Ann Doss Helms
Ann Doss Helms covers education for WFAE. She was a reporter for The Charlotte Observer for 32 years, including 16 years on the education beat. She has repeatedly won first place in education reporting from the North Carolina Press Association and won the 2015 Associated Press Senator Sam Open Government Award for reporting on charter school salaries.
She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a master's in liberal arts from Winthrop University.
-
North and South Carolina are among 26 states with an OSHA workplace safety plan that could require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees of public school districts. State officials are awaiting details. -
Four days after opening schools with face coverings optional, Mooresville's superintendent announced masks will be mandatory as of Friday morning. He said the district has quarantined more than 80 students already and says universal masking will keep more kids in school. -
With COVID-19 cases rising and the statewide opening of schools getting close, one North Carolina Board of Education member questioned whether it’s wise to let school districts opt out of requiring masks in classrooms. -
On Thursday, the North Carolina Board of Education narrowly approved guidance on teaching history and civics in public schools. The latest documents include details on how to incorporate new perspectives on racism and multiculturalism. -
North Carolina health officials are working on streamlined rules for COVID-19 safety in schools, saying some requirements will be eliminated amid lower risk. But the mask mandate was described as the best way to control spread in schools. -
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has drawn fire from two top Republicans, Senate leader Phil Berger and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, over the superintendent's decision to pay anti-racism author Ibram X. Kendi to speak to district leaders. It's the lastest flare-up in a national battle over critical race theory and how to talk about racism. -
School districts across North Carolina are scrambling to find teachers willing to take on six more weeks during the summer. -
With in-person classes looking likely for next school year, the question of whether masks are required in schools is shaping up to be the next COVID-19 pressure point. -
A new national coalition that includes some of North Carolina’s largest school districts says integrating public schools offers a divided nation hope for racial equity and equal opportunity. For Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, a 2022 student assignment review will provide a chance to try new diversity strategies. -
For some North Carolina students with disabilities, getting a high school diploma requires work experience. But the pandemic is pushing educators and students to get creative about that.
