NLTE North Carolina Report Leads to Proposed Provisions to End $7 Million Contract Between UNC-Frank Porter Graham and NC Department of Public Instruction

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
29 June 2022
Contact: press@noleftturn.us

No Left Turn in Education North Carolina Report Leads to Proposed Provisions to End $7 Million Contract Between UNC-Frank Porter Graham and NC Department of Public Instruction

The NC Department of Instruction (NCDPI) contracts with the UNC Frank Porter Graham (UNC-FPG) Child Development Institute to bring professional development training to preschool teachers through the NC-Early Learning Network (NC-ELN). On June 8, 2022, No Left Turn in Education (NLTE) released an extensive report demonstrating that NC-ELN used federal IDEA 619 Part B funds to bring race essentialism to preschool trainings, identifying teachers who were “race neutral” as teaching incorrectly. This report made national headlines. Materials from the training sessions included slides suggesting teachers “deconstruct whiteness” in the classroom. As a result of NLTE’s report, a new provision has been included in North Carolina’s proposed HB 103 (AN ACT TO MODIFY THE CURRENT OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2021 AND TO MAKE OTHER CHANGES IN THE BUDGET OPERATIONS OF THE STATE) that would effectively enable the NCDPI to halt its contractual collaboration with UNC-FPG. This provision directs the NCDPI to use federal IDEA 619 Part B funds to hire at least 13 fulltime employees to the NCDPI Office of Early Learning to develop the professional training needed for preschool teachers of students aged 3-5 with disabilities.

“If passed, this provision is a great first step in holding deceitful vendors accountable, and a win for all North Carolina parents and teachers who called their legislators expressing disgust with the radical materials funded by federal tax dollars,” said NLTE NC Chapter President, Nancy Andersen. “And we will continue to pay close attention to the decisions of our state education agencies and the materials funded by taxpayers.”