Chapter 115C

(a) Licensure Renewal. - The State Board shall adopt rules establishing the requirements for renewal of all professional educator licenses. These requirements shall reflect rigorous standards for continuing licensure and shall be aligned with high-quality professional development…

(a) Rules. - The State Board shall adopt rules to establish the reasons and procedures for the suspension and revocation of licenses, subject to the requirements of this section. (b) Automatic Revocation With No Hearing. - The State Board shall automatically revoke the license of…

(a) Authority. - The State Board of Education shall have entire control of licensing all applicants for professional educator positions in all public schools of North Carolina, subject to the requirements of this Article. The State Board shall adopt rules for the issuance, renewa…

(a) It is the policy of the State that each local board of education has the sole discretion to elect a superintendent of schools. However, the State Board shall adopt rules that establish the qualifications for election. At a minimum, each superintendent shall have been a princi…

(a) Every superintendent shall reside in the county in which he is employed. The superintendent shall not teach, nor be regularly employed in any other capacity that may limit or interfere with his duties as superintendent. Each superintendent, before entering upon the duties of …

Every local board of education may adopt, as to assistant or associate superintendents not paid out of State funds, a salary schedule similar to the State salary schedule, but it likewise shall recognize a difference in salaries based on different duties, training, experience, pr…

(a) Local boards of education are authorized to remove a superintendent who is guilty of immoral or disreputable conduct or who shall fail or refuse to perform the duties required of him by law. In case the State Board of Education has sufficient evidence at any time that any sup…

In case of vacancy by death, resignation, or otherwise, in the office of a superintendent, such vacancy shall be filled by the local board of education in which such vacancy occurred. If the vacancy is filled on a temporary basis, subject to the same approvals and to the same edu…

(a) In General. - All acts of local boards of education, not in conflict with State law, shall be binding on the superintendent, and it shall be his duty to carry out all rules and regulations of the board. All the powers, duties and responsibilities imposed by law upon the super…

It shall be the duty of the various boards of education to provide the superintendent of schools with an appropriate office. Likewise, it shall be the duty of the various boards of education to furnish adequately the superintendent's office and provide all necessary office suppli…

Local boards of education shall have authority to employ an assistant superintendent, in addition to those that may be furnished by the State when, in the discretion of the board of education, the schools of the administrative unit can thereby be more efficiently and more economi…

(a) Principals and supervisors shall be elected by the local boards of education upon the recommendation of the superintendent. (b) Repealed by Session Laws 2025-25, s. 13(a), effective June 26, 2025. (b1) Repealed by Session Laws 2023-125, s. 1(d), effective September 28, 2023. …

(a) Role of APPs. - To recommend candidates for licensure, an administrator preparation program (APP) shall be approved by the State Board. For the purposes of this section, an APP is any entity that meets all of the following: (1) Prepares, trains, and recommends candidates for …

(a) Principals and supervisors shall be paid promptly when their salaries are due provided the legal requirements for their employment and service have been met. All principals and supervisors employed by any local school administrative unit who are to be paid from local funds sh…

(a) Definitions. - The following definitions shall apply in this section: (1) Eligible employer. - The governing board of a local school administrative unit with an eligible school. (2) Eligible school. - A low-performing school, as defined in G.S. 115C-105.37, that received an o…

The conduct of principals and supervisors, the kind of reports they shall make, and their duties in the care of school property are subject to the rules of the local board, as provided in G.S. 115C-47(18). (1981, c. 423, s. 1.)

Local school administrative units shall evaluate all principals and assistant principals at least once each year. Either the superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall conduct the evaluations. The State Board of Education shall ensure that the standards and criteria fo…

(a)(1) All persons employed as school administrators shall be employed pursuant to this section. (2) Repealed by Session Laws 2013-360, s. 9.6(d), effective July 1, 2014. (3) For purposes of this section, school administrator means a: a. Principal; b. Assistant principal; c. Supe…

(a) To Grade and Classify Pupils. - The principal shall have authority to grade and classify pupils, except as provided in G.S. 115C-83.7(a). In determining the appropriate grade for a pupil who is already attending a public school, the principal shall consider the pupil's classr…

(a) Any duty or responsibility assigned to a principal by statute, State Board of Education regulation, or by the superintendent may, with the approval of the local board of education, be assigned by the principal to an assistant principal designated by the local board of educati…

(a) When a supervisor of a school employee has actual notice that the school employee has been the victim of an assault by a student in violation of G.S. 14-33(c)(6) resulting in physical injury, as that term is defined in G.S. 14-34.7, the supervisor shall immediately report to …

(a) State of the School Administration Profession Report. - The State Board of Education shall monitor and compile an annual report by December 15 annually on school principals in North Carolina that includes data on the decisions of principals to leave the profession of school a…

(a) All teachers employed in the public schools of the State or in schools receiving public funds, shall be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a license in compliance with the provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education:…

(a) State Policy. - It is the goal of the State to provide opportunities and incentives for good teachers to become excellent teachers and to retain them in the teaching profession; to attain this goal, the State shall support the efforts of teachers to achieve national certifica…

