RALEIGH, NC (November 10, 2023) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina has published the 2023 Roadmap of Need, a whole child needs assessment for North Carolina youth presenting county-level data and rankings. The Roadmap has been redesigned since its last publication in 2020, and now features interactive online maps, data tables, and county […]
Over 75 North Carolina Businesses Convene at Summit on Public Education
RALEIGH, NC (November 9, 2023) – Executives from over 75 businesses from across NC gathered in Raleigh this week to discuss the state of public education in North Carolina. Hosted by the Public School Forum of North Carolina, the convening was designed to educate and motivate business leaders from across the state who care about […]
North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs Honors 2023 Afterschool Champions During Lights On Afterschool Celebration at North Carolina Executive Mansion
RALEIGH, NC (October 27, 2023)– The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs hosted a Lights On Afterschool reception on October 26 in Raleigh as part of the national Lights On Afterschool campaign. The annual nationwide campaign celebrates afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. At the reception NC […]
Public School Forum Releases Study on Teacher Recruitment and Retention Trends Across North Carolina and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
RALEIGH, NC (October 26, 2023) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina has published a report aimed at better understanding and solving the ongoing challenges with teacher recruitment and retention since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In North Carolina and across the nation, districts and schools struggle to recruit and retain effective teachers, especially teachers […]
North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs Names 2023 Afterschool Champions as Part of Lights On Afterschool Celebration
RALEIGH, NC (October 19, 2023)– The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs will host a Lights On Afterschool reception on October 26 in Raleigh as part of the national Lights On Afterschool campaign. The annual nationwide campaign celebrates afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. At the reception, […]
North Carolina Center for Resilience & Learning Publishes 5 Key Findings with Action Steps to Improve the Well-Being of NC’s Children
RALEIGH, NC (October 17, 2023)- North Carolina, like the rest of the nation, is facing a wave of mental health needs among its students. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 1 in 5 North Carolina students ages 8-15 years old already had a mental health disorder in any given year, and the needs have intensified […]
800 Education Stakeholders Engage in Annual Color of Education Summit in Raleigh
RALEIGH, NC (October 7, 2023) – The annual Color Education Summit was held Saturday, October 7 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. Color of Education is a partnership between the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity, the Public School Forum of North Carolina, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke […]
2023 Conference Budget Analysis
BUDGET STATUS: At time of publishing, the 2023 North Carolina state budget has passed both chambers of the NCGA, and the Governor has stated that he will allow the budget to become law without his signature. See how your legislators voted here. Over 1.4 million students across North Carolina attend our public schools, and public […]
Registration is Now Open for the 2023 Synergy Conference for Out-of-School Time Professionals
RALEIGH, NC (September 5, 2023)– The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs invites you to attend the 2023 Synergy Conference for Out-of-School Time professionals on November 13-14 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Synergy brings together afterschool providers, informal educators, community stakeholders, students, business leaders, politicians, and more from across the state to share insight on […]
6 Recommendations to Bring Accountability and Transparency to North Carolina’s School Voucher Program
RALEIGH, NC (August 31, 2023) – Republican lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly are seeking to expand and increase funding for one of the state’s private school voucher programs, the Opportunity Scholarships Program. In its current or expanded form the Opportunity Scholarships Program represents significant investment of taxpayer dollars to support private and parochial […]
Tickets and Registration Now Available for Hybrid 2023 Color of Education Summit featuring Lisa Delpit & Jerry Craft
RALEIGH, NC (August 1, 2023) – Dr. Lisa Delpit will deliver the keynote address at this year’s 3 Color of Education Summit on October 7, 2023. Lisa D. Delpit is currently the principal of the consulting firm, Delpit Learning. Formerly, she was the Executive Director/Eminent Scholar for the Center for Urban Education & Innovation at […]
Public School Forum of North Carolina Approves New Board Members and Advisory Board Members
