State Legislature. We hope that you will take a moment to review it, and then act on the information provided. A quick tweet, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference. You can download the images below to share on social media.

Friday, May 5th, 2023

Here's What You Need to Know
The NC House of Representatives passed its budget on April 6th by a vote of 78 to 38, with enough support to override a potential veto from Governor Cooper. The House budget includes significantly less funding for education than Governor Cooper's proposed budget. Instead of the 16% raises for teachers that the Governor proposed, the House budget only includes a roughly 10% raise over two years. The House budget also includes several elements of other bills being considered by the General Assembly, including House Bill 187. The NC Senate is now working on its version of the budget.
We cannot punish or privatize our way to better schools, that requires investment. North Carolina's children deserve much more than the sound basic education they are Constitutionally guaranteed. However, several proposed bills in the General Assembly would dismantle public education. Why would lawmakers give tuition discounts to private school parents when they could greatly improve public school quality by fully funding the Leandro Plan?

Racial Equity Progress Reports

Bills to Watch Edition
Senate Bill 406 / House Bill 823 would expand the North Carolina school vouchers program (a.k.a. "Opportunity Scholarships") to anyone instead of just families with low incomes who are currently eligible for the program. These bills would funnel millions of dollars away from public schools that are already underfunded in order to give a tuition discount to private school parents. 
House Bill 187 would discourage educators from teaching honest American History. The bill would also deputize random internet extremists to harass teachers over instructional materials that would have to be posted online. One of the most dangerous provisions of the bill would discourage school districts from hiring educators who have expressed opinions about social justice online in the past.
House Bill 188 would eliminate guidance for educators about what constitutes a serious discipline issue in schools. Currently, dress code violations and inappropriate language are considered minor offenses and would not result in a long-term suspension. Without this guidance, students of color, girls, and LGBTQ students would likely be targeted for additional punishment.
view this email in your browser
Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

2021

July 7, 2021

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Legislative Progress Report
The Center for Racial Equity in Education brings you this update on happenings in the North Carolina State Legislature. We hope that you will take a moment to review it, and then act on the information provided. A quick tweet, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference. Feel free to share the images below on social media.

Wednesday, July 7th, 2021

Here's What You Need to Know
The NC Senate passed its budget on June 25th by a vote of 32 to 17, with enough support to override a potential veto from Governor Cooper. The Senate budget includes massive tax cuts and significantly less funding for education than Governor Cooper's proposed budget. Instead of the 10% raises for teachers that the Governor proposed, the Senate budget only includes a 3% raise. The NC House of Representatives will begin debating its version of the budget in mid-July.
Senate Bill 654 will now go to a conference committee made up of senators and representatives. The committee will negotiate a compromise version of the bill that will then be voted on by both houses of the state legislature. SB 654 contains Covid relief funding for schools, but also includes a delay in implementation of the new social studies standards.

Racial Equity Progress Reports

Rep. Elmore
Rep. Jeffrey Elmore (Wilkes) proposed the changes to SB 654 that could result in a one-year delay in implementation of newly-adopted Social Studies Standards. Elmore has not been forthcoming about his reasons for proposing the delay, but a recent speech by Superintendent Truitt suggests a coordinated strategy to undermine the social studies standards. Ask Rep. Elmore what his reasons are for trying to delay the new social studies standards. 

Sen. Davis
Sen. Don Davis (Pitt/Greene) was recently assigned to the Conference Committee for SB 654. He will have a seat at the table when lawmakers decide whether or not to prevent students in North Carolina from learning accurate history by delaying use of the new social studies standards. Ask Sen. Davis what his position will be on the proposed delay to the social studies standards when the conference committee meets.

Rep. von Haefen
Rep. Julie von Haefen (Wake) proposed an amendment to SB 654 that would have removed the one-year delay in implementation of the social studies standards. She argued that the delay would wreak havoc on student schedules across the state since registration for next school year is well underway. However, the amendment failed to gain enough votes. Ask Rep. von Haefen how she plans to continue advocating for the social studies standards and accurate history in our schools.
view this email in your browser
Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

July 21, 2021

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Legislative Progress Report
The Center for Racial Equity in Education brings you this update on happenings in the North Carolina State Legislature. We hope that you will take a moment to review it, and then act on the information provided. A quick tweet, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference. 

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Here's What You Need to Know
The NC Senate released a new draft of HB 324 on Wednesday, July 14th. Like the previous version of the bill, this version would prohibit educators from teaching about the realities of racism and sexism in the United States. On the same day, Senators Berger and Ballard filed SB 729, a bill that calls for a statewide referendum on banning affirmative action. Using seemingly-race-neutral language, both HB 324 and SB 729 would outlaw racial equity efforts and require colorblind racism in public employment. These proposed laws not only ignore the impact of past discrimination on the present, they falsely equate challenging racism with being racist.
Download these images to share on social media. Tag @CREED_NC on Twitter and Instagram.

