Podcasts about public school forum

Welcome to Education Matters presented by the Public School Forum of North Carolina. In today's episode, we're taking a look at Eggs & Issues 2025 where the Public School Forum presented our Top Education Issues which represent the Forum's legislative priorities for the 2025-26 biennium. Today, we'll hear from policymakers who took part in a discussion of the challenges and strategies presented in this year's Top Issues. Guests: Leader Sydney Batch, NC Senate Democratic Leader Mo Green, NC Superintendent of Public Instruction Catty Moore, NC State Board of Education Member-At-Large Sen. Kevin Corbin, NC General Assembly

On today's episode, we're taking a look at Eggs & Issues 2025 where the Public School Forum presented our Top Education Issues which represent the Forum's legislative priorities for the 2025-26 biennium. We will also hear from educators who took part in a discussion of the challenges and strategies presented in this year's Top Issues.On this episode we're joined by members of the North Carolina General Assembly to discuss the upcoming legislative long session and which education issues we can expect to hear more about in the coming months. Guests: Dr. Lauren Fox, Public School Forum Sr. Director of Policy & Research Natalia Mejia, NCCAT 2023 Empower NC Beginning Teacher of the Year, CC Griffin STEM Middle School, Cabarrus County Schools Dr. C'Monee' Wilkins, Principal, Clarke Elementary School, Vance County Public Schools Dr. Don Phipps, Superintendent, Caldwell County Schools

  At the start of the 2025 state legislative session, few needs in our state stand out as more obvious and dire than the ones we see in our public schools. From teacher pay to facilities to student well-being to the way we track performance in and demand accountability from the schools we fund, public […]

Yet another area in which the recent general election is likely to have major impacts is public education. Here in North Carolina, education advocates are hopeful that the combination of a new governor and a slightly different state legislature could lead to a boost in public school funding – something that's desperately needed given our […]

On May 7, 2024, the Public School Forum hosted its annual Eggs & Issues breakfast. The Public School Forum invited the candidates for Governor and several candidates for the General Assembly to join us to discuss their perspectives on and plans for education. The General Assembly and the Governor play critical roles in education policy and funding in NC. We hope that you will take the time to hear their responses to several education-focused questions.

Earlier this month, one of our state's leading and most respected champions of public education, the Public School Forum of North Carolina, held its annual Eggs and Issues breakfast in Raleigh. The event drew several prominent elected officials and candidates from both parties – all of whom endorsed the idea that the state must do […] The post Dr. Lauren Fox of the Public School Forum on NC's progress on Top Education issues appeared first on NC Newsline.

On May 7, 2024, the Public School Forum hosted its annual Eggs & Issues breakfast. At this event, the Forum shares the Top Education Issues and the progress that has been made against them. On this episode Dr Lauren Fox will share our progress on the Top Educational Issues for this biennium. We'll hear from Mo Green, the Democratic candidate for State Superintendent. Understanding educational issues and hearing from the candidates who will be charged to lead our public schools are important aspects of ensuring that every child in NC has access to a high-quality and equitable education.

On this episode we're joined by 2022 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year Leah Carper and Representative Maria Cervania to discuss the second annual Bring Your Legislator to School Day. The event which is organized by Members of the NC Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year Network and the Public School Forum of North Carolina creates an opportunity for legislators to experience the day-to-day reality of North Carolina's elementary and secondary schools for a better understanding of what is working well for students and educators as well as the challenges they face.

A top challenge facing public schools in North Carolina right now is a chronic teacher shortage – a shortage attributable to pitifully low salaries and several other shortsighted policies. Fortunately, there are some obvious and doable actions that state leaders can take to address this problem – actions detailed in a recent report from experts […] The post Dr. Lauren Fox of the Public School Forum on rebuilding North Carolina's educator pipeline appeared first on NC Newsline.

As news reports have made clear repeatedly in recent years, North Carolina is suffering from a big and deeply problematic teacher shortage – especially in rural low wealth districts and when it comes to teachers of color. The problem was big and bad even before the pandemic, and it's gotten worse in its aftermath. Thankfully, […] The post Lauren Fox of the Public School Forum discusses North Carolina's worrisome teacher shortage appeared first on NC Newsline.

