RALEIGH (December 13, 2023) – Higher Ed Works is now Public Ed Works. 

Public Ed Works focuses on increasing residents’ knowledge of public education in North Carolina.

We educate state residents about the benefits our public education systems provide and explain how public schools are funded and supported.

 

North Carolina has been ranked the No. 1 state in the nation for business for two years. But we recognize that producing the employees those businesses need requires strong, sustained effort. And it doesn’t start with college – it starts before our children even learn to read.

Public Ed Works supports a strong, well-funded public education system from Pre-K through college that will enable North Carolina to increase postsecondary attainment and achieve the goal of myFutureNC to have 2 million North Carolinians with a high-quality credential or a degree by 2030.

Research shows that adequate funding makes a difference, and we work to inspire legislative support and funding for all of NC public education.

NC PreK-12 public education, in particular, suffers from massive underfunding. As a result:

• NC fell to #50 out of 50 states in the percentage of GDP invested in K-12.
• NC starting teacher pay is the lowest in the Southeast.
• In 2023, NC public schools started short 3,000+ teachers. And increasingly, it relies on non-certified teachers.

Follow this link for more statistics on the dire state of NC public education.

This does not mean we will give up our focus on higher education. Rather, it is a recognition that the entire education pipeline is vital – and co-dependent. It requires our strong support, from pre-school through grad school.

Public Ed Works remains a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) public charity. We use social media, digital marketing, our website, newsletter, and advertising to connect with more than 2,500,000 people each year who engage with our content at a very high rate.

Public Ed Works collaborates with many excellent education-focused organizations across the state. The Public School Forum of North Carolina, BEST NC, Public Schools First NC, and Education NC are a few of the organizations with which we work.

We hope you will join us to push for strong, well-funded public education in North Carolina.