Kurt Garner, a business teacher at J.H. Rose High School in Pitt County Schools, was named the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2023 Career & Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year in a special ceremony at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University Thursday, October 19, 2023.
The award was presented for the second time, with finalists from across the state in attendance.
The 2023-24 school year will mark Mr. Garner’s sixth on the Rose staff and 17th in the PCS system. Garner's appointment at JHR in August 2018, which includes instruction in computer engineering, programming, and Microsoft Office, followed 11 years at D.H. Conley High School, where he taught in a similar capacity beginning in 2007. In addition to his selection as PCS Teacher of the Year in 2011, Garner was honored as the North Carolina Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Adviser of the Year in 2016. He currently serves on the organization's state executive board. He is also an adviser for the National Technical Honor Society and has held membership in the National Business Education Association since 2005.
A former student said Garner taught her countless things about succeeding in business and the real world. She noted, "Without his continuous support, motivation, and drive to impact every student's life, I truly do not know where hundreds of students would be. This student concluded by sharing, "As an education major, I constantly think about what I want to be like as a teacher. I am always thinking about what I will be like standing in front of my classroom, teaching, and trying to make an impact on my students' lives. Truthfully, if I can be even half the educator Mr. Garner is, I can make an impact like no other."
NCCAT is thankful for the opportunity to celebrate the teaching profession, according to NCCAT Executive Director Dr. M. Brock Womble.
"What is unique about Mr. Garner and all the finalists is that not only are they incredibly talented in their field and in the way they inspire students, but they also care about their community," Womble said. "CTE teachers across our state impact students and families meaningfully while helping students gain real-world experience. Meeting all the finalists this week was a pleasure for the NCCAT staff. All of them are outstanding. We appreciate everyone who made this week and event possible to honor the teaching profession."
The runner-up is Barnanne Creech, a family and consumer sciences teacher at Zebulon Gifted & Talented Magnet Middle School teacher in the Wake County Public School System. Creech serves in multiple leadership roles, from teacher mentor and department chair to school improvement chair. She shares and leads monthly district PLC meetings. A parent noted that Creech helped her son create and hold a fishing camp in the community to teach kids the fundamentals of fishing due to constant encouragement and extraordinary efforts. The parent shared that her son is now a confident speaker and presenter, winning multiple awards at competitions and serving in numerous leadership capacities.
The NCCAT 2023 NC CTE Teacher of the Year finalists are:
| Finalist | District |
|---|---|
| Joseph (Joe) Miciotto | Alamance-Burlington Schools |
| Dewayne Krege | Avery County Schools |
| Andrea Gladden | Burke County Public Schools |
| Brittany Childers | Cabarrus County Schools |
| Hollie Schratwieser | Camden County Schools |
| Mikie Broadhurst | Carteret County Schools |
| Chadwick (Chad) Rorie | Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools |
| Bobbie Jones | Clay County Schools |
| Ashley McCullen | Cumberland County Schools |
| John Spillman | Davidson County Schools |
| Casey Spear | Edenton-Chowan Public Schools |
| Kim Osborne | Guilford County Schools |
| Rob Jones | Harnett County Schools |
| Mario Malabunga | Hoke County Schools |
| Kim Williams | Jackson County Schools |
| Matthew Barnhill | Johnston County Schools |
| Jay Campbell | New Hanover County Schools |
| Sheri Hale | Pamlico County Schools |
| Kurt Garner | Pitt County Schools |
| Candace Grimsley | Public Schools of Robeson County |
| Heather McNeely | Transylvania County Schools |
| Thomas (T.J.) Kohlbrenner | Union County Schools |
| Barnanne Creech | Wake County Public Schools |
| Thelma Kastl | Wilkes County Schools |
Guest speakers for the evening included Peyton Holland (Executive Director, National Technical Honor Society), Missy Swain (NCCAT 2022 CTE Teacher of the Year and CTE Director for Perquimans County Schools), and Josiah Young (2023 North Carolina CTE U.S. Presidential Scholar).
The NCCAT Career & Technical Teacher of the Year process was developed to honor teachers who support students and families across North Carolina. Information about the program is online at www.nccat.org/ctetoy
The NCCAT CTE Teacher of the Year will receive:
- $5,000 cash prize
- Instructional supply funds for the teacher's school
- Three-year membership in NCACTE
- Participation in the national ACTE Conference and serve as the NC ACTE TOY representative.
Runner-up:
- $2,000 cash prize
- Three-year membership in NCACTE
Finalists will receive:
- Travel expenses and substitute cost for regional finalists to participate in NCCAT professional development and leadership development.
- One year membership in NCACTE
Sponsors:
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- iCEV Multimedia
- Participate Learning
- Bojangles
- Branching Minds
- Edmentum
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Instructure
- Air Purification Inc.
- Campbell Shatley, PLLC
- Care Solace
- Farm Bureau- Ag in the Classroom
- Dr. June Atkinson
- National Geographic | Cengage
- North Carolina Education Lottery
- Paxton Patterson
- ProtectEd
- Schwartz Law, PLLC
Special Thanks:
- Steering Committee, Career & Technical Teacher of the Year
- Board of Directors, The Development Foundation of NCCAT, Inc.
- NCCAT Board of Trustees