4/29/2026

New from EdNC

Legislative preview | Teacher pay, school choice and funding, and more K-12 issues on the table this short session

by Hannah Vinueza McClellan | April 28, 2026

What other K-12 issues are you paying attention to? Email me at hmcclellan@ednc.org to let me know. In North Carolina, this year’s legislative session started last week — and it is not going to be a normal short session. Last...

North Carolina ranks 43rd for teacher pay in 2024-25, projected to drop in 2025-26

by Sergio Osnaya-Prieto | April 28, 2026

North Carolina’s average teacher pay in 2024-25 ranked 43rd in the nation for the second year in a row, according to new data from the National Education Association (NEA). That ranking is projected to drop to 46th for the 2025-26...

‘Apprenticeship is a team sport’: How Maryland is achieving record apprenticeship growth

by Analisa Sorrells Archer | April 28, 2026

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series on apprenticeships for National Apprenticeship Week. See all of EdNC’s coverage of apprenticeships here. Note that all references to apprenticeship in this series refer to Registered Apprenticeships formally recognized by the...

Butler Avenue Elementary School is creating a ‘college-going culture’ in its classrooms, and fields trips are just one way of doing it

by Caroline Parker | April 28, 2026

Flight path to the future “Do any of you want to be pilots one day?” asks Blandy Castro, aviation management and career pilot technology instructor, at Lenoir Community College (LCC). A group of second graders from Butler Avenue Elementary School...

Perspective | The apprenticeship misconception North Carolina can’t afford

by Nicole Hill | April 28, 2026

I used to think apprenticeships were for people who didn’t go to college — electricians, plumbers, maybe HVAC technicians. I associated the word with trade work, and left it at that. But a recent experience changed that. As a graduate...

The Editor’s Notes

Gov. Josh Stein is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week at Davidson-Davie Community College today at 2:30 to learn more about its programs that are creating pathways into well-paying, in-demand careers. Stein’s recommended budget funds youth apprenticeship programs through NC Career Launch, supports apprenticeships in state government, and provides work-based learning grants so small businesses can recruit and retain talent, according to the press release.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), their families, and advocates from across North Carolina will gather at the North Carolina General Assembly today at 11 a.m. to share personal stories and call on lawmakers to continue to protect Medicaid and other critical services that support people with I/DD.

Need to know

• McMahon Still Wants to Relocate Special Ed.—And Other Budget Hearing Takeaways

  Education Week | April 28, 2026

• The Rural Advantage—and Challenge—with Workforce Pell

  New America | April 27, 2026

• Community Colleges Want in on UNC System’s Push for 3-Year Degrees

  The Assembly | April 28, 2026

• NC Democratic lawmakers unveil bill to protect students from ICE and Border Patrol

  NC Newsline | April 28, 2026

• From the Teacher’s Desk: A Science of Reading Progress Report

  The Fordham Institute | April 29, 2026