A new bill filed by State Rep. Baker seeks to provide funding for teacher assistant positions in early-grade classrooms across selected public school units, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 709 on April 2 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘K-3 Literacy and Improvement Act.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill establishes the Additional Teacher Assistant Grant Program aimed at providing the dollar equivalent of teacher assistant positions to select public school units, specifically targeting kindergarten through third-grade classrooms. The program stipulates one teacher assistant for every kindergarten, first, and second-grade class, and one assistant for every three classes in third grade. The Department of Public Instruction is tasked with creating an application process within 30 days of the bill’s enactment, allowing local school units and charter schools to apply within a 60-day window. A total of 16 public school units will be chosen—one local school administrative unit and one charter school from each of the state’s eight educational districts. The program is funded with $14.8 million in nonrecurring funds each year for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Terry M. Brown Jr. proposed the most bills (28) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Baker graduated from Winston-Salem State University with a BS.
Baker, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 72nd House district, replacing previous state representative Derwin Montgomery.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber M. Baker, Cecil Brockman, Frances Jackson, PhD, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 709 | 04/02/2025 | K-3 Literacy and Improvement Act. |
| Amber M. Baker, Allison A. Dahle, Cynthia Ball, and Phil Rubin | HB 691 | 04/02/2025 | Voter Protection and Reliance Act. |
| Amber M. Baker, B. Ray Jeffers, James Roberson, and Zack Hawkins | HB 639 | 04/01/2025 | Prioritize In-State Applicants/UNC Ed Schools. |
| Amber M. Baker, Allen Buansi, Allison A. Dahle, and Phil Rubin | HB 580 | 03/31/2025 | SBOE Legislative Changes.-AB |
| Amber M. Baker, Cynthia Ball, Donny Lambeth, and Erin Paré | HB 588 | 03/31/2025 | School Psychologist Omnibus. |
| Amber M. Baker, Dante Pittman, Julie von Haefen, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 521 | 03/26/2025 | Healthy Families & Workplaces/Paid Sick Leave. |
| Amber M. Baker and Kanika Brown | HB 392 | 03/13/2025 | Funds/Forsyth United Way/Summer Learning. |
| Amber M. Baker and Kanika Brown | HB 393 | 03/13/2025 | Funds for One Love Festival. |
| Amber M. Baker, Frances Jackson, PhD, Monika Johnson-Hostler, and Rodney D. Pierce | HB 325 | 03/06/2025 | Legislative Building Field Trip Pilot Program. |
| Amber M. Baker, Frances Jackson, PhD, Monika Johnson-Hostler, and Rodney D. Pierce | HB 340 | 03/06/2025 | Universal AIG Screening in Middle Schools. |
| Amber M. Baker, Carolyn G. Logan, and James Roberson | HB 249 | 02/27/2025 | Diversity in Pickleball Pilot Program. |
| Amber M. Baker, Carolyn G. Logan, Frances Jackson, PhD, and Monika Johnson-Hostler | HB 168 | 02/21/2025 | North Carolina CROWN Act. |
