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