CHAPEL HILL (September 19, 2024) – More than 200 guests came together for a special evening to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Public Ed Works and the 90th birthday of its founder, Paul Fulton. 

Held in Fulton’s honor, the event shined a light on the current status of NC public education, advocated for increased investment and recognized Fulton as a champion in North Carolina for educators and the profession. The prevailing message to attendees was to vote for candidates who support increased investment in public education in the state. 

The evening was full of surprises: Gov. Roy Cooper awarded Fulton the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the state’s most prestigious honors. Cooper shared Fulton’s stalwart commitment to public education, showcasing his service on the UNC Board of Governors; Board of Trustees at his alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill; Winston-Salem State University; his work as Board of Governors liaison to the UNC School of the Arts; and his longtime work with Crosby Scholars, an education non-profit in Winston-Salem that has helped more than 35,000 Forsyth County students attend college. 

Former UNC basketball Coach Roy Williams and longtime friend of Fulton joined the evening’s festivities. Naming specific teachers and coaches including the late UNC legend Dean Smith, Coach Williams described the life-changing impact that his teachers and coaches from elementary school through college had on his life. He praised Public Ed Works for the role it serves as a champion for public education and encouraged the organization to continue to lift its voice in support of investment in schools.  

A special moment occurred when Public Ed Works recognized educators in the audience, having each educator stand to receive applause and a special gift. Rachel Prather Chen, a high school teacher in Wake Forest, kicked off the recognition of teachers. Chen shared her experience in the classroom and commitment to continue preparing the next generation of leaders, despite the challenges the current state’s budget poses.

Through this event, friends and family of Fulton donated over $200,000 to support the organization’s mission.

“We are thankful to our special friends who responded to our call to support our anniversary and tribute to Paul Fulton,” said Emma Battle, Public Ed Works President and CEO. 

“It is a fact that a strong, well-funded public education system in our state has a tremendous transformative impact on the vitality and success of our businesses that make North Carolina their home, our social systems and our families and their ability to move up the economic ladder. Everyone in North Carolina benefits from every student having access to a quality education, which can only be provided if we have proper investment in Pre-K through college.”

Over the last 10 years, Public Ed Works has grown its digital footprint from 1 million people in 2014 to nearly 5 million in 2024.

Delivering timely information across all social media platforms, Public Ed Works’ most recent topics include explaining the value of public education to the state’s economy, how low teacher pay and overall underinvestment hurts the teacher pipeline, the cannibalizing effective of vouchers on public education, and governance overreach among our state’s public universities.