North Carolina Public Policy Boot Camp: Fostering students’ understanding of public policy and the effects on their daily lives

Nate Barilich, EdNC Summer Fellow

A public policy boot camp for students, designed by teachers

Telling student stories to change public policy

Change: The fairy tale come to life

There are many tools to use throughout the next couple of hours to tweet questions, thoughts, and share your overall excitement.

#NCBC #publicsolutions #communitysoluctions #rebrandENC

At EducationNC we are “Including you in the conversation about our schools.”

Twitter: @EducationNC
Facebook: @EducationNC
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Test Yourself: Representation in the House

Each session of the General Assembly in North Carolina convenes for two years – often referred to as a biennium.  

• “Long” session started on January 28, 2015
  • Bills are introduced and a two-year budget is adopted.
  • The state’s fiscal year runs July 1-June 30.
  • The “long” session typically lasts until July or so.
  • This past year, the General Assembly adjourned on September 30th, making it the longest “long” session since 2002. It ran 13 weeks past the end of the fiscal year.
•  “Short” session convened in April 2016 and ended July 1, 2016
  • During the “short” session, bills that have passed one house, recommendations from a study commission, or issues related to the budget are in play during the short session.  
  • Earlier start than in previous years
  • This session, lawmakers changed the primary date to March, and with the primary date moved up, the “short” session can begin earlier.
    

• “New” long session convenes January 11,  2017, at 12pm.

• This is a citizen part-time legislature.
• 120 members of the N.C. House. (U.S. House: 435 voting members)
• 50 members of the N.C. Senate. (U.S. Senate: 100 voting members)
•  All legislators serve 2-year terms. There are no term limits.

Should we switch to a full-time paid legislature?

Republicans control all three branches of government for the first time since 1898:

• Pat McCrory, Governor
• Veto-Proof majority in the House and Senate
• A majority on the N.C. Supreme Court

Test Yourself: Representation in the House

Take a few minutes and complete the below poll. Feel free to comment and leave thoughts.

2015-2016 Session: House

• Republicans: 74 (62%)
• Democrats: 45 (37%)
• Unaffiliated: 1 (1%)

2015-2016 Session: House

• Men: 94 (78%)
• Women: 26 (22%)

2015-2016 Session: House

• White: 97 (81%)
• Black: 22 (18%)
• American Indian: 1 (1%) (C. Graham)
• Latino: 0 (0%)

Trend in Pupil Membership for NC Public Schools by Race/Ethnicity, 1989-2016

Test Yourself: Representation in the Senate

Take a few minutes and complete the above poll. Feel free to comment and leave thoughts.

2015-2016 Session: Senate

• Republicans: 34 (68%)
• Democrats: 16 (32%)

2015-2016 Session: Senate

• Men: 38 (76%)
• Women: 12 (24%)

2015-2016 Session: Senate

• White: 39 (78%)
• American Indian: 0 (0%)
• Black: 11 (22%)
• Latino: 1 (2%) (Apodaca)

20 Members are Serving First Elected Term in N.C. House; 13 Members are Completely New to the NCGA.

12 Members Are Serving First Elected Terms in the N.C. Senate; 6 New Members are completely New to the NCGA.

65% of the legislators (110 members) were not in the N.C. General Assembly five years ago.

1. Do your homework.

2. Find a champion.

3. Visit the policymaker in person.

4. Take the legislators to see the problem.

5. Use your numbers.

Thank you, go forth and close gaps between students, communities, and policymakers.

Please use the below scale to provide feedback on your experience
Using a scale of 1-5
1: Strongly disagree
2: Disagree
3: Neutral
4: Agree
5: Strongly agree