This post was written by Dr. William T. Vann III, a 20+ year educator serving as executive director of federal programs and student services at Clinton City Schools. His role includes supporting innovative efforts such as the Dark Horse Fellows Program to enhance student opportunities.
Topics Related to Celebrate the Good
As we close out Find Your Fit, Build Your Future: Celebrating Choice in NC Public Schools, we’re ending where this initiative has pointed all along: North Carolina public schools are launchpads. Every day across our state, students walk into classrooms, labs, studios, gyms and auditoriums that open doors. They explore Career and Technical Education pathways, audition for specialized arts programs, compete in athletics, earn industry credentials and college credits — all at local public schools, completely tuition free.
Feb. 2-6 is National School Counseling Week. This post was written by Tuere Dunton-Forbes, a seasoned school counseling professional with two decades of experience in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). She currently serves as one of the district’s three School Counseling Program Managers, championing middle school wellness, interdisciplinary collaboration and staff well-being. As a member of the School Health Advisory Council, Dunton-Forbes brings strategic insight and heartfelt advocacy to initiatives that support the whole child — and the whole educator.
This post was written by Alicia Rheel, head of Island Montessori Charter School in Wilmington that serves students K-8. At Island Montessori Charter School, we believe public education is at its best when students are empowered not only to learn, but to contribute meaningfully to the world around them. From their earliest years on our campus, students are encouraged to see themselves as capable, responsible members of a larger community. Learning is not something that happens to them — it is something they actively shape, apply and reflect upon.
Every parent wants the same thing: the best pathway for their child.
Not the best pathway in the abstract — the right one for their kid, with their needs, in their community.
Not the best pathway in the abstract — the right one for their kid, with their needs, in their community.
How NC’s alternative preparation pathways helped Shaneta Little find her calling.
In this reflective essay, Valencia Abbott, the North Carolina and National History Teacher of the Year for 2025, explores how place-based, inquiry-driven history instruction empowers students to see themselves as historians. Centered on local civil rights history, her work demonstrates how community-rooted learning builds critical thinking, empathy and civic readiness.
North Carolina school and summer nutrition programs go above and beyond to make a difference. Their outstanding efforts to support students’ success in and out of the classroom are being recognized at the state and national level.
The new year ahead offers limitless possibilities for North Carolina public school students, educators and staff members. Below, our North Carolina Teacher and Principal of the Year networks are sharing what they have in store for 2026.