Education Matters

Topic: Childhood Trauma & Learning Studies show that children who regularly experience trauma score lower than their peers on standardized tests are more likely to fail a grade, are placed in special education more frequently and are more likely to be suspended and expelled. Research has helped to answer the question why — and the […]

Topic: Voucher School Controversy Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville has received more taxpayer dollars via the state’s private school voucher program than any other school in the state. It’s also home to an embezzlement scandal involving a teacher who runs the school’s elite basketball program while spending weekends in jail. We take a closer look […]

Topic: Black Teachers Matter Does having at least one black teacher make it less likely a black student will drop out of school and more likely to go to college? New research on North Carolina students says yes. We also discuss discipline disparities for students of color and meet the founder of a youth mentoring […]

Topic: School Takeover Plan Meets Resistance The NC Innovative School District, created by the General Assembly in 2016, is set to begin taking over some low-performing schools across the state and turn them over to charter school operators. However, the plan is getting serious push back from some local communities, including Durham, which has one […]

Topic: Principal Pay Last year average pay for principals in North Carolina ranked 50th nationally. The General Assembly responded with $35 million in pay raises for school-based administrators and a new principal pay plan. That plan is now generating concerns that many principals may actually lose pay and that it may create a disincentive for […]

This week we meet Lisa Godwin, the 2017 NC Teacher of the Year from Onslow County. Plus we preview the upcoming NAACP Education Forum with NC NAACP Executive Director Dr. Terrance Ruth and retired educator Dr. Dudley Flood. Guests Include: Lisa Godwin, 2017 NC Teacher of the Year Dr. Terrance Ruth, Executive Director, NC NAACP […]

Topic:  Class Size Mandate We discuss new K-3 class size mandates from the General Assembly and the dramatic impact they are already having on schools this year, as well as what it may look like next year without legislative action. Guests: Jazzmone Sutton, Music Teacher, Wake County, President-Elect, NC Music Educators Association Gussie Marshallsea, Visual […]

Topic:  One-on-one with UNC President Margaret Spellings UNC President Margaret Spellings discusses Charlottesville and Silent Sam, her first year on the job, college affordability, UNC’s state support, teacher preparation and more Guests include: Margaret Spellings, President, University of North Carolina RESOURCES Charlottesville Resources for Educators in Wake of Charlottesville https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/08/14/543390148/resources-for-educators-to-use-the-wake-of-charlottesville Will Durham schools be next […]

Topic:  Closer Look: NC Innovative School District & New Teacher Pay Pilots The new – and controversial – NC Innovative School District, formerly known as the Achievement School District, is slated to begin taking over some of the state’s lowest performing public schools. We talk with Innovative School District Superintendent Dr. Eric Hall. We also […]

Topic:  A New Direction for Leandro Case The now 20-year old landmark Leandro case on education quality and equity in North Carolina’s public schools just took a surprising new turn. We talk with Melanie Black Dubis, lead counsel for the plaintiff school districts. We also meet Dr. Nicole Hurd, Founder and CEO of the College Advising […]

House Bill 704 passed by the NC General Assembly in June sets up a study committee to explore breaking up large school districts — Wake and Mecklenburg are the state’s two largest ones. Critics of the bill say it could lead to re-segregation of our public schools. We look at the bill, what’s next, and […]

The budget just passed by the NC General Assembly eliminates retiree health benefits for teachers and all state employees hired after January 2021. What will be the impact of this major change in state employee benefits? Guests: Richard Rogers, Executive Director, NC Retired Governmental Employees Association Ardis Watkins, Legislative Affairs Director, State Employees Association of […]

How does North Carolina stack up compared to other states when it comes to child well-being? The short answer – not great. This week we explore the key indicators of child well-being and what the state can do to improve the lives of NC children. Guests: Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary, NC Department of Health and […]

With an actual budget in hand with votes this week, we talk with key education advocates for their take on the budget and with two journalists who’ve been covering the budget process about how this came together and what’s next. Guests include: Mark Jewell, President, NC Association of Educators Katherine Joyce, Executive Director, NC Association […]

This week on Education Matters, two leading NC House members, Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke) and Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Durham, Orange), will discuss the state of the budget process and key education issues being debated. Guests: Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke) Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Durham, Orange) RESOURCES EdLines State Budget Talks https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article155167334.html Parents Could Pay More for […]

State Board of Education Chairman Bill Cobey discusses proposed cuts at DPI and the ongoing power struggle with the State Superintendent and General Assembly. In the second segment, NC Charter School Advisory Board Chairman Alex Quigley and Research Triangle High School Chief School Officer Eric Grunden weigh in on recent charter school policy proposals Guests […]

This week’s show looks at the budget passed by the NC Senate, including the key education provisions and a controversial amendment passed at 3 am that appeared to target only Democratic districts for cuts. We talk with Sen. Erica Smith-Ingram whose district was hardest hit. We also talk with former NC Senator Howard Lee about […]

This week on Education Matters State Superintendent Mark Johnson talks HB13 class size debate, the State Board lawsuit, his listening tour and why he’s focusing on early literacy. This week’s show also includes a discussion with PNC Bank Regional President Jim Hansen and Dr. Kenneth Dodge from Duke University’s Center for Child & Family Policy […]

Topic – Race: Are We So Different? This week we have two segments focused on the issue of race. First is a preview of an exciting new exhibition opening this week at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh called Race: Are We So Different? The second segment is a story about a group […]

Topic:  Teaching Fellows 2.0 A look at the proposal to re-establish a NC Teaching Fellows Program to recruit new teachers into our state’s classrooms. Guests include: Rep. Craig Horn (R-Union) Sen. Chad Barefoot (R-Franklin, Wake) Dr. Mary Ann Danowitz, Dean, NC State College of Education Danny Bland, NC Teaching Fellow, Heritage High School, Wake Forest […]

This week we discuss state employee and retiree benefits with guest State Treasurer Dale Folwell and we talk about the state’s critical school building needs and how to cover the $8 billion dollar price tag. Guests include: Dale Folwell, North Carolina State Treasurer Leanne Winner, Director, Governmental Relations, NC School Boards Association Kevin Leonard, Executive […]

Topic: How Your Zip Code Drives School Funding A new report out by the Public School Forum spotlights stark gaps in school funding across the state. Guests: Lauren Bock, Research Director, Public School Forum of NC Aaron J. Beaulieu, Chief Financial Officer, Durham Public Schools Rep. Kevin Corbin R-Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon Dr. Eric Houck, […]

Topic: Private School Vouchers – A National Perspective A leading national expert discusses the push toward privatization in K-12 education and its impact on public education and society as a whole. Guest: Richard Kahlenberg, The Century Foundation RESOURCES Edlines Trump Proposes Deep Education Cuts https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/trump-seeks-to-slash-education-department-but-make-big-push-for-school-choice/2017/03/15/63b8b6f8-09a1-11e7-b77c-0047d15a24e0_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/trump-budget-casualty-afterschool-programs-for-16-million-kids-most-are-poor/2017/03/16/78802430-0a6f-11e7-b77c-0047d15a24e0_story.html School Performance Grade Changes Passes House https://www.ednc.org/2017/03/16/school-performance-grade-change-passes-house/ Teaching Fellows […]

Topic: Focus on School Funding This week we focus on two key issues in school funding. We talk to school leaders about impact of K-3 class size mandate and a search for a solution. We examine a new report that looks at overall school finance reform efforts for North Carolina. Guests: Katherine Joyce, Executive Director, […]