LEGISLATIVE DAY HIGHLIGHTS
by Bryan Holloway
PENC had its legislative day on March 9th at the North Carolina General Assembly. I had the honor of escorting Executive Director, Tammy Beach and some of the PENC Board Members around the NCGA to meet with important lawmakers who are deep in the trenches, and greatly impact education appropriations and policy in North Carolina.
PENC gives a big thank you to Representatives Elmore, Blackwell, Torbett, K. Hall, Cotham, Clemmons along with Senators Chaudhuri and Meyer for meeting with us on our legislative day. These legislators are Full Appropriations Chairs, Education Appropriations and Policy Chairs, and education leaders serving on important committees in the North Carolina General Assembly.
PENC has worked hard to advocate for our legislative agenda, which is available on our website or can be found here. Our conversations went well, and we are hopeful for significant pay increases and the support we need for educators in North Carolina.
Latest Update:
Legislators are reporting an average of 11.2% pay raise for teachers in the House Budget. The reports indicate that 7.5% of this raise is across the board. Legislators arrive at 11.2% by including the state provided local supplement and the pay steps. Broken down it is 7.5% across the board, with 4.25% in the first year and 3.25 % in the second year of the biennium. Additionally, the restoration of Master's Pay is included in the House Budget Bill.
PENC is happy to report that there are revisions to expand the Teaching Fellows Program. This will surely help with the teacher shortage issue.
Further details about these and the education budget will be forthcoming in the next few days.
ANNUAL MEETING DETAILS
The PENC Annual Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 29th at Hampton Inn & Suites in Crabtree Valley located at 3920 Arrow Drive in Raleigh. The meeting time is 11:00 to 4:00. Lunch will begin at 11:15.
Members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting. Lunch is provided along with Keynote Speaker Alexa Rose Carlin, music entertainment by NC native Avery Roberson from Rutherford County, and other sessions including a session on Stress Management by Flow Circus.
Members are encouraged to register to ensure that we have enough food. We are asking members to pay a minimal $10 fee to reserve their seat. The fee will be refunded upon attendance at the meeting. Asking for the fee ensures that we do not over planned or incur unnecessary charges.
Attending the annual meeting is a great way to interact with the board and advocacy team. If you have ever debated about throwing your name in to join the board of directors, I strongly encourage you to attend the meeting as this is a great first step in becoming more active within the association. This is a personal invitation from executive director Tammy Beach. "Please make plans to join us in April. PENC is your organization and we would love the opportunity to get to know you."
Log into the member portal today to register for the annual meeting. You will receive a certificate for four contact hours.
*Keynote Speaker Alexa Rose Carlin's invitational video.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
We are now accepting applications for NCCAT Subs-On-Us and National Board Scholarships. The applications for all other grants and scholarships will open back up on July 1st. We do expect some new grants and scholarships added to our current list, so please be on the look out for that announcement after July 1, 2023.
Please visit our website for links to the applications. www.pencweb.org
NCCAT Subs on Us Grants Cost of Sub for 5 days
PENC will cover the cost of subs for up to 5 days.
This is a first come, first serve pot of money so do not delay.
National Board Scholarships $250
PENC is offering four scholarships to members who are currently working in pursuit of their initial or renewal National Board Certification.
Young Artist Competition
Submissions for the Young Artist Competition are now being accepted. Please visit the YAC webpage to learn more details for the competition. Both art teachers and classroom teachers may submit up to 5 pieces of artwork each year. Teachers do not have to be PENC members to submit their students' artwork.
Teacher may submit artwork using this link.
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