The NC Chamber is continuing to lead the charge at the General Assembly this week to maintain North Carolina’s current, high-quality K-12 education standards. We remain opposed to the passage of House Bill 657, a bill that would lower high school math standards and derail the smart process already put into motion to further improve the state’s strong academic standards.

Because North Carolina’s business community needs a diverse, adaptable talent pool in order to fill the jobs of the modern workforce, and because ensuring today’s students have the skills they need to thrive in modern jobs is key to supporting that pool of talent, the NC Chamber refers to our state’s current set of smart academic standards as “HIRE Standards.” House Bill 657 is an impediment to our HIRE Standards.

The bill is currently in a conference committee made up of members from both the House and Senate. The NC Chamber is continuing to work with our education partners to reach out to conferees and other legislators to discuss its potential impacts on education and job growth. We hope you will encourage concerned educators in your network to make their legislators aware of their concerns about this issue.

If you have questions or would like additional details on this bill, please email Meaghan Lewis or call (919) 836-1416.

Gary J. Salamido
Vice President, Government Affairs
North Carolina Chamber