North Carolina State University announced that the U.S. government terminated the visas of two of its international students without notifying the school directly.

The two students, whose identities and countries of origin were not disclosed, had their student visas revoked by the government on March 25, according to the Office of International Services. The news was .

The university was not "directly notified" that the students' Student Exchange and Visitor Program records had been terminated.

"We are deeply concerned about the lack of communication from federal agencies and the impact of these actions on our international students," the Office of International Services said in the announcement. "We are committed to assisting these two students in any way we can, including completing the semester from abroad."

The students returned to their home countries after losing their visas, consulting with their embassies and immigration attorneys, the university said.

Student visa programs grant international students legal status to live and work temporarily in the U.S. while completing studies.

Trump Administration cracks down on pro-Palestine students

The university did not state why the student visas were revoked.

The news, however, comes as President Donald Trump's administration cracks down on international students for allegedly protesting or expressing views sympathetic to Palestine in the Israel-Hamas War.

The Trump Administration has accused those students of supporting terrorism for expressing these views or participating in any protests.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last week that the State Department had of people who allegedly expressed support for Palestine in protests or on social media.

NC State declined to answer questions from ĽŞ˛ĘÍřÍřŐľ.

Student's roommate speaks out

One the two students was identified as Saleh Al Gurad, a male international student from Saudi Arabia, the Technician reported.

Al Gurad is a graduate engineering student at NC State.

Philip Vasto, a fourth-year chemical engineering student at NC State, identified himself as Al Gurad's roommate in a published by the Technician.

Vasto said Al-Gurad, who went by "Sal," did not know why his visa was terminated and that he was not contacted by the federal government. The second student, who was unnamed, is also from Saudi Arabia, he said.

"No one should be deported for free speech, but in the case of Sal, he was a lowkey individual who never attended any protests or wrote about this issue on social media," Vasto wrote. "He minded his business and studied, yet he was targeted for no other reason than that he is an Arab national."

The two students voluntarily left to avoid being susceptible to an arrest from immigration enforcement, according to Vasto. They may seek to appeal their visa terminations from Saudi Arabia.

The latest cuts to federal funding for public schools are hitting four of the poorest school districts in North Carolina, and more funding losses could soon be coming for other schools in low-income communities.

State Superintendent Mo Green announced Thursday that late last week he received a notifying him that "stabilization grants" to some school districts were immediately canceled.

Green said the letter ended a deadline extension that the Biden administration had given schools to finish spending down these pandemic-era grants on building repairs that were still underway.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction confirmed those grants were being used for school construction projects at these districts:

• $14.6 million to Robeson County Schools
  
• $1.3 million to Richmond County Schools
  
• $886,000 to Halifax County Schools
  
• $252,000 to Lenoir County Schools

A department spokesman said the districts had faced some supply chain issues that had slowed down projects to replace windows, faulty HVAC units and other projects.

Green and the State Board of Education approved a today urging McMahon to "reconsider this harmful decision" and honor the previously approved extensions.

The four affected school districts are in counties that are designated by the state with , placing them among the poorest counties in the state.

Latest Trump administration announcement targets thousands of NC schools in low-income communities

Meanwhile, McMahon sent another letter today to state education officials nationwide threatening to end Title 1 funding for schools in low-income communities unless they end any diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

There are 1,669 North Carolina public schools eligible for Title 1 federal funding based on the high percentage of low-income students served by the school. That's based on a from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The figure includes both charter schools and traditional public schools.

Green has not yet released a public statement responding to this latest announcement from the U.S. Department of Education.

In another recent statement, Green said North Carolina schools receive more than $1 billion in federal funding, and those funds help pay the salaries of more than 14,000 North Carolina educators.

The State Board of Education heard a major update on teacher turnover this week. The annual "" seeks to quantify how many North Carolina teachers have left the profession, and how many schools have on-going vacancies.

Teacher turnover is improving...

First, the good news: teacher turnover is improving after hitting a long-term peak last year. This school year, the rate of North Carolina teachers leaving the profession fell, although it's still higher than it was before the pandemic.

