By Paul Fulton and David Rice Public Ed Works RALEIGH (July 31, 2025) – North Carolina has a problem. And state legislators – particularly the state Senate led by Phil Berger – have refused to recognize it for far too long. The state ranks 43rd in average teacher pay and 39th in starting teacher pay.1 That’s… READ MORE
UNC System tries to create an accreditor it likes
RALEIGH (July 25, 2025) – UNC System President Peter Hans on Thursday defended the system’s efforts to create an accreditation agency it likes. For decades, the UNC System has had its 16 universities reviewed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which accredits colleges in 11 Southern states. But after… READ MORE
The rubric-fication of accreditation
By Art Padilla When Vermont Connecticut Royster, the two-time Pulitzer winner to whom President Reagan awarded the Medal of Freedom, retired to North Carolina, I jumped at any opportunity to see him. Vermont Royster served for 13 years as the renowned executive editor of the Wall Street Journal and afterwards as Kenan Professor in journalism… READ MORE
China and the EU poaching our top talent?
CHAPEL HILL (July 18, 2025) – As the United States reduces investments in scientific research, our competitors around the globe are taking notice – and looking to poach our talent. “When faculty investigators and top talent see that they may not be able to sustain their research in the U.S., it creates a competitive bid… READ MORE
Art Padilla: Tone deafness uninterrupted
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH (July 18, 2025) – The financial and political attacks on universities are both extreme and broad-based. The collateral damage being done to our nation’s scientific capabilities is still impressively underestimated. The latest chapter in the decline of American science is the US Housing Department’s (HUD) brazen take-over, without previous warning, of the National… READ MORE
GERGEN: ‘Let’s not go back, let’s not go backward’
LEXINGTON, Mass. (July 16, 2025) – Durham native David Gergen died last week after serving a vast array of roles as a political insider: Communication advisor to four presidents, editor of U.S. News & World Report, CNN commentator, Duke and Harvard instructor. Gergen is remembered for his civility – a calm yet somehow forceful… READ MORE
Fulton: Unbelievable! Embarrassing!
By Paul Fulton Public Ed Works WINSTON-SALEM (June 24, 2025) – It is unbelievable and embarrassing that our public schools (PreK-12) are where they are today, ranking 48th in the nation in per-student funding and 49th in funding effort. This while our state is booming economically and ranked No. 1 nationally as the best climate… READ MORE
A work requirement for state legislators?
RALEIGH (July 9, 2025) – Congress spent weeks recently debating a work requirement for Medicaid recipients – poor people. Well maybe we need a work requirement for state legislators. After six months in session, the legislators North Carolina elects to adopt a state budget every two years went home two weeks ago without adopting one.1… READ MORE
Lambeth on state budget: ‘It’ll be a while.’
RALEIGH (July 2, 2025) – State legislators went home last week for a couple of months without adopting a budget for 2025-27 – their basic duty as legislators. The 2025-26 fiscal year started yesterday. And schools will open next month regardless of whether legislators have approved a budget – or raises for teachers. In the… READ MORE
Tom Campbell: Giving in instead of digging in
RALEIGH (July 2, 2025) – Once upon a time, not many years ago, North Carolina had a dream. A dream shared by parents and politicians, by citizens and educators. We boldly dreamed our state would achieve excellence in public education. Not content to be average, we wanted to be in the top tier of states…. READ MORE
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