Education Matters

As we find ourselves at the mid-point of another school year, we have with us our North Carolina Regional Teachers of the Year to discuss both the challenges and the opportunities that are on their minds today — and the ways in which we can support educators so that they are able to support our students. Guests: Leah Carper, 2022 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Piedmont Triad North Carolina 2022 Regional Teacher of the Year, Guilford County Ryan Mitchell, West North Carolina 2022 Regional Teacher of the Year, Henderson County Elizabeth Santamour, Sandhills North Carolina 2022 Regional Teacher of the Year, Hoke County Ashtyn Berry, Southwest North Carolina 2022 Regional Teacher of the Year, Cabarrus County Clinton Todd, Northeast North Carolina 2022 Regional Teacher of the Year, Pitt County Keegan Storrs, North Carolina 2022 Charter School Teacher of the Year

The Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity at the Public School Forum recently held its 5th Annual Color of Education with our wonderful partners, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University and the Center for Child and Family Policy. Today we are joined by four of the leaders who played critical roles in the planning and success of the convening and also the ongoing work across NC. Hundreds of educators, students, equity leaders, and community and business partners joined us to learn and create action steps for impact together are with us today on the show. Guests: Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Associate Director of Research for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity Danita Mason-Hogans, Civil Rights Historian, Educator, Speaker, Activist Dr. Dudley Flood

The Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity at the Public School Forum recently held its 5th Annual Color of Education with our wonderful partners, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University and the Center for Child and Family Policy. Today we are joined by four of the leaders who played critical roles in the planning and success of the convening and also the ongoing work across NC. Hundreds of educators, students, equity leaders, and community and business partners joined us to learn and create action steps for impact together are with us today on the show. Guests: Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Associate Director of Research for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity Danita Mason-Hogans, Civil Rights Historian, Educator, Speaker, Activist Dr. Dudley Flood

Early voting is open through November 5th. We encourage you to check your voter registration, check out your sample ballot, and find your voting locations at the NC State Board of Elections website: www.ncsbe.gov. And remember, you are not required to show a photo ID when voting, and curbside/assisted voting options are available. On today’s show, we will talk with guests about the importance of voting, how voting for local, state-wide, and country-wide elections can be critical for creating change, and why your vote matters. Guests: Dr. Lauren Fox, Senior Director, Policy & Research, Public School Forum of NC Rani Dasi, School Board Member and Vice Chair in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, and Sr. Director of Operations Finance at RTI

Pathways to Excellence for Teaching Professionals (Model) is a proposal being developed and worked on by the North Carolina State Board of Education and the PEPSC (Professional Educator Preparation Standards Commission). The model, if approved by the State Board and ultimately enacted by the General Assembly could change how teachers are licensed and paid. The proposal includes a tiered approach to licensure, starting with apprenticeship and moving up based upon a range of measures. Here to discuss the proposed changes are Dr. Kathy Spencer, Executive Director of the Southeast Education Alliance and Dr. Jeff James, Superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools. Guests: Dr. Kathy Spencer, Executive Director, Southeast Education Alliance Dr. Jeff James, Superintendent, Iredell-Statesville Schools

The new school year has begun and with it came a shortage of teachers and school staff. To discuss what is going on and possible solutions are the North Carolina Principal of the Year and the two most recent North Carolina Teachers of the Year. Guests: Eugenia Floyd, 2021 NC Teacher of the Year Leah Carper, 2022 NC Teacher of the Year Patrick Greene, 2022 NC Principal of the Year

The Leandro Court Case has been ongoing for nearly 30 years and is set to continue this month. While the defendants and plaintiffs agree with the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan, which provides a roadmap for education investments needed across our state, the Supreme Court will hear appeals to this case while schools and districts wait for investments that they urgently need. Here to discuss why these investments are critical and how this case can affect our state are business and state leaders. Guests: Brad Wilson, Former President/CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC Rev. Suzanne Parker Miller, Executive Director/Founder, Pastors for NC Children Jenice Ramirez, Executive Director, ISLA NC

