News, Op-Eds & Press Releases
Students at the Center: Historic Investments Ordered Today Will Pave the Way for All of North Carolina’s Children to Access a Sound Basic Education
RALEIGH, N.C. (November 10, 2021) — To ensure that our system of public schools offers an equal opportunity to every young North Carolinian, especially those in our highest-need communities, with a sound basic education, as is mandated in our state constitution and...
Bus Driver Sickout is a Symptom of a Much Greater Illness for Public Education
By Mary Ann Wolf, PhD Many families in Wake County discovered this morning that their children did not have a bus driver to bring them to school today. These families are worried about their own kids and others who may not have a ride to school. Many are feeling...
Jonathan Helms and Sheneika Simmons Selected to Join National Afterschool and Expanded Learning Initiative
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Sheronda Fleming, PhD Director, NC Center for Afterschool Programs sfleming@ncforum.org 919.781.6833 x135 RALEIGH, N.C. (October 6, 2021) -- The Riley Institute at Furman University has selected Jonathan Helms, Grant Development Director at the...
Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity/ Public School Forum Statement on Passage of HB 324
RALEIGH, N.C. (September 3, 2021) — This week, the NC General Assembly passed a final version of HB 324 and sent it on to the Governor. Since this bill was first introduced in May, the Public School Forum has continuously lifted up concerns about the impacts this...
Tickets and Registration Now Available for Virtual Color of Education 2021 featuring Nikole Hannah-Jones
Raleigh, NC (August 5, 2021) — Award-winning author and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who kicked off the Color of Education series in 2018, returns this year to headline Color of Education 2021, a two-day virtual summit that will bring together people from all over...
Part 2: Budget Analysis 2021-23 — North Carolina’s children deserve a state budget that prioritizes their future
by Mary Ann Wolf, PhD We have made it well over a year now since the onset of COVID-19, when our lives — and our public schools — were turned upside down. During this time period, for which no words seem to adequately capture all of the challenges everyone has faced,...
Public School Forum of North Carolina Elects New Board Members and Advisory Board Members
RALEIGH, NC (June 9, 2021) – At its June 2021 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, 2021. “The Forum’s Board of...
New Study: North Carolina Parents Praise Summer Learning Programs But, Even Before COVID-19, Programs Were Out of Reach for Many North Carolina Children
WASHINGTON, DC — After a year of isolation, learning loss, and trauma for many students, this summer will be especially important for young people to begin to heal, re-connect, and make learning gains. Yet a study released today finds that even before the pandemic,...
Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity/ Public School Forum Statement on HB 324
Our legislators, on both sides of the aisle, continually reference their support of education for all students. However, the most recent version of House Bill 324, which passed the House Education Committee today, incites a fear-based approach to limit teachers'...
Public School Forum of North Carolina Announces the NC Center for Afterschool Programs’ 17th Annual Synergy Conference
RALEIGH, NC (April 21, 2021) – The Public School Forum’s NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) will virtually host its 17th annual Synergy Conference on April 27-30, 2021. This year’s conference theme is Revolutionizing Afterschool: Renew-Reconnect-Rise. The...
Navigating the Spring Return to School: An Educator’s Social and Emotional Learning Toolbox
By: Stacey Craig, NC Resilience & Learning Project Consultant On March 26, the Urban Assembly and SEL4US hosted the second annual International SEL Day, with the theme “Building Bonds, Reimagining Communities.” Leading organizations in the field of Social and...
Collective Care: Generating a School Culture that Promotes Staff Wellness
By Stacey Riberdy For the past year, schools and school districts have been wrestling with how to support staff through the intense and chaotic demands of this pandemic. Whereas a growing understanding of trauma and social and emotional learning in education has...
Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity/ Public School Forum Statement on Proposed NC Social Studies Standards
RALEIGH, N.C. (February 3, 2021) The Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity at the Public School Forum of North Carolina strongly supports the adoption of the revised state social studies standards that accurately and inclusively represent the...
STATEMENT: Educators and School Personnel Should Have Prioritized Access to COVID Vaccinations
Public School Forum Releases Top Education Issues for 2021
RALEIGH, NC (January 28, 2021) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina released its Top Education Issues for 2021 today during its seventh annual Eggs & Issues event. This year’s report outlines the Forum’s priorities on what should be at the forefront of...
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...
New Household Survey: North Carolina Is a ‘Top 10 State for Afterschool, ’ Even as Unmet Demand for Programs Increases
PRESS INQUIRIES: Please contact Dr. Sheronda Fleming, Director, NC Center for Afterschool Programs, at sfleming@ncforum.org or 919-781-6833 x135. For inquiries for the Afterschool Alliance, based in Washington, DC, please contact Lisa...
Participate Learning Partners with the Public School Forum of North Carolina to Address Educational Equity and Trauma-Informed Schools
(RALEIGH, N.C.— December 7, 2020) The Public School Forum of North Carolina is pleased to announce that Participate Learning has committed to being a Forum Partner. “We are thrilled and so grateful for Participate Learning’s gift and their desire to become a Forum...
Getting Started with a School-Based Resilience Team: The Story of B.T. Bullock Elementary in Lee County
Implementing trauma-informed practices during COVID-19 By Becky Stern, NC Resilience & Learning Project Consultant Last year, when Principal Stefanie Clarke listened to a school-wide training on the impact of trauma on a child’s ability to learn, it was a...
Public School Forum of NC Launches the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity
RALEIGH, NC (October 28, 2020) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina is pleased to announce the launch of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity (Flood Center), which will serve as a hub to identify and connect organizations, networks,...
NC State Superintendent Candidates Participate in Conversation hosted by Public School Forum of NC
By Lindsay Wagner The two candidates running for North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jen Mangrum and Catherine Truitt, answered questions Tuesday afternoon in a virtual conversation hosted by the Public School Forum of NC. for alumni of the...
Tickets Now Available for Color of Education *Virtual* Summit 2020
Summit will span month of October to offer an extended spotlight on race equity in education RALEIGH, NC (September 24, 2020) The Public School Forum of North Carolina, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University, and the Center for Child and...
Across North Carolina, the Barriers — and Solutions — to Broadband Internet Access for Students and Families are Multi-Layered
By Lindsay Wagner As families embark upon a school year like none before, most public school districts in North Carolina are largely relying on a household’s ability to access a high-speed internet connection to provide students their constitutionally guaranteed...
More Than 100 Candidates for Public Office Attend the Public School Forum’s 2020 North Carolina Education Policy Primer Sessions
For the first time, the Forum will offer an education policy primer session for the general public in September 2020 RALEIGH, NC (September 8, 2020) — The Public School Forum of North Carolina has released the 2020 North Carolina Education Primer, which serves as a...
Public School Forum of NC Statement on Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0
This week, the General Assembly approved measures and appropriated additional federal and state COVID relief funds to public schools across North Carolina, providing some additional, much-needed resources at a time of unprecedented upheaval. The Forum has shared the...