The Board Table

NCSBA
  • 5.0 (4)
  • NON-PROFIT

A podcast of the North Carolina School Boards Association that equips board members with the tools and knowledge needed to be successful at the board table.

  1. Communications as a Cornerstone: Proactive Tips to Avoid Crisis

    JAN 28

    Communications as a Cornerstone: Proactive Tips to Avoid Crisis

    Let us know what you think! Are you prepared to respond to a reporter’s phone call about a polarizing post made on your school district’s Facebook page? Does your school board have a plan for communicating with your community about upcoming district budget cuts? How will you talk with the students and families affected by the proposed closing of their school? Are there issues that concern you—even if they haven’t yet reached the public eye? To answer those questions and more, we’re joined by Thom Fladung, a managing partner for Hennes Communications. Thom has more than 33 years of daily newspaper and digital media experience and shares his expert insight on managing communications in today’s landscape. Listen in to the conversation between Thom and NCSBA Assistant Director of Communications Ben Christoph. NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    31 min
  2. Hunger Doesn't Take a Summer Break: NC's Summer Nutrition Programs

    07/09/2025

    Hunger Doesn't Take a Summer Break: NC's Summer Nutrition Programs

    Let us know what you think! While many schools take a break for summer, hunger never takes a day off. That is why you’ll find approximately 3,000 meal sites operating in communities across North Carolina during summer breaks. These meal sites serve students over 80,000 meals on a daily basis to those in need and, in turn, give families full stomachs and peace of mind. In this episode, guests from the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Office of School Nutrition and Auxiliary Services join the show to spread the word about these programs in greater detail. These experts in nutrition, Senior Director Rachel Findley and Section Chief of Outreach and Promotion Lynne Privette, talk with NCSBA’s Ben Christoph about the needs, goals, and challenges of running these nutrition services. NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    42 min
  3. “It’s time we stand up and say something”: Success in local public school advocacy

    05/29/2025

    “It’s time we stand up and say something”: Success in local public school advocacy

    Let us know what you think! In a time when opinions are polarized, headlines are muddled, and unity seems like a bygone idea, how is anyone supposed to get a persuasive message through to people? When narratives cast public schools as “failing” and families feel that they are in need of alternatives, how can local school district leaders and public education supporters make a stand? One school district in North Carolina has found a way to establish their voice and cut through the noise, resulting in a more informed community. In turn, these community members are more willing to carry the message about the highlights and benefits of their neighborhood public schools. In Rutherford County Schools, they have made the declaration that “Education Matters” as they seek to make their public schools the premier choice for families. In this episode, Superintendent of Rutherford County Schools Dr. David Sutton joins the show along with the district’s Director of Marketing and Community Relations, Ritchie Garland, to talk with NCSBA’s Ben Christoph about the inspiration, planning, and progress of a campaign that is raising the discourse about local public schools. NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    48 min
  4. Where Are Our Students Going? Diving Into Demographic Trends

    05/06/2025

    Where Are Our Students Going? Diving Into Demographic Trends

    Let us know what you think! To lead effectively, you’ve got to know who you’re leading. Where are they from? Where are they going? What brings them to your community? In order to make sound policy decisions and forecast budgets that respond to the evolving needs of students and their families, local leaders need objective and reliable data. This information is critical in explaining why many school districts are experiencing shrinking enrollment numbers. On this episode of The Board Table, Dr. Nathan Dollar, director of Carolina Demography, joins NCSBA Assistant Director of Communications Ben Christoph in a discussion to help North Carolina leaders make sense of population-level changes throughout the state. Using his decades of experience in research and tracking population trends in this state and abroad, Nathan shares his deep understanding of our state institutions and the complex issues shaping population changes. NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    42 min
  5. Our Shared Inheritance: The Promise of Education in Every State

    03/20/2025

    Our Shared Inheritance: The Promise of Education in Every State

    Let us know what you think! Each state in the union has outlined their own set of foundational liberties, rights, and opportunities that guide the everyday lives of generations to come. Though each state contains its own distinct set of obligations for its respective government, there are common threads, and an important commonality is that of education. In all 50 states, each constitution establishes the promise of an education for each of its residents and cements the importance of access to learning into their founding documents. To explore this principle and discuss the historical context and implications of a state government’s obligation to provide education, an expert in constitutional law joins us at The Board Table. Our guest, Derek Black, is a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law where he is also the Ernest F. Hollings Chair in Constitutional Law and directs the law school’s Constitutional Law Center. A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, he has published extensive research that has been cited by federal courts and various briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court, and he has written multiple books on the subject of education and law. For more information on Derek Black, visit derekwblack.com. NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    44 min
  6. Is There a Better Way to Fund Local School Districts in North Carolina?

    02/26/2025

    Is There a Better Way to Fund Local School Districts in North Carolina?

    Let us know what you think! What if there was an approach that could lessen the current challenges in setting school district budgets while also making the most of local taxes by using a more efficient process? In this episode, NCSBA Assistant Director of Communications Ben Christoph talks with Earnest Winston about the current authority to levy local taxes to support public schools, the pros and cons of the idea of school boards having independent taxing authority, and the complexities of how the overall premise would affect local school boards and their roles in communities. Earnest Winston has extensive experience in school district operations and leadership, spending almost 18 years in various roles with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; including as the district’s superintendent. While working through his post-graduate education, he has explored this idea that fiscal independence for school boards could improve the dynamics of local governing bodies in North Carolina and, most importantly, give the governing body that helps set up students for success the most accountability for student outcomes.  NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    39 min
  7. Michele Morrow's Vision for North Carolina’s Public Schools: A Conversation on Leadership

    09/25/2024

    Michele Morrow's Vision for North Carolina’s Public Schools: A Conversation on Leadership

    Let us know what you think! In this special election series of The Board Table, we sit down with Michele Morrow, candidate for North Carolina’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction. As a candidate, Morrow brings experience as a nurse, education advocate, and member of a homeschool teaching coalition. In this discussion with NCSBA's Ben Christoph, Morrow shares her views on the state of public education, her qualifications for leadership, and her vision for North Carolina schools. Tune in to learn more about Morrow’s goals and ideas ahead of this pivotal election. Don’t miss out on this informative discussion ahead of a critical election season! NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    19 min
  8. Mo Green's Vision for North Carolina's Public Schools: A Conversation on Leadership

    09/25/2024

    Mo Green's Vision for North Carolina's Public Schools: A Conversation on Leadership

    Let us know what you think! In this special election series of The Board Table, we sit down with Maurice “Mo” Green, candidate for North Carolina’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Green's prior experience includes leading the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, serving as superintendent of Guilford County Schools, and working as general counsel for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. In this conversation with NCSBA's Ben Christoph, Green shares his thoughts on the current state of public education in North Carolina, his qualifications as a leader, and his vision for the future. Whether you're a school board member, educator, or a community advocate, this episode offers key insights into the future of our public schools. Don’t miss out on this informative discussion ahead of a critical election season!  NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. It is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team—school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants—in its complex leadership role. We help develop, communicate, and advocate for the perspective of North Carolina school districts. Follow NCSBA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more updates.

    44 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

A podcast of the North Carolina School Boards Association that equips board members with the tools and knowledge needed to be successful at the board table.

Information

  • Creator
    NCSBA
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Board Table
  • Show Website
    The Board Table