The draft report released Wednesday is based on data collected between March 2023 and March 2024. In that time, about 9.9% of North Carolina teachers left the profession, including retirements. That compares to 11.5% of teachers who left the profession last year and 7.8% the year before that.

...but overall teacher vacancies hit a new high.

The bad news: the number of vacancies for teaching positions across the state rose for the third year in a row.

Once the fall 2024 semester was well underway, North Carolina's instructional vacancies hit a high of 7,141 vacancies. The Department of Public Instruction took that count on the 40th day of school. It includes nearly 3,000 vacancies in the core classes of math, English, science and social studies.

The official count of teaching vacancies is higher than what the North Carolina School Superintendents' Association reported last fall, based on self-reports from school districts. The Association's report also tallied non-teaching vacancies.

The official vacancy count includes classrooms that do have a teacher, but one who is not fully licensed.

"Everyone wants a fully licensed teacher in every classroom in the state of North Carolina, so the current vacancy rate tells us how far we are from that," said Tom Tomberlin, the Department of Public Instruction's Senior Director of Educator Preparation and Licensure.

In the last few years, the state started counting long-term substitutes and teachers who don't have enough college credits to pursue a long-term North Carolina teaching license as a vacancy. That means the last three years of data can't be fairly compared to the lower vacancy rates clocked in before 2021.

Fewer teachers come to the profession via a traditional route, with a degree and classroom experience

Tomberlin presented data that showed how there are now far fewer first-year teachers who have a bachelor's degree in education and student teaching experience compared to five or six years ago.

Traditionally licensed teachers used to make up more than a third of newly hired teachers in North Carolina. Last school year, they made up about a quarter of new teachers.

As teachers with traditional training decline, they're being replaced by teachers who are taking an alternative path to teaching, making a career change, or being hired from other countries. Last year, nearly 9% of newly hired teachers in North Carolina schools were international teachers on time-limited contracts.

Teachers who don't take a traditional path to the classroom are also statistically less likely to stay in the profession.

"As we see the pipeline changing dramatically, are we being responsive to the needs of that differing population of teachers?" Tomberlin asked.

State Board member J. Wendell Hall, a former interim superintendent of several districts in northeastern North Carolina, said he doesn't think there's any surprise as to why teachers leave.

"It's simple to me, teachers stay in environments where they feel supported, that they feel honored, and where they feel their voice is heard," Hall said.

The North Carolina State Board of Education members said Wednesday that they still have reservations about a state pilot program that gives grants to a company that uses a video game to teach kids science, technology, engineering and math concepts.

Plasma Games develops a science-fiction-themed video game to teach students concepts like chemistry. Since 2021, the General Assembly has allotted more than $7 million for grants that schools could use to access the game and other STEM-based resources. As ĽŞ˛ĘÍřÍřŐľ has reported, the program was created in the state budget process — not as a standalone law — and the company never bid for a state contract.

But annual reports from the Department of Public Instruction have questioned the program’s efficacy and whether schools are using it. The found that there were more school districts that chose not to reapply for the grant this year than there were new districts applying for it. There have been 21 school districts using the platform in the 2024-25 school year, down from 29 last school year.

“I think the number of districts that are not reapplying should signal to us that there’s something going on around how we ensure, or do what we can at this level, that the use of these funds is actually making a difference — or just saying it’s not,” board member Catty Moore said.

The report also found only 64% of the anticipated students were using the program, and that the total funding requests since 2022 were nearly $1.8 million less than what was allocated.

“I think in past occasions, this board has expressed reservations that this is not an effective program for our students and that perhaps we could put these valuable resources to some different uses,” board member Alan Duncan said. “That’s been said more than once from this table.”

Anecdotal feedback in the report showed teachers believed the game increased student engagement and that the program was easy to learn. But they were unable to link the program to any specific academic outcomes, and some reported finding it difficult to figure out how to best ensure the program aligned with course standards.

In an emailed statement to WFAE, Plasma Games CEO Hunter Moore said the company was encouraged by the percentage of students using the platform and argued usage was likely higher, with educators often using printable resources and working with Plasma Games on services outside the scope of the grant program. Those services, Moore argued, wouldn’t be reflected in state data.

