Senate amendment makes the following changes to the 2nd edition.

Part III.

Reinstates proposed GS 115C-84.3 as the statue was proposed in the 1st edition, making the remote instruction authority granted applicable to public school units rather than local boards of education, with the following changes. Now allows for a public school unit in a county that has received a good cause waiver from the school calendar opening and closing dates under GS 115C-84.2(d) to use up to 15 remote instruction days or 90 remote instruction hours for the school year in which the waiver is granted when schools are unable to open due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations, with that time permitted to be used towards the required instructional days or hours for the school calendar. Authorizes all other public school units to use up to five remote instruction days or 30 remote instruction hours in the same manner, as previously provided. Revises the required content of the State Board of Education's annual report on remote instruction to include any other data deemed useful by the State Board to the specified NCGA committee in evaluating the use and delivery of remote instruction in emergency circumstances (previously did not specify in emergency circumstances). 

Reinstates the proposed changes to the following statutes as set forth in the 1st edition and eliminated in the 2nd edition, providing for the use of remote instruction within the instructional requirements set forth for charter schools, innovative schools, regional schools, laboratory schools, and renewal school systems: GS 115C-218.85, GS 115C-238.53, GS 115C-238.66, GS 116-239.8, and Section 6 of SL 2018-32. Also reinstates the previously proposed technical changes to GS 115C-238.53. Further amends Section 6 of SL 2018-32 to make conforming changes. 

Eliminates the proposed provisions authorizing public local school administrative units to offer remote instruction to address health and safety concerns related to COVID-19 in the 2021-22 school year. 

Adds the following content to Part IIIA. and moves existing content to new Parts IIIB and IIIC.

Part IIIA.

Grants public school units the authority to make day-to-day decisions for the 2021-22 school year concerning shifting individual schools and classrooms providing in-person instruction to temporary remote instruction as necessary due to COVID-19 exposures that result in insufficient personnel or required student quarantines, subject to required reporting to the Department of Public Instruction within 72 hours of the shift, with return to in-person instruction required as soon as personnel are available or the required quarantines are complete.

Part IIIB.

Eliminates the previously proposed authority for a local school administrative unit that has been assigned a school code to operate a school with virtual instruction as the primary means of instruction by May 1, 2021, to continue operation to satisfy the minimum required number of instructional days and hours for the school calendar during the 2021-22 school year. Instead, authorizes a public school unit to provide virtual instruction during the 2021-22 school year to a student with consent of that student's parent or legal guardian in accordance with a virtual instruction plan providing the specified required information, so long as the plan is submitted by the governing board to DPI by June 1, 2021. Directs DPI to make available a copy of each governing board's remote instruction plan to the specified NCGA committee and the Working Group on Virtual Academies, as enacted by the act, by July 1, 2021. Establishes 13 requirements of a virtual instruction plan, including the range of grade for which virtual instruction will be offered, the estimated number of students to be served with virtual instruction, and any unique infrastructure necessary to support virtual instruction.

Part IIIC.

Adds to the directive for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a Working Group on Virtual Academies, providing for the Working Group to be chaired by the Superintendent or Superintendent's designee. Requires the Working Group to review in data and information gained from the 2020-21 school year and from the virtual instruction plans submitted by public school units for the 2021-22 school year. 

Part VIII.

Specifies that the proposed extension for a continuing professional license applicant whose license expires June 30, 2021, to meet the exam requirements established by the State Board as of June 30, 2021, applies to applicants holding a current initial professional license, residency license, lateral entry license, or limited license expiring June 30, 2021.