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Dear Friends,
We hope our message finds you and your family healthy and well.
It’s back to school season!
As the school year begins, we continue to celebrate “The Year of Public Schools”. Throughout the year, we have and continue to highlight the role that North Carolina public schools have on students. In North Carolina, we remain committed to honoring our hardworking teachers that ensure the success of our students. We hope that this school year brings great opportunities and growth for our teachers and students as we continue to fight for fully funded public education and meaningful investments in teacher pay.
Please share our newsletter so your friends and family can stay up to date with the latest news, information, and resources relevant to the Cooper Administration.
Jonathan Garcia Cortez, Outreach Assistant
Office of the Governor
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Governor Cooper Proclaims August 26, 2024 as Women’s Equality Day in North Carolina
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Governor Cooper Visits New Teacher Orientation in Guilford County
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Highlights How Strong Public Schools Make Strong Communities Ahead of the Start of the School Year
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On August 16th, Governor Roy Cooper visited the 2024 Right Start New Teacher Orientation in Guilford County where he highlighted the amazing work done by North Carolina’s public schools and teachers. The Governor was joined by Guilford County Schools Superintendent Dr. Whitney Oakley and other officials as he attended a professional development session and met with teachers.
“My mom was a public school teacher and I saw the excitement and determination she felt before the school year started,” said Governor Cooper. “Public school teachers are the future of education, and their impact will be felt for generations to come. We need to invest in our public schools so we can pay teachers like the professionals we know they are.”
“Teachers are the backbone of education. It takes a special type of person to do this work. You have to be willing to give of yourself in ways that other careers don't require. It's not easy, but because teachers are willing, other people's lives will be better,” said Guilford County Superintendent Dr. Whitney Oakley. “By investing in educators, we demonstrate a commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students and as a result, building stronger communities.”
At the orientation, the Governor called for fully funding K-12 education as well as meaningful investments in early childhood education and teacher pay in the upcoming legislative session. The Governor also called for a stop to state spending on vouchers for unaccountable and unregulated private schools until North Carolina’s public schools are fully funded.
Guilford County Schools’ Right Start New Teacher Orientation is the school district’s way to welcome new teachers and prepare them for an incredible career. Right Start New Teacher Orientation is designated for teachers with less than 6 months of teaching experience and includes in-person sessions as well as completing independent activities.
Governor Cooper declared 2024 as the Year of Public Schools and has been touring public schools and early childhood education programs across the state calling for investments in K-12 education, early childhood education and teacher pay.
In April, Governor Cooper released his recommended budget for FY 2024-2025, Securing North Carolina’s Future which includes over $1 billion towards public education and would raise teacher pay by 8.5%.
The House and Senate did not include meaningful investments for public schools in their proposed budgets.
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North Carolina Hospitals Sign on to Relieve Medical Debt
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On August 12th, Governor Roy Cooper and Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley announced all eligible hospitals in North Carolina have signed on to the state's innovative plan to relieve medical debt for millions of people. As of today, all of the state’s 99 eligible hospitals have committed to participate in North Carolina’s medical debt relief incentive program.
“Medical debt is not a choice, and it’s monumental to have North Carolina hospitals committing to be part of eliminating medical debt for their patients,” said Governor Cooper. “By joining this first-in-the-nation solution they are raising the bar for health care, and together we will make a life-changing difference for our families and our economy.”
The list of participating hospitals includes the largest hospital systems in North Carolina. While medical debt occurs in places other than hospitals, they are the source of the most debt. By signing on to this program, North Carolina hospitals are leading the way in relieving debt and centering the well-being of their communities. The estimated total impact of the medical debt relief incentive program is approximately $4 billion. Nearly 2 million low- and middle-income North Carolinians will have more than a decade of existing medical debt relieved.
“This is big, sweeping change that will benefit our health care system and the health and well-being of millions of North Carolinians,” said Secretary Kinsley. “It is an innovative approach that was thoughtfully developed with feedback from hospitals and national experts and gets more value from federal dollars. We are leading the way here in North Carolina with a powerful roadmap for other states to improve the health of Americans.”
