Education Matters

New laws are being considered nationally and here in North Carolina in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. What is happening next in NC and can new policies help protect our children? Guests: • Rep. Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus) • Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) • Dr. Ben Matthews, Chief School Operations Officer, NC Dept. of Public Instruction • Dr. Anna Yaros, Research Clinical Psychologist, RTI International

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has sparked a national debate about guns and how best to protect students. This week in the first of two shows, we talk with a teacher, a school psychologist and students for their unique perspectives. Guests: • Lisa Godwin, NC Teacher of the Year • Dr. Jim Deni, School Psychology Trainer & Professor, Appalachian State University • Zainab Antepli, Student, Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill • Erin McIndoe, Student, Green Hope High School, Cary

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest discusses top education issues including school safety & arming teachers, digital learning, school choice and state of public education. Guest: • Lt. Gov. Dan Forest

This week we visit two elementary schools – Rogers Lane Elementary in Wake County and Perry Harrison Elementary in Chatham County – to learn more about how these schools are using technology to personalize learning for students. Guests: • Shane Barham, Principal, Rogers Lane Elementary School, Wake • Erin Boecke, 3rd Grade Teacher, Perry Harrison Elementary School, Chatham

We talk with leaders from across North Carolina who gathered in Raleigh this week for the 2018 Emerging Issues Forum. This year’s Forum focused on investing early in our children’s education and health and the impact it has on our state’s economy. Guests: • Leslie Boney, Director, Institute for Emerging Issues • Brenda Howerton, President, NC Association of County Commissioners • Mark Richardson, Chairman, Rockingham County Commission • NC Governor Roy Cooper • Jim Hansen, Regional President, PNC Bank • Venessa Harrison, President, AT&T North Carolina • Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary, NC Dept. of Health & Human Services

A new report out this week says that while North Carolina and other Southern states made major advances in education in recent decades, achievement gaps between more affluent students and historically disadvantaged classmates have widened. Are voters ready to move faster to close the gap? Guests: • Alan Richard, Education Journalist • Howard N. Lee, Former State Senator

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

Last week, hundreds of parents, teachers and students descended on Raleigh calling on the General Assembly to address the K-3 class size mandate they say is creating chaos in schools across the state. Now that legislators have adjourned again without taking action, what will happen next? Guests: • Sen. Chad Barefoot (R-Franklin, Wake) • Sen. Rick Horner (R-Johnston, Nash, Wilson) • Dr. Aaron Fleming, Superintendent, Harnett County Schools

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

The General Assembly will re-convene next week for a special continuation of the 2017 regular session. Will the class size mandate or principal pay be addressed? What else should be on the legislative agenda for education? We’ll discuss with our panel. Guests: • Dr. Tim Markley, Superintendent, New Hanover County Schools • Julie von Haefen, President, Wake County PTA Council • Tracy Zimmerman, Executive Director, NC Early Childhood Foundation • Bruce Mildwurf, Associate Director, Governmental Relations, NC School Boards Association

A one-on-one conversation with the original “Education Governor”, four-term North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. We discuss how he made education a priority for the state and what he sees as the challenges and opportunities to bring people together on behalf of NC’s children. Guest: Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., Former NC Governor

The original NC Teaching Fellows Program was eliminated by the General Assembly in 2011. This year legislators created a new version of the forgivable loan program targeting STEM and special education teachers. We talk with Deans from two of the Schools of Education recently selected for the inaugural class of new Teaching Fellows. We also chat with two leading education reporters about what’s been making headlines in education across the state. Guests: • Dr. Mary Ann Danowitz, Dean, NC State College of Education • Dr. Ann Bullock, Dean, Elon University School of Education • Kelly Hinchcliffe, Education Reporter, WRAL News • Lisa Philip, Education Reporter, WUNC Radio

Studies show that children who regularly experience trauma score lower than their peers on standardized tests are more likely to fail a grade, are placed in special education more frequently and are more likely to be suspended and expelled. Research has helped to answer the question why — and the results may surprise you. The good news is we’re also beginning to understand how to address it and help these children succeed in and out of school. Guests: • Dr. Katie Rosanbalm, Research Scholar, Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy • Elizabeth DeKonty, Director, NC Resilience & Learning Project • Christy Lockhart, MSW, LSSW, Licensed School Social Worker, Koontz Elementary, Rowan-Salisbury Schools

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)

Does having at least one black teacher make it less likely a black student will drop out of school and more likely to go to college? New research on North Carolina students says yes. We also discuss discipline disparities for students of color and meet the founder of a youth mentoring program in Durham. Guests: • Dr. Constance Lindsay, Research Associate, Urban Institute • Atrayus O. Goode, President & CEO, Movement of Youth

