This week, the NCASA Advocacy Team speaks with Dr. Rodney Peterson, Superintendent of Person County Schools and the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, about challenges he and other superintendents are facing in leading public schools.

In this episode our NCASA Advocacy Team takes an important look back at the unprecedented devastation that Hurricane Helene caused in western and northwestern North Carolina in late September 2024, just over a year ago and how it impacted K-12 education in those areas. Special guests for this episode are: Dr. Rob Jackson, Superintendent of Buncombe County Schools; and Dr. Eisa Cox, Superintendent of Ashe County Schools. NCASA's team focuses on how schools and communities in these districts are progressing in recovery, and what additional assistance is needed now and for the future.

CREDITS

Soundbites used in this episode are courtesy of:

• WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC) - NEWS DOCUMENTARY "Helene: What We Lost, What We Found.”
• Education NC Video - “A Long Way Down, the story of Surge.”

The NCASA Advocacy Team talks with Jack Hoke, Executive Director of the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA), about data NCSSA has collected early in the 2025-26 school year that shows vacancies statewide in teaching positions and other staff. They discuss how the vacancies compare to previous years, their impact on students, and strategies for addressing staffing shortages in the future.

In this episode, the NCASA Advocacy Team welcomes Dr. Matthew Cheeseman, Superintendent of Beaufort County Schools and President-Elect of the NCASA Board of Directors; Beckie Spears, Principal of Wilkesboro Elementary School and the 2024 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year; and Kimberly Jones, an English and Humanities teacher for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and the 2023 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Our three guests discuss the excitement of opening the new school year, the current challenges affecting public education from their unique perspectives, and the importance of being a champion for local public schools.

As state lawmakers take a brief break during the long, hot summer, lots of activity is happening in regard to K-12 public education legislation and funding. A recent decision from the U.S. Department of Education to withhold billions of dollars in education funding for states, including $165 million for North Carolina, has district and charter school leaders in crisis-management mode as they try to plan for opening the new year in just a few short weeks. In this episode, our Advocacy Team breaks down these state and federal funding concerns and what they mean for schools and students here in the Tar Heel state.

Additional Content Related To This Episode:

• H.R.1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act
• Attorney General Jeff Jackson Sues To Protect $165 Million For NC Public Schools And Nearly 1,000 NC Educator Jobs (via NC Dept. of Justice)
• District By District, Charter By Charter, Community By Community, Lawsuit Makes Clear The Impact Of Frozen Federal Funds (via EdNC)

This week, NCASA welcomes two guests to help us explain the “Art of Education Advocacy:" Dr. Stephen Fisher, Superintendent of Cleveland County Schools and President-Elect of NCASA’s Board of Directors; and Dr. John Lassiter, Principal of Hertford Grammar School in Perquimans County Schools and the 2025 Wells Fargo Northeast Regional Principal of the Year. Together, along with our host, Katherine Joyce, Executive Director of NCASA, they discuss the importance of education advocacy and how anyone can become a champion for local public schools.

This week our Executive Director, Katherine Joyce, focuses on the challenges our local public schools face as state funding for private school vouchers is at an all-time high. Katherine is joined by Tracy Zimmerman, Vice President for Policy and Strategy at the Neimand Collaborative, a nationally renowned social impact marketing firm, and Dr. Rhonda Schuhler, Superintendent of Franklin County Schools and NCASA’s Past President. Together they discuss 2024 research on how North Carolinians view public schools and NCASA’s "Champion Our Local Public Schools" campaign to help districts market their schools as a great choice for families.

This week NCASA is honored to speak with the NEW State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Maurice "Mo" Green. He talks about his first month in office and his vision and goals for K-12 education in North Carolina.