Emily Walkenhorst

Raleigh

@WRAL enterprise team reporter covering Wake County + NC schools. Share your tips, docs, experiences and dog pics (!) to ewalkenhorst at https://t.co/MJ0SR2fov9

Articles

More NC schools may face extortion attempts in PowerSchool hack, expert warns

6 days ago | wral.com | Destinee Patterson |Emily Walkenhorst

A cybersecurity expert warns that hackers could continue to try to extort people for money related to the breach of millions of students' and teachers' data earlier this school year. On Wednesday, state school leaders and employees from at least 20 North Carolina school systems began receiving emails attempting to extort them — a payment in cryptocurrency in exchange for keeping their data secret. They're mentioning the same data that was breached in December.
‘Threat actor’ claims to have NC student data months after PowerSchool assured officials it was safe

1 week ago | wral.com | Emily Walkenhorst

Public school employees across North Carolina received threatening messages from people who said they had access to student and teacher data that was exposed when a contractor was hacked in December, state education officials said Wednesday. The development comes months after the breached company — PowerSchool — told state officials that it didn’t anticipate the data being shared or made public after paying a ransom and watching the data be deleted via video.
Wake school board asks for $40.3M budget increase from commissioners, less than expected costs

1 week ago | wral.com | Kelsey Coffey |Emily Walkenhorst |Mark Olexik

The Wake County Board of Education voted Tuesday night on a budget to send to Wake County commissioners that includes a request for about $40 million more from the county. It also includes more than $18 million in cuts, largely to digital learning coordinators, social workers, counselors, some secretaries, some school supplies and other expenses -- less than 1% of the district's more than $2.2 billion budget.
PowerSchool breach: Why children are especially vulnerable to data breaches and how to protect them

1 week ago | wral.com | Emily Walkenhorst |Destinee Patterson

A December data breach exposed the records of millions of North Carolina students and teachers who had used the PowerSchool statewide information system at one point. California-based PowerSchool said the breach, which affected schools across the world, is “contained” and that they don’t expect any release of the data. According to North Carolina officials, the company told customers that they paid the hacker a ransom and watched the hacker delete the data via video.
Bill to replace Math 3 with computer science passes NC committee

1 week ago | wral.com | Emily Walkenhorst

North Carolina high school students would take computer science instead of Math 3 under a bill that passed through a House committee on Tuesday. House Bill 415 would also adjust the UNC System's admissions requirements to replace Math 3 with computer science. After passing the House Education committee, it now heads to the House Rules committee. Sponsors say high schools students don't need higher-level math for most future careers and that too many students aren't passing the Math 3 test as it is.
Assaults on teachers would be felonies under proposed NC bill

1 week ago | wral.com | Emily Walkenhorst

A proposed House bill would increase penalties for people who assault school employees or volunteers while they are working. Currently, less severe assaults can be Class A1 misdemeanors, the highest level of misdemeanor allowing for up to 60 days in jail for a first-time conviction. House Bill 985 would make an assault a Class I felony at a minimum. A Class I felony is the lowest-level felony and can result in a few to several months in jail. The bill is sponsored by Reps.
Teachers push against budget cuts, Wake school board set to ask county for $40M more

1 week ago | wral.com | Kelsey Coffey |Emily Walkenhorst |Mark Olexik

The Wake County Board of Education is set to vote Tuesday night on a budget to send to Wake County commissioners that includes a request for about $40 million more from the county. Ahead of the vote, teachers pushing back against budget cuts held walk-ins at several schools, including Enloe Magnet High School. Jeffrey Fuss is among the teachers asking the Wake County Board of Education to vote for no budget cuts.
Wake school board set to ask commissioners for $40M more

1 week ago | wral.com | Emily Walkenhorst

The Wake County Board of Education is set to vote Tuesday night on a budget to send to Wake County commissioners that includes a request for about $40 million more from the county. The school board's budget and finance committee tentatively agreed last week on a budget request that would require some cuts to personnel, supplies and services. But the board isn't agreeing to all of the $18 million in cuts first posed by Superintendent Robert Taylor in March.
Assaults on teachers would be felonies under NC bill set for debate Tuesday

1 week ago | wral.com | Emily Walkenhorst

A House bill set to be heard in committee Tuesday would increase penalties for people who assault school employees or volunteers while they are working. Currently, less severe assaults can be Class A1 misdemeanors, the highest level of misdemeanor allowing for up to 60 days in jail for a first-time conviction. House Bill 985 would make an assault a Class I felony at a minimum. A Class I felony is the lowest-level felony and can result in a few to several months in jail.
Wake Schools would get $35M more under county manager's proposed budget

1 week ago | wral.com | Emily Walkenhorst

Wake County Manager is recommending a budget increase for the Wake County Public School System of $35 million, less than the about $40 million the school board is set to ask for during their meeting Tuesday. Ellis made his recommendation Monday during the Wake County commissioners' meeting. He noted the school system's many needs that are "magnified by uncertainty" at the state and federal levels. County commissioners typically have given the school system more than Ellis has recommended.