Need to know: COVID-19
- As of Friday, November 6, there were 288,569 confirmed cases. See cases by county here.
- NC reported highest ever number of daily new cases on Friday, Nov. 6 at 2,908.
- The share of positive tests as a percentage of total tests is 6.9%.
Election 2020
Well, I said last week that we may not know the winner of the 2020 presidential election by the time this newsletter goes out today. That remains true for North Carolina’s presidential and U.S. Senate results, which we likely will not know for certain until final absentee and provisional ballots are counted Nov. 13. As of this writing, Joe Biden is leading in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, but there are still ballots to be counted.
We do know that Gov. Cooper gets four more years, Mark Robinson will be the next lieutenant governor, the Republicans have maintained control of the General Assembly, and Catherine Truitt will be our next state superintendent of education. For the races most important for the state’s education systems, see this county-by-county breakdown of results, including county commissioners and school board.
The other 49
While K-12 and community college education measures on the ballot this election had a few wins (Arizona approved a tax on the state’s highest earners to fund educator salary increases), they also suffered defeat (California’s rejection of a measure that would have generated additional funding for K-12 schools and community colleges). One education issue, however, did well in states and cities across the country this election: expanding access to pre-K.
- Colorado overwhelmingly voted to approve Proposition EE, a nicotine tax to fund universal free preschool for 4-year-olds statewide.
- The county home to the city of Portland, Oregon approved an income tax on the top 10% of earners to fund 7,000 free pre-K seats.
- Voters in San Antonio approved the continuation of the city’s pre-K program.
- St. Louis voters approved a property tax increase to generate 2.3 million per year to improve early childhood learning centers.
Join us for a conversation with Paul Tough
Is postsecondary education the powerful engine of American social mobility it once was? How can community colleges help people improve their lives and gain meaningful, family-sustaining employment?
Join us on Tuesday, November 10 from 9:30-10:45 a.m. for a conversation with best-selling author Paul Tough on his latest book, The Years that Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us.
What we're reading
Map | Unofficial 2020 election results by county
See a county-by-county breakdown of votes for president, governor, state superintendent, county commissioners, and school board in this map from EdNC's Analisa Sorrells.... Read the rest-
Remote education is rife with threats to student privacy
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Artificial intelligence model detects asymptomatic Covid-19 infections through cellphone-recorded coughs
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After Historic Early Voting Surge, Fewer Hiccups on Election Day
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The alarming rise in for-profit college enrollment
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Duke study finds high PFAS levels in Pittsboro residents’ blood
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Looking at E-Cigarette Usage in North Carolina
