The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.

Due South

North Carolina's economic outlook. Plus, 'Navigate Your K-12 Options,' exploring education in the Triangle area.

By Leoneda Inge,

Jeff Tiberii, Cole del Charco, Rachel McCarthy

Published October 14, 2025 at 12:06 PM EDT

Students in an art class at Doris Henderson Newcomers School in Greensboro. — File photo. Students in an art class in Greensboro.

0:01:00

NC job growth is slow, even while unemployment rates hold steady. Just like the national economy.

What the state’s most recent job numbers say about growth, and how North Carolina’s economy is doing while much of the U.S. is in a holding pattern from the global trade war. (This conversation originally aired September 23, 2025.)

Michael Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at NC State University

0:08:00

‘Navigate Your K-12 Options,’ WUNC live event explores education in the Triangle

The school year is well under way, but that won’t keep parents from thinking about what next year might hold for their kids. From traditional public schools, to magnet schools, charter schools and private schools, the educational landscape can be dizzying.

Last month, WUNC held a live event at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh called “Navigate Your K-12 Options” — part of WUNC’s Education 101 series to better understand education in North Carolina.

Due South presents excerpts from that event moderated by WUNC education reporter Liz Schlemmer and featuring parent panelists whose kids attend different types of Triangle area schools.

Liz Schlemmer, education reporter, WUNC

Sarah Keiger, parent and founder of Triangle School Consulting

Keisha Leonard, parent and parent liaison for Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina

Marie Dexter, parent and president of the Wake County PTA Council

Due South

Leoneda Inge

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.

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Jeff Tiberii

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Jeff joined WUNC in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and WUNC’s Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary “Right Turn,” launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.

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Cole del Charco

Cole del Charco is an audio producer and writer based in Durham. He's made stories for public radio's All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Marketplace. Before joining Due South, he spent time as a freelance journalist, an education and daily news reporter for WUNC, and a podcast producer for WFAE in Charlotte.

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Rachel McCarthy

Rachel McCarthy is a producer for "Due South." She previously worked at WUNC as a producer for "The Story with Dick Gordon." More recently, Rachel was podcast managing editor at Capitol Broadcasting Company where she developed narrative series and edited a daily podcast. She also worked at "The Double Shift" podcast as supervising producer. Rachel learned about audio storytelling at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Prior to working in audio journalism, she was a research assistant at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC.

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