Updates from the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative, including a toolkit for participating schools
The Golden LEAF Schools Initiative (GLSI) has officially entered into its second academic year of operation. According to a recent update from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), four new schools have joined the program. This summer, Golden LEAF led three opportunities for GLSI educators to come together, learning and working to “align (their) collective work.”
The Golden LEAF Schools Initiative is a five-year program which promotes educational improvement and innovation, focusing on pedagogy, leadership, school culture, career readiness, and math instruction, according to previous reporting by EdNC.
Last year, the initiative focused on setting the program up for success, but the DPI update said that GLSI is now aiming to deepen their “instructional and leadership impact.”
“Whole-school transformation is a marathon, not a miracle, and we are so proud to be running this race alongside all of our incredible school and district partners,” says the update. “Thank you for your continued dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to rural student success!”
Sign up for the EdWeekly, a Friday roundup of the most important education news of the week.
The new Golden LEAF toolbox
In the update, DPI highlighted a number of resources for GLSI schools, including guidance on communicating the message of Golden LEAF to communities, resource sharing, instructional standards, and more. The update explained that utilizing these tools would “set classrooms and leadership teams up for a highly successful year of implementation.”
At the summer convening, the need for “proactive communication” regarding a school’s participation and goals in GLSI was highlighted, per the DPI update. The GLSI Communications Toolkit and plan is the program’s guide to framing that messaging. The toolkit provides talking points for school leaders, social media samples and guidance, and encourages participating schools to track public-facing communications. The plan walks schools through a communication workflow, a communication calendar, and helps identify their core message related to GLSI.
The update also connects participants with the GLSI Canvas Hub, which launched in July 2026. This tool is a “one-stop-shop for cohort communication, collaboration and resource sharing.” Participants can click here to join the hub. The update also directed participants to the GLSI handbook, which includes “program FAQs, cohort-specific support pathways, and information on finance, budget, and reporting requirements.”
Participants were also encouraged to explore the NC Careers platform, and the update said DPI will be launching a customized GLSI NC Careers Platform soon. Each participating district selected a Career Development Lead, who received training on the initiative and platform over the summer.
The update also provided information on several instructional instructional resource hubs. These resources provide educators, school leaders, and caregivers with information on NC instructional standards, material to support those standards, and other communication tools. Below are the hubs:
- NC K-12 Math Standards Resource Hub
- NC ELA Virtual Implementation Kit
- NC K-12 Science Standards Resource Hub
- NC K-12 Social Studies Hub
Additionally, participants are able to receive additional communication connected to GLSI, including the NC CTE Development and Work-Based Learning Weekly Digest and other DPI listservs, which cover news related to middle school math, ELA and literacy, K-12 social studies, K-12 science, and a weekly top ten newsletter.
Celebrating the year 1 GLSI cohort
The update said that over the first year of the program, school climate was the largest victory, “holding the highest average self-rating across the initiative.” Several schools significantly decreased the number of disciplinary incidents across the school year, including Bertie Middle School, West Lee Middle School, and Dunn Middle School.
At the summer convening, Dusty Martin from Northern Middle School was honored as the 2026 GLSI Leader of the Year, and Heather Herron from Swain County Middle School was named the program’s 2026 Educator of the Year.
The update also included two other educator shout-outs. Ashley Bradley, principal of Bertie Middle School, was selected for the NC Education Policy Fellowship through the Public School Forum of North Carolina and was recognized as the Bertie County Schools 2026 Principal of the Year. Lee Swanson, principal of East Alexander Middle School, was also named the Alexander County Schools 2026 Principal of the Year.
Related reads
Other upcoming opportunities
The interest form for the Career Development Plan Pilot Program is available now. Stipulated by the 2026 Appropriations Act, this is a state required program for rising seventh grade students at select schools, continuing through graduation. According to the update, the program is designed to evaluate if annual career development plan reviews improve “on-time graduation and college/career readiness,” and it is an “opportunity for districts with GLSI schools to receive additional support with the CDP component of the GLSI grant.”
Furthermore, participating schools can access a centralized calendar of career and technical education (CTE) career development and work-based learning support services for the 2026-27 academic year. This calendar includes “professional development, technical assistance, compliance support, networking events, and key implementation dates,” said the update, and all Career Development Leads are encouraged to register for the program’s Lunch & Learns and Career Development Planning Support Office Hours.
Finally, nominations for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2027 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Beginning Teacher of the Year are now open, and you can submit your district’s or charter school’s nominee by clicking here, the update said.
To view the full list of announcements from GLSI, click here. To view the schedule of upcoming cohort personal development and meeting dates, click here.