Some North Carolina school districts have utilized a new structure to help retain and expand the reach of highly effective teachers. To learn more about what these roles are and how districts are utilizing the approach we are joined by BEST NC, an organization that has explored the opportunities provided by advanced teaching roles; a principal and lead teacher who are currently using advanced teaching roles at their school, and by Public Impact, the organization that created the Opportunity Culture framework. Guests: Brenda Berg, President and CEO, BEST NC Beth Callicutt, Principal, Charles England Elementary School, Lexington City Schools Sha Mosley, Lead Teacher, Charles England Elementary School, Lexington City Schools Bryan Hassel, Co-President, Public Impact

NC’s education system and schools affect each and every one of us across our state. We have much work to ensure that our educators and students have what they need. And, many of the actions needed by our state are clear and common sense. Here to talk about this are the North Carolina 2021 and 2022 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Teachers of the Year and our first three NCCAT Prudential NC Beginning Teachers of the Year. Guests: Eugenia Floyd, 2021 North Carolina Teacher of the Year Leah Carper, 2022 North Carolina Teacher of the Year Leanne Rose, Mooresville Graded School District, Beginning Teacher of the year, 2019 Emilee Higdon, Macon County Schools, Beginning Teacher of the year, 2021 Xavier Adams, Orange County Schools, Beginning Teacher of the year, 2022

Most of you watching today know children who are in our schools right now. We’ve talked a great deal with educators and students themselves about the challenges and promising moments of this year. On today’s show, we will talk with three elementary school principals about how our kids and educators are doing - and what we need to consider as we wind down the school year. We want to note how significant and often thankless the role of our principals has been during these past two-plus years of the pandemic. Research tells us that principals are the second, only to teachers, school-related factor that influences student outcomes. Please stay tuned to hear from principals Sandy Chambers, Suzanne Owen, and Adrian Parry. You will not want to miss this discussion. GUESTS: Sandy Chambers, Principal, Horton Creek Elementary School, Wake County Public Schools Suzanne Owen, Principal, Cliffdale Elementary School, Cumberland County Schools Adrian Parry, Principal, Hickory Ridge Elementary School, Cabarrus County S

Today we have the privilege of introducing the 2022 Beginning Teacher of the Year, Xavier Adams as well as one of his students and the beginning teachers of the year from the inception of the program in 2020. For beginning teachers who are just starting from scratch, the first year of employment is challenging to navigate. Today we are going to learn from them about what being a new teacher is like, the challenges, and how they are hoping to make positive changes in education. GUESTS: Xavier Adams, NCCAT 2022 Beginning Teacher of the Year Kaylee Faison, Student at Orange County High School Emilee Higdon, NCCAT 2021 Beginning Teacher of the Year Leanne Rose, NCCAT 2019 Beginning Teacher of the Year

Today’s show comes from the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity’s Student Voices Series: Implications of Desegregation on NC Teacher Pipeline. This event explored the difficult experiences of students and educators of color during the years following the landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education. Also discussed is how these experiences of the desegregation of schools can shed light on the root causes, current barriers, and possible solutions to recruiting and retaining a diverse teaching workforce. Guests: Dr. Dudley E. Flood, Flood Center Namesake and Retired Educator Dorothy Counts-Scoggins, Retired/Community Activist Dr. Jo Ann Chavis Lowery, Retired Educator Stanley Vickers, Retired US Marine

Most of you probably know a student or even students who have struggled with mental health. Supporting students’ mental health has always been a challenging and important issue for schools — and today more than ever, the mental health needs of students are complex and significant as we navigate this global pandemic. Reporter Rupen Fofaria of EducationNC; Dr. Jeff James, Superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools; and Mr. Jermaine White, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services at Harnett County Schools are with us today to talk about the innovative ways some North Carolina districts are increasing mental health supports in their schools. GUESTS: Rupen Fofaria, Reporter, EducationNC Jermaine White, Assistant Superintendent, Student Support Services, Harnett County Schools Dr. Jeff James, Superintendent, Iredell-Statesville Schools

