An industry of mediocrity. That’s how a new report on the preparation of school teachers characterizes education schools in the U.S. John Lock Foundation Director of Research and Education Studies, Terry Stoops, analyzes the report by the National Council on Teacher Quality, including its comments on North Carolina education schools. Stoops discusses the role education schools play in staffing Tar Heel classrooms and what teachers do and don’t learn in an education school. Then we turn to the ongoing debate over tax reform, which has dominated much of the discussion this year at the N.C. Legislative Building. You’ll hear highlights from a recent state Senate debate on the topic, including comments for and against Republicans’ reform plans. Next are comments from John Locke Foundation President John Hood, who urges North Carolina to adopt a new “operating system.” He calls it North Carolina 6.0. During a recent public presentation, Hood explained how that new operating system would change state government operations. That’s followed by a look at higher education. In theory, a North Carolina student can cut higher education costs by studying for two years at a community college, then transferring to a four-year university campus. In practice, that process has not worked as smoothly as supporters have envisioned. A recent legislative debate focused on ensuring that community colleges and universities work together more effectively. And finally, we delve into ObamaCare with Katherine Restrepo, the John Locke Foundation’s health and human services policy analyst. Restrepo discusses the Obama administration’s focus on enrolling the young and healthy when enrollment in health exchanges begins in October. She explains that the young and healthy have every incentive not to enroll but to simply pay a penalty and, thus, create more problems for older, sick patients who consumer great amounts of health care.