Education Matters

Today on the show we will discuss racial equity focusing on discipline disparities, the school to prison pipeline, and School Resource Officers. Our goal is to share research, explore what is working and what is not working in various contexts, and consider recommendations for how we support the whole child with an equity lens. Guests: Tyler Whittenberg, Justice System Reform program, Southern Coa...

Joining us to discuss the Color of Education are speakers and organizers of the event Guests: Dr. William “Sandy Darity, Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy, Professor of African and African American Studies, Professor of Economics, Duke University Bettina Umstead, Chair, Board of Education, Durham Public Schools Shannon Bowman, University Connections Liaison/Teacher, Centennial Campu...

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 Caroli...

On today’s show we have a range of topics to discuss with two special guests, Dr. Jen Mangrum, Democratic Candidate for State Superintendent, and Catherine Truitt, Republican Candidate for State Superintendent. I’d like to thank them both for their willingness to run for office and spend time with us today sharing their ideas, vision, and plans for the future of education in NC. Their contribution...

For more than 200,000 homes with students across NC, Broadband access is limited or non-existent. Even when Broadband is available, other barriers to adoption and usage prevent many of our households from being connected. During this pandemic, many students rely on walking to publicly available wifi or buses with Internet access. Districts have been creative with hotspots, park and learns, and oth...

In last week’s episode, we were able to discuss the need for ongoing STEM investments and exposure to high-quality STEM content, as early as Kindergarten. These discussions bring awareness to the need for collective strategies and intentional collaboration and partnerships within the STEM pipeline. The goal is to ensure that every child has access to high-quality STEM during school and out-of-scho...

The world around us is constantly changing and so is the workforce. It is imperative that youth are afforded opportunities to learn by doing, build skills, connect with mentors and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow. Today, STEM jobs are driving global economic growth, and youth nationwide are getting opportunities to develop an interest in science and gain STEM-related skills. At the North Carolina...

COVID-19 has created changes to the school budget landscape across our state. From creating access to broadband to in-person learning costs, there are new and different short and long-term impacts on the budget. Guests: Cathy Moore, Superintendent, Wake County Public Schools Tony Jackson, Superintendent, Vance County Public Schools

We are now two weeks into the new school year in NC; and educators, students, and families alike are adjusting to a new normal in either a remote or hybrid setting. We will have the opportunity to hear from a Superintendent, principal, and two students on how they are embracing this experience and ensuring that we have an effective culture to support our students, staff, families, and community. B...

This week, K-12 students across North Carolina are going back to school. Our public school students are beginning school under what have become known as Plans B and C — and in most districts, that is either a hybrid or a fully remote learning schedule. As of this taping, students in 60 school districts will begin in a fully remote learning setting. Many school districts have shared that the fall,...

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...

Supporting and Lifting Up Teachers in the World of COVID-19 While this time of year always seems to involve a great deal of back-to-school talk, this year it is even more so with every conversation involving school plans, district or parent decisions, and imaging what school will be like this year. For teachers, these discussions and issues are at the forefront of their minds, as they prepare for...

While schools and districts are struggling to know what to do and how to best meet the needs of our students, the shift to hybrid or remote learning plans have had a dramatic impact on our families and students. During this episode we will meet with four guests who will help us better understand the challenges and also offer some recommendations for how we must continue to improve in our engagemen...

This week, our Governor provided more guidance for schools and districts as they plan for the beginning of a school year like none other. As families make complex and sometimes heart-wrenching decisions to meet the needs of their children, today we will talk to education leaders about what they are grappling with when it comes to finding and securing the resources necessary to safely open our scho...

As North Carolina continues to develop plans for safely beginning the 2020-21 school year, we take a look at the possibilities surrounding what next year could bring and what that means for both large and small school districts across our state. Joining us today are Cyndy Bliss, Principal of Myrtle Grove Middle School in New Hanover County, Doctor Barry Williams, Superintendent of Gates County Pub...

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 partners...

Judge Lee’s Consent Order of January 21, 2020, it directed the State Defendants (SBE/Gov/DOJ representing the State to submit a status report setting out the “Specific actions that the State Defendants must implement in 2020 to begin to address the issues identified by WestEd.” Since then, in the midst of COVID-19, the State and the Plaintiffs have worked to develop the Joint Report issued on June...

As COVID-19 continues to present our state and nation with so many challenges with regard to children’s schooling, joining us on the show today is the chair of the North Carolina State Board of Education, Eric Davis, and the Chief Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Susan Gale Perry, to discuss the most recent guidance released about how to safely re-ope...

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 Educa...

As the school year ends, planning begins. With the new school year approaching, we look to district and state leaders to decide what guidelines will be in place to keep our students and staff safe. This week we discuss backgrounds, options, and factors surrounding school opening plans with leaders in Edgecombe County as well as state leaders from the Department of Public Instruction. Guests Dr. Be...

Through community efforts, partnerships, and new funding, many students without broadband access have been provided loaned devices, wifi-hot spots, and community hot spot access in order to complete school work and continue learning. Today we catch up with teachers in Edgecombe County to find out what at home learning and broadband access looks like and take a closer look at a collaboration betwee...

Recently, in response to COVID-19, much needed additional state and federal funding has been allocated to North Carolina’s public schools. With the use of these funds, combined with state and local partnerships, more efforts are being made to connect students and teachers to broadband internet through allocating $1 million for wifi buses, $11 million for community and home mobile internet access,...

On May second, the North Carolina general assembly approved a pandemic relief package nearing one point six billion dollars in two bills. After compromising, votes in the house and the senate were unanimous in passing the COVID-19 relief package. Here to discuss the impacts of what this funding can bring as well as the state board of education decisions as the school year ends are Freebird Mckinne...

Governor Cooper announced last Friday that our school buildings will remain closed for the remainder of this academic year. and this week, our general assembly members returned to Raleigh to consider Coronavirus related legislation, including a number of policies that will impact our public schools. As we navigate this challenging time, our public schools will continue working to serve our student...

Over and over we have been hearing from North Carolina teachers saying that they have not been able to reach some of their students during this stay at home order, one major reason being the lack of access to broadband. In areas across the state, broadband access is limited, particularly in rural regions, where some students are having to walk to schools or other publically available wifi hotspots...