Today is a special day for our show—over the last 5 and a half years, we have been so fortunate to produce 200 episodes of Education Matters that tell the story of why public education in North Carolina is so important for our children, families, and communities. We have had discussions ranging from the potential impacts of school-related legislation to spotlighting the many innovations that educators implement across our schools. To mark this milestone, we have with us today the North Carolina Teachers of the Year from the last 5 years, who will share their reflections as well as their hopes and predictions for the years to come for North Carolina public education. Guests: Eugenia Floyd, 2021 NC Teacher of the Year Maureen Stover, 2020 NC Teacher of the Year Mariah Morris, 2019 NC Teacher of the Year Freebird McKinney, 2018 NC Teacher of the Year Lisa Godwin, 2017 NC Teacher of the Year Dr. Dudley Flood

We are coming to you from the Public School Forum’s Annual Event, Eggs and Issues and have with us some spectacular guests today to discuss the top issues surrounding education across our state. GUESTS: Elena Ashburn, NC POY/WCPSS Sen. Deanna Ballard, NC General Assembly Emma Battle, Higher Ed Works Jennie Bryan, Southeast RTOY/BCS JB Buxton, Durham Tech Community College Renee Caven, Truist Rep. Ashton Clemmons NC General Assembly Debra Derr, NC Chamber Lisa Eads, NC Community Colleges Eugenia Floyd, NC TOY/CHCCS Dale Jenkins, Curi (Retired) Liliana Soto, Vance County Schools Kathy Spencer, Southeast Education Alliance Deanna Townsend-Smith, State Board of Education Joshua Webb, Edgecombe Early College Tre Woods, Teacher Cadet

On today’s show, we talk about Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma-informed practices. ACES affect social and emotional learning and academic outcomes, and COVID has only exacerbated this issue. To talk about how to better support students, we are joined by our Resilience & Learning team members, a principal, and a school psychologist. Guests: Eulanda Thorne, Program Manager, Resilience & Learning Angela Mendell, Program Manager, Resilience & Learning Quintin Mangano - Principal, Nashville Elementary/Nash County Schools Leigh-Hileman Steele - School Psychologist /Nash County Schools

Most of you probably know a student or even students who have struggled with mental health. Supporting students’ mental health has always been a challenging and important issue for schools — and today more than ever, the mental health needs of students are complex and significant as we navigate this global pandemic. Reporter Rupen Fofaria of EducationNC; Dr. Jeff James, Superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools; and Mr. Jermaine White, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services at Harnett County Schools are with us today to talk about the innovative ways some North Carolina districts are increasing mental health supports in their schools.

As we find ourselves at the mid-point of another school year that has proved to be incredibly challenging for all, we have with us for the next two weeks our North Carolina Regional Teachers of the Year to discuss both the challenges and the opportunities that are on their minds today — and the ways in which we can support educators so that they are able to support our students. Guests: Eugenia Floyd, 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, North Central Region Teacher of the Year, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Susanna Cerrato, Western North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Asheville City Nicole Rivers, Sandhills North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Cumberland County Jennifer Bryan, Southeastern North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Brunswick County Erin Ellington, Northwest North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Watauga County Kelly Poquette, Piedmont Triad North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Alamance-Burlington Jennifer Attkisson

As we find ourselves at the mid-point of another school year that has proved to be incredibly challenging for all, we have with us for the next two weeks our North Carolina Regional Teachers of the Year to discuss both the challenges and the opportunities that are on their minds today — and the ways in which we can support educators so that they are able to support out students. Guests: Eugenia Floyd, 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, North Central Region Teacher of the Year, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Susanna Cerrato, Western North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Asheville City Nicole Rivers, Sandhills North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Cumberland County Jennifer Bryan, Southeastern North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Brunswick County Erin Ellington, Northwest North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Watauga County Kelly Poquette, Piedmont Triad North Carolina 2021 Regional Teacher of the Year, Alamance-Burlington Jennifer Attkisson,

One thing that you may not realize is that many school districts across North Carolina offer a variety of options within the public school system, ones that are high quality and scalable to other districts. Today we’ll hear about how North Carolina public schools offer many opportunities for students that are taking shape across our state and preparing our children to compete in a global workplace. Guests: Leigh Ann Lampley, Principal, International School at Gregory, Spanish Immersion Magnet, Wilmington James Hopkins, Principal, Lakewood Elementary Jake Henry, Chief Academic Officer, Participate Learning