From the classroom to the capital, the teacher voice pipeline

For many years now, the Teacher of the Year (TOY) team has chosen to work as a cohort.

But one big change could make a big difference for the team — and for North Carolina.

During Teacher Appreciation Week 2025, Gov. Josh Stein established by executive order the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee (GTAC), and he announced that Rachel Candaso — a middle school teacher at Wellcome Middle School in Pitt County Schools and the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year — will chair the committee.

All of the regional teachers of the year are also serving on the committee.

On July 29, the committee met for the first time. They discussed the teacher voice pipeline and the issues that matter most as they work to connect classroom practice to state policy.

Tamika Farmer, who represents the North Central region, said the governor put his plans and goals “out front.”

Candaso said of the teachers serving on the committee and the work ahead, “Their heart, passion, and commitment to public education will serve the students and communities of North Carolina well.”

The committee meets quarterly, and the next meetings are scheduled for Oct. 28, Jan. 27, 2026, and April 28, 2026. Bookmark this page to follow the work of the committee throughout the school year.

TOY team recognized at the meeting of the NC State Board of Education

The N.C. State Board of Education recognized Candaso and the TOY team at its August 2025 meeting.

Elizabeth Santamour, a former regional teacher of the year and now the educator recognition coordinator for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI), recognized “the outstanding educators who represent the heart of our state’s public schools.”

“This work matters deeply, and the impact of including voices from every region of North Carolina in our collective effort is both meaningful and essential,” said Santamour. “The educators we are highlighting today are not only shaping students’ lives in their own communities, they are helping to shape the future of education across our whole state.”

Santamour introduced the TOYs, noting that Candaso is “deeply committed to educational equity, particularly in rural communities, and believes student success in a global society depends on strong partnerships among educators, families, and communities.”

“Her work,” said Santamour, “is grounded in the belief and the potential of every student, and the shared responsibility we carry in helping them thrive.”

Candaso, addressing the state Board, said, “Just like our state constitution says, it’s a privilege to have education in our state of North Carolina. It’s a privilege to be an educator here as well.”

After the 2025 AVID Summer Institute, where Candaso addressed thousands of educators, she posted, “Just a girl from Guam living her dream.”

“I want to highlight to the educators — the 100,000 public school educators throughout our state — that I’m here to be a voice for us. My team is here to be a voice for our regions,” she said to the Board.

She said the TOY team will advocate for educators and policies that make the educational system better for every student.

She noted teachers’ willingness and dedication, even buying supplies for students and classrooms.

“We will go above and beyond and dig deep to do what is best for our students,” she said.

Meet the team

Candaso introduced her team to the Board.

Southeast | Hannah Moon, Emsley A. Laney High School, New Hanover County Schools

“Hannah’s the Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year. She’s a 21-year English teacher at Laney High School. She is the department chair and the book club advisor. She mentors BTs, she hosts UNCW interns, and she founded the AP Ambassadors and passion projects. She is a mom of two, a soccer coach, a beach lover, and a 970-day Duolingo streak holder.”

North Central | Tamika J. Farmer, G. W. Carver Elementary School, Edgecombe County Schools

“Tamika is the fourth grade math teacher and science teacher at G.W. Carver Elementary in Edgecombe County. She was a former teacher assistant and bus driver with Pitt County Schools. She’s also a U.S. Army veteran, and she feels called to serve in Edgecombe County.”

Sandhills | Dr. Anthony Martin, East Columbus Junior/Senior High School, Columbus County Schools

Anthony is a CTE educator, who believes in “integrating practical, real-world applications into all subjects to create engaging, student-centered learning environments, focusing on helping students connect their learning to the world beyond the classroom and preparing them for future success,” according to a press release.

Piedmont-Triad | Chanel Jones, Broadview Middle School, Alamance-Burlington School System

“Chanel represents the Piedmont-Triad Region. She’s a sixth grade science and social studies teacher at Broadview Middle in Alamance-Burlington School System. She founded Fresh Start, a school laundry program to restore student dignity at her school. She creates a classroom rooted in belonging, care, and joy.”

Southwest | Yaronda Kilgo, Wingate Elementary School, Union County Public Schools

“Yaronda is the Southwest Regional Teacher of the Year. She’s a curriculum facilitator in Union County Public Schools. She’s a former kindergarten teacher with 17-plus years in education. As a former Title I student, she greatly advocates for Title I students now in Union County.”

Northwest | Tayler Bomar, Greenlee Primary School, Mitchell County Schools

“Tayler is the Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year. She’s a second grade teacher at Greenlee Primary in Mitchell County with seven years of experience. She holds a B.S. in elementary education from ETSU, and she leads her school improvement team as the chair and member of Mitchell County’s innovation team.”

Western | Lydia Sale, West Elementary School, Swain County Schools

“Lydia is the Western Regional Teacher of the Year. She is a first grade teacher in Swain County with seven years of experience. She focuses on inclusion and literacy. She is a Belmont Abbey College alumna, and she has her certificate in being a reading specialist.”

Charter | Lindsay Phillips, Mountain Island Charter School

“Lindsay is our Charter School Teacher of the Year. She’s a kindergarten teacher at Mountain Island Charter with 20 years of experience. She’s a UNC-Charlotte graduate, is National Board certified, and LETRS trained. She was the teacher of the year for her school twice before becoming the charter school teacher of the year.”

Here is what EdNC learned when we met with the team

This summer, the TOY team spent a week together at NCCAT on Ocracoke.

Candaso says the leadership week provided an opportunity for the team to:

• Reflect on their perspectives from the lookout tower — both literally and figuratively;
• Take a deep dive into North Carolina’s education system to better understand the policies shaping our classrooms; and
• Engage with Superintendent Mo Green’s strategic plan and explore the eight powerful pillars guiding our next steps.

In 2025-26, the team will participate in the N.C. Education Policy Fellowship (known as EPFP), which focuses on leadership and professional development in the context of education policy and is led by the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

EdNC connected with the TOY team on Aug. 4, 2025, and here are some of our takeaways.

Super collaborative

“Super collaborative” is how the TOY team described their approach to leadership.

“We are willing to share our ideas, share our routines, (and) classroom management,” said Bomar. “It has actually been super amazing to see how open everyone is with their own teaching styles.”

Balancing leadership in the classroom and leadership statewide

Candaso, in her role as state TOY, receives a one-year sabbatical from teaching to have time to represent the state as a full-time ambassador for education.

The regional TOY will have to balance their leadership in the classroom with their leadership responsibilities in the region, on GTAC, with EPFP, and the many other opportunities that will arise during the school year.

Communication with parents is important, they said.

Moon sent out a newsletter to her high school parents letting them know that even when she is out of class, learning will happen.

Sale has a substitute teacher lined up ready to lead on the days she is out of the classroom. She wants her parents to know even when she is away from the classroom, “the work that we’re doing is still impacting the kids in our classroom.”

The faces and stories behind the policies

Candaso and the team want to provide “a face and a story to all the things that we’re talking about in the capital.”

 “Our goal is to give policymakers faces to what’s happening in North Carolina when it comes to how state funding affects our localized systems,” said Candaso.

That means getting policymakers out of Raleigh and into classrooms and schools.

“Let’s get these people making decisions for all corners of our state into the corners of the state,” said Sale.

“Our students are the future of our state, and if we are not putting in money and investing in the future of our state, then what are we doing?” asked Moon. 

Together, Candaso and the team believe they can make a lasting change.

“There’s no better time than now,” said Candaso. “And so for me, success is going to be we did this work and we did it well.”