Education Matters

Topic: Leadership Conversations Cathy Moore was named Superintendent of Wake County Public Schools in May. It’s the largest school system in the state and the 15th largest in the country. She is the first woman and first Hispanic to hold the district’s top job and we talk to her on this week’s show. We also […]

Topic: Hits & Misses – A Legislative Recap The General Assembly just wrapped up its short session for 2018 with a return date of November 27th after the fall election. This week we take a look at what happened in the short session in terms of education by talking to some key stakeholders. We’ll get […]

Topic: Newsmakers & Newsbreakers Education has been a mainstay in the headlines in recent years here in North Carolina. This week we talk to one of the education newsmakers, Judge Bob Orr. He’s a former NC Supreme Court Justice who recently represented the State Board of Education in its lawsuit over a law passed by […]

Topic: Tax Cap Amendment and Education The General Assembly is considering a Constitutional amendment to permanently cap income tax rates in North Carolina. If approved, it would appear on the November ballot along with other Constitutional amendments being proposed this week. With education making up more than half of the state budget, what impact could […]

Topic: Examining NC’s Private School Voucher Program Two new reports are out exploring our state’s Opportunity Scholarship or private school voucher program. One study looks at the academic achievement of students who left public schools to attend private schools using state-funded vouchers. The other examines the type of curriculum being used by the private voucher […]

Topic: NC’s School Building Needs North Carolina public schools have about $8 billion dollars in construction, renovation and repair needs. Cracked walls, outdated inefficient heating and cooling systems and school grounds that look like trailer parks due to the number of mobile classroom units are all too common. And now new school building requirements are […]

Topic: Principal Pay Last year the average pay for a principal in North Carolina ranked 50th nationally. The General Assembly responded with new investments and a new plan for how principals are paid. That plan has drawn a lot of criticism because, if unchanged, it will result in big pay cuts for experienced principals and perhaps […]

Topic: Setting an agenda for education A new commission created last year – My Future NC – wants to develop a broad-based education agenda for North Carolina aimed at making the state more competitive. The cross-sector group representing business, education, government, nonprofits and philanthropy plans to craft key goals for the state, along with policy […]

Topic: Overhauling Public School Funding A legislative task force created by the General Assembly in 2017 is considering overhauling the way North Carolina funds public schools. This week we talk with the co-chairs of that task force, Senator Michael Lee from New Hanover County and Representative Craig Horn from Union County. We’ll discuss what they’ve […]

Topic: Should NC break up large school districts? The General Assembly is exploring breaking up the state’s largest school districts. At the same time, a bill introduced last year would allow two communities outside Charlotte to create a system of separate public charter schools for their residents. This week we explore what’s next and the […]

Topic: Spotlight on NC School of Science & Mathematics and NC Lab Schools One is a brand new partnership between our state university teacher prep programs and K-12 public schools, while the other started in 1980 in Durham, but is now expanding to Western NC. This week we explore NC Lab Schools and the NC School […]

Topic: Racial Disparity in School Discipline Black students are being suspended at rates three to four times higher than other students in school districts across North Carolina. Why is this happening and what can be done to address it? Guests: Keith Sutton, Wake County Board of Education Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Samuel D. Cook Center on […]

Topic: Schools and Mass Shootings: Policy Implications New laws are being considered nationally and here in North Carolina in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. What is happening next in NC and can new policies help protect our children? Guests: Rep. Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus) Sen. Jay […]

Topic: Mass Shootings in Schools:  How can we protect our children? The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has sparked a national debate about guns and how best to protect students. This week in the first of two shows, we talk with a teacher, a school psychologist and students for their unique […]

One-on-one with Lt. Governor Dan Forest North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest discusses top education issues including school safety & arming teachers, digital learning, school choice and state of public education. RESOURCES EdLines Parkland school shooting sparks national debate https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article201181559.html https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article201453359.html https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article201179899.html Key education task forces and commissions meet https://www.ednc.org/2018/02/21/governors-education-commission-looks-school-funding/ https://www.wral.com/school-district-size-study-committee-begins-work/17360303/ https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article201328679.html https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article201601689.html SHARE CLIPS […]

This week we visit two elementary schools – Rogers Lane Elementary in Wake County and Perry Harrison Elementary in Chatham County – to learn more about how these schools are using technology to personalize learning for students. Guests Include: Shane Barham, Principal, Rogers Lane Elementary School, Wake Erin Boecke, 3rd Grade Teacher, Perry Harrison Elementary […]

Topic: Investing Early in our Future We talk with leaders from across North Carolina who gathered in Raleigh this week for the 2018 Emerging Issues Forum. This year’s Forum focused on investing early in our children’s education and health and the impact it has on our state’s economy. Guests Include: Leslie Boney, Director, Institute for […]

Topic: Future of Education in the American South A new report out this week says that while North Carolina and other Southern states made major advances in education in recent decades, achievement gaps between more affluent students and historically disadvantaged classmates have widened. Are voters ready to move faster to close the gap? Guests Include: […]

The Public School Forum of NC unveiled its Top 10 Education Issues for 2018 this week. A panel of legislative, education and business leaders discuss before a live audience in Raleigh at the 2018 Eggs & Issues Breakfast. Guests Include: Sen. Valerie Foushee (D-Chatham, Orange) Rep. Craig Horn (R-Union) Lisa Godwin, 2017 NC Teacher of […]

Topic:  NC’s School Funding Divide At a time of intense focus by state leaders on how schools are funded in North Carolina, a new study out this week show a stark and growing gap between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state, particularly urban and rural school districts. We discuss with one of study’s […]

Topic: Legislative Preview and the Class Size Mandate The General Assembly will re-convene next week for a special continuation of the 2017 regular session. Will the class size mandate or principal pay be addressed? What else should be on the legislative agenda for education? We’ll discuss with our panel. Guests Include: Dr. Tim Markley, Superintendent, […]

Topic: Conversation with Governor Jim Hunt A one-on-one conversation with the original “Education Governor”, four-term North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. We discuss how he made education a priority for the state and what he sees as the challenges and opportunities to bring people together on behalf of NC’s children. Guest: Governor James B. […]

Topic: The New NC Teaching Fellows Program The original NC Teaching Fellows Program was eliminated by the General Assembly in 2011. This year legislators created a new version of the forgivable loan program targeting STEM and special education teachers. We talk with Deans from two of the Schools of Education recently selected for the inaugural […]