Meet the 2023-24 NC Regional Teachers of the Year by Public School Forum of NC

It's been ten years since North Carolina's experiment with private school vouchers commenced and, as multiple reports have made clear, when it comes to student achievement, widely shared opportunity, and the wise use of public resources, the program has been a dramatic failure. Given however, that state lawmakers have no intention of scaling back the […] The post The Public School Forum of North Carolina's Lauren Fox on NC's private school voucher program appeared first on NC Newsline.

Meet the 2023-24 North Carolina Teacher, Principal and Superintendent of the Year by Public School Forum of NC

Ep. 224 Back-to-School 2023-24 by Public School Forum of NC

Nearly ⅔ of adults report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience, or ACEs, which can have negative impacts, including health problems, mental health issues, and learning difficulties. Mental health supports for students are critical. Now, more than ever, we as a state need to invest in our children and provide them with the services they need. To see what a trauma-informed school looks like and what they are doing to support students, we visited Tramway Elementary School in Sanford, NC, in Lee County Schools to learn more. Our guest host who visited the school this week is Tom Williams, previous host of Ed Matters and the Immediate Past Chair of the Public School Forum's Board of Directors. Guests: Dr. Johnnye Waller, Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services, Lee County Schools Andrea Cummings, Principal, Tramway Elementary School, Lee County Schools Megan O'Shaughnessy, School Counselor, Tramway Elementary School, Lee County Schools Myra Cole, Teacher, Tramway Elementary School, Lee County Schools Jessica Jackson, Intervention Teacher, Tramway Elementary School, Lee County Schools

Read the Forum's new 2023-24 report. The post Dr. Mary Ann Wolf, president of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, discusses top education policy issues facing the 2023 General Assembly appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

The Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity at the Public School Forum recently held its 5th Annual Color of Education with our wonderful partners, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University and the Center for Child and Family Policy. Today we are joined by four of the leaders who played critical roles in the planning and success of the convening and also the ongoing work across NC. Hundreds of educators, students, equity leaders, and community and business partners joined us to learn and create action steps for impact together are with us today on the show. Guests: Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Associate Director of Research for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity Danita Mason-Hogans, Civil Rights Historian, Educator, Speaker, Activist Dr. Dudley Flood

The Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity at the Public School Forum recently held its 5th Annual Color of Education with our wonderful partners, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University and the Center for Child and Family Policy. Today we are joined by four of the leaders who played critical roles in the planning and success of the convening and also the ongoing work across NC. Hundreds of educators, students, equity leaders, and community and business partners joined us to learn and create action steps for impact together are with us today on the show. Guests: Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Associate Director of Research for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity Danita Mason-Hogans, Civil Rights Historian, Educator, Speaker, Activist Dr. Dudley Flood

Early voting is open through November 5th. We encourage you to check your voter registration, check out your sample ballot, and find your voting locations at the NC State Board of Elections website: www.ncsbe.gov. And remember, you are not required to show a photo ID when voting, and curbside/assisted voting options are available. On today's show, we will talk with guests about the importance of voting, how voting for local, state-wide, and country-wide elections can be critical for creating change, and why your vote matters. Guests: Dr. Lauren Fox, Senior Director, Policy & Research, Public School Forum of NC Rani Dasi, School Board Member and Vice Chair in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, and Sr. Director of Operations Finance at RTI

We are coming to you from the Public School Forum's Annual Event, Eggs and Issues and have with us some spectacular guests today to discuss the top issues surrounding education across our state. GUESTS: Elena Ashburn, NC POY/WCPSS Sen. Deanna Ballard, NC General Assembly Emma Battle, Higher Ed Works Jennie Bryan, Southeast RTOY/BCS JB Buxton, Durham Tech Community College Renee Caven, Truist Rep. Ashton Clemmons NC General Assembly Debra Derr, NC Chamber Lisa Eads, NC Community Colleges Eugenia Floyd, NC TOY/CHCCS Dale Jenkins, Curi (Retired) Liliana Soto, Vance County Schools Kathy Spencer, Southeast Education Alliance Deanna Townsend-Smith, State Board of Education Joshua Webb, Edgecombe Early College Tre Woods, Teacher Cadet

The post Lindsay Wagner of the Public School Forum of North Carolina with an education analysis of the state budget appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

The post Mary Ann Wolf, CEO of the Public School Forum: Children deserve a state budget that prioritizes their future appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

The post Mary Ann Wolf, CEO of the Public School Forum: Children deserve a state budget that prioritizes their future appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

