Continuing their District Visits and Voices initiative, the Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Catherine Truitt and her team, joined by State Board of Education Chairman Eric Davis, traveled to Mecklenburg for their first visit of the month before continuing to Halifax and Perquimans counties on May 10.
Marking the first joint visit of the year, Truitt, Davis and the DPI team began their time in Charlotte at the soon-to-be-renamed Julius L. Chambers High School. The Chambers High School team used multiple indicators of credible school progress to bolster traditional school testing. The day continued at Governors’ Village STEM Academy, the largest preK-8 school in North Carolina. Principal Alejandra Garcia and her team’s intentional investment in recruiting and training highly-qualified teachers is evident in the student engagement at all levels.
Wrapping up their visit in Charlotte, Truitt, Davis and the DPI team visited the ROC, a career and technical education (CTE) center that provides students from three local high schools with opportunities to learn skills and earn credentials in construction technologies. The ROC created intentional community partnerships that puts students’ success at the enter as they find their pathway to the workforce through strong careers. While at the ROC, the DPI team heard the stories of three students, Jahmicah, Dominic and Ricardo, and their pathway to promising careers upon graduation.
Thank you @CMSSupt @CharMeckSchools for your district’s hospitality to the #DistrictVisitsVoices @CTruittNCDPI and @edstateboard_nc Team. Your dedication and commitment left an impressive imprint on our understanding of how your team serves your students, schools, and community. pic.twitter.com/BdxeFnVQcf
— Freebird McKinney (@FreebirdsShire) May 8, 2021
The DPI team continued its May visits in northeast North Carolina in Halifax and Perquimans counties where there was an emphasis on CTE. Superintendent Dr. Eric Cunningham and his team have provided stable leadership for the district and leveraged a partnership with the North Carolina Business Committee for Education to improve CTE offerings. Highlighted by a solar camp, Halifax county schools’ CTE program creates unique opportunities for students to gain certifications and “earn while you learn” to set students on a path of success.
Passion and resilience were evident as the DPI team concluded its day in Perquimans county. Committed to what is best for students, schools reopened as soon as safely possible during the pandemic while adapting and preparing teachers and staff for challenges and equipping them with channels of support. Teachers and staff supported each other while collaboration was encouraged at all levels.
@CTEforNC at work in the Northeast! Jill Cohen, CTE director at Perquimans HS has quadrupled real life pathways giving students a chance to explore careers in ag, fire fighting, automotive and more! #districtvisitsvoices @ncpublicschools @TabariWallace pic.twitter.com/6aKjMxYfNC
— Kristie (@KVA_Inc) May 11, 2021
Now what? Student support was at the center of each visit during the DPI team’s time in Mecklenburg, Halifax and Perquimans counties. The goal of success through purposeful steps was at the heart of every decision. By investing in their teachers and staff, administrators are inspiring a mindset shift throughout their schools and telling their schools’ story through multiple indicators of success. Additionally, CTE opportunities reflected students’ interest and enhanced community partnerships to set students on a path toward a successful future.