Webinars

Completed webinars

A Conversation with Dr. Elena Ashburn, Senior Education Advisor to Governor Stein

NC PTA and Public Schools First NC interview Dr. Elena Ashburn for this next installment in our series of interviews with new public education leaders. Dr. Elena Ashburn is the Senior Education Advisor to Governor Stein.

An Evening with Derek Black: Conversation, Book Signing, & Fundraiser

We interview acclaimed author and constitutional law scholar Derek Black, celebrating the release of his latest book, Dangerous Learning: The South’s Long War on Black Literacy.

A Conversation with Superintendent Mo Green

NC PTA and Public Schools First NC host the first in our series of interviews with new public education leaders. Mo Green was elected in November, 2024 to serve as the next NC Superintendent of Public Instruction. We talk to Superintendent Green about his vision for the Dept. of Public Instruction.

The Cost of Conflict: How Culture Wars Cost Taxpayers

Dr. Rachel White (University of Texas at Austin) and Dr. Rebecca Jacobsen (Michigan State University) share their recent work — Dr. White’s study “The Cost of Conflict,” and Dr. Jacobsen’s upcoming book “The Politics of Disruption.”

How to Fight Vouchers in 2025: A Toolkit for Advocates

This webinar is the third in a series hosted by Public Funds Public Schools. It features an overview os PFPS advocacy tools, insights from Education Law Center Senior Fellow Josh Cowen, and a presentation by Nicole Fuller of the National Coalition for Public Education on federal voucher legislation and resources to fight voucher bills.

If you missed the first webinar in the series, What Do We Do Now? No Vouchers! Public Funds Are For Public Schools!, you can access the recording. If you missed the second webinar, What Do We Do Now? Money Matters More Than Ever So States Can Make the Grade!, you can access the recording.

Back to School: 2024 Legislative Update.

NC PTA and Public Schools First NC provide a legislative update. We review the 2024 legislative actions, future legislative meeting dates, bills still eligible for action this year and more.

The History and Impact of Private School vOUCHers in NC  

The NC PTA and Public Schools First reviewed the school voucher program and how it has grown over the past decade from a program that provided taxpayer-funded private school vouchers for low and very moderate-income students to one that is available to all families, regardless of income. We discussed program changes and the fiscal impacts they have on public schools and on the overall state budget.

Why the Battle over Diverse Public Schools Still Matters.

Dr. Karey Harwood discusses her new book: Wake: Why the Battle Over Diverse Public Schools Still Matters. The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) was once described as a beacon of hope for American school districts. When the school board election of 2009 swept into office a majority who favored “neighborhood schools,” the diversity policy that had governed student assignment for years was eliminated. Wake: Why the Battle Over Diverse Public Schools Still Matters tells the story of the aftermath of that election, including the fierce public debate that ensued during school board meetings and in the pages of the local newspaper, and the groundswell of community support that voted in a pro-diversity school board in 2011.

Schoolhouse Burning: A Conversation with Author Derek Black.

Professor Derek Black is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he got his first opportunity to work on Leandro v. State—litigation which he continues to support to this day. We discuss this case and his most recent book, Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy, which explains the threat that current trends pose not just to public education, but to democracy itself.

Is the NC Supreme Court Poised to Undo Leandro? Legal Experts Weigh In.

We hear from guests Jack Boger, formerly UNC Law School Dean, and Jane Wettach, William B. McGuire Clinical Professor Emerita of Law at Duke Law School, to learn more about why they are calling on the NC Supreme Court to abide by the 2022 ruling and fully fund Leandro.

Legislative Update w/Rep. Julie von Haefen and Sen. Lisa Grafstein.

We discussed a legislative update with Representative Julie von Haefen, who represents NC’s 36th House district and Senator Lisa Grafstein, who represents NC’s 13th Senate district. We discussed the effects of the recent state budget on public education and our educators and reviewed bills passed in 2023 what’s ahead for 2024. We also talked specifically about public education funding including the status of Leandro ruling.

The Choice We Face: A Conversation w/Dr. Jon Hale

We talked with Dr. Jon Hale, author of The Choice We Face. Jon Hale is a professor of educational history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an advocate for quality public education. Hale’s research is education has been published widely.

School Integration vs Resegregation: A Battle Worth Fighting.

Jerry Wilson of CREED and James Carter of the Urban Institute share data that reveals how certain state and local policies are contributing to the trend of resegregation in North Carolina and statistics that highlight the importance of diverse education for everyone. We also discuss the political, economic, and social forces affecting the will of North Carolinians to prioritize and invest in meaningful integration. In this era of school choice and privatization, will we give up on the dream of integrated public education?

School Voucher Expansion Harms Students & Threatens Public Ed Funding.

Joshua Cowen describes his research on voucher programs dating back to the early 2000s, what he and other researchers found, what research has shown since, and what’s happening with vouchers across the country now.

Charter Schools and Their Impact on Local School Districts.

Our guests are Eastern NC middle school teacher Rodney Pierce and former Wake County school board member Christine Kushner. The webinar provides a brief background on charter schools in NC. Kushner and Pierce discuss the impact charter school growth is having on public schools throughout North Carolina.

Broken Promises: The Hidden NC Teacher Tax.

Wake County Educator Kim Mackey and Public Education Advocate Derek Scott present their research on the NC Teacher Tax.

School Psychologists & Community Mental Health Services: What Our Students Need Now!

Join us to learn what services school psychologists provide to children in NC’s public schools. Our panelists are a school psychologist in the Wake County school system and a former school psychologist in private practice that currently works with Wake public schools. Panelists will explain the scope of services and programs offered and their impact on K-12 school success.

View all webinar recordings on our YouTube channel.