To our North Carolina community, 

As we navigate the challenging aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Legal Aid of North Carolina stands united with our neighbors in this time of need. We understand that the impact of this storm has been devastating, particularly in Western North Carolina, where many of us as well as our friends and families are experiencing significant loss. Our hearts are heavy for those affected, including our staff and local offices who are also feeling the effects of this disaster. Together, we share in the grief and uncertainty, and we are committed to being here for you as we all work towards recovery. 

Legal Aid of North Carolina and our Disaster Relief Project are ready to assist individuals and families across North Carolina. Our services will focus on several key areas of support: 

• FEMA Applications and Appeals: We are here to assist those affected by disasters in navigating the process of applying for FEMA disaster benefits. Our team will stand by your side throughout any necessary appeals. Understanding the legal processes and required documents for eligibility—whether for temporary housing, loans for repairs, or other essential needs—can be challenging at any time, but it is especially difficult during an immediate crisis. 

• Long-Term Support for Homeowners and Renters: Whether you’re a homeowner facing property damage or a renter dealing with displacement, our team is here to provide ongoing legal support as you work to rebuild and recover. 

• Assistance for Long-Term Recovery Groups: Recovery after a disaster requires coordinated community efforts. Legal Aid of North Carolina is dedicated to supporting long-term recovery groups by guiding them in forming 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and providing general legal support to help navigate the complex disaster relief landscape. 

• Fraud Support: In times of crisis, there are those who seek to exploit vulnerable communities. We will stand with victims of fraud, helping them navigate the legal landscape and take action against dishonest practices. 

Once it is safe to travel, our team will promptly deploy to Western North Carolina to provide immediate assistance and relief to the hardest-hit areas, ensuring that no community faces this disaster alone. 

Together, we will recover, rebuild, and restore our communities. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, we encourage you to reach out to Legal Aid of North Carolina for support. We are here for you. 

To learn more about how you can get help, please visit legalaidnc.org/tropical-storm-helene-disaster-assistance. 

Sincerely, 
Legal Aid of North Carolina 

Summary

Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Right to Education Project recently filed a complaint on behalf of a middle school student and their parent against The Experiential School of Greensboro (TESG), a Guilford County charter school. The complaint targets the school’s alleged violations of its charter agreement, policies and/or procedures and provision of state law.  

Crystal S. Ingram, staff attorney with REP, assisted Isaiah* and parent K.O.* with filing the complaint with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Charter Schools (OCS).   

“TESG tells students, families, and other stakeholders, “expulsions and suspensions do more harm than good for students and society,” and declared in its charter school application that “it would not, except under extreme circumstances, expel or suspend students,” said Ingram. “Yet, in this case, TESG strayed heavily from those principles with an obvious disregard for the educational and emotional impact it would have on this student and his family. As such, there must be accountability for divergence from its founding principles and its advertised practices. Students at TESG deserve to be given the education their parents were promised they would receive.” 

During the Fall of 2022, Isaiah* edited a popular image they found online by placing their teacher’s face over the image and was placed on a five-day short-term suspension for allegedly violating the school’s acceptable internet use policy. Later in the year, Isaiah was suspended short-term once again, this time for a three-day term, for allegedly violating the school’s aggressive behavior policy.  

The short-term suspensions are being challenged on the claim that the alleged incidents do not meet the Code of Student Conduct requirements to impose these suspensions and these suspensions were in violation of state law. Notably, the first five-day suspension was not authorized under the Student Code of Conduct, nor was an adequate informal hearing given to allow the client a chance to defend against the allegations.   

During the suspensions, TESG allegedly failed to provide information to the clients about missed assignments and updated grades.  

“Despite a mental health state of emergency in North Carolina, schools like The Experiential School of Greensboro (TESG) continue to ignore research and circumvent their own written policies,” Isaiah’s mother said, “This is causing our children and our community immense harm. TESG asked the state of NC for funding in 2016 in exchange for providing an education that would remain committed to creating “an inclusive, open, experience-based learning environment that promotes the development of socially-aware citizens who are creative problem solvers and critical thinkers.”  Their divergence from this commitment with my son’s education is not only astounding; unfortunately, it supports the relentless practice of funneling children like my son down the school-to-prison pipeline with an unjust swiftness and with zero mercy. “ 

Proposed resolutions to the violations include expunging the suspensions from Isaiah’s education and discipline records, as well as recoding the suspensions as mental health days. In addition, the resolutions would require training for the school’s board members, administrators, faculty and staff on Peaceful Schools and Restorative Justice practices and conflict resolution. There is also a proposal which would require TESG to revise their Handbook and Student Code of Conduct to show their divergence from Peaceful School protocols, report on all suspensions quarterly to OCS, and remedy other violations in the complaint as is suggested by an OCS investigation.  

Although the complaint filed was not investigated due to capacity issues and internal regulations, the Office of Charter Schools still allows parents to submit concerns about a charter school which can be added to the school’s file by emailing the concerns to StakeholderSupport@dpi.nc.gov and including the name of the school in the title of the email containing the parent’s concerns. More information can be found by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/nccharterschoolconcerns.

* Name changed for client confidentiality  

Raleigh, N.C. – In partnership with Advance Community Health, the NC Navigator Consortium is hosting a free enrollment event this Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Advance Community Health’s Raleigh location, 1001-1011 Rock Quarry Rd. Raleigh, NC 27610. The Consortium is welcoming both pre-scheduled appointments and walk-ins for Triangle residents to get free assistance exploring and enrolling in health coverage options at healthcare.gov.

The Consortium is excited to be able to help Triangle residents access quality, affordable health coverage with increased Marketplace subsidies made available through the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Open Enrollment for HealthCare.gov Marketplace coverage will not end until Jan. 15, 2023, but those who need coverage starting Jan. 1, 2023, will need to apply by Dec. 15, 2022. The NC Navigator Consortium’s federally qualified health insurance Navigators are available by free appointments (by phone, in person or virtually) to provide local help to consumers needing to apply for or update their Marketplace coverage. Appointments may be scheduled online by calling 1-855-733-3711 or online at ncnavigator.net.

“The service we provide is even more critical now the family glitch has been fixed, making millions more eligible for coverage on the HealthCare.gov Marketplace,” said Mark Van Arnam, director of the NC Navigator Consortium, who added that coverage has never been more affordable. “Thanks to tax credits and subsidies made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, four out of five enrollees are getting covered for $10 or less.”

The NC Navigator Consortium connects consumers to qualified health plans that provide essential health benefits and preventive care, in addition to mental health care, ER care and maternity coverage, not limited by caps or pre-existing conditions. Health insurance Navigators help North Carolinians maximize their coverage by:

• Taking time with them to help avoid mistakes
• Showing all options, ensuring their providers are in-network
• Explaining terminology and processes, increasing health insurance literacy
• Assisting them with estimating their income for the year ahead, one of the most difficult parts of the HealthCare.gov application process

The NC Navigator Consortium is the only federally funded entity of its kind in North Carolina, supported in part by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Learn more at NCNavigator.net, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Members of the Consortium are Access East, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNET, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Kintegra Health, NC FIELD and Pisgah Legal Services. The Consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina. 

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

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The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity number NAVCA210405-02-00 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.