He also cited two studies through and that found usage of the program resulted in increases in STEM knowledge and awareness of STEM-related careers.

“At Plasma Games, our mission is to empower teachers and inspire students through relevant and engaging science learning,” Moore said. “We’re committed to supporting districts year-round with ongoing professional development and tailored assistance, always striving to make teachers’ work easier and to elevate the important role they play.”

Past news reports have pointed to Plasma Games' ties to the North Carolina Republican Party, which controls the General Assembly. ĽŞ˛ĘÍřÍřŐľ reported last year that Moore donated more than $40,000 to the North Carolina GOP and the North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus around the same time Plasma received state funding. And the News & Observer the wife of state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby has been listed as an investor.

The company has previously denied any impropriety, and Moore previously told ĽŞ˛ĘÍřÍřŐľ, “Any donations that I have made have nothing to do with our business.”

As the popularity of AI grows, many North Carolina institutions are finding ways to keep students on top of this new technology. Since 2020, programs like Duke University’s Master’s in Engineering in Artificial Intelligence and North Carolina State University’s AI Academy have been on the rise.

But, more recently, three colleges and universities across central N.C. are founding unique programs for their institutions.

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

N.C. A&T is still on track to launch its , the first of its kind in the state. They announced the program last year and will accept the first cohort of students this fall.

Clayton Clark, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with N.C. A&T's College of Engineering, said the program will help students get ahead on emerging technology.

"I believe AI is going to be similar to what sustainability was 15 to 20 years ago,” Clark told ĽŞ˛ĘÍřÍřŐľ. “There was a big pushback then for sustainability to be a standalone and everyone was bringing that in. But, now sustainability is a tool in every track, every application, every research. I think AI is going to be the same thing.”

The degree will work as a partnership between the College of Engineering and the College of Science and Technology. Each will offer a track — design and development, or technical application, respectively — that students can specialize in. Clark said internships will also be built into the curriculum.

“I would say for all those students who are looking to be on the forefront of innovation, and not only computer engineering, computer science, information technology, but anything that may grow and grow with technological boundaries as we go into this next generation, this will be the perfect support in the foundation for everything you want to do in your future,” he said.

Clark estimated up to 150 students have already enrolled in the degree program.

North Carolina Central University

Last year, N.C. Central University received a from Google.org, the charitable arm of Google. The school is using it to launch the . According to NCCU, it’s the first program of its kind among HBCUs.

"A lot of what we're trying to do with this grant, it's a two-year grant, is we're trying to impact 200 students over the course of two years, and we're going to do that through curriculum, through workshops, seminars, mentorship and research,” said Siobahn Day Grady, the institute’s director.

Grady said the idea for the institute came through work she was already doing through NCCU’s School of Library Information Sciences. However, the institute gives her the chance to engage with the entire campus and the community.

“Our institute is public facing, meaning that we have other people who are also watching the work that we're doing, which is exciting, because a lot of what the grant was written about also is to position NCCU as a national leader in AI,” she said.

The institute won't open until the summer, but Grady said they're already holding a seminar series with industry leaders, like Open AI, Anthropic, and FICO. There are also multiple research opportunities open for students and faculty alike. Their , for example, provides a funding source for faculty who want to research AI.

“As I continue to look for other funding for the sustainability of this institute, I'm hoping that even though everyone is not a technologist or a computer scientist, that they too will see the benefits, and these tools and technologies help them advance their careers, and that they can be leaders in this space,” Grady said.

Wake Technical Community College

While Wake Tech already offers a handful of courses in AI, they’re hoping to guide AI practices across the institution.

Ryan Schwiebert, the college's VP of Information Technology and the Chief Information Officer, said that desire inspired their new threaded AI council.

“We have focused on bringing a group of people together who are interested and can advocate for the use of AI across the institution and in our service area, but that they would also help us with training, that they would help ensure that we're properly governing the use of AI tools and ensuring a successful implementation” Schwiebert said.

Alongside the council, which is made up of volunteers, Wake Tech has put together a steering committee that offers more official .

As for educational opportunities, Schwiebert said Wake Tech wants students to learn about AI in an everyday way, through subjects they're already taking.