North Carolina’s medical debt relief incentive program is a first-of-its-kind initiative to leverage the state Medicaid program and federal dollars through the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP) to encourage hospitals to relieve medical debt and prevent the accrual of debt in the future. By participating, hospitals will receive enhanced HASP payments that will bring an estimated $4 billion into the state this fiscal year and a projected $6.3 billion in the next year.
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Governor Cooper Announces Release of Historic, Whole-of Government Reentry Strategic Plan
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“Committing to rehabilitation and education in and out of our prisons is both the right thing and the smart thing to do to strengthen our economy, reduce recidivism, and give people the chance they deserve.”
– Governor Cooper via Twitter
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On August 13th, Governor Cooper announced the release of the Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan, approved last week by the Governor’s Joint Reentry Council. The Joint Reentry Council was established in January by Governor Cooper’s Executive Order No. 303, which directed whole-of-government coordination to improve reentry for formerly incarcerated people and issued specific directives developed in partnership with each cabinet agency, the Office of State Human Resources and the Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission. The Reentry Strategic Plan contains 26 objectives, which are bold, measurable goals to dramatically improve reentry, rehabilitation, and educational services. The Plan also contains 133 strategies, which are commitments by state agencies and other organizations to take specific actions to reach the objectives. The Plan also contains performance metrics, which will help North Carolina track progress towards the goals.
Since Governor Cooper signed Executive Order 303, state agencies have taken multiple actions to improve reentry. State accomplishments since January include the announcement of fourteen new local reentry councils to provide coordinated services to people reentering their communities from prison, the launch of a Commercial Driver’s License program for incarcerated people, and an investment in a transitional work program to place formerly incarcerated people on road work crews to gain experience and skills leading to gainful employment.
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Governor Cooper Announces Eight Grants to Rural Communities to Attract 241 New Jobs and over $234 Million of Investment
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The Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved eight grant requests to local governments totaling $1,650,000, Governor Roy Cooper announced on August 15, 2024. The requests include commitments to create a total of 297 jobs, 56 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $234 million in public and private investment.
“These grants continue to help create great jobs in our rural communities,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “We are building a strong foundation upon which North Carolina’s rural economy can thrive.”
The RIA approved eight grant requests under the state’s Building Reuse Program in three categories: Vacant Building Category, Existing Business Building Category, Rural Health Building Category.
The Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and/or expand buildings occupied by existing North Carolina companies, and renovate, expand or construct health care facilities that will lead to the creation of new jobs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as well as rural census tracts of Tier 3 counties.
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Governor Cooper and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Granholm Announce Federal Funding to Strengthen Power Grid and Increase Renewable Energy Capacity
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On August 6th, Governor Roy Cooper joined United States Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to announce new funding through the Department of Energy to enhance North Carolina’s electrical grid and increase capacity for renewable energy storage. They were joined by N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser and other officials as they announced the second round of funding through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program at the Duke Energy facility in Garner.
“This funding means cheaper, cleaner and more reliable electricity for our homes and businesses,” said Governor Cooper. “Not only will these investments from the Biden-Harris Administration help provide more electricity, it will support our growing industries and create quality jobs for people across our state.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in the most crucial component of the nation’s infrastructure, expanding and hardening the grid to allow more resilient, clean power to reach more households, and support the ongoing manufacturing boom—all while creating thousands of local jobs," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "North Carolina is becoming a global powerhouse for clean energy—and these upgrades will keep the growth coming. Through partnerships with local HBCUs and community colleges, investments in the state will create transformational, good-paying jobs for the clean energy economy of the future."
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Governor Cooper Announces $4 Million Grant for North Carolina Apprenticeship Expansion
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Image courtesy of Wayne Community College
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On August 19th, Governor Roy Cooper announced the North Carolina Business Committee of Education (NCBCE) has been awarded $4 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand the use of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in high-demand fields. This grant is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s $195 million investment through the Apprenticeship Building America program.
