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December 27, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
[2]Facebook [3]Instagram [4]YouTube [5]LinkedIn [6]TikTok

Thank you Public School Educators and Advocates!

You are the wind beneath our wings!

It has been a year full of disappointment in our elected officials who have
created policy chaos and great fiscal harm to our public schools while
spending hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars on private school tuition
subsidies. Your determination to never back down from supporting our public
school children and educators is more important than ever. You have gone to
battle with us over the lack of a state budget, the refusal of legislators
to fund Leandro, the lack of protections for our students with
disabilities, and the shocking dismantling of the U.S. Department of
Education. You witnessed legislators prioritizing funding unaccountable and
expensive private school vouchers instead of funding our public schools and
the educators who make them successful.

Please accept our deepest gratitude for your support and your personal
advocacy work throughout the year. Together, we have spoken out loudly
against bad bills that are undermining public education and North
Carolina’s constitutional promise to provide a free, public education to
every student. Together, we helped give our educators and students a voice.
We thank you for always protecting our children!

While our elected representatives let our children and educators down, your
determination and resilience never waivered. During all the chaos, with
your help, we have alerted the public and called on their help in defending
public education.

There is much work to be done. We will need you again in 2026 to continue
monitoring and holding the NC General Assembly and the US Congress
accountable for their actions and sadly often, their inaction.

It is time for NC public schools to have a budget they deserve! We are
unwavering in our commitment to our public school educators and their
students. We will fight for the resources they need to succeed.

We invite you to share your time and talents along with a tax-deductible
donation to help Public Schools First keep the public informed and engaged
in the fight to protect and strengthen public education.

No matter what 2026 brings, we know that North Carolinians will join our
educators in standing up for protecting our children’s education. We will
be there with you; we will not waver in our commitment to our public school
educators and their students.

Enjoy the holiday season. We will see you next year!

[7]Donate to Support and Expand Our Work!

Governor Hunt: Public Education Champion

May 16, 1937 - December 18, 2025

On December 18, North Carolina lost its most enduring and effective public
school champion, James (Jim) B. Hunt, Jr. During his time in state-level
office, elected lieutenant governor in 1972 and then governor in 1976,
1980, 1992, and 1996, Hunt did more to elevate the importance of education
and children’s health and their role in the long-term health of a state
than any other politician in the state’s history.

Raised in Wilson County, NC by his mother who was an English teacher and
librarian and a father who was a soil and water conservation agent. He
attended NC State where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural
education and a master’s degree in agricultural economics and later earned
a law degree at UNC law school. But politics always interested him and he
got involved early. While still at NC State, he worked on Terry Sanford’s
campaign for governor.

During his time as governor, Hunt started the [8]Smart Start program, an
early childhood education program that currently operates in all 100
counties. Hunt also helped create the North Carolina School of Science and
Mathematics (NCSSM), added teacher assistants to grades K-3, worked to
raise teacher salaries, and brought our national average salary ranking to
#20 in the [9]2001-2002 school year.

Governor Hunt knew the vital importance of strong public schools in
attracting business to the state and good jobs for its citizens. In words
and actions he worked to raise the quality of public education in North
Carolina, and when vouchers were introduced to the state long after he left
the governor’s mansion, he strongly opposed them.

Watch PSNFC’s 2015 interview with Jim Hunt, Jr.

[10]video

PSFNC Year in Review

Public Schools First NC works to educate and inform North Carolinians about
the critical public education issues that affect our schools, educators,
and students. We remain focused on ensuring that NC has a unified,
equitable system of high-quality public schools that provides every student
with a solid foundation for success as a positive, engaged, and successful
member of society. Thanks to your support, this year we have broadened our
work, increasing our partnerships and productivity, which fueled more
outreach and engagement across the state.

Original Reports and Videos. In 2025, PSFNC published more original reports
and videos than ever before, serving as a sought-after source of research
and information on public education in North Carolina.
* [11]Charter Schools: Undermining Quality Education For All
* [12]NC School Vouchers: Using Tax Dollars to Discriminate Against
Students & Families
* [13]NC K-12 Private Schools 2024-25: A Review of Curriculum
* [14]NC's Taxpayer-Funded Vouchers & Private School Tuition Increases

Two of our most popular videos are [15]Do You Know About NC School
Vouchers? And [16]The Importance of NC Pre-K.

Webinars, Presentations and Book Talks. We continue our tradition of
hosting webinars with prominent authors and education leaders, often in
partnership with NC PTA. Recordings of all webinars are posted on our
[17]YouTube channel. This year we hosted in-person book talks with authors
Derek Black, author of Dangerous Learning: The South’s Long War on Black
Literacy and Adrienne Wood, author of Autism Out Loud and a Zoom interview
with Diane Ravitch about her new book, An Education: How I Changed My Mind
About Schools and Almost Everything Else

[18]Read our complete Year in Review.

Legislative and SBE Updates

The NCGA will convene on Monday, January 12, 2026. Both the House & Senate
are scheduled to convene at 10:00 a.m.

On January 7, the [19]House Select Committee on Government Efficiency will
meet at 1:00 p.m.

Check the [20]legislative calendar for updates and streaming information.

Join Us On Jones Street in January!

Join Public Schools First NC and other public education supporters at the
legislature in downtown Raleigh on the second Wednesday each month until
the legislative short session starts in April.

We will meet in front of the State Legislative Building at 140 E. Jones
Street in Raleigh to advocate for public schools!

11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
* January 14
* February 11
* March 11
* April 8

Can we count on you?

Fill out this[21] Google Form to let us know you're coming!

In Case You Missed It

[22]Monkey Sounds, "White Power" and the N-Word: Racial Harassment Against
Black Students Ignored Under Trump

[23]Despite investment changes paying off, NC treasurer opposes COLA for
state retirees

[24]If You Build It, Will They Come? New charter schools in North Carolina
are struggling to enroll enough students to stay solvent.

[25]Neighborhood schools are closing across Arizona. It's because of
vouchers.

[26]More Math, Not Less, Will Lead Students to Succeed

Books for the New Year

There's still time to get a good book to read over the break and help us at
the same time! To help you start the new year off right! Public Schools
First NC has a terrific selection of books we've featured over the years in
our webinars and conferences.

When you donate $50 or more to Public Schools First NC, we'll send you your
book choice. [27]DONATE HERE

Mark Your Calendar!

Multiple Dates, 7:00-8:30 pm: Resilience and ACES. Learn about Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACES) and resilience. Join us for this
award-winning, 60-minute film, Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The
Science of Hope. This documentary examines how abuse, neglect, and other
adverse childhood experiences affect children’s development & health
outcomes in adulthood. This powerful movie is a conversation starter and a
perspective changer.

[28]REGISTER HERE

All screenings are on Thursday and include time for discussion. Invite a
friend and contact us about setting up a private screening for your school
staff, PTA, civic group, church, or synagogue.
* January 22, 2026
* February 26, 2026
* March 26, 2026

Words to Remember

"I was involved in public education my whole life and was formed by it.”

— James B. Hunt, North Carolina Governor: 1976 - 1984 & 1992 - 2000.

Help us support public schools!

Please make a tax-deductible contribution to help us sustain and expand our
critical work on behalf of students, educators, and public schools!

[29]DONATE HERE

Public Schools First NC is a statewide nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit
focused solely

on pre-K to 12 public education issues. We collaborate with parents,
teachers, business and civic leaders, and communities across North Carolina
to advocate for one unified system of public education that prepares each
child for productive citizenship.

[30]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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Raleigh, NC 27627
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