Today on our show, we'd like to take the time to explain the federal, state and local roles in education, and how each of those actors contributes to supporting education in different, yet very necessary ways. Joining us to discuss these roles are Lindsay Wagner, the Director of Communications for the Public School Forum, and Congresswoman Deborah Ross, who represents North Carolina's second congressional district Guests: Rep. Deborah Ross, Congresswoman for NC's 2nd District Lindsay Wagner, Director of Communications, Public School Forum of NC

Learn more about the Top Education issues of 2021. The post Mary Ann Wolf, executive director of the Public School Forum, discusses equity, COVID-19, and how to improve our schools after a year of learning loss appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

Today we are coming to you from the second half of the 7th annual Eggs and Issues breakfast presented by the Public School Forum of North Carolina. Today's discussion on Equity and Education Policy will be hosted by Lauren Fox, Senior Director of Policy at the Forum. Guests: Maggie Murphy, Teacher, Allegheny County Schools Reagan Razon, Student, Wake County Schools Rep. Ricky Hurtado, NC General Assembly Dr. Anthony Graham, Provost, Winston Salem State University

Today we are coming to you from the 7th annual Eggs and Issues breakfast presented by the Public School Forum of North Carolina. Today's discussion on COVID-19 and Education Policy is part of a two episode series on the Top 10 Education issues for 2021. Here to talk with us today are Dr. Catherine Edmonds, ECPPS Superintendent and future NCDPI Deputy Superintendent, Daniel Scott, 2020 NC Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year, Onslow County Schools, Sen. Kevin Corbin, NCGA, and Dr. Scott Elliott, Superintendent, Watauga County Schools.

We kicked off our third annual Color of Education Summit virtually this week, spotlighting the intersection of race, equity, and education. Joining us to discuss this are speakers and organizers of the event. Guests: Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Associate Director of Research, Duke University Cook Center on Social Equity Dr. Lauren Fox, Senior Director of Policy, Public School Forum of North Carolina Danita Mason-Hogans, Program Coordinator, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University Christina Spears, Special Assistant in Wake County Public School System's Office of Equity Affairs

Fox discusses COVID-19’s Impact on Public School Budgets: Unstable Funding Requires Quick Action The post Lauren Fox, Public School Forum of North Carolina Director of Policy appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

Fox discusses COVID-19’s Impact on Public School Budgets: Unstable Funding Requires Quick Action The post Lauren Fox, Public School Forum of North Carolina Director of Policy appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

The post Public School Forum calls for relief to K-12 education appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

The post Public School Forum calls for relief to K-12 education appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

As families and school districts work to provide academic, social, and emotional learning opportunities and support for their students, afterschool, before school, and summer programs are key pieces for many children. As an integral part of the learning process, programs teach children foundational skills, like communication, teamwork, and problem solving, and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow. Today, we will focus on the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs at the Public School Forum of North Carolina and the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program, a federal program led by the Department of Public Instruction across the state. Whether remote or in-person, these programs are essential for our students and are an integral part of an important partnership with families, schools and communities. Guests Dr. Sheronda Fleming, Public School Forum of NC Sheneika Simmons, Public School Forum of NC Dr. LaTricia Townsend, Department of Public Instruction

The post Dr. Mary Ann Wolf, President and Executive Director of the Public School Forum, discusses the many challenges facing educators as we approach the next school year appeared first on NC Policy Watch.

During COVID-19 and the new remote learning environment that North Carolina’s students are grappling with, our state’s business community has stepped up to bridge the digital divide, forming partnerships with local school districts to provide technology and innovative solutions to access school resources. We’ll talk with representatives from Google and Lenovo today on the show about these partnerships, and in another exciting development, we’ll introduce the Public School Forum’s new President and Executive Director — and future host of Education Matters-- Dr. Mary Ann Wolf. Guests: Mr. John Bischof, Executive Director, North America Commercial Category, Lenovo Ms. Lilyn Hester, Head of External Affairs, Southeast, Google Dr. Mary Ann Wolf, Executive Director, Public School Forum of NC

At a time when COVID-19 still presents a significant public health threat, education leaders are working hard to develop plans to keep students physically safe through a variety of remote and in-person learning options for the upcoming school year. But we must remember that there is work to be done to ensure the social and emotional well-being of our students and educators, as well. Today on Education Matters, we talk with leaders with the Public School Forum’s Resilience and Learning Project as well as school counselors and a social worker to learn more about what we need to do to ensure the social and emotional well-being of our school communities across the state. Guests: Segment 1: Elizabeth DeKonty, Director, Forum’s NC Resilience & Learning Project Stacey Craig Riberdy, LCSW, Consultant, Forum’s NC Resilience & Learning Project Segment 2: Garfield Martin, School Counselor, Cooper Academy, Johnston County Carmen White, School Counselor, McGee’s Crossroads Elementary, Johnston County Yvette Richardson, School Social Worker, Nash Rocky Mount Schools

