News, Op-Eds & Press Releases
Facing potentially steep declines in enrollment and increased costs to safely reopen schools, school superintendents call for the General Assembly to hold school budgets harmless
Photo Credit: Pixabay, Pexels By Lindsay Wagner As August draws near, public school superintendents across North Carolina are grappling with how to begin the 2020-21 year with plans that keep educators, families and students safe and engaged in rigorous learning while...
Public School Forum of North Carolina Announces the NC Center for Afterschool Programs 16th Annual Synergy Conference
RALEIGH, NC (July, 22 2020) – The Public School Forum’s NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) will virtually host its 16th annual Synergy Conference on July 28-31, 2020. This year’s conference theme is Future in Focus. The Synergy Conference brings together...
Public School Forum of North Carolina Elects New Board Members and Advisory Board Members
RALEIGH, NC (July 21, 2020) – At its June 2020 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Public School Forum of North Carolina elected several new Directors and At-Large Advisors for two-year terms that officially began July 1, 2020. “The Forum’s Board of Directors and...
Trauma-Informed School Re-Entry Planning Guide
Building student and staff resilience when schools reopen: Considerations and recommendations provided by the North Carolina Resilience & Learning Project The school year is over, but districts and schools are busy thinking about re-entry planning in the fall....
Filling up our tanks: How one district found success with more time spent on staff wellness
By: Chanda Battle, NC Resilience & Learning Project Coach Understanding the need to support the whole child is not a foreign concept for Elizabeth City - Pasquotank Schools (ECPS). The district has partnered with the Public School Forum’s NC Resilience and...
Public School Forum Statement on the Fiscal Year 2021 Leandro Action Plan
This week, North Carolina moved another step closer to addressing its constitutional obligation to ensure every child has access to a sound basic education. Building upon a January 2020 court order in the Leandro Case, on Monday plaintiffs and defendants together...
Public School Forum of North Carolina Statement Against Systemic Racism and Oppression
The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery by police officers are the most recent manifestations of a long and enduring legacy of violence and injustice against Black communities in this country. Violence can take many forms, and in education,...
May 2020 School of the Month
Pressing On: West Edgecombe Builds Resilience in its School Community during COVID-19 Photo taken prior to school closures by Resilience & Learning Project staff By: Stacey Craig Riberdy, Consultant, NC Resilience and Learning Project By attending to their...
The Public School Forum of NC Names Dr. Mary Ann Wolf President/Executive Director
RALEIGH, NC (May 4, 2020) — The Public School Forum of North Carolina has named Dr. Mary Ann Wolf as its new President and Executive Director. On June 15, 2020, Dr. Wolf will succeed Interim President and Executive Director Dr. Michael D. Priddy. "Our Board is excited...
Report Highlights Where Young People Face the Greatest Obstacles to Success in North Carolina
RALEIGH, NC (April 29, 2020) – A new report released today by the Public School Forum of North Carolina and its NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) highlights large areas of North Carolina where young people are at risk of not succeeding. The report, Roadmap...
During This Crisis, We Must Ensure Every Child Has Access to a Sound Basic Education
By Dr. Michael D. Priddy, Acting President/Executive Director, Public School Forum of NC A crisis has befallen our state, our country and our entire world. We are in the midst of a pandemic that not only threatens our lives, but our way of life as well, as many of us...
Walking the Resilience Road: From Overwhelmed to Compassion-in-Action
By: Elizabeth DeKonty, Director, NC Resilience and Learning Project “I struggle the most with worry about my students. I worry about how they are doing, if they are getting their physical and emotional needs met. I wonder if they are getting the love and attention...
February 2020 School of the Month
P.W. Moore Does More: Growing Resilient Students By: Elizabeth DeKonty, Director, NC Resilience and Learning Project In the far northeast corner of the state, there are a number of districts eager and ready to find ways to better support their staff and students — and...
Call for Nominations and Applications: President/Executive Director – Public School Forum of NC
The Public School Forum of North Carolina is conducting an active search for our next President/Executive Director. This Raleigh based role is designed to lead the organization as we execute our strategic plan. In addition to a demonstrated commitment to public...
A State at Risk: Critical Investments in North Carolina’s Public Schools Are Urgently Needed to Ensure Each Child Receives a Sound Basic Education
RALEIGH, N.C. (December 11, 2019) -- As North Carolina has reduced its commitment over the past decade to fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide each and every child a sound basic education, the Public School Forum of NC looks forward to partnering with...
Marisa Bryant Joins Public School Forum of North Carolina As Director of Development
RALEIGH, NC (November 13, 2019) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina is pleased to welcome Marisa Bryant as its new Director of Development. This is a new role for the Forum, and Bryant will lead the organization’s efforts to coordinate fundraising...
Public School Forum of NC Statement on Governor’s Veto of NC General Assembly’s ‘Mini-Budget’ Teacher Raises
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RALEIGH, NC (November 8, 2019) – Today, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a ‘mini-budget’ bill passed by the General Assembly in October that would have offered teachers across the state pay raises that are grossly inadequate and do not reflect the...
Public School Forum of NC Launches Study Group XVII
Efforts Will Target the Unique Education Challenges Facing Rural North Carolina’s Students RALEIGH, NC (October 30, 2019) – Stakeholders representing business, education, government, academia and the non-profit community gathered at Research Triangle Park Headquarters...
Public School Forum of NC Announces the Dr. Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity
Photo Credit: Les Todd RALEIGH, NC (October 29, 2019) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina is excited to announce the establishment of the Dr. Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity (CEEO), which will serve as a hub to identify and connect...
Keith Poston Resigns as President and Executive Director of Public School Forum of NC
The Public School Forum of NC announced today that President and Executive Director Keith Poston has resigned from his position to focus on personal family matters, effective October 31, 2019. “We appreciate Keith’s more than five years of service to the Forum and...
Public School Forum of North Carolina Announces Study Group XVII
Efforts Will Target the Unique Education Challenges Facing Rural North Carolina’s Students The Public School Forum of NC is excited to announce the launch of Study Group XVII, which will examine the unique education challenges facing students across rural North...
The NC Center for Afterschool Programs Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Lights On Afterschool at the Governor’s Executive Mansion
RALEIGH, NC (October 7, 2019) – The Public School Forum’s NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) is proud to announce that it will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual nationwide event, Lights On Afterschool, with North Carolina First Lady Kristin Cooper...
Yes, “A” Still Stands for Affluent in NC School Performance Grades
By Lindsay Wagner North Carolina released its annual A-F School Performance Grades this week and they continue to reflect the clear relationship between poverty and students’ test scores. Of the 21.7% of North Carolina schools that received either a D or F in...
Color of Education Announces New Mapping Project to Highlight Racial Equity Efforts Across NC
RALEIGH, NC (August 23, 2019) –The Public School Forum of NC, in partnership with the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity and Duke Sanford Policy Bridge, is excited to announce a new joint initiative: Mapping the Movement for Racial Equity and Beyond. For...
Teachers, state employees caught in the middle as state treasurer, hospitals battle over State Health Plan
By Lindsay Wagner When Wilkes County middle school librarian Susan Ringo recently had a stroke, she came through the medical crisis only to learn she had other undiagnosed congenital health issues that will require a lifetime of medical care at no small cost. She had...