Op-Eds & Analysis
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...
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...
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...
When School Desegregation Mattered in Charlotte
Dorothy Counts, center, tried to desegregate Harding High School in Charlotte on Sept. 4, 1957, but met hostility from white classmates and parents. Photo Credit: UNC library collection. By Keith Poston An edited version of this article appeared this week in...
The Good, The Needs Improvement, and The Ugly in the State Budget
The Public School Forum has been closely analyzing this week’s release and imminent passage of the General Assembly’s 2018-19 budget proposal. We bring to you our take: The Good, The Needs Improvement, and The Ugly. THE GOOD Teacher pay. An overall average increase of...
Keith Poston of the Public School Forum discusses North Carolina’s Top Education issues
Keith Poston of the Public School Forum discusses North Carolina’s Top Education issues on NC Policy Watch's 'News and Views' hosted by Rob Schofield. Click below to listen to the interview....
School Finance Study Confirms Vast Funding Disparities Across North Carolina
By Keith Poston For more than 20 years the Public School Forum of North Carolina has produced an annual school finance study that examines education funding in North Carolina by isolating local spending from state and federal spending to examine the capacity and...
Concerns Voiced About General Assembly’s New Principal Pay Plan
Originally Published in the Public School Forum's Friday Report on 8/11/17 --- A new principal pay plan enacted this year by the General Assembly drew pointed comments and concerns at last week’s State Board of Education’s (SBE) meeting. The 2017 changes dramatically...
Keith Poston, director of the Public School Forum, discusses teacher pay, recruitment, and overall education funding as the new school year is set to begin
Keith Poston was interviewed on Policy Watch radio to discuss current topics in public education. Listen to full interview here >
Keith Poston: Invest in our teachers
Keith Poston wrote for Fayetteville Observer about the importance of investing in our teachers.
NC needs to stop the lollygagging and invest in teachers
There’s a scene in “Bull Durham” that features the Bulls manager throwing bats into the locker room shower and berating the team for the mortal sin of “lollygagging.” He wonders aloud, after being reminded of his team’s 8-16 record, “How did we ever win eight?” This...
The myth of limited resources to support NC education
One of the ongoing tensions underlying much of the current debate over public education in North Carolina is the amount of money available to support our schools. Last year, with an economic recovery resulting in a $400 million surplus – the first such surplus in...
A budget that does not prioritize education
As the NC House prepares to take its first vote today on the proposed state budget approved yesterday by the NC Senate, Keith Poston, President and Executive Director, Public School Forum of North Carolina, released the following statement: “The state budget released...
After Supreme Court ruling, NC must base voucher decisions on evidence
The N.C. Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the state’s “Opportunity Scholarships” program cements North Carolina’s status as one of 14 states with voucher programs that use taxpayer dollars to pay private school tuition. The court’s decision comes at a time when the...
New analysis shows strong correlation between economic conditions and educational outcomes in North Carolina
RALEIGH, NC & DURHAM, NC (July 15, 2015) – A new white paper released today by MetaMetrics® finds a strong correlation between poverty and low academic performance in North Carolina. The analysis was done using the Public School Forum’s NC Center for Afterschool...
A is for Affluent: A-F School Grading System Needs Changes
An issue brief released today by the Public School Forum of North Carolina says the current A-F School Performance Grading system only serves to label schools based on the family income of the students served and does not provide support to help struggling schools...
North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program Leaves Legacy of Effective Teachers Across the State
RALEIGH, NC (February 24, 2015) – The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, a teacher preparation and scholarship program that recruited top North Carolina high school students into teaching, is set to graduate its final class this spring. The Teaching Fellows...
NC House Budget Offers Most Promising Path Forward to Boost Teacher Pay
RALEIGH, NC (June 12, 2014) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina today said of the three budget proposals currently before the NC General Assembly, the plan contained in the 2014-2015 NC House budget offers the most promising path forward to improve teacher...