The Public School Forum's annual Eggs and Issues event included a live taping of the Forum’s weekly television show, Education Matters. We were joined by four panelists who discussed this year’s Top Education Issue, which focused on the school funding case known as Leandro and the need for our state to take immediate and intentional actions to ensure all NC children receive a sound basic education. Our panelists: Ann McColl, an education attorney, constitutional scholar, and Co-Founder and President of The Innovation Project (TIP); Dr. Anthony Jackson, North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, Vance County Schools; Thomas B. Oxholm, Vice President of Finance & Administration, Wake Stone Corporation; and Alan Duncan, Vice Chairman, NC State Board of Education. Public School Forum Board Chairman and Host of Education Matters, Dr. Thomas J. Williams, moderated the panel.

Last month, the Public School Forum of North Carolina, along with the Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity and the Policy Bridge at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University hosted their second annual Color of Education summit, which focused on racial equity and education in North Carolina. For this week's episode of Education Matters, we’ll talk with representatives from two of the Color of Education partner organizations about the summit and the work that is to come. We’ll also hear from two groups that presented at this year’s Color of Education summit about their racial equity work in schools and communities. Guests: - Patience Wall, Color of Education and Duke Sanford School of Public Policy - Ashley Kazouh, Policy Analyst, Public School Forum of NC - William P. Jackson, Ph.D., Chief Dreamer, Village of Wisdom - Aliyah Abdur-Rahman, Founder and Collaborator, DEI Works

Last week the NC Department of Public Instruction released its annual A-F School Performance Grades for the state’s public schools and they continue to reflect a clear relationship between poverty and student test scores. This week on the show we discuss the latest school grades and the grading system itself. Why do the school grades correlate to strongly to poverty? Do they provide an accurate assessment of the job our schools are doing educating students? If not, what needs to change? Guests: • Dr. Lauren Fox, Senior Policy Director, Public School Forum of NC • Dr. Helen “Sunny” Ladd, Susan B. King Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy • Michelle Burton, Librarian/Teacher, Durham Public Schools

The school year may be nearing an end, but education policymaking is heating up in Raleigh. For the second year in a row, thousands of teachers marched and rallied outside the General Assembly. At the very same time House lawmakers were passing their proposed state budget for the next 2 years including many key education provisions. This week we recap the teacher rally with our interviews from the march and then we discuss the House budget with two leading education policy experts on what’s in, what’s out and what’s next. Guests: • Dr. Lauren Fox, Senior Policy Director, Public School Forum of NC • Matt Ellinwood, Director, Education & Law Project, NC Justice Center

This is an absolute dream episode with someone we deeply admire and love. We were very tempted to title this episode "James Ford (Future President of the United States)".  James E. Ford is an award-winning educator and consultant on issues of equity in education. He was recently appointed by Gov. Cooper to serve as a member of the North Carolina State Board of Education, representing the Southwest Region. He is the former Program Director at the Public School Forum of North Carolina, an education think-tank and policy advocacy organization. Prior to this, he served as the 2014-15 North Carolina Teacher of the Year and the representative for 95,000 public school teachers throughout the state. For a full year, he traveled the state and country speaking before thousands of teachers, students, business leaders and policymakers about the importance of education. In Spring 2015, He, along with 54 other state teachers were invited to the White House to be honored by President Obama in the Rose Garden during Teacher Appreciation Week. Ford taught World History at Garinger High School in Charlotte, NC starting in 2010. He is a civic leader in Charlotte, serving as the co-chair for the Leading on Opportunity Council, an effort change the systemic barriers to economic mobility in the city. He also is the Principal at Filling the Gap Educational Consultants, LLC. We know you're going to love this episode.

