As I complete my first week as President & CEO of the Public School Forum of North Carolina after joining the organization on July 1, I want to express how honored I am to be part of an organization with such a distinguished history of championing strong public schools and expanding opportunity for every child […]
North Carolina’s Budget Offers Some Short-Term Fixes for Today, Raises More Questions About Sustainability
After a year of waiting, the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) and Governor Josh Stein have passed a comprehensive state budget, and this compromise comes with a sense of relief for many. Indeed, there are policies and much-needed funding to celebrate within it. However, the final legislation– over 600 pages long– also includes numerous policy […]
What the 2026-27 NC Principals of the Year Want You to Know
On the latest episode of Education Matters, we were joined by the 2026-27 Wells Fargo North Carolina Regional Principals of the Year. To conclude our conversation, we asked what they’d liked people to know about their school and/or North Carolina’s local public schools as a whole. Here’s what they had to say: Kelly Flora, Nags […]
June 26 Policy Updates
This week, the General Assembly continued to delay the release of a comprehensive state budget while advancing several high-profile policy priorities, including election law changes and veto overrides. At the federal level, the Trump administration announced additional steps toward dismantling the U.S. Department of Education by transferring oversight of civil rights and special education to […]
June 5 Policy Updates
This week, the General Assembly completed its first successful veto override of the session, opting North Carolina into a federal voucher program. While lawmakers have yet to release details of a long-overdue state budget, committees continue advancing legislation that could shape future budget negotiations. One such proposal, the K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act–an omnibus education […]
Amend with Caution: Why Constitutional Changes Are Rarely Necessary
North Carolina has had three constitutions. The first was written when our state joined a brand-new nation. The second emerged after the Civil War, when North Carolina finally prohibited slavery and secession. The third, and current, Constitution was adopted in 1971, not because the entire document needed reinventing, but because decades of amendments had cluttered […]
May 22 Policy Updates
This week, the General Assembly advanced several major bills related to government structure, school choice, and tax policy, while budget negotiations remain unresolved and public schools continue operating without updated state funding. Shifts in Governance and State Oversight HB 144, a proposed constitutional amendment currently moving through House committees, would change how members of the […]
May 15 Policy Updates
North Carolina General Assembly leaders announced that budget negotiations are finally moving forward, but they have not yet released a finalized budget or detailed funding allocations for public schools. Teacher Pay Agreement Speaker Destin Hall and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger announced a compromise on teacher compensation. The proposed agreement includes: The proposed pay […]
Teachers Need More Than Appreciation– They Need Respect
Teacher Appreciation Week rolls around each year–an opportunity for students and families to share tokens of gratitude, and for principals and PTAs to make sure teachers are well-fed and well-stocked with snacks. Coffee bars appear. Catered lunches show up. Handwritten notes are passed across desks. For a brief moment, the community comes together to remind […]
May 8 Policy Updates
As the filing deadline for appropriations bills came to a close at the General Assembly, more than 60 education-related bills have already been filed, offering an early look at competing visions for North Carolina’s public schools. These proposals reflect two realities shaping education policy in the state: growing interest in innovation and transformation, alongside persistent […]
May 1 Policy Updates
This week, a Senate bill aimed at addressing teacher recruitment advanced through the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee, even as North Carolina’s teacher pay ranking continues to decline. Teacher Licensure ModificationsSenate Bill 840, with bipartisan sponsorship, moved through committee with minor amendments. The bill removes several existing licensure barriers, including the Praxis Core requirement for entry […]
April 24 Policy Updates
North Carolina legislators returned to Raleigh this week, and Governor Stein released his latest budget proposal. Typically in the second year of the legislative biennium, a new state budget would already be in place, with the short session focused on technical adjustments. However, without an enacted budget, this year’s short session is expected to take […]
April 17 Policy Updates
This week, the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform concluded its work, advancing two proposals for consideration by the full House. If enacted, these measures could significantly shift the balance between state and local authority and create new pressures for local governments responsible for funding essential public services, including public education. House […]
Donor Spotlight: Dr. Alisa McLean on Investing in the Home That Shaped You
The Public School Forum of North Carolina is honored to feature Dr. Alisa McLean in our Donor Spotlight series—an educator, leader, and unwavering advocate for public education across our state. With a career spanning classrooms, school leadership, district transformation, and state-level work, Dr. McLean has dedicated her life to ensuring that every child in North […]
April 10 Policy Updates
This week, the Public School Forum convened over 400 educators, community members, education leaders, and policymakers at the annual Eggs & Issues breakfast. Leading up to the short session, this event highlighted the state’s progress on the Forum’s 2025-26 Top Education Issues. Overall, North Carolina made very little progress, underscoring the urgency of legislative action […]
Student Voice Isn’t a Slogan—It’s a Commitment
There’s a phrase we hear often in education: student voice matters. It shows up in mission statements, strategic plans and conference panels. But too often, it stays an idea we agree with, rather than a practice we commit to. Fortunately, students are challenging that. Amplifying student voices isn’t just about students being heard. It’s about […]
April 3 Policy Updates
Yesterday, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued its fifth ruling in the decades-long Leandro lawsuit. Among other considerable impacts, this opinion vacates the 2022 ruling ordering the transfer of $1.75 billion to our public schools. While significant, the Leandro V ruling does not change our constitutional obligation to fully fund our public schools. What’s in […]
Public School Forum Statement on April 2026 Leandro Ruling
Today the North Carolina Supreme Court issued its fifth ruling in the decades-long Leandro lawsuit. Among other considerable impacts, this opinion vacates the 2022 ruling ordering the transfer of $1.75 billion to our public schools to implement the evidence-based Comprehensive Remedial Plan. While significant and harmful, the Leandro V ruling does not change our state’s […]
March 27 Policy Updates
North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger has conceded his primary race, ending his 15-year tenure as caucus leader. Berger’s departure signals a significant moment of transition for the North Carolina General Assembly. Since 2011, legislative priorities under his leadership have helped define the state’s approach to school funding, choice, and educator pay. The […]
Public School Forum Names Dr. Anthony Jackson as New CEO
RALEIGH, NC (March 24, 2026) –The Public School Forum of North Carolina is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Anthony D. Jackson as its next president and chief executive officer following a national search. Dr. Jackson will assume his role on July 1, succeeding interim executive directors Ann McColl and Dr. Lauren Fox. This […]
March 20 Policy Updates
The longstanding precedent guaranteeing access to public education for all children is facing renewed scrutiny. This week, the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing examining the Plyler v. Doe (1982) decision, as several states advance policies aimed at restricting school enrollment for undocumented students. Public Education for All […]
NC Legislators in Schools Week 2026 to be Held Week of April 13
RALEIGH, NC (March 17, 2026)- This year’s annual NC Legislators in Schools Week will be held the week of April 13-17. During the week, members of the North Carolina General Assembly will visit local public schools in the communities which they represent and engage in conversations with superintendents, educators and students. “Legislators in Schools Week […]
March 13 Policy Updates
This week, Governor Stein released the first of several budget proposals ahead of the General Assembly’s short session. The $1.4 billion “Critical Needs” stopgap plan for FY 2025 includes retroactive educator pay raises. However, with no budget votes taken since October and concerns raised by leadership in both chambers, lawmakers are unlikely to take up […]
A Collective Way Forward: Taking Action for Afterschool in Western NC
“It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.” – Irish proverb I see nods of understanding as I read this proverb at the kickoff of the most recent WNC After 3PM Collaborative gathering in Brevard, NC. Remembering that we serve as shelter for one another is central to why we gather […]