Podcasts about public instruction mark johnson

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated more attention for telemedicine. As more people access health care through their phones and computers, the John Locke Foundation and Brookings Institution have prepared a new telemedicine report. Co-author Jordan Roberts, JLF’s health care policy analyst, discusses the report’s key findings and recommendations. North Carolina has entered the first stage of Gov. Roy Cooper’s phased reopening of the state’s economy. Critics contend the state ought to be reopening more quickly. During a recent online forum sponsored by the John Locke Foundation, N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, offered his ideas for moving North Carolina’s economy forward with proper safety precautions. North Carolina’s public schools are closed for the year. It’s unclear how schools will operate when students return in August. During a recent news conference, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson and State Board of Education Chairman Eric Davis addressed challenges linked to reopening schools. Before the pandemic, one of the hot debates on college campuses involved the benefits and drawbacks of socialism. Freedom activist Andres Guilarte is warning college students about the dangers of turning toward socialism. He offers real-life examples from his home country of Venezuela. The N.C. Department of Transportation recently faced a scathing audit. It contends state DOT officials overspent their annual budget by $742 million. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, analyzes the audit’s key findings. He discusses potential implications for the cash-strapped DOT.

As governments across North Carolina and the United States enact new restrictions to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, some observers are asking questions and urging caution. John Locke Foundation CEO Amy Cooke discusses the tension between government’s efforts to address a health pandemic and the freedom of action required in a society with a limited, constitutional government. Restaurants and hotels are among the businesses hit hard by government shutdowns linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lynn Minges, president and CEO of the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association, assessed the shutdowns’ impact on the hospitality industry during a recent conversation with the John Locke Foundation. Minges also discussed creative ways some restaurants and hotels are responding to changes in their business models. School closings across North Carolina have affected all parents of school-age kids, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson. Johnson discusses how his daughter’s classroom teacher responded in the early days of the school closing. Johnson also offers recommendations for parents looking into ways to help keep their children on track while school buildings remain shut down. Before he tested positive for COVID-19, State Treasurer Dale Folwell already was thinking about the impact of surprise medical billing for North Carolinians. Folwell pointed out the negative impact of surprise billing during a one-on-one conversation with Carolina Journal Radio. The federal government has committed more than $2 trillion in a series of relief packages related to COVID-19. Joseph Coletti, John Locke Foundation senior fellow, examines the potential impact of those packages. Coletti warns about the potential negative impact of driving the federal government deeper into debt.

Question to John Hood and Rob Schofield – Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson has announced he is undergoing a review of Common Core math and language arts standards as well as U.S. History Requirements. He wants the State Board of Education to remove any and all use of Common Core. Is this just a strategy for his Lieutenant Governor campaign or is it a legitimate undertaking?

Gov. Roy Cooper is one of just two Southern governors — and eight nationwide — to earn F grades in the libertarian Cato Institute’s latest “Fiscal Report Card for America’s Governors.” Cooper earns this failing grade despite the fact that other measures tout North Carolina’s strong economy and fiscal health. Chris Edwards, editor of Cato’s DownsizingGovernment.org, explains why North Carolina’s chief executive deserves such low marks. School choice faces a number of attacks from critics. One of the most common criticisms involves standards at private schools that see increased enrollment thanks to school voucher programs. Matthew Ladner, senior research fellow at the Charles Koch Institute, explains why those critiques miss the mark. As students headed back to class this fall, state education officials sought to reassure parents that public schools are taking steps to ensure safety. Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson led a recent news conference outlining safety measures designed to help prevent the incidents of school violence that have generated headlines across the country in recent years. A new state commission is focusing on the fair treatment of college student-athletes in North Carolina. During the group’s first meeting, some of the most compelling testimony came from lobbyist David Collins, a former UNC-Chapel Hill football player. Collins explained how a serious ankle injury during his senior year led to unexpected problems and lingering health concerns. State lawmakers are offering contrasting assessments of hog lagoons’ environmental performance during Hurricane Florence. Dan Way, Carolina Journal associate editor, reported those assessments from one of the General Assembly’s top agricultural advocates and one of its most vocal environmental watchdogs. Way shares highlights from his work.

Voters will have several chances to amend North Carolina’s state constitution when they head to the polls in November. Becki Gray, John Locke Foundation senior vice president, discusses the proposed constitutional amendments and how they might shape the future of state government. Free trade has taken hits from politicians in both parties in recent years. Economist Peter Boettke of George Mason University explains why that should disappoint anyone who’s interested in promoting economic growth. Boettke contends that advocates of free trade need to develop new arguments to convince skeptical voters. The N.C. General Assembly recently approved the HOPE Act as the latest tool in the fight against opioid abuse. But critics worry about the potential impact on personal privacy rights. One key provision gives law enforcement agencies easier access to some medical records. You’ll hear highlights from N.C. House debate on the issue. The late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms spent much of his time on Capitol Hill focusing on national security. It’s no surprise that an event in Raleigh marking the 30th anniversary of the Jesse Helms Center featured remarks dedicated to security issues. Former Helms staffer Danielle Pletka, now the senior vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, quoted her former boss as she took stock of today’s top security challenges. State lawmakers are enlisting the help of N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson as they look for ways to cut the number of standardized tests in the state’s public schools. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research, assesses the increased emphasis on cutting down the number of unnecessary or duplicative tests in school.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson talks about his first few months in office, education legislation making its way through the General Assembly, and his relationship with the Department of Public Instruction and State Board of Education.