So this is what it’s come to.

The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School has announced a new slate of programs for 2023, offering adults who love the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a chance for deeper connection to this landscape.

Since 2021, the Highlands Biological Foundation has invested $300,000 in its University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highlands Field Site Program.

North Carolina fourth graders are testing proficient in reading at the lowest level since 2009, and the University of North Carolina Board of Governors is concerned that its schools aren’t equipping future K-12 teachers to reverse that trend.

Even as an elementary school kid, Chris Cable hated school. It felt pointless, and so boring that he struggled to stay awake. Cable wanted to be a state trooper when he grew up — why did he need to know about algebra and essay-writing?   

The latest development in the Leandro v. The state of North Carolina court case came last week when the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that state officials can be ordered to transfer the funds necessary to fully fund a sound basic education to the state’s k-12 public schools.

The Oct. 20 death of Lambert Wilson — a beloved educator, business owner and supporter of Native American art — sent shock waves through communities across Western North Carolina. However, few details are available regarding the circumstances of what his friends and colleagues say was a tragic and unexpected passing.

On June 11, intrepid artists step up to create in the public eye as guests stroll, sip and goggle at the creative process. Under the vaulted ceilings of Laurel Ridge Country Club, regional fine artists and craft artisans will create in a live quickdraw. The one-hour quickdraw features two types of live art: painters racing the clock to finish their art in 60 minutes, and artists demonstrating technique in paint, clay, metal, jewelry, and collage. Each artist presents an original artwork at auction to support art education. 

Gag orders regarding what can be taught in schools are becoming all the rage in many conservative states. Like the “don’t say gay” measure in Florida, these laws try to eliminate or sometimes guide discussions — mostly about about race and sexuality, but also politics — to the point that they are just bad for our schools and students.