This week, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education agreed on several recommendations for teacher training and student advancement. The recommendations highlight strategies to improve student outcomes while also reinforcing the need for sustained state support and funding to put them into practice.
Student Achievement Recommendations
The Commission’s first recommendation is to “Strengthen Early Literacy as a Foundation for Student Success.” The recommendation includes expanding the state’s literacy coaching capacity to place a state-funded literacy coach in every low-performing elementary school. Mississippi has a similar targeted state intervention model and recently expanded the model through eighth grade to address stagnant reading progress in middle schools.
If North Carolina moves forward with this recommendation, expanding literacy coaching beyond elementary school could be another consideration. The General Assembly recently returned $14 million owed to North Carolina’s public schools from the Opportunity Scholarship Program toward middle school literacy professional development. Adding coaches to this model would provide another layer of support for sustaining and expanding effective adolescent literacy practices.
Teacher Training Recommendations
The commission’s second recommendation is to “Strengthen the Teacher Pipeline.” Members emphasized the importance of a competitive teacher compensation system that would be established as early as 2028 and span “across the career continuum.” While the latest budget included significant increases in beginning teacher pay, the teacher salary schedule still includes a pay plateau between years 15 and 24, with salaries effectively capped after 25 years of service.
The recommendation also includes strategies that would require sustained state funding, including paid student teaching, apprenticeships, and Grow Your Own programs to support the development of new teachers. It also calls for further expanding Advanced Teaching Roles, which received a $32 million increase in the latest budget.
Another strategy included in the recommendation is phasing out Emergency and Permit-to-Teach licenses. Last week’s Policy Corner examined the latest data on teacher vacancies and the critical role residency-licensed teachers have played in helping districts fill those positions. If the state moves toward phasing out these licenses, policymakers will need to consider how to create clear pathways for candidates who currently enter the profession through these routes. Without a transition strategy, changes to licensure requirements could exacerbate staffing challenges in districts that already struggle to fill vacancies.
Looking Ahead
The commission has a limited amount of time to address its remaining charges and is expected to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by the end of the year.
The next step will be determining which recommendations move from the commission’s report into policy. After the election, a new legislature will begin its long session, and it remains to be seen which recommendations lawmakers will prioritize. Many of the proposals outlined by the commission would also require significant and sustained state investment. Ultimately, the impact of these recommendations will depend not only on whether they are adopted, but also on whether the state provides the resources needed to implement them effectively.
Read the commission’s draft recommendations here.
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