RALEIGH — State Superintendent Catherine Truitt has announced that the N.C. Department of Public Instruction is now accepting applications for her new Parent Advisory Commission.
“This Commission is focused on giving parents a seat at the table and strengthening parent and family involvement in education,” Truitt said in a press release. “Parents play an integral role in encouraging their child to achieve excellence in the classroom.”
Truitt first mentioned the parent advisory council in a December 2021 interview with North State Journal. During that interview, Truitt commented about the importance of “parent voice” and “the need for K-12 education leaders to see parents as consumers.”
“Data shows us that students with parents who are involved in their education are more likely to achieve academic success and have a more positive attitude towards learning,” Truitt said in the press release. “This commission is an important way we can create better outcomes for students, as we are hearing from parents about what’s working and what we can do better. We need to engage families in district and policy-level decisions, and this commission helps that work get underway.”
The Parent Advisory Commission will have a total of 48-member advisory board members and will include “six parents or guardians from each of the state’s eight educational regions to ensure diverse geographical participation,” according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) press release.
According to NCDPI, the makeup of the commission will include:
- 2 traditional public schools
- 1 charter public school
- 1 homeschool
- 1 private school
- 1 at-large public-school member from the largest county in each region, including: Buncombe, Catawba, Cumberland, Guilford, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Pitt, Wake
According to the press announcement, each member will serve two-year terms. The full commission will likely meet quarterly starting this coming summer.
The regional sub-groups will hold monthly meetings, which NCDPI says can be “conducted both in-person and virtually to accommodate parents’ schedules.”
The application portal is live and those wishing to apply have until March 31 to do so.