Racial Equity Progress Reports

Sen. Berger
Senator Philip Berger (Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry) gave a speech promoting HB 324 in which he attacked efforts to address racial discrimination. Berger also introduced a bill that calls for a constitutional amendment to ban affirmative action and require colorblind racism in public employment. Ask Sen. Berger why he opposes racial equity in public education. 

Sen. Waddell
Senator Joyce Waddell (Mecklenburg) pointed out how HB 324 stokes fear in order to restrict what can be taught in schools. Waddell also said that HB 324 would limit our ability to confront our nation's past. Ask Sen. Waddell how she will continue advocating for accurate history in our schools.

Sen. Chaudhuri
Senator Jay Chaudhuri (Wake) highlighted the chilling effect that HB 324 would have on teachers by limiting what they can say about certain topics. He also noted that efforts to silence teachers would only hurt students' ability to think critically. Ask Sen. Chaudhuri how he plans to stop the whitewashing of public education in North Carolina.
view this email in your browser
Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

 

August 2021

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Legislative Progress Report
The Center for Racial Equity in Education brings you this update on happenings in the North Carolina State Legislature. We hope that you will take a moment to review it, and then act on the information provided. A quick tweet, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference. 

Wednesday, August 11th, 2021
Here's What You Need to Know
The NC House of Representatives released its budget this week. Lawmakers included several policies in the budget that received favorable votes in the House of Representatives in recent months but have stalled in the Senate. One such provision would delay use of the new Social Studies Standards for two years (SB 654), and another would require teachers to post all lesson plans and instructional materials to a public website (HB 755). In addition to burdening already overworked educators, these measures would prevent students from learning accurate history. The budget would also force school districts to create committees to investigate learning materials that draw complaints from any source. This policy would likely result in challenges to instructional materials that address racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. The House budget also eliminates language from state law that encourages school administrators to treat all students fairly by reducing racial disparities in punishment for subjective rule violations (HB 247).
Download these images to share on social media. Tag @CREED_NC on Twitter and Instagram.

Racial Equity Progress Reports

Rep. Saine
Representative Jason Saine (Lincoln) serves as the senior chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He played a vital role in drafting a budget that delays use of the new social studies standards, burdens teachers with excessive requirements, and exacerbates racial disparities in school punishment. Ask Rep. Saine why he opposes racial equity in NC public schools. 

Rep. Baker
Representative Amber Baker (Forsyth) highlighted the inaccessibility of the NC House budget process by asking a simple question at the conclusion of Thursday's session. Representative Baker expressed the sentiments of many North Carolinians wondering where the House budget process is headed and why it wasn't clearer given the speed at which lawmakers are proceeding. Ask Rep. Baker how she plans to demystify the budget process for the people of North Carolina.

Rep. Reives
Representative Robert Reives (Chatham, Durham) raised concerns about the priorities expressed in the House budget. "We should be empowering educators - not censoring their curricula. We should be investing in our communities - not cutting taxes for big businesses," Reives said in a statement. Ask Rep. Reives how he will continue advocating for more resources for schools.
view this email in your browser
Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

September 2021

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Legislative Progress Report
The Center for Racial Equity in Education brings you this update on happenings in the North Carolina State Legislature. We hope that you will take a moment to review it, and then act on the information provided. A quick tweet, email, or phone call to your representatives could make a difference. 

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021
Here's What You Need to Know
The NC House of Representatives will vote at noon today on whether to concur with the version of HB 324 that the Senate passed on August 26th. HB 324 is designed to undermine racial equity efforts in North Carolina's public schools. The bill would not only prohibit teachers from affirming the lived realities of students of color, it would also discourage school districts from providing racial equity-focused professional development by making the process cumbersome. Ultimately, HB 324 threatens to make NC schools less representative of the students who populate them by whitewashing the curriculum and by limiting how much of themselves teachers of color can bring into the classroom.
Download these images to share on social media. Tag @CREED_NC on Twitter and Instagram.

Racial Equity Progress Reports

Sen. Lee
Senator Michael Lee (New Hanover) chairs the Senate Education Committee. He presided over a raucous hearing on August 24th that featured a dishonest presentation from Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson as well as commentary from several misinformed members of the public. Rather than insist on truth and order, Lee stood silently while fellow senators were berated by Robinson. Ask Sen. Lee if he truly represents all of his constituents.

Sen. Chaudhuri
Senator Jay Chaudhuri (Wake) called out the secrecy surrounding Lieutenant Governor Robinson's "F.A.C.T.S." Taskforce and the questionable process for vetting alleged incidents of "indoctrination" described in the report. Chaudhuri, unfazed by Robinson's blustery response, continued to ask tough and necessary questions about protecting teachers from partisan harassment. Ask Sen. Chaudhuri how he plans to ensure that education professionals are empowered to teach the truth.

Sen. Davis
Senator Don Davis (Greene, Pit) raised concerns about the disconnect between the language of HB 324 and the alleged incidents described in Lieutenant Governor Robinson's F.A.C.T.S. report. When Davis asked how many of the incidents mentioned in the report would actually be considered a violation of the proposed law, committee leaders refused to answer his question. Ask Sen. Davis how he will continue advocating for better representation in our schools.
view this email in your browser
Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.