North Carolina's public school system is facing a crisis, according to the recently released "Public Schooling in America 2024" report.

It ranks the state's public school system 48th in the nation. Among the key findings, North Carolina received one of the worst scores for privatization laws.

Kris Nordstrom, senior policy analyst for the North Carolina Justice Center in Raleigh, raised concerns about the effect of voucher laws on public education. Initially designed to support low-income families, the voucher program has now expanded without income limits.

"It was now open to families of all incomes including millionaires and billionaires, and it's also open to families who already enrolled in private schools and have proven that they can afford private school," Nordstrom pointed out.

He noted it means more dollars are being diverted away from those who need it most, such as families with low incomes, students with disabilities, multilingual learners and rural schools. He argued in the long run it will only create more disparities in student opportunities. Public schools around the country were ranked based on privatization laws, home schooling, financial support for schools and the freedom to teach and learn.

Yevonne Brannon, board member of the group Public Schools First NC, emphasized the consequences of underfunding schools and the lack of teacher support. In North Carolina, teacher salaries trail the national average by 21%. She emphasized the report reflects low salaries, chronic staff shortages and lack of resources, which have resulted in high turnover rates among teachers. She said they are calling on legislatures to make changes to strengthen the schools and promote better student outcomes.

"We have got to change how we fund our schools," Brannon contended. "We've got to fund our schools better, and that includes paying our teachers and all the educators in the building better. The other thing is that we have to change some of our policies that are really limiting."

She stressed another issue impacting students is a lack of accountability and transparency in private schools receiving public funds. Without the requirements public schools have, she questioned the effectiveness of the institutions in providing an adequate education for all students. Brannon also emphasized the strong bipartisan support for public education in other states ranking well. She believes it underscores funding schools should be a nonpartisan issue.


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Mississippi's education improvements could unravel unless the state addresses its teacher compensation crisis.

Toren Ballard, a former teacher and education policy researcher gave the warning and stressed the Magnolia state's 2022 pay raise temporarily boosted recruitment but did not solve retention. He pointed out when adjusted for inflation, teacher salaries remain below 21st century levels, with the most severe gaps in poorer districts unable to offer anything past a base salary.

"In recent years we have seen more people going into the profession, which is a good data trend but we've also seen the number of teachers leaving Mississippi classrooms explode," Ballard reported. "In recent years, in the average district, losing nearly one in four teachers each year."

Ballard praised Mississippi's new weighted student funding formula for addressing equity concerns. However, he highlighted competitive base salaries are critical to keeping up the state's education progress.

Ballard noted Mississippi's teacher shortage affects high-need districts and critical subjects like math and science. He argued paying teachers more is not necessarily about fairness.

"No, it's microeconomics," Ballard emphasized. "If we are going to offer more competitive salaries to Mississippi teachers, we are going to get more people interested in coming to Mississippi to begin with and more importantly, staying in Mississippi if they're already here."

Mississippi saw reading gains following the 2016 Literacy-Based Promotion Act, with fourth-grade test scores rising as other states declined.

Ballard hopes lawmakers now turn to current challenges, like rising health insurance premiums eating up a quarter of new teachers' salaries. There will also be reduced pension benefits for those hired after March 2026.


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A high school educator from Pennsylvania has been named National Teacher of the Year, one of the highest honors in the field.

The prestigious award is for educators who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom and exceptional commitment to their students.

Ashlie Crosson, who teaches advanced placement language and composition, English 10 and survival stories at Mifflin County High School, said she is honored to receive the award. Inspired by great teachers growing up, she has been an educator for more than 14 years and called teaching one of the oldest and most rewarding careers, and one the world will always need.

"I had amazing teachers who valued me and invested in me and made me feel confident and smart and important," Crosson recounted. "If you can do a job where you get to make other people feel like that, that's a good way to spend a life. And I think that's what we try to sort of focus on or celebrate for students."

Crosson also teaches the journalism program, which publishes the school newspaper and the district magazine. She has had a positive effect on her students' academic and career paths as some of her former students now work at the local newspaper.

With the Trump administration proposing to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, Crosson acknowledged policies may shift with each new administration but her students' needs will always remain her top concern.

"In my classroom and talking to my colleagues, we are still focused on what's going on in our classroom," Crosson emphasized. "Because that's our job, day in and day out, and we know that there's going to be ebbs and flows and changes, because that's what it means to be a teacher. But the thing that doesn't change is your students' needs, and so those will always be our priorities."

Looking to broaden horizons for both her colleagues and students, Crosson started "MC Goes Global," a travel program bringing learning to life through international trips. Her students do not just stick to books and essays, they dive into real-world research on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and even build websites, blending global awareness with hands-on learning.


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Pennsylvanians will rally in Harrisburg on Tuesday urging lawmakers to boost public school funding.

More than 1.7 million students are enrolled in Pennsylvania schools.

Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania, said her group is among those backing Gov. Josh Shapiro's budget proposal.

It would mean more than $500 million for underfunded schools, $75 million for basic education, and $40 million for special education.

She added that every student deserves a well-funded education and warns that cuts could leave some school districts behind.

"Our message is going to be loud and clear that we need the State Legislature to adopt the entire, full budget package that Gov. Shapiro has proposed," said Spicka. "The full package means that there will be a positive step forward for every school district."

Spicka said they're also urging lawmakers to set a timeline to meet constitutional school funding requirements and to reject private school vouchers.

Her group, along with the PA Schools Work coalition, is leading the rally with support from parents and community groups. The state House and Senate must pass the budget by June 30.

While Advocacy Day is about gaining state lawmakers' support for this year's budget, Spicka said the groups also strongly oppose efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

She added that they're very concerned about how possible federal funding cuts would affect Pennsylvania students.

"We acknowledge that federal funding is an essential funding stream for public schools, especially for the schools that have students with the greatest need," said Spicka. "So, any cut in federal funding will have an enormous and negative impact on students who have already been the furthest left behind in Pennsylvania."

She estimated that a few hundred people will attend the Harrisburg rally. They have meetings planned with lawmakers, will hold a news conference and speak with state education staff.

She added that anyone who attends can fill out a postcard to leave at their lawmaker's office.




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