Public School Matters

In this episode, the NCASA Advocacy Team welcomes Dr. Matthew Cheeseman, Superintendent of Beaufort County Schools and President-Elect of the NCASA Board of Directors; Beckie Spears, Principal of Wilkesboro Elementary School and the 2024 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year; and Kimberly Jones, an English and Humanities teacher for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and the 2023 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Our three guests discuss the excitement of opening the new school year, the current challenges affecting public education from their unique perspectives, and the importance of being a champion for local public schools.

As state lawmakers take a brief break during the long, hot summer, lots of activity is happening in regard to K-12 public education legislation and funding. A recent decision from the U.S. Department of Education to withhold billions of dollars in education funding for states, including $165 million for North Carolina, has district and charter school leaders in crisis-management mode as they try to plan for opening the new year in just a few short weeks. In this episode, our Advocacy Team breaks down these state and federal funding concerns and what they mean for schools and students here in the Tar Heel state.

Additional Content Related To This Episode:

• H.R.1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act
• Attorney General Jeff Jackson Sues To Protect $165 Million For NC Public Schools And Nearly 1,000 NC Educator Jobs (via NC Dept. of Justice)
• District By District, Charter By Charter, Community By Community, Lawsuit Makes Clear The Impact Of Frozen Federal Funds (via EdNC)

This week, NCASA welcomes two guests to help us explain the “Art of Education Advocacy:" Dr. Stephen Fisher, Superintendent of Cleveland County Schools and President-Elect of NCASA’s Board of Directors; and Dr. John Lassiter, Principal of Hertford Grammar School in Perquimans County Schools and the 2025 Wells Fargo Northeast Regional Principal of the Year. Together, along with our host, Katherine Joyce, Executive Director of NCASA, they discuss the importance of education advocacy and how anyone can become a champion for local public schools.

This week our Executive Director, Katherine Joyce, focuses on the challenges our local public schools face as state funding for private school vouchers is at an all-time high. Katherine is joined by Tracy Zimmerman, Vice President for Policy and Strategy at the Neimand Collaborative, a nationally renowned social impact marketing firm, and Dr. Rhonda Schuhler, Superintendent of Franklin County Schools and NCASA’s Past President. Together they discuss 2024 research on how North Carolinians view public schools and NCASA’s "Champion Our Local Public Schools" campaign to help districts market their schools as a great choice for families. 

This week NCASA is honored to speak with the NEW State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Maurice "Mo" Green. He talks about his first month in office and his vision and goals for K-12 education in North Carolina. 

This week the NCASA Advocacy Team talks about the latest legislative activity affecting K-12 public schools in North Carolina and provides listeners with an overview of NCASA’s recently-approved legislative and policy priorities for 2025.

To see NCASA's 2025 Legislative Priorities, click HERE.

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team goes over highlights of the 2024 election results and discusses what impact those results could have on the future of K-12 education in North Carolina. 

Resources:

• 2024 General Election Results (NC State Board of Elections)
• Handout: 2025 North Carolina Leadership (NCASA)
• Handout: Changes In State Education Leadership Overview (Education Commission of the States)

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team provides an update on NC’s Opportunity Scholarship Program, or “private school vouchers.” For more on this important issue, NCASA members can visit the NCASA Advocacy Center that provides a wealth of information and news about this issue and may others affecting K-12 education in our state.

Reference these resources mentioned in this week's podcast:

• Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM): Opportunity Scholarship Impact Analysis (2024)
• NC Governor: Fact Sheet on Private School Vouchers

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team speaks about the upcoming general election and what the results could mean for education in North Carolina. Join us in a few weeks for our episode covering key election results too! For more in-depth analysis from our NCASA Team, see the links below:

• NCASA Governor Candidate Voter Guide
• NCASA State Superintendent Candidate Voter Guide

This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team discusses highlights from the final weeks of legislative activity at the North Carolina General Assembly. 

It’s the end of the 2024 short session! Or is it?

Bills discussed in this podcast:
NC Senate Bill 332 - 2023 Appropriations Act Changes
NC Senate Bill 357 - Adjustments to 2023 Appropriations Act
NC House Bill 1032 - Academic Transparency