The NC Innovative School District, created by the General Assembly in 2016, is set to begin taking over some low-performing schools across the state and turn them over to charter school operators. However, the plan is getting serious pushback from some local communities, including Durham, which has one school on the short list. Guests: • Mike Lee, Chair, Durham Board of Education • Wendy Jacobs, Chair, Durham County Board of Commissioners • Lindsey Kennedy, Friends of Lakewood Elementary PTA

Last year average pay for principals in North Carolina ranked 50th nationally. The General Assembly responded with $35 million in pay raises for school-based administrators and a new principal pay plan. That plan is now generating concerns that many principals may actually lose pay and that it may create a disincentive for top principals to take jobs at chronically low-performing, often high poverty schools. This week on Education Matters we discuss what’s next with our guests. Guests: • Dr. Ray Spain, Superintendent, Warren County Schools • Matt Wight, Principal, Apex Friendship H.S., Wake County • Katherine Joyce, Executive Director, NC Association of School Administrators • Jason Griffin, 2017 NC Principal of the Year, Perquimans County

This week we meet Lisa Godwin, the 2017 NC Teacher of the Year from Onslow County. Plus we preview the upcoming NAACP Education Forum with NC NAACP Executive Director Dr. Terrance Ruth and retired educator Dr. Dudley Flood. Guests: • Lisa Godwin, 2017 NC Teacher of the Year • Dr. Terrance Ruth, Executive Director, NC NAACP • Dr. Dudley Flood, Consultant and Retired Educator

We discuss new K-3 class size mandates from the General Assembly and the dramatic impact they are already having on schools this year, as well as what it may look like next year without legislative action. Guests: • Jazzmone Sutton, Music Teacher, Wake County, President-Elect, NC Music Educators Association • Gussie Marshallsea, Visual Arts Teacher, Wake County • Aaron Marcin, Principal, Lead Mine Elementary, Wake County • Kathy Hartenstine, Wake County School Board, Retired Principal

UNC President Margaret Spellings discusses Charlottesville and Silent Sam, her first year on the job, college affordability, UNC’s state support, teacher preparation and more... Guest: • Margaret Spellings, President, University of North Carolina

The new – and controversial – NC Innovative School District, formerly known as the Achievement School District, is slated to begin taking over some of the state’s lowest performing public schools. We talk with Innovative School District Superintendent Dr. Eric Hall. We also examine a new teacher pay model being piloted in Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools. Guests: • Dr. Eric Hall, Superintendent, NC Innovative School District • Dr. Philip Holmes, Director, Project ADVANCE, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools • Courtney Sears, Teacher, Ephesus Elementary, Chapel Hill

The now 20-year old landmark Leandro case on education quality and equity in North Carolina’s public schools just took a surprising new turn. We talk with Melanie Black Dubis, lead counsel for the plaintiff school districts. We also meet Dr. Nicole Hurd, Founder and CEO of the College Advising Corps, a nationally recognized organization based in Chapel Hill helping make college more accessible for thousands of students across the U.S. Guests: • Melanie Black Dubis, Attorney, Parker Poe • Dr. Nicole Hurd, Founder and CEO, College Advising Corps

House Bill 704 passed by the NC General Assembly in June sets up a study committee to explore breaking up large school districts — Wake and Mecklenburg are the state’s two largest ones. Critics of the bill say it could lead to re-segregation of our public schools. We look at the bill, what’s next, and the history behind the current school district system in our state. Guests: • Sen. Floyd. B. McKissick, Jr. (D-Durham, Granville) • Rep. Rosa Gill (D-Wake) • Dr. Dudley Flood, Retired Educator

The budget just passed by the NC General Assembly eliminates retiree health benefits for teachers and all state employees hired after January 2021. What will be the impact of this major change in state employee benefits? Guests: • Richard Rogers, Executive Director, NC Retired Governmental Employees Association • Ardis Watkins, Legislative Affairs Director, State Employees Association of North Carolina • Dr. Anthony Jackson, Superintendent, Vance County Schools • Justin Parmenter, 7th Grade Teacher, Waddell Language Academy, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

How does North Carolina stack up compared to other states when it comes to child well-being? The short answer – not great. This week we explore the key indicators of child well-being and what the state can do to improve the lives of NC children. Guests: • Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary, NC Department of Health and Human Services • Laila A. Bell, Director of Research and Data, NC Child

With an actual budget in hand with votes this week, we talk with key education advocates for their take on the budget as well as two journalists who’ve been covering the budget process about how this came together and what’s next. Guests: • Mark Jewell, President, NC Association of Educators • Katherine Joyce, Executive Director, NC Association of School Administrators • Colin Campbell, News & Observer / The Insider • Jess Clark, WUNC Radio

