Our Policy Statement on the Public Schools
Because the past decade has brought a new era of school segregation in North Carolina rivaling pre Civil Rights Act (1964) segregation rates and because the North Carolina Council of Churches has a long history of support for racial justice, we are recommitting to supporting a public school system that is built on racial equity and excellence for all students.
The Council also has a long history of support for public education. In 1986, we reaffirmed “our support for the system of public education in North Carolina… Being a system of our government financed by public funds, responsive to the community as a whole, and open to all without distinctions as to race, creed, national origin or economic status. Public education serves as a major cohesive force in our pluralistic society; and we believe that by training for citizenship, education serves as a primary means of strengthening our constitutional democracy. We believe that freedom of thought and learning in our public schools is the necessary precondition to political and religious freedom… Continue Reading
For more information on our Public Education program, contact us at info@ncchurches.org or 919-828-6501.
TIME SENSITIVE
Public Education Advocacy and Faith: Why the Church Should Care
Wednesday, September 16, 7-8:30 p.m.
Click here to register
We invite you to join us for an Evening Webinar on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm as we explore the calling our faith provides to support public education for all students in North Carolina. For over 20 years, public schools in NC have been dramatically underfunded. Our schools need all communities, especially churches, to advocate for the sound basic education the NC Constitution guarantees.
We are people of faith who value the lives of children as Jesus did. We hope in this time of listening and learning that we will be inspired, informed, educated, and motivated to become advocates for our children through support of public education. Click the image for registration details.
Denominational Resources
- Alliance of Baptists, Statement on Public Education
- African Methodist Episcopal Church, The Church’s Role in Education
- Episcopal Church, All Our Children
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Our Calling in Education
- Presbyterian Church, Loving Our Neighbors: Equity and Quality in Public Education (K-12)
- Religious Society of Friends, Friends and Education
- United Church of Christ, Justice in Public Education
- United Methodist Church, United Methodist Advocates for Public Schools (UMAPS)
Worship Resources
Sermons
Other Faith-Based Resources
- Journey to Lent, Journey to Learn (3/4/2011)
- Celebrating a Public Education Sabbath (7/11/2005)
Raleigh Report Legislative Updates
- Decision points on districts, schools (1/24/2022)
- Push, shove on public school spending (9/10/2021)
- Joint Letter from N.C. Faith Leaders to N.C. Elected Leaders (7/1/2020)
- ‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools (1/17/2020)
- Raleigh Report – April 29, 2019 (4/29/2019)
- Raleigh Report – April 22, 2019 (4/22/2019)
- Raleigh Report – April 11, 2019 (4/11/2019)
- Raleigh Report – April 5, 2019 (4/5/2019)
- Raleigh Report – March 25, 2019 (3/25/2019)
- Raleigh Report – March 11, 2019 (3/11/2019)
- Raleigh Report – February 12, 2019 (2/12/2019)
- Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer (6/11/2018)
- Raleigh Report — May 30, 2018 (5/30/2018)
- No More Mottos (5/25/2018)
- Marching for Schools, and for Children (5/18/2018)
- Doing the School-money Shuffle (4/30/2018)
- School Districts: Keeping It Together (4/13/2018)
- Public Schools’ Call to Quality – For All (4/2/2018)
- Class Sizes and More: An Awkward Finale (2/15/2018)
- Rights Advocacy At Risk (8/3/2017)
Voices From the Council (Op-eds)
- Decision points on districts, schools (1/24/2022)
- Help for schools: Courts to the rescue (11/12/2021)
- Push, shove on public school spending (9/10/2021)
- Joint Letter from N.C. Faith Leaders to N.C. Elected Leaders (7/1/2020)
- ‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools (1/17/2020)
- Let Justice Roll: Sustain the Veto (7/2/2019)
- Raleigh Report – April 29, 2019 (4/29/2019)
- Raleigh Report – April 22, 2019 (4/22/2019)
- Raleigh Report – April 11, 2019 (4/11/2019)
- Raleigh Report – April 5, 2019 (4/5/2019)
- Raleigh Report – March 25, 2019 (3/25/2019)
- A Prayer for Teachers (3/25/2019)
- Raleigh Report – February 12, 2019 (2/12/2019)
- Make a Way for the Children to Come (1/28/2019)
- Vetting the Vote: Public Education (10/25/2018)
- Honor Students and Teachers with a Public Education Sabbath (8/21/2018)
- Council Calls for More Support for Public Education (6/22/2018)
- Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer (6/11/2018)
- Raleigh Report — May 30, 2018 (5/30/2018)
- No More Mottos (5/25/2018)
Data and Issues:
- NC Council of Churches Legislative Bulletin
- NC Council of Churches Statement on Public Education
- NCAE Position Papers and Issue Briefs
- NCAE Legislative Agenda 2017-2018
- Public Schools First NC, Know the Issues
- Public Schools First NC Fact Sheets
- Public Schools First NC Important Research
- Public Schools First NC Legislative Updates
- Schools Our Students Deserve Advocacy
- Publications of the NC Justice Center Education and Law Project
Issue Statements
- Policy Statement on the Public Schools (12/15/2017)
- A Statement on the Public Schools (9/5/2006)
- The Role of Religion in Public Education (5/7/1998)
- Church Women United in NC– Click here to sign their petition asking the North Carolina legislature to increase funding for public schools.
- EdNC
- League of Women Voters of NC
- NC Child
- North Carolina Association of Educators
- NC Justice Center Education and Law Project
- Pastors for NC Children
- Public Schools First NC
- United Methodist Advocates for Public Schools (UMAPS)
Advocacy Tool-Kits:
HIGHLIGHT: LEANDRO V. STATE SUPREME COURT RULING
Click here to read about the milestone Leandro v. State ruling set forth by the Supreme Court outlining a fair and constitutional education in the United States. For a more detailed understanding of this case and its effects, we we encourage you to read Steve Ford’s analysis here.
In the News
- Beyond Plan B: North Carolina must do more to get kids & teachers safely back to school
- EdNC News
- More than half of Americans support pay raises for teachers – poll finds
- NC Policy Watch Education Archives
- NEA Ranks NC 37th for Teacher Pay
- Public Schools First NC Breaking News
- School Nurses Discuss Their Role in Preventing Gun Violence
- What We Demand for our Children: Everything
- Why NC leaders think more nurses, counselors and social workers could make schools safer
- WRAL Education Coverage
