Everyone knows public schools face problems. What’s the largest problem? The answer depends on whom you ask. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies, analyzes recent survey results focusing on public perceptions about problems in their local schools. A legal doctrine known as “qualified immunity” can create serious problems when a government agent wrongs a member of the public. Clark Neily, vice president for criminal justice at the Cato Institute, is working to end courts’ reliance on the qualified immunity doctrine. He discusses its ills. He explains how he’s attacking it. A public education reform called the Innovative School District continues to generate controversy in North Carolina. You’ll hear highlights from a recent legislative debate over changes designed to improve existing ISD rules. As North Carolina pursues criminal law reform, it’s getting high-profile support. Former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin served as keynote speaker for a recent Raleigh forum on the topic. Martin, now dean of the Regent University law school in Virginia, spelled out problems tied to overcriminalization. The American Bar Association plays a questionable role in determining whether judges and other lawyers are qualified to take new jobs on the federal bench. Jon Guze, John Locke Foundation director of legal studies, asks what role the ABA should play in the judicial confirmation process.