A few hours before Gov. Roy Cooper was set to make his announcement about the future of schools, state Superintendent Mark Johnson met with the rest of the COVID-19 Task Force, a group of state leaders and other advisors.

Johnson said it has been a challenging time for schools and parents.

“I am excited that today we will be able to start a more proactive approach to what is going on in our schools, as opposed to what we’ve been forced to do for the past month, which is understandably reactive,” Johnson said.

Schools are closed through at least May 15, and the governor is expected to extend that. The state legislature has discussed starting the 2020-21 school year earlier in August.

Johnson noted that Teacher Appreciation Day falls on May 5 this year.

“That is Cinco de Mayo. There is a certain type of case of Corona that the grocery stores are happy to stock, and I am sure every teacher in this state would be happy to get a case of that from parents across the state,” Johnson said.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

In the United States, it has become a day to celebrate Mexican culture.

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

The News & Observer

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Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan is the Capitol Bureau Chief for The News & Observer, leading coverage of the legislative and executive branches in North Carolina with a focus on the governor, General Assembly leadership and state budget. She has received the McClatchy President’s Award, N.C. Open Government Coalition Sunshine Award and several North Carolina Press Association awards, including for politics and investigative reporting.