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Great Teachers and School Leaders Matter

Editor’s Note: The University of North Carolina Academic and University Programs Division releases its annual report this week. Great Teachers and School Leaders Matter surveys the work of the Division and UNC’s fifteen educator preparation programs that are focused on the University’s goal of preparing more, higher quality teachers and school leaders for North Carolina’s public schools. EdNC will be highlighting the report’s profiles of teachers, school leaders, programs, and partnerships from across the state as part of a nine-part series. The full report will be available Monday morning here.

Preparing more, higher quality teachers and school leaders for North Carolina’s public schools has long been one of the University of North Carolina’s highest priorities. We understand that recruiting, preparing, supporting, and retaining good teachers and leaders are essential to improving our schools. UNC’s fifteen educator preparation programs are central to this priority and our pathway to improvement. This important work requires collaboration and engagement between UNC campuses and our public school partners. We must engage all partners to improve education in North Carolina.

The University bears an important responsibility for its part in meeting the needs of public school teachers, principals, and other educators and for its graduates’ effectiveness in fostering learning and academic performance.  UNC System-prepared teachers represent about 37 percent of the employed teaching workforce in our state. We are the single largest supply source of teachers for North Carolina’s public schools – preparing more that 20,000 new teachers over the last five years toward the state’s overall supply. However, since 2010 UNC education enrollments have declined by almost 30 percent. In response to this alarming trend, we have put into place a three-part strategy to address the decline, which includes developing enrollment growth goals, conducting market research, and establishing campus-based recruitment plans.

We have assembled core data and research on the teacher and principal pipeline to paint a more complete picture of the education landscape in North Carolina. The information is now widely accessible through the UNC Educator Quality Dashboard. The availability of this information, and taking actions based on it, is helping to move us to new levels in preparing great teachers and school leaders for North Carolina’s public schools.

Over the next several days we will share individual stories and profiles of students, educators, and community members we serve. They inspire our commitment and give meaning to our daily work. Together these stories, along with more detailed data and program information, represent our annual report, Great Teachers and School Leaders Matter, accessible on the UNC Educator Quality Dashboard. We hope that you enjoy the forthcoming stories and excerpts from our annual report.


Great Teachers and School Leaders Matter Series

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Katie B. Morris

Part 3: Yolanda Black

Part 4: Jeff Vamvakias

Part 5: New Teacher Support Program

Part 6: Diana B. Lys

Part 7: Steve Lassiter

Part 8: Chase Schultz

Part 9: University and Community Partnerships

Alisa Chapman

Alisa Chapman is the vice president for Academic and University Programs at the University of North Carolina.