(a) [Establishment of Grant Program. -] Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-296.2, to the extent the General Assembly provides funds for this purpose, the Department of Public Instruction shall establish a grant program for qualifying public schools to improve teacher quality and mitigate …

(a) The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (hereinafter called "NCCAT"), through itself or agencies with which it may contract, shall: (1) Provide career teachers with opportunities to study advanced topics in the sciences, arts, and humanities and to engage in…

(a) The NCCAT Board of Trustees shall be composed of the following membership: (1) Two ex officio members: the Chairman of the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction or their designees; (2) Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon th…

(a) There is established the North Carolina Teacher Corps (NC Teacher Corps) to recruit and place recent graduates of colleges and universities and mid-career professionals as teachers in high needs public schools. (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board …

(a) Adjunct Hiring Criteria for Faculty Members. - The State Board of Education shall develop minimum criteria of relevant education or employment experience for an individual who is currently employed at an institution of higher education as a faculty member to qualify that indi…

(a) Teachers shall be elected by the local boards of education upon the recommendation of the superintendent. (b) No person otherwise qualified shall be denied the right to receive credentials from the State Board of Education, to receive training for the purpose of becoming a te…

(a) Definitions. - As used in this section, the following definitions apply: (1) Hard-to-staff school. - Any school identified as low-performing, as provided in G.S. 115C-105.37. (2) Hard-to-staff subject area. - A subject area that is either of the following: a. As defined by th…

Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, access to information gathered and public records made pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter must be in conformity with the requirements of Chapter 132 of the General Statutes. (1981, c. 423, s. 1.)

Local boards of education are authorized to provide for the professional growth of teachers while in service and to pass rules and regulations requiring teachers to cooperate with their superintendent for the improvement of instruction in the classroom and for promoting community…

(a) Induction Program. - The State Board of Education shall develop a new teacher induction program to provide ongoing support for teachers entering the profession. (b) New Teacher Guidelines. - For the purpose of helping local boards to support new teachers, the State Board shal…

(a) Request for Funds. - The State Board of Education, based upon the reports of local boards of education and such other information as the State Board may require from local boards, shall determine for each local school administrative unit the number of teachers and other instr…

All full-time assigned classroom teachers shall be provided duty-free instructional planning time during regular student contact hours. The duty-free instructional planning time shall be provided to the maximum extent that (i) the safety and proper supervision of children may all…

(a) Prompt Payment. - Teachers shall be paid promptly when their salaries are due provided the legal requirements for their employment and service have been met. All teachers employed by any local school administrative unit who are to be paid from local funds shall be paid prompt…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, only the following teachers and instructional support personnel shall be paid on the "M" salary schedule or receive a salary supplement for academic preparation at the six-year degree level or at the doctoral degree level: (1) Certified…

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish rules for awarding credit for salary purposes to principals, assistant principals, and teachers, who (i) served in the Armed Forces of the United States; (ii) have retired or who have received an Honorable Discharge; and (iii) have…

(a) For purposes of this section, a "highly qualified graduate" or "graduate" is an individual entering the teaching profession who has graduated from an approved educator preparation program located in North Carolina who has both of the following: (1) A grade point average of 3.…

(a) Definitions. - For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) Eligible employee. - A person who meets all of the following criteria: a. Accepts employment as a teacher with an eligible employer. b. Was not employed by the eligible employer identified…

(a) No teacher shall be placed on the payroll of a local school administrative unit unless he holds a certificate as required by law, and unless a copy of the teacher's contract has been filed with the superintendent. No teacher may be paid more than he is due under the local sch…

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a program to publicly recognize individuals who have engaged in at least 40 years of licensed teaching in North Carolina. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year and annually thereafter, the program shall include public reco…

(a) To Maintain Order and Discipline. - It shall be the duty of all teachers, including student teachers, substitute teachers, voluntary teachers, and teacher assistants when given authority over some part of the school program by the principal or supervising teacher, to maintain…

The conduct of teachers, the kind of reports they shall make, and their duties in the care of school property are subject to the rules and regulations of the local board, as provided in G.S. 115C-47(18). (1981, c. 423, s. 1.) §

The State Board of Education shall establish a program to develop advanced teaching roles and organizational models that link teacher performance and professional growth to salary increases for classroom teachers in selected local school administrative units. The purpose of the A…

(a) Term. - Any funds awarded to an ATR unit pursuant to this section shall be subject to availability and awarded for a term of up to three years, in the discretion of the State Board of Education. An ATR unit shall not be eligible to receive funding for more than two terms. The…

(a) ATR units may designate up to fifteen percent (15%) of the teachers in each ATR school as adult leadership teachers and five percent (5%) of the teachers in each ATR school as classroom excellence teachers. To the extent funds are made available for the purpose, teachers serv…

(a) [Evaluation. -] The State Board of Education shall evaluate how the advanced teaching roles program and new compensation plans have accomplished, at a minimum, the following: (1) Improvement in the quality of classroom instruction and increases in school-wide growth or the gr…

The following definitions apply to this Article: (1) Adult leadership teacher. - An ATR team lead who meets the following criteria: a. Works in the classroom providing instruction for at least thirty percent (30%) of the instructional day. b. Leads a team of between three and eig…