Invest in NC Teachers: Lessons from Walmart’s retention strategy

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By Shawnice Meador Executive Director, Public Ed Works RALEIGH (November 20, 2025) – When Walmart made the bold decision in 2015 to raise its starting hourly wage by 24% – impacting nearly half its more than 1 million U.S. hourly employees –investors initially reacted with shock. Shares fell 10% in a single day, erasing $21.5… READ MORE

Educators exit NC for better pay

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By Amy Cockerham Public Ed Works RALEIGH (November 20, 2025) – North Carolina teachers and administrators are packing their bags and hitting the road after finding they can almost double their income in other states. Social studies teacher Nicholas Bailey transferred from Onslow County Schools in North Carolina to Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia… READ MORE

Good news for a change for NC’s teacher workforce

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By David Rice Executive Editor Public Ed Works RALEIGH (November 20, 2025) – At last, there’s some good news for North Carolina’s teacher workforce. Enrollment in the NC Teaching Fellows program, which offers forgivable college loans to aspiring teachers who teach certain subjects, continues to climb dramatically. Dr. Ashton Clemmons, Associate Vice President of the… READ MORE

Don Martin: Forsyth steps up when its children face crisis

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  WINSTON-SALEM (November 16, 2025) – Last spring, we learned of vast overspending by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. The total amount of overspending was unknown. The school district’s finance officer and superintendent retired abruptly, and Dr. Catty Moore was hired as the interim superintendent. At the Oct. 30 School Board meeting, the school district’s auditor,… READ MORE

A pay cut for teachers

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RALEIGH (November 13, 2025) – Teacher pay remains an essential issue in North Carolina – an issue ultimately for our most precious resource: Our children. And it’s not going away. Despite its rapid growth, our state ranks an embarrassing 43rd in average K-12 teacher pay.1 It has seen ghastly attrition among its teacher workforce for… READ MORE

A Strategic Imperative: Elevate communication in higher education

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By Stephanie Mahin, PhD and James H. Johnson, Jr., PhD “I need workers who can groove on ambiguity and keep the alligators off my back!” — sanitized quote from a major firm CEO. CHAPEL HILL (November 13, 2025) – In today’s polarized, uncertain, and resource-constrained environment, colleges and universities face a convergence of challenges: declining… READ MORE

A Lift to prepare for college

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WINSTON-SALEM (November 6, 2025) – Especially when they come from low-income families or their parents have never been to college, some students need a little extra attention and encouragement to get ready for college. “Our College Lift program is really special and it’s really unique,” Dr. Janet Spriggs, President of Forsyth Technical Community College, says… READ MORE

Time to pay attention

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RALEIGH (November 6, 2025) – As of this week, we are less than a year away from the 2026 midterm elections. And you need to start paying attention. •Pay attention to the size of K-12 public school classes for your kids and grandkids. •Pay attention to what state legislators do – or more likely, don’t… READ MORE

Forsyth Tech: ‘You can find a path’

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WINSTON-SALEM (October 29, 2025) – They’re called community colleges for a reason – because they meet the needs of the communities they serve in oh-so-many ways. “Sometimes people do not understand the magnitude of all of the programs and all of the things we do at Forsyth Tech,” Dr. Janet Spriggs, President of Forsyth Technical… READ MORE