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Public School Forum of North Carolina convenes education advocates and business community

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Education is Everyone’s Business Meeting in February 2026. Courtesy of the Public Forum of North Carolina

The Public School Forum of North Carolina hosted two regional conferences in February as a part of their Education is Everyone’s Business initiative. According to a press release, over 125 members of North Carolina’s business, education, and government communities met at Blowing Rock and Greenville to discuss the future of education in the state.

Over the past 40 years, the Forum has provided a meeting space for these individuals in order to encourage collaboration in shaping educational policy.

“North Carolina has consistently been a top state for business, but that won’t be sustainable if we don’t also prioritize being a top state for public education,” said Public School Forum Senior Director of Policy and Research Dr. Lauren Fox.

The Forum has outlined numerous benefits of businesses and educational groups working as a team. These partnerships strengthen the current and future workforce, grow economic competitiveness, and create opportunity in every community, according to the press release.

The connection between the health of public schools and the health of business is the inspiration behind the Education is Everyone’s Business initiative, the release says.

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The student-workforce connection

In 2025, CNBC ranked North Carolina first in the country for business. The Forum argues that this accolade was earned in part because of past investments in education, which should be continued. North Carolina comes in at 50th in the nation in overall funding efforts, according to a recent report by the Forum.

The report also said that 84% of hiring managers say most high school graduates are not prepared for the workforce. These concerns have produced difficulty with hiring qualified candidates, which is a major concern for many employers across the state.

The Forum’s initiatives, like Education is Everyone’s Business, are designed to counteract these challenges, refocusing energy and attention towards building “programs aligned to industry needs, early college partnerships, and career pathways that lead directly to employment.”

“We envision a future where North Carolina is the uncontested national leader in business and economic opportunity, fueled by excellent, innovative, well-funded local public schools in every single county,” says the press release.

Currently, North Carolina teachers are paid $14,000 below the national average. The report highlights the connection between supporting teachers and positive student outcomes, which directly contributes to the state’s future workforce. Student outcomes, the Forum said, will not improve until the state makes an effort to invest in teachers.

“To maintain our standing as a top state for business, we must match our ambition for economic recruitment with a powerful commitment to the education of our children and youth,” the report notes.

In the report, the Forum encourages businesses to become champions for public schools. They outline pathways for investment in education and how individuals can join a network of advocates in their own communities.

“Strong public schools will help make North Carolina the uncontested national leader in business and economic opportunity,” the report says.