RALEIGH, NC (June 30, 2023) – At its June 2023 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Public School Forum of North Carolina approved several new Directors and At-Large Advisors for two-year terms that officially begin July 1, 2023. “We are excited to welcome and begin working with the new members of our Board of […]
NC Has Money — Just Not for Public Education
The State of North Carolina has money. In 2022, North Carolina had over $6 billion in unappropriated funds. This year, North Carolina is expected to have at least $3 billion more than budgeted in revenue. This is a significant surplus. And yet, the Senate’s budget released yesterday based solely on input from the Senate Republican […]
Inaugural North Carolina Bring Your Legislator to School Day Announced
RALEIGH, NC (April 20, 2023)- The Inaugural North Carolina Bring Your Legislator to School Day will take place on May 15, 2023. Members of the NC Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year Network, the Public School Forum of North Carolina, and bi-partisan legislative sponsors kicked off the initiative by inviting the entire […]
Public School Forum of North Carolina Presents The 2023 Jay Robinson Education Leadership Gala Honoring Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
RALEIGH, NC (April 19, 2023)- The Public School Forum of North Carolina will honor the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation at the 2023 Jay Robinson Education Leadership Award Gala on Thursday, May 4 at the Angus Barn Pavilion in Raleigh. This annual event which began in 2000 celebrates public education in our state and recognizes leaders/organizations […]
Public School Forum of NC Analysis of House Budget Proposal
The NC House released its budget proposal on Wednesday. We were pleased to see that the budget includes many of the items called for in our 2023-24 Top Education Issues, including important steps to reinstate masters pay and expand the Teaching Fellows program. However, the House Budget proposal does not go far enough in providing […]
$1B Out of Public Schools Will Hit Rural Communities Hardest
Last week legislation was introduced to provide $1 billion of your tax dollars to pay to send children, regardless of a family’s financial or educational need, to any private school of the parents’ choosing. House Bill 420, filed by state Reps. Donnie Loftis, David Willis, John Bradford and Allen Chesser, goes much further than the […]
Public School Forum of NC Statement on Governor Cooper’s Proposed 2023-25 Budget
(Raleigh, NC) March 15, 2023 — Governor Cooper’s 2023-25 biennium budget proposes significant and much-needed investments in public education to meet the needs of children and communities across the state – without increasing taxes. The budget addresses many of the evidence-based action items called for in the Public School Forum’s 2023-24 Top Education Issues. NC […]
Teachers Never Quit Because of Kids
Last November, three weeks before I resigned, some students in a class I was covering asked, “Why doesn’t anyone want to teach anymore, Ms. Jackson?” (they had no regular teacher and begrudgingly welcomed Substitute #4). One added, “Because of these bad kids?!” I assured them, “teachers never quit because of kids. You are why we […]
Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity & Public School Forum of North Carolina Statement on Proposed House Bill 187
(Raleigh, NC) March 14, 2023 — North Carolina’s Constitution commands that “equal opportunities be provided for all students.” Every student deserves a safe and nurturing learning environment in which they can grow, flourish, and pursue their chosen educational path. The “sound basic education” guaranteed in the state’s Constitution is made possible when students engage in meaningful […]
Public School Forum Releases 2023 Local School Finance Study
RALEIGH, NC (March 10, 2023)- The Public School Forum of North Carolina’s 2023 Local School Finance Study is now available. Through the Local School Finance Study The Forum has highlighted variations and trends in local spending for public education across our state’s 100 counties for over 30 years. The purpose of this annual study is […]
Dudley Flood Center Hosts First Mapping the Movement Event
In conjunction with Black History Month, education stakeholders and activists from across North Carolina gathered in Durham on February 20 for the Dudley Flood Center’s first Mapping the Movement for Racial Equity in Education event where attendees were given the opportunity to network and discuss combating inequities in education. Mapping The Movement is an initiative […]
Dudley Flood Center Announces Western Rural Teacher Leader Network Cohort
Raleigh, NC (February 6, 2023) — The Rural Teacher Leadership Network (RTLN), is designed to bring together diverse groups of educators across North Carolina who seek to strengthen their practice, foster community with teacher leaders from across other rural districts, and develop their leadership capacity to guide other teachers in their schools. The network creates […]
Final Word: Choosing Students Over Politics
The polarization of the last few years is undeniable. Many people have chosen vehement support of their own side over any alternative without even exploring those alternatives, but that should not and cannot be how we make our education policy decisions in North Carolina. Public schools are the cornerstone of our communities, our democracy, and […]