Public School Matters

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Mariah Walker, Principal of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy and the 2026 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. Dr. Walker shares insights on student success, authentic leadership, educator recruitment and retention, and the importance of connecting education policy to the real-world experiences of students, teachers, and school communities. Discover how strong relationships, student belonging, and advocacy can help strengthen public education across North Carolina. 

In this episode, NCASA welcomes Dr. Shirley Prince, Executive Director of the NC Principals and Assistant Principals’ Association (NCPAPA), for a conversation about leadership, professional development, and advocacy. Dr. Prince shares lessons from the leaders who shaped her career, the challenges facing today’s school leaders, and why supporting principals matters. Tune in for an inspiring look at leadership and the future of North Carolina’s public schools!

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team welcomes Jack Hoke, Executive Director of the North Carolina School Superintendents' Association (NCSSA), for a conversation about leadership, professional development, and the challenges facing public education. Mr. Hoke reflects on his career and the leaders who shaped his approach to building trust, developing leadership capacity, and working with school boards. As the 2026–27 school year begins, he also discusses funding, policy, planning, workforce needs, and the importance of stability and strong partnerships in supporting student success.

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team welcomes Dr. Matthew Cheeseman, NCASA President and Superintendent of Craven County Schools. Drawing on more than 31 years in education, Dr. Cheeseman shares his vision for the future of North Carolina's public schools, and the importance of building strong relationships with policymakers and advancing advocacy efforts. Dr. Cheeseman also offers practical leadership insights on listening, collaboration, and effectively telling the story of public education, making this a must-listen episode for school leaders, educators, and public education advocates.

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team speaks withJason Johnson, 2025 NC Principal of the Year and 2026 National High School Principal of the Year. Our hosts discuss the challenges that face Principals, Assistant Principals, and all school administrators. They also talk about advocating with state legislators to raise awareness on issues currently affecting NC Public Schools statewide.

This week our Advocacy Team sits down to have a conversation with NCASA’s Incoming Executive Director, Dr. Travis Reeves. Dr. Reeves, who currently serves as the Superintendent of Surry County Schools, will officially assume the duties of Executive Director on July 1, 2026. In this episode Dr. Reeves shares his thoughts on NCASA, his vision for the organization’s future in supporting school leaders across the state, and efforts to engage members in advocating for strong public schools.

This week the NCASA Advocacy Team discusses the importance of the March 3rd Primary Election with Alex Baltzegar, Executive Director of the NC FreeEnterprise Foundation, also known as NCFree. NCFree’s mission is focused on promoting a free enterprise system through research, education, and political engagement, which includes informative analyses on key races and trends shaping North Carolina elections.

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team speaks with Dr. Rodney Peterson, Superintendent of Person County Schools and the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, about challenges he and other superintendents are facing in leading public schools.

In this episode our NCASA Advocacy Team takes an important look back at the unprecedented devastation that Hurricane Helene caused in western and northwestern North Carolina in late September 2024, just over a year ago and how it impacted K-12 education in those areas. Special guests for this episode are: Dr. Rob Jackson, Superintendent of Buncombe County Schools; and Dr. Eisa Cox, Superintendent of Ashe County Schools. NCASA's team focuses on how schools and communities in these districts are progressing in recovery, and what additional assistance is needed now and for the future.  

CREDITS

Soundbites used in this episode are courtesy of:

• WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC) - NEWS DOCUMENTARY "Helene: What We Lost, What We Found.” 
• Education NC Video - “A Long Way Down, the story of Surge.”  

The NCASA Advocacy Team talks with Jack Hoke, Executive Director of the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA), about data NCSSA has collected early in the 2025-26 school year that shows vacancies statewide in teaching positions and other staff. They discuss how the vacancies compare to previous years, their impact on students, and strategies for addressing staffing shortages in the future.