This investigative podcast looks at how AI-based surveillance tools are being used in schools across the state, drawing on specific local cases. It examines the legal frameworks that govern student monitoring, alongside the ethical concerns around privacy, consent, and the student experience. UNC Professor Sun-ha Hong helps unpack these cases and their potential implications.
Tag: education
Schools are a frontline to youth suicide prevention
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youths in the United States, and the rates continue to escalate. Many youths in crisis are directed to the emergency department but end up waiting for days in the ER for a psychiatric bed. But what if the signs of mental distress in youths can be caught early and avoid an ER visit altogether? Embedding mental health services in schools offers a solution.
ICE activity sparks fear in North Carolina public schools: What community volunteers say should come next
When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity increased across North Carolina, fear kept some families from leaving their homes and children from attending school. In response, schools implemented safety protocols to protect students, while community members mobilized quickly to organize transportation, food distribution, and protection teams. This story examines both those immediate efforts and what they reveal about gaps in existing systems, highlighting what community leaders say must come next.Through interviews with organizers, school officials, and advocates, it highlights growing calls for clearer statewide policies, stronger communication, and more proactive crisis planning to better protect students and families moving forward.Drawing on interviews with organizers, school officials, and advocates, it highlights calls for clearer statewide policies, stronger communication, and more proactive crisis planning to better protect students and families.
‘Backdoor form of a church tax’: Vouchers raise concerns about the separation of church and state
Story by Rachel Moody There are now over 100,000 Opportunity Scholarship Recipients. The Opportunity Scholarship…
New cell phone ban takes hold in North Carolina classrooms
Story by Olivia Jarman This fall, North Carolina schools began preparing for a new statewide…
Cut off from opportunity: International students and the U.S. visa crackdown
UNC–Chapel Hill campus, students crossing the quad between classes. Story by Emaan Parvez The number…
No time to say goodbye: Hurricane Helene shuts down Valle Crucis School
Story by Audrey Kashatus BOONE, N.C. – On a wet, early April afternoon, the air…
North Carolina Youth and Government empowers the next generation
Story by Sophie Watson
North Carolina Youth and Government continues legacy of inspiring young leaders
Story by Annie Ham Cover Photo by Sophie Watson RALEIGH, N.C. – From a young age,…
Classrooms in Crisis: The State of North Carolina’s Education System
Though media coverage of the issue has lessened since the height of the pandemic, North Carolina educators say the teacher crisis has deepened. The shortage leads to larger class sizes, increased teacher burnout and fewer individualized learning opportunities, which ultimately affect student outcomes and the quality of education they receive.