This week on Education Matters, two leading NC House members, Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke) and Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Durham, Orange), will discuss the state of the budget process and key education issues being debated. Guests: • Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke) • Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Durham, Orange)

State Board of Education Chairman Bill Cobey discusses proposed cuts at DPI and the ongoing power struggle with the State Superintendent and General Assembly. In the second segment, NC Charter School Advisory Board Chairman Alex Quigley and Research Triangle High School Chief School Officer Eric Grunden weigh in on recent charter school policy proposals. Guests: • Bill Cobey, Chairman, State Board of Education • Alex Quigley, Chair, NC Charter School Advisory Board • Eric Grunden, Chief School Officer & Founding Director, Research Triangle High School

This week’s show looks at the budget passed by the NC Senate, including the key education provisions and a controversial amendment passed at 3 am that appeared to target only Democratic districts for cuts. We talk with Sen. Erica Smith-Ingram whose district was hardest hit. We also talk with former NC Senator Howard Lee about the importance of leadership in education. Guests: • Senator Erica Smith-Ingram • Former Senator Howard N. Lee

This week on Education Matters, State Superintendent Mark Johnson talks HB13 class size debate, the State Board lawsuit, his listening tour and why he’s focusing on early literacy. This week’s show also includes a discussion with PNC Bank Regional President Jim Hansen and Dr. Kenneth Dodge from Duke University’s Center for Child & Family Policy about the importance of early childhood education. Guests: • Mark Johnson, North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction • Jim Hansen, Regional President, PNC Bank • Dr. Kenneth Dodge, Director of the Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University

This week we have two segments focused on the issue of race. First is a preview of an exciting new exhibition opening this week at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh called Race: Are We So Different? The second segment is a story about a group of middle school students who are making an impact by spotlighting – and seeking to honor – a local pioneer in desegregation in our state. Guests: • Emelia Cowans-Taylor, Asst. Head, Communications, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences • James White, Executive Vice President, Organizational Relations, YMCA • Joe Holt Jr. • Zack Boone, Exploris Middle School, Raleigh • Lev Cohen, Exploris Middle School, Raleigh

A look at the proposal to re-establish a NC Teaching Fellows Program to recruit new teachers into our state’s classrooms. Guests: • Rep. Craig Horn (R-Union) • Sen. Chad Barefoot (R-Franklin, Wake) • Dr. Mary Ann Danowitz, Dean, NC State College of Education • Danny Bland, NC Teaching Fellow, Heritage High School, Wake Forest

This week we discuss state employee and retiree benefits with guest State Treasurer Dale Folwell and we talk about the state’s critical school building needs and how to cover the $8 billion dollar price tag. Guests: • Dale Folwell, North Carolina State Treasurer • Leanne Winner, Director, Governmental Relations, NC School Boards Association • Kevin Leonard, Executive Director, NC Association of County Commissioners

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

A leading national expert discusses the push toward privatization in K-12 education and its impact on public education and society as a whole. Guest: Richard Kahlenberg, The Century Foundation

This week we focus on two key issues in school funding. We talk to school leaders about the impact of the K-3 class size mandate and a search for a solution. We then examine a new report that looks at overall school finance reform efforts for North Carolina. Guests: • Katherine Joyce, Executive Director, NC Association of School Administrators • Dr. Tim Markley, Superintendent, New Hanover County Schools • Kris Nordstrom, Policy Analyst, Education & Law Project, NC Justice Center

State Budget Director Charlie Perusse talks about Gov. Roy Cooper’s first budget and its focus on education investments in the first half of the show, followed by a discussion with key reporters who cover the ins and outs of education in North Carolina. Guests: • Charlie Perusse, State Budget Director, NC Office of State Budget & Management • Lynn Bonner, News & Observer • Mark Binker, WRAL News

This week we focus on principal preparation and development. Why is principal development important, what are we doing well, what else do we need to be doing and what are the gaps and challenges in North Carolina? Guests: • Lisa Stewart, Principal, Grays Creek High School, Cumberland County • Dr. Tom Williams, President, Strategic Educational Alliances • Dr. Bonnie Fusarelli, Director, Northeast Leadership Academy, NC State

All young people deal with their own unique sets of pressure and stress in their lives that just come from growing up, but certainly two groups of students today are feeling it acutely –children of immigrants and LGBT youth. This week we talk with experts on how these students are coping and what is being done to support them both in and out of school. Guests: • Eliazar Posada, Youth Coordinator, El Centro Hispano • Brenda Elliott, Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services, Wake County Public Schools • James Miller, Executive Director, LGBT Center of Raleigh • Bud Harrelson, Board Member, Safe Schools NC

