The Cumberland County Board committees on Dec. 2 approved several policy updates and a major professional learning purchase order.

Policy committee members voted to add language required by E-rate regulations to the districts technology responsible-use policy, including references addressing Wi-Fi hotspots and firewall protections for student data. The committee also approved revisions to the Internet safety policy (statutory references and blocking of sites that seek student personal information), an update to the military-connected students policy to explicitly include Space Force as a covered service branch, and a state-required update to concussion and head-injury policy to extend athletic-trainer or first-responder presence to wrestling matches and tournaments.

In curricula committee business, academics requested approval of a purchase order with the New Teacher Center for job-embedded professional learning and coaching aimed at improving instruction in 27 schools the district identified as low-performing. The presentation said the contract would provide customized, school-level coaching, monthly in-person support for leadership teams, quarterly data analysis, and summer planning time. "The total cost for this is $1,032,450," the presenter said, noting the work would be tailored to each school's needs and intended to build internal capacity by having district curriculum specialists shadow external coaches.

Board members asked about evidence of the New Teacher Centers effectiveness, whether teachers would be removed from classrooms, and how the purchase would align with existing district coaching. Academics staff said the model is job-embedded (coaches work in classrooms and PLCs rather than pulling teachers out) and pointed to annual reports and use by other large North Carolina districts as evidence of results. The board approved the CTE equipment purchases and the New Teacher Center agreement by motion and second.

Next steps: contract execution and integration of the New Teacher Center program into school-level coaching calendars; the district said it will report back on implementation and outcomes as part of routine academic monitoring.