RALEIGH (April 23, 2026) – State legislators returned to Raleigh for their so-called “short” session this week with some very basic jobs to finish. Here’s what they need to do: Adopt a budget. This is one of the most fundamental tasks legislators are elected to do. Yet thanks to the state Senate’s stubbornness over planned… READ MORE
Parents urge legislators to increase teacher pay
By Amy Cockerham Public Ed Works (RALEIGH) – Several nonprofits and concerned citizens gathered in front of the NC General Assembly Tuesday just hours before the start of the new session to demand lawmakers pass a budget that supports public education. Organizing groups include Red Wine & Blue, Every Child NC and Pastors for NC… READ MORE
Seismic
RALEIGH (April 9, 2026) – There’s been an upheaval in leadership of North Carolina’s General Assembly with the defeat of longtime Senate leader Phil Berger in a primary that spanned Rockingham and part of Guilford County.1 It’s difficult to overstate the influence Berger has had during 15 years as Senate President Pro Tem, deciding budget… READ MORE
Pearce: Berger hurt schools
By Gary Pearce Talking About Politics RALEIGH (March 26, 2026) – In 15 years as boss of the Senate, Phil Berger has done incalculable damage to North Carolina’s public schools and to our state’s future. The day he conceded, Wake County’s school board was wrestling with – and rejecting – budget cuts that would have… READ MORE
Storm clouds
RALEIGH (March 26, 2026) – Stronger-than-expected growth means North Carolina will end 2025-26 with a $370 million (1.1%) surplus, according to a consensus forecast released this week by the governor’s budget office and the legislature’s Fiscal Research Division. But the state could still face a $360 million (1%) decrease in revenue in 2026-27 due to… READ MORE
Gambling on our children’s future
RALEIGH (March 11, 2026) – News Item: Over the past two years, North Carolinians have spent $13 billion betting on sports.1 Yet North Carolinians can’t come up with $1.5 billion to pay our public-school teachers properly. We rank 43rd among the states in average teacher pay, 39th in starting teacher pay,2 and 50th – 50th, as… READ MORE
Holding officials accountable
RALEIGH (March 6, 2026) – We saw some refreshing examples this week of North Carolina voters holding their elected officials accountable. In the premier primary election in the state, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page led state Senate leader Phil Berger by exactly two votes – 13,077 to 13,075 – in a high-dollar challenge for Berger’s… READ MORE
Leandro: NC’s children deserve a decision
RALEIGH (February 26, 2026) – More than two years ago, the North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments in the latest chapter of Leandro v. State, the landmark case affirming that every child in this state has a constitutional right to a sound, basic education. Since then – silence. No ruling. No explanation. No clarity for… READ MORE
Roy Williams: ‘Let’s pay our teachers’
CHAPEL HILL (February 18, 2026) – Other than his mother, Coach Roy Williams says his biggest heroes are his teachers.1 “I’m very proud of North Carolina and want our state to be the best it can be,” Williams says in the accompanying video. “We need to aim higher. And I’m not talking about basketball. We… READ MORE
Is the NC Senate letting our state down?
By Doug Shackelford and Paul Fulton Public Ed Works RALEIGH (February 12, 2026) – It’s been nine months since the North Carolina House passed a bipartisan budget that would finally give our schoolchildren the support they need and the teachers the pay they deserve. The House plan would raise starting teacher salaries to $50,000 next… READ MORE
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