RALEIGH (February 14, 2025) – What is it that North Carolina’s state legislators don’t get? Polling results from the Public School Forum of North Carolina showed tremendous support among North Carolina voters for our public schools and teachers: •83% – and 65% of conservative Republicans – say pay for public school teachers should be increased…. READ MORE
Art Padilla: Big-time college sports
Separating college athletic programs from the colleges they represent has been considered a capitulation, a surrender, like legalizing drugs because they can’t be controlled. But this may be the only option left. WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH (February 10, 2025) – There are four verities in big-time college sports today. No one—including the inaudible college presidents, coaches, and… READ MORE
Holden Thorp: A ‘ruthless takedown of academia’
By Holden Thorp EDITOR’S NOTE: Former UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp is now Editor-in-Chief of the Science Family of Journals. He posted this yesterday. WASHINGTON (February 11, 2025) – Late last week, the Trump administration set off a frenzy in the US scientific community when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that indirect… READ MORE
UNC-CH trustees: More listening, less talking
RALEIGH (February 12, 2025) – UNC Chapel Hill’s trustees have been warned before. But they obviously didn’t listen. • After repeated bouts of micromanagement and two trustees appearing in pre-arranged interviews with Fox & Friends and The Wall Street Journal to claim credit for establishing the School of Civic Life and Leadership, UNC System President… READ MORE
Green on nixing Ed Department: “A dramatic negative impact”
RALEIGH (February 12, 2025) – State Superintendent Mo Green doesn’t know what forms Donald Trump’s efforts to eliminate the federal Department of Education might take. But he does know it won’t be good. “There’s been lots of variations on what might happen, and so we don’t really know at this point,” Green says in the… READ MORE
Teachers Talk: Erin Walsh
JACKSONVILLE (February 5, 2025) – Our latest installment of Teachers Talk features Erin Walsh, a math teacher at Onslow Early College High School. Walsh explains how she retired from teaching after 29 years and returned as a part-time teacher to make more money. (She is a math teacher, after all!) “Sadly, our pay stops increasing… READ MORE
UNC board moves to clarify rules on campus protests
RALEIGH (February 5, 2025) – After raucous demonstrations by pro-Palestinian protesters last spring at UNC-Chapel Hill and, to a lesser extent, other UNC System campuses, System officials are moving to clarify the rules for student protests. The UNC Board of Governors is scheduled to vote on a new policy when it meets Feb. 27. When… READ MORE
Hans: Leuchtenburg ‘lit up the lecture halls’
By Peter Hans President, University of North Carolina System RALEIGH (February 5, 2025) – Great teachers are great storytellers, and no one spun a scholarly yarn better than Bill Leuchtenburg. When I took one of his courses as a junior at Carolina, it seemed perfectly natural for a room full of awed undergraduates to burst… READ MORE
UNC System signals flat tuition for 9th straight year
RALEIGH (January 30, 2025) – Contrary to a national narrative of skyrocketing tuition costs, the UNC System signaled clearly this week that it intends to hold tuition flat for the 9th straight year in 2025-26. System President Peter Hans told the UNC Board of Governors this morning that low tuition is part of the UNC… READ MORE
Teaching Fellows build their numbers
RALEIGH (January 30, 2025) – In a state with a severe teacher shortage,1 the NC Teaching Fellows made substantial gains this year, with 107% growth to a total of 575 students who want to become teachers. “We’re very excited about that. That’s a huge celebration for our program,” Dr. Bennett Jones, Director of the Teaching Fellows… READ MORE