Links to help parents during NC school closures

Posted on March 20, 2020 by A.P. Dillon

covid 19 CORONAVIRUSWith the statewide closure of schools in North Carolina, parents have been hitting my inbox at a steady rate asking for resources, and informational links and help to keep their kids on target.

I’ve created a list of links to help.

This article will be continuously updated, so please come back and see what is new.

COVID-19 Timeline key points:

March 10 – Governor Cooper issued executive order 116, declaring a state of emergency.

March 14 – Governor Cooper issued executive order 117, which closes all K-12 public schools in the state and bans mass gatherings of 100 or more people.

March 17 – Governor Cooper issued executive order 118, which closes restaurants for dine-in services, forcing restaurants to adhere to take-out or delivery services only. The order also makes alterations to reduce restrictions for unemployment applicants.

March 23 – Governor Cooper announced a new executive order with schools to remain closed until May 15.

March 24 – Governor Cooper announced that “The State Board of Education (SBE) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will establish a new $50 million flexible allotment for public school units to address COVID-19-related expenses.”

March 27 – Governor Cooper issued executive order 121, requiring the entire state to “stay at home or place of residence” beginning March 30 at 5 pm for a period of 30 days. Only essential travel is permitted and only essential businesses are allowed to remain operational. The order bans mass gatherings of 10 or more people.

April 23 – Governor Cooper announced extension of the statewide stay-at-home order through May 8. Unveils “3 phase plan.” Phase one has no start or end date, which makes it a guessing game when phase 2 and 3 will happen. The phase plan could draw out an unofficial ‘stay-at-home’ scenario for several months. (more here)

April 24 – Governor Cooper announced that all public schools in NC will remain closedfor the remainder of 2019-20.

July 1 – The date Governor Cooper said would be the day where state metrics would be assessed to determining the “level” at which schools reopen in August.

View the governor’s key executive orders:

*All of the governor’s executive orders include a penalty for violation of a Class 2 misdemeanor, which is punishable by 6 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

General Assembly Links

The General Assembly has a compilation of COVID-19 links. The House has formed a bi-partisan COVID-19 committee that will be working on a number of issues, including education.  The committee will meet remotely, but the public can listen in on the legislature’s audio page and submit questions via a comment portal.

According to the most recent newsletters from education officials in the state, all public schools/districts will be doing some required impact reporting in anticipation of requests from legislators, health organizations. Data to be collected will include:

  1. School closures and number of days closed due to coronavirus
  2. Lost wages in the event of school closure, by fund, differentiating hourly by salaried
  3. Additional costs associated with School Nutrition services during school closure
  4. Overtime paid due to coronavirus, if applicable
  5. Staff absences due to coronavirus sickness (see next item)
  6. Staff absences due to coronavirus exposure/closures.
  7. Transportation costs associated with emergency management (recommend using the 4th digit of the purpose code)

Updates from the U.S. Dept. of Education (federal links):

Higher Education Updates including The College Board (SAT, AP exams):

Updates from the NC Dept. of Public Instruction and State Board of Education including resources, questions, feedback, and other guidance:

NC k-12 Grading Policy Updates:

Remote & Continuity of Learning:

Wake County Specific:

In an announcement on Friday, March 20, WCPSS shared a link to a remote learning resources website (linked below.)

According to this update, “lessons found on this site will not be graded.”  It was clear from this update that these items are to keep students busy and are meant to help maintain a routine at home.

This is simply a place where you can find appropriate materials for your child that will supplement their learning while students are out of school.

New material will be added to the website. The current resources are designed to address an immediate need during the second week of school closures.

For information on non-public schools, including homeschooling and private schools:

Useful articles:

Useful resources:

Resources being circulated for Educators:

Need a break or distraction? YouTube has a selection of “Free Movies” that only require sitting through ads now and again.

If you have a suggested link to add, please reach out through to this blog’s email: TheLL1885@gmail.com

About A.P. Dillon

A.P. Dillon is a reporter currently writing at The North State Journal. She resides in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Find her on Twitter: @APDillon_ Tips: APDillon@Protonmail.com
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