RALEIGH, NC (April 12, 2024)- The second annual North Carolina Bring Your Legislator to School Day will take place on April 15, 2024. Members of the NC Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year Network and the Public School Forum of North Carolina invited the entire North Carolina General Assembly to visit schools […]
Moments of Hope from the NC Principal of the Year Network
We are so pleased today to have our final word brought to you by our North Carolina Wells Fargo Principles of the Year from 2021, 2022 and 2023. Our Principals of the year are Dr. Elena Ashburn from Wake County Public Schools, Dr. Patrick Greene from Green County Public Schools and Donna Bledsoe from Surry […]
Public School Forum Releases 2024 Local School Finance Study
RALEIGH, NC (February 27, 2024) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina’s 2024 Local School Finance Study is now available. Through this 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 to isolate […]
Public School Forum Releases Report on Policies and Practices to Rebuild North Carolina’s Educator Pipeline
RALEIGH, NC (February 23, 2024) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina has published a report aimed at identifying and amplifying actionable and replicable models for recruiting, preparing and retaining a diverse, highly effective educator workforce in North Carolina. This report was created with the input of the initial cohort of the North Carolina […]
Education is on the Ballot
It is once again an election year and the primaries are happening in North Carolina right now. While many people may view election season as just a time of exacerbated political divisiveness, I’d argue that it’s actually a time of great opportunity. We often talk about the changes we’d like to see in our communities […]
Public School Forum Statement on February 2024 Leandro Case Reopening
Our NC Supreme Court is charged with upholding the NC Constitution. In regards to schools, our Constitution requires that every child in NC has access to a sound basic education. This includes a high-quality and well-prepared teacher for every child, a high-quality principal for every school, and enough resources to ensure that every child has […]
If The NC Supreme Court Sinks Leandro, Then Most NC Public Schools And Schoolchildren Will Go Down With It
SNL Weekend Update joked recently that the menu on the Titanic – the infamous, ill-fated luxury ocean liner – included not only gourmet foods, but also ‘bottomless water’! Perhaps innocent joking about it has become acceptable. And yet, this preventable tragedy was no joke. The most fundamental lesson is that there’s no such thing as […]
Improving North Carolina’s Teacher Working Conditions
My mom was a Kindergarten teacher, a reading teacher, and a director of Pre-K for a large school district. I not only had the benefit of growing up in a home with my own personal teacher, but I also observed her work environments, students, and impact over the years. I realize I am biased, but […]
Rebuilding the Educator Pipeline — Policies and Practices to Make it Happen in NC
Teachers are the most important school-related factor that Impacting students’ academic outcomes. To meet the needs and potential of all students, North Carolina (NC) must be able to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. North Carolina continues to experience challenges with vacancies and positions filled with teachers who are not fully certified in nearly all grade […]
The Imperative of Science Education in North Carolina
In our rapidly evolving world, marked by scientific breakthroughs and technological advancements, the role of science education extends beyond traditional academic curricula. It becomes a fundamental pillar for societal progress and individual empowerment. This is especially pertinent in North Carolina, reflecting a broader national trend and standing at a critical juncture in the evolution of […]
A Roadmap for Targeted Investment
The Public School Forum’s Roadmap of Need was first published in 2010 by the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs to inform policymakers, funders and citizens of needed investments on a county basis. From its inception, the main focus of the Roadmap has been preventive care including afterschool programs, health care and job programs, which […]
2023 Impact Report
Our 2023 Impact Report demonstrates how The Forum continued our key role of informing education stakeholders throughout 2023 via presentations, trainings, the Education Policy Fellowship Program, e-newsletters, Education Matters, and publications.
Disinvesting in Education is Not the Best Choice
With the passing of the 2023-24 state budget, North Carolina became the tenth state to offer taxpayer-funded universal school vouchers to attend private schools. Despite the fact that the funds for school vouchers through North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship Program have never been fully utilized, the new state budget triples the program’s funding, allocating $4.6 billion […]
Achieving Equity Together
Together we can achieve so much more. The Color of Education Summit brings together educators, policymakers, researchers, students, parents, community members, and other key stakeholders focused on achieving racial equity and eliminating racial disparities in education. Color of Education is a partnership between the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity, the Public School […]
Public School Forum Releases 2023 Roadmap of Need
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 […]
The Critical Role of Afterschool and Expanded Learning for Students, Schools, and Communities
Children are spending an average of 80% of their days outside of school, and the way that they spend this time has crucial implications, both for their achievement in the classroom and success in life. The positive impacts of regular access to high-quality afterschool or out of school time (OST) programming are well-established: afterschool and […]
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 […]
Teacher Recruitment and Retention Trends Across North Carolina and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Research has continuously demonstrated that teachers are the most important school-related factor affecting student learning and achievement. However, in North Carolina and across the nation, districts and schools struggle to recruit and retain effective teachers, especially teachers of color. For more than a decade, declining enrollments in educator preparation programs and rises in teacher vacancies […]
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 […]
Supporting Teachers So They Can Support Students
As I’ve said many times, teachers are the number-one school-related factor influencing student outcomes. Teachers have the immense responsibility of preparing our children to be educated and well-equipped community members. This is not a task that should be taken lightly, but unfortunately, teaching is often thankless work. However, our regional Teachers of the Year represent […]