NCBCE’s NC Career Launch will create a statewide youth apprenticeship system, developing and scaling programs for high school students that lead to RAPs in critical sectors. These programs will provide a seamless pathway to post-secondary education and a career with family-sustaining wages.
“For five years in a row, North Carolina has been ranked a top destination for business thanks to our highly-skilled and diverse workforce,” said Governor Cooper. “NC Career Launch will continue to strengthen our already great public schools and workforce training programs by providing new pathways for high school students to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”
Apprenticeship is a proven workforce training model that combines paid on-the-job training with formal classroom instruction, helping workers gain the necessary skills for career success. NC Career Launch will focus on youth apprenticeships which are specifically designed for high school students, offering paid work-based learning, classroom instruction, and mentorship. This initiative allows students to gain experience, build skills, and pursue postsecondary education without incurring debt.
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Governor Cooper Announces 2024-2025 RISE Award Competition
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On August 21st, Governor Roy Cooper announced the 2024-2025 application period for the North Carolina Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award is underway. The award, passed by Congress in 2019 and overseen by the U.S. Department of Education, honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service.
“School employees are the backbone of our education system,” says Governor Cooper. “They work tirelessly behind the scenes to support students, teachers, and families. This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the unsung heroes of North Carolina schools and the crucial work that they do every day.”
For the purposes of the award, a classified school employee is defined as an employee of a state or any political subdivision of a state, or an employee of a nonprofit entity, who works in any grade from pre-kindergarten through high school in any of the following occupational specialties: paraprofessional, clerical and administrative services, transportation services, food and nutrition services, custodial and maintenance services, security services, health and student services, technical services, and skilled trades.
Award winners demonstrate excellence in the following areas: (A) Work performance; (B) School and community involvement; (C) Leadership and commitment; (D) Local support (from co-workers, school administrators, community members, etc., who speak to the nominee’s exemplary work); (E) Enhancement of classified school employees' image in the community and schools.
Public school units, school administrators, professional associations, labor organizations, educational service agencies, nonprofit entities, private schools and their representatives, parents, and students may nominate by September 30.
The two winners in North Carolina will be nominated to the U.S. Department of Education by November 1st. The U.S. Secretary of Education will select a single classified school employee from among the nominees to receive the RISE Award in the spring. The Office of the Governor of North Carolina will honor nominees and finalists. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education will recognize the honoree and communicate their story in order to inspire excellence among classified school employees.
Nominate an unsung education hero for the 2024 RISE Award. Submit your nomination by September 30th at 5pm.
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Governor Cooper Delivers Remarks at Democratic National Convention
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Image Courtesy of Jasper Colt, USA TODAY NETWORK
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On August 22nd at the Democratic National Convention, Governor Roy Cooper was the final speaker before Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for President at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
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NCDHHS is investing in programs that support mental well-being and recovery for North Carolinians and their families. The department today announced three grant opportunities totaling $4.5 million that will support local partners in developing community-based initiatives to improve equitable access to mental health services, expand peer support services and strengthen family and caregiver support services.
Learn more: ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases
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Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está invirtiendo en programas que apoyan el bienestar mental y la recuperación de los habitantes de Carolina del Norte y sus familias. El departamento anunció hoy tres oportunidades de subvenciones por un total de $4.5 millones que apoyarán a los socios locales en el desarrollo de iniciativas comunitarias para mejorar el acceso equitativo a los servicios de salud mental, ampliar los servicios de apoyo entre pares y fortalecer los servicios de apoyo a familiares y cuidadores.
Obtenga más información aquí: ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases
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COVID-19 cases are increasing in North Carolina. Know the symptoms to help make informed decisions. Stay home if you feel sick. Seek treatment quickly if you are more likely to get very sick.
People at higher risk for severe COVID-19 include:
- Older adults, especially those ages 65 years or older.
- People who are not vaccinated or are not up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.
- People with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system..
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