“The strategy has been to get the faculty interested in not only using it for themselves, but also teaching it in their courses,” he said. “There's also a lot of value in teaching AI in conjunction with the subject matter that already exists. So within an English class, or within a programming class, incorporating AI into that, because I think pretty strongly that we're not going to really see jobs replaced by AI, but they will be changed by AI. And so allowing our students to understand that a little bit more and then utilize that, that should help them be more competitive in the job market and in employment.”

Wake Tech’s council is in earlier stages than N.C. A&T’s and NCCU’s programs. But, Schwiebert said the council has a lot of potential — from developing a training program for personnel using AI, to helping identify AI initiatives the college could involve itself in, to exploring how AI could aid student resources, like tutoring.

“I think the best thing to do with AI is probably to not stick your head in the sand and ignore it,” he said. “I would recommend highly that you at least try some things out. Nothing's going to be perfect out of the gate, and just be sure that you set some parameters out and see what you could do with it.”

North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger has co-sponsored to give public schools more flexibility in setting their academic calendars.

The state's restriction on school calendars has long been a bone of contention pitting state lawmakers and the tourism industry against school boards and families, regardless of their political persuasion.

Berger told reporters this week that he sees the bill as a compromise that would also create better enforcement measures to reign in school boards that have intentionally broken the law in recent years.

Related story: 25% of NC public school boards have voted to defy the state calendar law

"I think it represents a significant compromise on the part of the travel and tourism folks," Berger said. "It is a bill that should address what I understand is the excuse that we hear from the schools: that they want to align with community colleges, they want to do (final) exams before Christmas break."

Current state law requires schools to start in late August, specifically no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26. That pushes the fall semester well past students' winter breaks and the spring semester into June. School board members across the political spectrum often complain that the law inconveniences students and families.

Senate Bill 754 would let districts start school up to a week earlier than current law allows, by pushing the earliest date for the first day of school to the Monday closest to Aug. 19. It would also allow districts to end the Friday before Memorial Day. School boards would have an option to change their calendar or abide by the current guidelines.

The bill also comes with teeth — it would require the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to investigate school districts that disobey the law and withhold funding for the district's central office. Plus, the bill would authorize any North Carolina resident or business owner to sue their local school board if a district is in violation.

Democrats started the school calendar controversy. After decades defending the law, could Republicans "put it to rest"?

The current school calendar law was passed in 2004 by Democratic lawmakers — when they held the majority in the North Carolina General Assembly — with the intent of supporting the state's tourism industry. Businesses that cater to summer tourists argue the law helps North Carolina families engage in summer tourism as either consumers or workers.

Ever since Republicans gained control of the state legislature in 2011, their leadership has also maintained the law, despite less powerful lawmakers perpetually filing bills to change it.

Last year, , but only two — and Carteret County Schools — have faced lawsuits in recent years.

Berger said Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, Randolph, had conversations with tourism stakeholders and the North Carolina School Boards Association while drafting the bill. NCSBA said it is currently reviewing the bill and reaching out to its members for feedback.

Berger's support signals that adjusting the law is now a priority for the Republican majority.

"I'm hopeful that we can just put this to rest," Berger said.

Durham Public School employees held a rally Tuesday night to once again call for a formal policy to meet regularly with school administrators.

After the rally, Superintendent Anthony Lewis took up an invitation by the Durham Association of Educators (DAE) to meet their representatives in public to discuss their . Lewis made an appearance and gave a speech, but did not make any concessions.

Why "meet-and-confer" matters to NC educators who can't bargain contracts

DAE has been advocating for more than a year for a "meet-and-confer" policy at protests, school board meetings, and in closed sessions with administrators. Meet-and-confer is an established practice in settings where unions do not have legal protections to collectively bargain.

Since North Carolina law bars public sector workers from negotiating contracts, educators say this policy is the closest they can come to having a "seat at the table" with their employer.

Related story: In 1959, NC banned public workers from bargaining contracts — what it means for teachers today

The Asheville City Schools' Association of Educators just last week claimed a historic win in its fight for a similar agreement with its district. DAE says its proposed policy would be even stronger because it would be written into its school board's long-term policy manual and not depend on any single superintendent's cooperation.

