Excellence in Education Dinner

Against the backdrop of downtown Raleigh, Carolinas Academic Leadership Network is hosting a special gathering of civic and education leaders for an evening focused on the future of education in North Carolina and beyond.

Enjoy dinner as we hear from leading voices in the education reform movement on the issues holding our public schools back from greatness, how we can overcome them, and what it will take to restore excellence in our classrooms.

Guests will enjoy good company and fellowship, lively conversation, and an insightful look at the future of education, as we also delve into the state of our school boards and share a preview of what’s to come for CALN.

Featured speakers: 

Keynote: Jonathan Butcher

Jonathan Butcher is the Acting Director of the Center for Education Policy and Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow in Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation.

He has researched and testified on education policy around the U.S., including testimony before Congress and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He serves as chair of the South Carolina Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He is the author of The Polarization Myth: America’s Surprising Consensus on Race, Schools, and Sex (Encounter Books, December 2025) and Splintered: Critical Race Theory and the Progressive War on Truth (Bombardier Books, April 2022). In 2021, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster nominated Jonathan to serve on the board of the South Carolina Public Charter School District, a statewide charter school authorizer.

Opening remarks from NC Rep. Mike Schietzelt

Mike Schietzelt is a husband, father, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, attorney, and currently serves as a representative for northern Wake County. He also sits on the NC House Education - K-12 Committee, among several others.

A product of North Carolina’s public schools, Mike earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), and his Juris Doctorate from the Duke University School of Law.

Dinner agenda:

• 5:30 – Guests arrive

• 5:45 – Dinner buffet opens

• 6:10-7:15 – Hear from our speakers

• 7:15 – Dessert and coffee/networking

• 8:00 – Event ends