Public School Forum

A think-and-do tank committed to North Carolina public schools

Education Matters – One-on-One with NC Governor Roy Cooper

Topic: One-on-One with NC Governor Roy Cooper Two years ago, Roy Cooper was elected Governor of North Carolina as a champion for teachers and public schools. He’s just unveiled his proposed state budget to a more balanced General Assembly than the Republican supermajority of his first two years, but one where the GOP remains firmly […]

Education Matters- Newsmakers

Topic: Newsmakers This week on Education Matters we welcome two educators who are making news. First up is Leigh Kokenes. She’s a School Psychologist in the Wake County Public Schools System and was recently named the National School Psychologist of the Year. We’ll talk to Leigh about role of a school psychologist and what our […]

Another Fayetteville Voucher School at Heart of Athletics Scandal

By Lindsay Wagner Fayetteville’s Village Christian Academy, a private school newly participating in the state’s taxpayer-funded Opportunity Scholarships Program, found itself embroiled in scandal this month when the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association determined the private school’s football program to be in violation of its rule prohibiting the recruitment of student athletes and offering […]

Education Matters – One-On-One with State Superintendent Mark Johnson

Topic: One-On-One with State Superintendent Mark Johnson It’s been more than two years since Mark Johnson was elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He’s just unveiled a new initiative that aims to make North Carolina the best place to learn and teach by the year 2030. Superintendent Johnson joins us this week for the full […]

Friday Report – March 8, 2019

This week in #nced: NC Teachers Who Carry Guns in Schools Would Get Pay Raises Under New Bill; Report Says Average NC Teacher Salary Is Nearly $54,000. But NCAE Says That Figure Is ‘Skewed.’

Education Matters – Documenting Historically Segregated Black Schools

Topic: Documenting Historically Segregated Black Schools The history of school desegregation includes many important stories of courageous African American families and their children who were the first to attend previously whites-only schools. But there’s another history that often goes untold. That one is about the rich history of education provided by the historically segregated black […]

Friday Report – March 1, 2019

This week in #nced: School Bond Proposal Sets Stage for Legislative Fight; Report Says ‘Leaky Pipeline’ of Students in Education System Is Costing NC Skilled Workers

James and Barbara Goodmon to Receive Public School Forum of North Carolina’s Annual Education Leadership Award

RALEIGH, NC (February 28, 2019) – James (Jim) and Barbara Goodmon were named today as the recipients of the 2019 Public School Forum of North Carolina Jay Robinson Education Leadership Award. The Forum established the award in 2000 to recognize leaders who have demonstrated innovative, creative, and effective leadership for public education in North Carolina. […]

Education Matters – Inequity in School Funding

Topic: Inequity in School Funding A study released this week by the Public School Forum of NC shows a growing gap in public school funding between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state. These funding disparities have a real impact on education, including the ability of lower wealth counties to fund local supplemental pay […]

Friday Report – February 22, 2019

This week in #nced: Senate Leader: If NC Private School Voucher Money Is Going Unspent, Loosen the Rules; ‘Don’t Go Be a Teacher’ Is the Attitude NC Schools Chief Wants to Change. Here’s How.

2019 Local School Finance Study

RALEIGH, NC (February 19, 2019) – A study released today by the Public School Forum of North Carolina once again illustrates a chronic and growing gap in public school funding between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state. The 2019 Local School Finance Study found that the ten highest spending counties spent on average […]

Education Matters – Exploring Rural-Urban North Carolina

Topic: Exploring Rural-Urban North Carolina According to the Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State, people in North Carolina are feeling more disconnected than ever and they want to do something about it. So IEI launched a three-year initiative called ReCONNECT NC and this week hundreds of people convened in Raleigh to focus on reconnection […]

Education Matters – Newsmaker Conversations

Topic: Newsmaker Conversations The State Treasurer of North Carolina has broad responsibilities over the finances of the state that have big implications for public education including state employee retirement and pension plans, the State Health Plan and how the state finances school construction. This week we talk with State Treasurer Dale Folwell about these topics […]

Friday Report – February 8, 2019

This week in #nced: Will NC Teachers Once Again Get Extra Pay for Master’s Degrees? Plan Has Bipartisan Support; NC Public Schools ‘Having Real Trouble Finding Elementary Teachers’

Education Matters – Diversity in Teaching

Topic: Diversity in Teaching North Carolina’s public schools are becoming increasingly diverse with students of color now making up more than 50 percent of total enrollment. The state’s teaching workforce, however, does not reflect that diversity, with about 80 percent of teachers both white and female. Does it matter, and if so what do we […]

Friday Report – February 1, 2019

This week in #nced: Raises? Supplies? More Jobs? What Teachers and State Workers Want in NC Budget Talks; NC Charter Schools Have Nearly Doubled Since 2011. Some Say It’s Time for a New Cap.