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 to attract and retain teachers. We talk to the study’s lead, plus two NC school superintendents, about how funding affects educational opportunity in their communities. Guests: • Lauren Fox, Senior Director of Policy, Public School Forum of NC • Dr. Tim Markley, Superintendent, New Hanover County Schools • Dr. Valerie Bridges, Superintendent, Edgecombe County Public Schools

This week’s show was recorded live at the Public School Forum of North Carolina’s Eggs & Issues Breakfast. A panel of award winning educators and students discuss the top education issues facing the state in 2019. Guests: • Beth Embree, 2018-19 NC School Counselor of the Year, Catawba County • Alexa Jimenez, 2018 Latinx 20 Under 20, Wake County • Freebird McKinney, 2018 NC Teacher of the Year, Alamance County • Tabari Wallace, 2018 NC Principal of the Year, Craven County

What do you think about public schools? Do teachers get paid enough? Are there too many administrators? Do we test students too much? Not enough? Should we keep students closer to home? The past 32 years the Public School Forum has been trying to answer those questions. Our First in Future guest, the Executive Director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, Keith Poston has been leading the organization for the past 4.5 years. Imagine it is your job to have a take on 20 contentious issues, and knowing someone disagrees with you about every opinion. The truth is we all have opinions on some of these questions. North Carolina invests 55% of its total budget on education, and 70% of the education funding is spent on K-12 education. But is that enough? Are we spending it in the right ways?

The Public School Forum of NC unveiled its Top 10 Education Issues for 2018 this week. A panel of legislative, education and business leaders discuss before a live audience in Raleigh at the 2018 Eggs & Issues Breakfast. Guests: • Sen. Valerie Foushee (D-Chatham, Orange) • Rep. Craig Horn (R-Union) • Lisa Godwin, 2017 NC Teacher of the Year • Sepi Saidi, President & CEO, SEPI Engineering

Host Alex Granados talks with Keith Poston, president and executive director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, about today's Eggs & Issues event.

At a time of intense focus by state leaders on how schools are funded in North Carolina, a new study out this week show a stark and growing gap between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state, particularly urban and rural school districts. We discuss with one of study’s authors and two key experts. Guests: • Lindsay Wagner, Senior Researcher/Writer, Public School Forum of NC • Dr. Eric Houck, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy, UNC-Chapel Hill • Kris Nordstrom, Education Finance and Policy Consultant

Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville has received more taxpayer dollars via the state’s private school voucher program than any other school in the state. It’s also home to an embezzlement scandal involving a teacher who runs the school’s elite basketball program while spending weekends in jail. We take a closer look at the controversy and talk to the state agency that oversees the voucher program. Guests: • Lindsay Wagner, Senior Writer, Public School Forum of NC • Kathryn Marker, Director of Grants Training and Outreach, North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority • Rep. Billy Richardson (D-Cumberland)

A new report out by the Public School Forum spotlights stark gaps in school funding across the state. Guests: • Lauren Bock, Research Director, Public School Forum of NC • Aaron J. Beaulieu, Chief Financial Officer, Durham Public Schools • Rep. Kevin Corbin R-Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon • Dr. Eric Houck, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy, UNC-Chapel Hill

Newly elected Governor Roy Cooper sits down with Education Matters host Keith Poston for the full half hour in a one-on-one discussion about key education issues facing North Carolina. The interview was taped before a live audiences at the 3rd Annual Eggs & Issues Breakfast hosted by the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

How does race affect student outcomes in North Carolina? Does race correlate with educational opportunity in ways that diminish the likelihood of success for students of color? We explore this week with three experts. Guests: • Donovan Livingston, Ph.D. Candidate and Asst. Director for Tutoring Services, UNC-Greensboro • James E. Ford, Program Director, Public School Forum of NC • Dr. Rodney Trice, Assistant Superintendent for Equity Affairs, Wake County Public School System

“Expanding Educational Opportunity in North Carolina” is the title of the just released report and action plan from the Public School Forum of North Carolina and the topic of this week’s show. Looking at the challenges effective teachers and leaders face every day, what would it really take to help them ensure every student in NC has the opportunities guaranteed to them in our state constitution of equal opportunity for a sound basic education? Guests: • Dr. Michael Priddy, Chairman, Public School Forum of NC • Dr. Dudley Flood, Educational Consultant • Dr. Katie Rosanbalm, Research Scientist, Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University • James E. Ford, Director of Programs, Public School Forum of NC & 2014 NC Teacher of the Year

The growth in Charter schools is increasing parental choice in North Carolina, but how is this move impacting students attending traditional public schools? Darrell Allison, President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, and Joe Ableidinger of the Public School Forum of North Carolina discuss innovations, accountability, challenges and opportunities around growth.