Advocacy

2024 Strategic Priorities

Representing both public and private institutions, the North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NCACTE) comprises 45 of North Carolina’s schools, colleges, and departments of education, which produce our state’s best and longest-serving school teachers.

NCACTE began convening in 1982, and its 200+ actively engaged faculty and staff represent the educator knowledge base producing the best and brightest of our state’s teacher workforce. 

The best producer of teachers for the state of North Carolina is North Carolina EPPs1. NCACTE’s member EPPs are the “teachers of teachers” who work daily to produce the strongest, most dedicated, and most effective teachers possible.2 We know the positive impact high valued-added teachers have on each student in one year and cumulatively over their lifetimes. 

The General Assembly made strides during the 2023 long session to impact the teaching workforce by expanding the NC Teaching Fellows to elementary education and adding two more institutions. Funding for the apprenticeship program for high school students to explore education signals a desire to be innovative. 

However, North Carolina is still experiencing an increase in the number of classrooms without a fully-certified educator. 

1. The pipeline of NC high school graduates who choose teaching as a career decreased 24% statewide from the 2020-21 to the 2021-22 academic year alone.3

2. 13% of beginning teachers left the classroom in the 2021-2022 school year.4 

In order to transform the teaching profession and elevate it to new heights, we must collectively recognize the immense impact educators have on society and invest in comprehensive reforms that honor their dedication, expertise, and vital role in shaping the future. As such, NCACTE has the following requests:

2024 NCACTE Strategic Directions

Require a bachelor’s degree and rigorous preparation through a state-approved and/or accredited Educator Preparation Program for entry into the profession for all initially prepared teachers. 

1. Maintain the requirement for a bachelor’s degree as a minimum for entry into the profession. 

2. Eliminate Praxis Core as an admission requirement in favor of focusing on the outcomes of rigorous preparation.   

Support innovative programs to expand access to high-quality educator preparation programs. 

1. Continue to expand NC Teaching Fellows to more content areas and participating institutions. 

2. Support other tuition assistance programs like the Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS). 

3. Expand access to teacher apprenticeship programs across North Carolina.

4. Support innovative partnerships between PSUs and EPPs. With our state’s long history of Teacher Quality Partnership grants, a state-level program could have a positive impact on the number of highly qualified educators while meeting the unique needs of North Carolina’s PSUs. 

5. Continue and expand the Governor’s voucher fund for licensure exam preparation and fees.

Support efforts to retain teachers in NC Classrooms

1. Cover the cost of the NC New Teacher Support Program for all teachers in their first three years of teaching. 

2. Incentivize teachers to expand their professional expertise (i.e., advanced degrees and certifications, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards).

3. Provide educators a professional development savings account to access personalized learning opportunities. 

In conclusion, NCACTE’s strategic priorities outline a clear and purposeful path forward, guiding us toward a future where we achieve our mission and realize our vision in educator preparation. By focusing on these strategic priorities, we commit to working together, adapting to changing educational landscapes, and continually striving for excellence in our P-12 public schools. 

1  Higher Education-Based Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs AACTE, 12/1/2022

2  NC EPP Dashboard, NCDPI, 2023.

3  2021-2022 EPP Performance Reporting, NC SBE, March 2023

4  NCDPI State of the Teaching Profession Report, NC SBE, February 2023.