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Dear John,

This is a year when our kids have needed us to step up for them like never before. So I want to take a moment to share an example of what a difference it makes when we answer that call.

Last Thursday evening, the North Carolina Legislature passed its 2022 budget, which included four huge wins for North Carolina students and their families that were championed by CarolinaCAN Executive Director Marcus Brandon.

With this suite of legislation for education, North Carolina has built a more open system we believe delivers on the promise that every student should be able to access the education that’s right for them.

Included in the budget:

Scholarship Program
Opportunity Scholarships have historically been capped at $4,200, but after recent legislation championed by CarolinaCAN was incorporated into the state budget, the cap has been removed and the scholarship amount will now be 90% of per-pupil funding. The legislation will provide necessary relief to North Carolina families, as it will immediately raise the scholarship amount to approximately $6,500. This reaches the state average of tuition for North Carolina private schools and marks the first increase since the program started.

Teacher Diversity
This bill will increase flexibility to allow mid-career professions to teach in public schools, particularly in STEM subject matter. The passing of this bill will promote a diversified workforce and help to proactively address potential qualified teacher shortages in critical subject areas.

Charter Transportation Grant
Answering the question: “Is it really a choice if you can’t get there?,” the Charter Transportation Grant will expand transportation opportunities for thousands of students, offering them the opportunity to attend schools that were previously unreachable due to a lack of transportation options. This grant will allow students and families to attend the school of their choice, and not the school that is closest to them, and help North Carolina’s most vulnerable and underserved students receive the same high-quality education as their more affluent peers.

Resources for Families to Address Learning Loss
Funding families directly is crucial to the future of education. So it is significant that CarolinaCAN secured $17.6 million to give low-income families the power to use those funds to address the learning loss brought on by the pandemic. With this money, families can purchase educational materials that will help close gaps and enhance educational outcomes.

At 50CAN, we Believe in Better ([link removed]) and these wins will allow North Carolina students access to a more open and equitable education system. We hope they inspire other states to embrace similar efforts.

Best,


Derrell Bradford
50CAN President

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