1/8/2026

New from EdNC

New federal dietary guidelines, which shape school meals, recommend first limits on highly processed food

by Analisa Sorrells Archer | January 7, 2026

On Wednesday, new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) were released by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). Updated every five years, the guidelines help determine what food is served in schools and at child...

State officials respond to reports of federal funding freezes for child care

by Staff | January 7, 2026

Update, Jan. 16: On Wednesday, Jan. 14, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) said in an email that child care subsidy payments will be delayed for December 2025 due to...

Perspective | The pedagogy of joy: How love and psychological safety transform learning

by Edith Skipper | January 7, 2026

When faculty from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Watson College of Education asked me to reflect on how joy informs educational leadership, I was reminded of how central joy — and its close companion, love — has been...

The Editor’s Notes

The N.C. State Board of Education is meeting today. Here is the agenda.

Professor Steven Levitsky will deliver the 2026 Lambeth Lecture on Tuesday, January 13^th at 5:30pm in Moeser Auditorium. The title of his talk is, “America’s Road to Authoritarianism.” Note the registration link on this page to register to watch virtually.

Need to know

• U.S. Department of Education Approves Iowa’s Returning Education to the States Waiver

  U.S. Department of Education | January 7, 2026

• Fall edition of the North Carolina Community College Journal of Teaching Innovation (NCCCJTI) is now available

  North Carolina Community College Journal of Teaching Innovation | January 7, 2026

• REGISTER | Webinar on Mental Health and Wellness of Rural School Administrators on Jan 29, 10-11AM

  NC Rural Education Collaborative | January 29, 2026

• New WS/FCS superintendent aims to pay off district debt this summer

  WFDD | January 7, 2026