DAE, which calls itself a union, counts more than half of Durham Public Schools' employees as members. The association has rapidly gained membership in the past year, spurred by employee frustrations over a pay debacle in early 2024, plus continued concerns about the district's ability to staff school buses and offer a salary boost to all employees with a relevant master's degree.

DAE and Superintendent Lewis still in a deadlock over policy

The main sticking point between the DAE and Lewis is that the superintendent wants to include other DPS employees that he invites into the meet-and-confer process, regardless if those employees are affiliated with DAE.

According to DPS spokeswoman Crystal Roberts, Lewis proposes inviting:

• Five district-level administrators
• Three principals from the elementary, middle and high school level
• Five other managers that the superintendent would pick based on the topic of the meeting

When Durham Public Schools closed schools several days in 2024 due to staff "sickouts" only a few days were formally called by DAE. Other school closures were due to a smaller group of transportation managers not showing up to work, which effectively halted busing for students and forced administrators to call off school.

"Our goal, which differs from DAE, is to adopt a policy that serves the entire Durham Public Schools employee community in the most inclusive, efficient, and effective way possible so that we can, in turn, serve our students," Lewis told DAE members Tuesday in a prepared speech.

DAE wants exclusive meetings between their 13 elected members and district administrators, with a public comment period to allow employees who are not members to voice their opinions.

DAE leaders have called Lewis's consistent proposal to bring non-DAE members into the meet-and-confer policy a common "union-busting" tactic, and have accused him of using it to pit employees against each other.

"It is not anti-union or union busting, but rather pro-worker in the broader sense, ensuring all worker voices are heard and respected," Lewis said in his speech.

Lewis also raised concerns that the district could be penalized by state lawmakers for having meetings with DAE.

"Eyes are on Durham and we don't want to do anything that could potentially jeopardize our funding," Lewis said. "So the reality is this: negotiation with unions are illegal in North Carolina."

The statement was met with boos from the crowd of hundred of DAE members. DAE's attorney would be legal in North Carolina.

Lewis concluded by saying he would respond to DAE this week with proposed dates to meet again.

School board members voice their support for DAE's proposal

Yesterday, three school board members — Jessica Carda Auten, Emily Chávez, and Joy Harrell Goff — publicly gave their support for DAE's proposed policy.

The decision to establish a meet-and-confer policy ultimately lies with the school board and not the superintendent. A majority vote by the school board could pass the policy, but that would require one more vote.

"One more vote! One more vote!" educators chanted at the conclusion of their rally.

The issue is not currently on the school board's upcoming agenda for Thursday, although board members could choose to add it to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting.

A committee of the Wake County Public Schools Board of Education approved a draft policy on Tuesday that would limit student cell phone use during the school day. The discussion comes as lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly are working on a possible statewide ban.

Wake County began working on the policy last year. Administrators and board members pointed to a patchwork of rules and policies across the district, with some schools placing more restrictions on phone use than others.

"Just going through individual school websites, you could find some policies were very general and some were very specific," board chair Chris Heagerty said at an October meeting. "In some cases, there's justification for it. In other cases, it was, well, 'let me just look and see what another school is doing.'"

The district solicited feedback from students, families, and educators as it drafted the new policy. students admitted feeling distracted by social media feeds and notifications. Others said they felt disconnected from family and friends if they weren't able to check their phones. Teachers emphasized the need for consistent policies and consequences for possible violations.

, all students would be required to turn off their phones or keep them in airplane mode during the school day. There are exceptions. For example, students on Individualized Education Plans or Individualized Health Plans could keep their devices on. Phone use would also be allowed for "instructional purposes" with a teacher's permission. Students could also turn on their phones in a "sudden emergency" like a lockdown or active shooter situation. High school principals would have leeway to permit students to use their phones during lunch, breaks, or classroom transitions. School administrators would also have the power to regulate if students can use their phones on buses.

For students who violate the policy, administrators would have the power to temporarily confiscate devices. The policy also lays out parameters for when school staff could search a student's phone.

The full board will vote on the policy at its April 22 meeting. Meanwhile, with similar exceptions to the Wake County policy. The Senate approved the bill earlier this month and it passed its first reading in the House this week.

