North Carolina’s Massive Investment – Training as a Foundation for Change

North Carolina is undertaking one of the most ambitious teacher training projects in American history. By investing over $90 million to train nearly every elementary educator in the state, they are making a profound statement: teacher expertise is the non-negotiable foundation of literacy. For neurodivergent families, this represents a seismic shift in the potential for your child to be understood and taught effectively in the general education classroom.

The Law: The Excellent Public Schools Act (2021, updated 2023) While containing many standard components (curriculum support, early screening), the centerpiece is:

• The LETRS Mandate: Requires all K-5 teachers, principals, and reading specialists—approximately 45,000 educators—to complete the two-volume LETRS training. The state is covering the cost and release time.

• DPI Literacy Support: Charges the Department of Public Instruction with providing intensive support to districts in implementing the law.

Implementation: The Logistics of Hope Rolling out LETRS to 45,000 educators is a monumental task of scheduling, funding, and support. The state is doing this in cohorts over several years. The goal is to create a common knowledge base across all 115 districts, so a child moving from one school to another doesn’t fall into an instructional gap.

Results & Our Neurodivergent Lens

Key Improvement	What It Means for Neurodivergent Families
Largest LETRS training initiative in the U.S.	Changing the ecosystem. When most teachers in a school understand the structure of language, your dyslexic child is less likely to be misunderstood as “lazy” or “not trying.” They are more likely to be correctly identified and given appropriate strategies.
2023 state test scores showed the first uptick in 3rd-grade reading since the pandemic.	Early green shoots. This indicates the massive investment is beginning to bear fruit. It suggests that improved teacher knowledge is translating to improved student performance.
Creating a common statewide language.	Empowers parent advocacy. You can now reasonably expect that educators across the state understand terms like “phonological processing,” “orthographic mapping,” and “structured literacy.” This shared vocabulary makes you a more powerful partner in your child’s education.

The Neuro Navigation Takeaway: North Carolina’s approach recognizes that a new curriculum alone is not enough. The interpreter of the curriculum—the teacher—must be deeply knowledgeable. This is the single most promising aspect for neurodivergent learners. A teacher who understands how reading is learned can adapt and differentiate within a strong curriculum to meet diverse needs.

What’s Missing & Our Call to Action: Knowledge does not automatically equal application or accommodation.

• The Risk: A teacher may know the Science of Reading but not know how to apply it within an IEP framework or how to provide appropriate accommodations (like extended time, speech-to-text) for a student with an ADHD or dyslexia diagnosis.

• Our Advocacy: Partner with your newly trained teachers! Approach them as allies. You could say: “I know you’ve been training in LETRS. My child’s dyslexia means he especially benefits from the structured, cumulative approach you’re learning. How can we work together to ensure his IEP goals and accommodations align with those in the classroom?” Bridge the gap between their new knowledge and your child’s specific legal and learning needs.

North Carolina is building an army of knowledgeable educators. Let’s equip them to be champions for every neurodivergent mind in their care.