Public School Forum

A think-and-do tank committed to North Carolina public schools

Study Group XVII

North Carolina is second only to Texas in total population living in rural communities. Eighty of the state’s 100 counties are classified as rural, and 87 of our 115 public school districts are in rural counties. Thirty-six percent of all students in the state attend rural schools. Rural North Carolina has been hard hit by […]

Demystifying the Pathways to Full Teacher Licensure: How Do I Become A Teacher in North Carolina?

As in other highly skilled careers, licensure requirements were put in place to ensure that candidates that enter the teaching profession are competent and effective. Unfortunately, licensure requirements can change from year to year and vary depending on the subject area in which a candidate plans to teach, making the pathway to obtaining full teaching […]

Assessment and Accountability During COVID-19: Supporting Safety and Learning for North Carolina’s Schools and Students

As school communities continue to navigate the impacts of a global pandemic, new learning environments (remote or hybrid) have brought forth complex challenges when it comes to safely, reliably and equitably assessing student learning using statewide standardized testing. Additionally, standardized tests are used for accountability purposes, which can create scenarios where students and educators experience […]

Broadband Internet – The Foundation for a Sound Basic Education

Broadband internet, defined as a download speed of 25mbps or higher, is a foundational resource for work, school, and life in North Carolina — and even more so today, as families and educators engage in remote learning efforts in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Physical broadband infrastructure problems are a challenge for rural […]

2020 Education Policy Primer

The Public School Forum of North Carolina has released the 2020 North Carolina Education Primer, which serves as a fact-based introduction to educational policymaking in NC. The Primer serves as a primary resource for current elected and appointed officials — as well as candidates running for public office — as they tackle education policy issues […]

COVID-19’s Impact on Public School Budgets: Unstable Funding Requires Quick Action

The K-12 Public School Funding Crisis North Carolina’s public school leaders predict that they may be facing student enrollment declines of up to 20% for the 2020-21 school year due to COVID-19. Fewer students translates into potentially significant reductions to school budgets that are already substantially underfunded, and could result in teacher and staff layoffs […]

Top Education Issues 2020

This Year’s Top Issue: Take Immediate and Intentional Actions to Meet Our Constitutional Obligation to Provide Each Child a Sound Basic Education RALEIGH, NC (February 18, 2020) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina released its Top Education Issues for 2020 today during its sixth annual Eggs & Issues Breakfast in Raleigh. In a […]

2020 Local School Finance Study

RALEIGH, NC (February 18, 2020) – A study released today by the Public School Forum of North Carolina once again illustrates a chronic and growing gap in local funding for public schools between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state. The 2020 Local School Finance Study found that the ten highest spending counties spent […]

2019 Local School Finance Study

RALEIGH, NC (February 19, 2019) – A study released today by the Public School Forum of North Carolina once again illustrates a chronic and growing gap in public school funding between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state. The 2019 Local School Finance Study found that the ten highest spending counties spent on average […]

Policymaker’s Education Primer 2018

Education policy involves a wide range of interconnected issues such as financing and facilities, accountability and assessment, technology and teachers, and so on. In order to make well-informed and evidence-based decisions, policymakers face the challenge of studying a myriad of complicated educational issues, which is no easy feat. To that end, the Public School Forum […]

Accelerating the Pace: The Future of Education in the American South

In a new report, seven nonpartisan organizations in the South—including the Public School Forum of North Carolina—urge their states to take swifter action to improve K-12 education for every child with an emphasis on support for disadvantaged students. Accelerating the Pace: The Future of Education in the American South calls for states to move faster to […]

2018 Local School Finance Study

RALEIGH, NC (January 9, 2018) – A new study released today by the Public School Forum of North Carolina confirms a chronic and growing gap in public school funding between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state. This annual study comes at a time of intense focus on how public schools are funded in […]

2017 Roadmap of Need

A new report released today by the Public School Forum of North Carolina’s Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) highlights large areas of North Carolina where young people are at risk of not succeeding.

Study Group XVI: Expanding Educational Opportunity in North Carolina

  “Our efforts to date to confront the vast gaps in educational outcomes separating different groups of young Americans have yet to include a serious and sustained commitment to ending the appalling inequities—in school funding, in early education, in teacher quality, in resources for teachers and students and in governance—that contribute so mightily to these […]

Chris Fitzsimon: Remember Teaching Fellows?

Keith Poston and NC Teaching Fellows were mentioned in a Salisbury Post op-ed about the former program: State lawmakers have finally taken a bold step toward addressing the looming teacher shortage in public schools. The Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate worked with Democrats to create a scholarship program to encourage bright high school students to enter the […]