North Carolina State University has a new initiative aimed at helping Spanish-speaking foreign workers in agricultural entry-level jobs advance to supervisory roles. This $500,000 project was funded through . According to the university, Spanish-speaking foreign workers make up about 85% of the state's pig barns and pork processing plants. But, they often lack the managerial skills to coach and train other workers.

N.C. State associate professor Eduardo Beltranena, the lead of the project, said the program will be a one-day workshop for the workers.

"They will deal with things like emotional intelligence or how they can understand the needs of workers below them," he said.

Beltranena said they will also learn about communication skills and scheduling. The workshop will be taught to workers in Spanish by interns from N.C. State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Many of the Spanish-speaking foreign workers expected to attend the workshop will be from Sampson, Duplin, and Wayne counties.

Meanwhile, Beltrenena said it's difficult to predict how federal policies may affect the hiring of foreign workers. But, he remains hopeful that the workshop will help.

"So, we think that retaining employees by empowering them will be key to success," Beltrenena said.

While they're still developing the course, the one-day workshop is expected to happen later this year in September and will include a follow-up session. Beltrenena said he hopes to expand it to other states in the future.

Boards of education and other public school leaders would need to craft bills banning the use of most hemp products on school grounds under a bill that is moving in the N.C. House of Representatives.

If it becomes law, would require local school leaders to adopt policies banning the use of most products containing any hemp-based compounds on school grounds. The policies would need to be in effect at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

The ban would apply to products containing 15 specific compounds derived from hemp. Those include CBD oil and products containing both delta-8 and delta-9 THC.

“Despite being considered less potent than Delta-9, both substances can still have negative effects particularly for minors and pose potential health risks like impaired cognitive function and judgment,” Rep. Carla Cunningham, a Charlotte Democrat, said during Tuesday’s committee meeting.

Cunningham is one of the bill’s primary sponsors, along with three House Republicans.

THC is what causes people smoking or ingesting marijuana to feel high. Delta-8 and delta-9 are different forms of it, with delta-9 more potent and in plants.

If a plant contains more than 0.3% of delta-9, it is considered marijuana and is illegal to possess in North Carolina. Below that threshold, the plant is considered hemp and is legal.

A laboratory test is necessary to determine delta-9 levels.

Neither North Carolina nor the federal government have an age restriction on the possession, purchase or use of hemp products.

“Presently, there is very little government oversight of hemp products in North Carolina. In addition to not requiring proof of age to purchase or possess the products, there is no requirement for a vendor to hold a special license or registration to sell hemp in North Carolina. Nor is there any standardized quality control,” Phil Dixon, a UNC School of Government associate professor who works with public defenders, .

Sale of hemp-derived consumable products in the state started to boom after the approval of the federal government's 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp.

Often, the packaging on those products is designed to look like regular snacks or drinks. The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to one Raleigh hemp shop warning that its Stoney Patch THC watermelon gummies and Stoneo Delta-8 THC Oreos to snack foods commonly eaten by children, NC Health News reported.

The FDA has warned that it has not evaluated or approved Delta-8 for safe use and that the synthetic process some manufacturers use to manufacture the compound could involve the use of unsafe chemicals. Delta-8 products should be , the agency said.

House Bill 328 also clarifies that the prohibition of tobacco on school grounds extends to all vaping products. Cunningham described how, in late 2023, Raleigh's Leesville Road High School needed to close half of its bathrooms after vaping incidents caused recurring fire alarms, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reported 758 documented uses of a vaping device on school grounds during the 2023-24 school year.

School boards are each addressing vaping in different ways, Cunningham said.

"What we're trying to do here is to put something in place that would be unified, that all school boards and school districts would have available to them as a tool," Cunningham said.

After the Health Committee approved the bill, it will head to the K-12 Education and then Rules committees. From there, it will head to a vote of the full House and would then begin its path through the Senate.

A similar bill in the Senate, the Protecting Our Community Act, includes the ban on consumable hemp-derived products in schools but would also to establish that the people to whom they are selling hemp products are at least 21 years old. It would also make it illegal for people under 21 to purchase or possess consumable hemp products.