Higher education serves many purposes. One purpose dominates, however: to students, their parents, future employers, government officials, and many academic administrators, higher education is all about preparing students for the professional workforce. Other requirements, such as general education programs, are considered to be of lesser…

Public schools are the cornerstone of this nation's communities, democracy, and economy. The challenges and deep inequities facing schools today are largely the result of decades of disinvestment, compounded by a global pandemic. All of this has led to a breaking point for the system of public education. In 2023, lawmakers and stakeholders are…

Since the pandemic began, parents have been less satisfied with existing school systems, and they want to see greater transparency and education customization that meets students where they are. Nearing the final deadline to obligate remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, state and local policymakers can take…

Central to the Public School Forum of North Carolina's mission is the imperative to ensure that all students in North Carolina have equitable access to a meaningful, high quality education through a strong system of public schools. It is important to note that equitable does not mean equal. Achieving equitable access to high quality education for…

Rural areas depend upon community colleges to train people for the fields that match their regions' current and growing needs. To do so, these colleges must keep abreast of the employment trends in their area, be aware of where jobs have been lost and where they are being gained and determine how to recruit students who might be reluctant to be…

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), formerly known as the Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Survey, is a part of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) strategy for administering and enforcing civil rights laws in U.S. public school districts and schools, including Puerto Rico.The CRDC collects a…

Despite increased attention to racial disparities in health, wellbeing, and academic outcomes--especially for Black, Latine, and Native American children and children from low-income households--little progress has been made in identifying the root causes of those disparities and, more importantly, identifying equitable policies and strategies to…

The Public School Forum's Top Education Issues outlines the Forum's priorities on what should be at the forefront of education policy decision-making each legislative biennium, as the Forum works toward eliminating the systemic racism and inequities that exist and are visible throughout the educational system. The Top Education Issues publications…

Broadband internet, defined as a download speed of 25mbps or higher, is a foundational resource for work, school, and life in North Carolina -- and even more so today, as families and educators engage in remote learning efforts in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Physical broadband infrastructure problems are a challenge for rural parts…

The purpose of this study was to examine how Pleasant Academy (a pseudonym), implemented and experienced Restorative Practices. This approach represents an alternative to traditional, punitive disciplinary actions, such as suspension or expulsion. Mansfield et al. (2018) maintained that Restorative Practices did not have a single definition but…

The future of liberal education in the United States, in its current form, is fraught but full of possibility. Today's institutions are struggling to maintain viability, sustain revenue, and assert value in the face of rising costs. But we should not abandon the model of pragmatic liberal learning that has made America's colleges and universities…

For more than twenty-five years, the Public School Forum of North Carolina has published an annual list of the top issues that they believe should or will likely be at the forefront of conversations around K-12 public education policy in the upcoming year. They intend for these publications, compiled through engagement with staff, board members,…

This dissertation is comprised of three essays on the economics of education. The first and third chapters examine marijuana legalization and its effects on students, while the second chapter examines the impact of pension incentives on teacher quality. The first chapter examines the extent to which there are negative spillovers of recreational…

The history of American Indian education has been one of colonialism and cultural erasure. From the first missionary educators who first came to the Indigenous nations of the Americas well into the twentieth century, Native children have been subjected to physical, mental and emotional abuse. This paper examines one program's efforts at reclaiming…

Nationally, special education teacher turnover is a significant issue for school districts. The problem addressed in this study was the high special education teacher turnover rate in one local school district in North Carolina. Guided by Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this basic qualitative study explored previous special education teachers'…