The confirmation of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education has shined a spotlight on programs like NC’s Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides state funding for children to attend private, mostly religious, K-12 schools. This week we explore NC’s private school voucher program. Guests: • Jane Wettach, Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Children’s Law Clinic, Duke Law School • Matt Ellinwood, Director, Education & Law Project, NC Justice Center • Jessica Holmes, Education Law Attorney and Member, Wake County Board of Commissioners

You may think education is largely a local issue, but when it comes to the calendar, NC school districts have very little say in when their school year starts, ends or even how many teacher work days they can have. A diverse coalition of stakeholders is hoping to convince the General Assembly to let school systems decide what is best for its students. Guests: • Dr. Michael Dunsmore, Superintendent, Wayne County Schools • Dr. Terry Stoops, Director of Research and Education Studies, John Locke Foundation • Sarah Martin, Wake County Schools Parent • Julia Lovingood, Senior, Orange High School, Hillsborough

Teacher of the Year is a new documentary film that reveals the complex reality of teaching in the 21st century and explores the forces that influence a teacher’s performance for the competing needs of audiences made up of students, parents, administrators, other teachers, politicians, and the public at large. The subject and directors join us to talk about the project and to explore how Hollywood portrays teachers and the teaching profession. Guests: • Mary M. Dalton, Professor, Wake Forest University • Rob Phillips, Filmmaker, At Large Productions and NC English Teacher, 9-12 • Jay Korreck, Filmmaker and Chief Design Officer, At Large Productions and Constructive Learning Design • Angie Scioli, Social Studies Teacher, Leesville Road High School, Raleigh For sponsorship and screening inquiries, go to: teacheroftheyearfilm.com or email [email protected] For more details on the conference where the film will premiere, visit http://college.wfu.edu/ttmconf/

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.

K-12 education is being transformed nationally and here in North Carolina, as schools move quickly to take advantage of improved internet connectivity and new digital tools to enhance learning. We’ll talk about the state of digital learning in North Carolina from those helping lead it and those implementing it in classrooms today. Guests: • Dr. Jeni Corn, Director of Evaluation Programs, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State • Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, Chief Academic & Digital Learning Officer, NC Department of Public Instruction • Andrew Livengood, Principal, Pine Hollow Middle School, Wake County • Harden Barker, 7th Grade Math Teacher, Pine Hollow Middle School, Wake County

HB 17 was passed in a surprise special session of the NC General Assembly in December. The bill, signed into law by former Gov. Pat McCrory, strips much of the power from the State Board of Education and gives it to the newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican Mark Johnson. The State Board claims the law is unconstitutional and has filed a lawsuit to overturn it. Guests: • Bill Cobey, Chairman, State Board of Education • Willis Whichard, Former Associate Justice, NC Supreme Court • Howard Lee, Former Chairman, State Board of Education

This week we hear from key voices from our public schools – school administrators and teachers. We discuss some of the key issues on the minds of both groups of educators and what they hope to see happen in 2017 in North Carolina. Guests: • Katherine Joyce, Executive Director, North Carolina Association of School Administrators • Dr. Rodney Shotwellm, Superintendent, Rockingham County Schools • Katharine Correll, Director, North Carolina Teacher Voice Network • Doug Price, Teacher, Voyager Academy, Durham, NC

We’ll examine the new report from the General Assembly’s Program Evaluation Division on how schools are funded today in North Carolina. Are big changes on the horizon? We talk to the study’s lead author, as well as the chairman of the House Committee on Education Appropriations and the top finance officer from Durham Public Schools. Guests: • Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union County, Chairman of the House Committee on Education Appropriations • Sean Hamel, Principal Program Evaluator, Program Evaluation Division, NC General Assembly • Aaron Beaulieu, Chief Financial Officer, Durham Public Schools

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

A new study out of Duke University has found the benefits of early childhood education are significant and last up through the fifth grade, contradicting earlier studies that suggested the benefits of pre-k may fade. We talk to the study’s author, as well as other experts about the state of early childhood education in North Carolina. Guests: • Dr. Kenneth Dodge, William McDougall Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, Founder, Center for Child and Family Policy. • Tracy Zimmerman, Executive Director, North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation • Cindy Watkins, President, NC Smart Start / North Carolina Partnership for Children

North Carolina’s average pay for principals ranks 50th out of all states and the District of Columbia. The NC General Assembly is expected to focus more attention on principals including pay next session. We talk to the experts including the NC Principal of the Year. Guests: • Melody Chalmers, 2016 NC Principal of the Year, E.E. Smith High School, Fayetteville • Dana King, Principal, Millbrook High School, Raleigh • Dr. Frank Till, Superintendent, Cumberland County Schools • Dr. Shirley Prince, Executive Director, NC Principals and Assistant Principals Association (NC PAPA)