Higher Ed Works

TO ENCOURAGE CITIZEN SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS, EMPHASIZING THE LINK BETWEEN AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.

IN 2022, HIGHER ED WORKS (THE ORGANIZATION) BEGAN TO EXPAND ITS CONTENT AND ITS MISSION. THE ORGANIZATION REALIZED EFFECTIVE PRESCHOOL AND K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEMS ARE VITAL TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND THE ORGANIZATION RESOLVED TO COVER THE ENTIRE EDUCATION CONTINUUM, FROM PRE-SCHOOL TO GRAD SCHOOL.THE SERIES PREPARED BY THE ORGANIZATION ON NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGES RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM A VARIETY OF CORPORATE AND FAMILY FOUNDATIONS AND INCORPORATED INTERVIEWS WITH THE NC COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM PRESIDENT, THE CHANCELLOR OF NC STATE UNIVERSITY, AND VISITS TO FIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGES ACROSS THE STATE. IT INCLUDED 40 VIDEOS AND 32 WEBSITE POSTS . THE SERIES FOCUSED ON:THE CRITICAL ROLE COMMUNITY COLLEGES PLAY IN THE STATES ECONOMY;COMMUNITY COLLEGES AS A PATH TO A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE;WELL-PAYING JOBS (PARTICULARLY IN HEALTH FIELDS) OF WHICH STUDENTS MIGHT NOT BE AWARE;FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER CRITICAL WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS;AND THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN.LATER IN THE YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION ALSO LOOKED AT HOW CENTRAL CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND NEIGHBORING COLLEGES WILL TAKE A REGIONAL APPROACH TO TRAIN 9,000 WORKERS FOR NEWLY ANNOUNCED JOBS IN CHATHAM COUNTY. THE SERIES PREPARED BY THE ORGANIZATION ENTITLED , WHERE WE STAND: UNDERFUNDED FOCUSED ON NORTH CAROLINAS POOR INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AT THE TIME, THE STATE RANKED 49TH IN THE PERCENTAGE OF GDP IT DEVOTED TO K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE ORGANIZATION EXAMINED SUCH METRICS AS:POOR ENROLLMENT IN THE STATES WIDELY PRAISED NC PRE-K PROGRAM FOR 4-YEAR-OLDS;POOR PAY FOR PRE-SCHOOL AND K-12 TEACHERS, AND PARTICULARLY FOR COMMUNITY-COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THE AVERAGE K-12 TEACHER SALARY IN THE STATE HAS DECLINED SINCE 2011-12, AND STARTING TEACHER PAY RANKS 46TH IN THE NATION;4,400 VACANT TEACHER JOBS (LATER ADJUSTED TO 5,000) WHEN SCHOOLS OPENED;HOW STATE SUPPORT PER UNC SYSTEM STUDENT HAS DECLINED $2,900 IN CONSTANT DOLLARS SINCE 2006-07, AS WELL AS A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN STUDENT DEBT; A DRAMATIC SPIKE IN TURNOVER AMONG UNC SYSTEM FACULTY.THE ORGANIZATION ALSO COVERED ARGUMENTS AND A DECISION FROM THE NC SUPREME COURT IN THE 28-YEAR-OLD LEANDRO CASE OVER STATE SUPPORT FOR K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHERE THE COURT EVENTUALLY ORDERED THE STATE TO PAY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE ORGANIZATION REPORTED ON FORMATION OF A BIPARTISAN COMMISSION APPOINTED BY GOV. ROY COOPER AND HEADED BY TWO FORMER UNC SYSTEM PRESIDENTS TO SUGGEST WAYS TO IMPROVE GOVERNANCE OF THE UNC SYSTEM.THE ORGANIZATION GAINED 19,119 MORE FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2022, FOR A TOTAL OF 142,524 FOLLOWERS. WITH 158,470 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS AT THE YEARS END, THE TOTAL DIRECT NETWORKOF THE ORGANIZATION WAS 300,994. TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR THE ORGANIZATION SAW A DRAMATIC SPIKE IN WEBSITE TRAFFIC, ENGAGEMENT AND INTEREST IN THE WRITTEN POSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION. AS A RESULT, THE ORGANIZATION REACHED 2,662,679 PEOPLE IN 2022.