Education for All? The Past, Present, and Possibility of NC Schools

An All-Day Forum Designed for K-12 Educators and the Public

The story of public education in North Carolina is complex. The state’s Declaration of Rights places a right to an education alongside other rights like religious liberty and jury trials. Yet, since Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, judicial, executive, and legislative branches of state government have been inconsistent in their treatment of race and economic inequality, shaping the education of the state’s schoolchildren. While all schoolchildren are guaranteed a sound, basic education in North Carolina, excellence has sometimes proven elusive.

This free, all-day forum, geared towards educators and community members alike, reflects on the 70th anniversary of North Carolina’s adoption of the Pearsall Plan—the state’s unsuccessful legal effort to resist practical implementation of racial desegregation. The program will delve deeply into the history and potential futures of public education in North Carolina through talks and activities examining court cases, legislation, case studies, and classroom perspectives.

This forum, presented in collaboration with the Chapel Hill Public Library, will gather UNC-Chapel Hill scholars, North Carolina educators, and other experts to explore one essential question: How do we best serve our children?

Speakers and Detailed Agenda to be Announced

Morning Sessions: Where Have We Been?

• Keynote address
• Panel Sessions
  • We’ll trace the stories of changing national and state legal strategies, court decisions, and political power landscapes in the decades after Brown v. Board of Education.
  • We’ll take stock of the current state of Public Education in North Carolina
• Group Discussions and Activities

Lunch and Conversation

Afternoon Sessions: Where Can We Go From Here?

• Strategy Sessions
• Breakout Activities
• Closing Remarks