Robyn Fehrman is the executive director of Teach For America North Carolina (TFA NC), a role she started in September 2025 after nearly three decades working at the intersection of education and innovation nationally and globally. Teach For America is a leadership development organization founded in 1990 with a singular belief: that “One Day,” every child will have access to an excellent education.
In North Carolina, that mission comes to life through a two-year teaching corps, Ignite tutoring fellows, and more than 4,300 alumni who have taught across the state — educators and leaders who carry TFA’s vision far beyond the classroom. For Fehrman, a lifelong North Carolinian, returning to lead TFA NC wasn’t just a career move; it was a homecoming. Here, she reflects on her first 100 days in the role.
TFA NC: You’ve now completed your first 100 days as TFA NC’s executive director. What have your first weeks in the role felt like?
Robyn Fehrman: Honestly, it’s been a whirlwind — but in the very best way. I came into this role knowing how deep the need is, and hearing directly from our corps members, alumni, partners, and students during my first 100 days listening tour has only reinforced that urgency. Listening was a grounding experience. I visited multiple regions, sat in classrooms, attended community meetings, and listened sincerely to challenges, hopes, and a vision for the future.
I approached the listening tour with one fundamental goal: to understand the lived experiences of those closest to the work and most proximate to the problem. In every conversation, I’ve heard a deep belief in what’s possible for North Carolina’s children. I’ve been struck by how much love, expertise, and resilience lives inside this organization and the broader community we serve. My listening tour allowed me to sit with people’s aspirations and ideas, and it affirmed that our greatest strength truly is the people of our movement.
Sign up for the EdDaily to start each weekday with the top education news.
TFA NC: What were some of the most significant themes or insights from your listening tour?
Robyn Fehrman: A few things stood out. First, talent matters. Not just recruiting extraordinary educators, but developing and sustaining them. People want TFA NC to be a pipeline that grows leaders who stay, lead, and transform the state’s systems.
Second, our partners want us to convene and connect, not just place teachers. School district leaders, TFA alumni, and community organizations told me they value TFA as a bridge-builder and a unifier in a moment when education can feel fragmented. Third, people asked for greater coherence. They want to understand the “why” behind our work just as much as the “what.”
There is a hunger for a clear vision that distinguishes Teach For America from other organizations in the North Carolina landscape. Those voices are closely tied to how TFA defines its role as a leadership development organization. We held intentional conversations about connections across the early childhood, K-12, workforce, and higher education continuum. And what it takes to ensure that all children in North Carolina attain an excellent education that positions them to land a job with a life-sustaining wage and a life of choices.
I’m thinking a lot about the role of education in driving economic mobility and how we can help better elevate the critical role education plays as an employment sector within the workforce development space.
— Robyn Fehrman
Education and workforce development are inextricably linked — and TFA is part of the solution when it comes to the workforce challenge of teacher shortages. TFA is also recruiting, developing, and supporting the leaders who will educate NC’s future workforce, which is composed in part of today’s K-12 students. We are solving two workforce challenges at once and ultimately strengthening NC in both the short and long-term.
TFA NC: You’ve often described this moment as both urgent and hopeful. What motivates you most as you look ahead?
Robyn Fehrman: Our students motivate me most. I’ve met exceptional young people who dream big, who ask hard questions, who deserve schools designed for their brilliance. I’m also deeply inspired by the educators who show up every day, many of whom were once TFA corps members who now lead schools, districts, nonprofits, and community initiatives. Their commitment shows me what is possible when we invest deeply in people. And personally, I’m driven by a belief that North Carolina can be a national model for what it looks like when an entire education ecosystem rallies around excellence, belonging, and opportunity.
Fundamentally, I believe that leadership matters — at every level. I’ve seen firsthand how corps members leave TFA classrooms and go on to reshape policy, start nonprofits, and become school leaders. Our work isn’t just about a teacher’s first two years in front of students, it’s about building a movement of leaders who keep transforming education, who innovate to expand opportunities, and who remain committed to our collective pursuit of “One Day.” In my own leadership journey, I’m truly inspired by our community and the courage, the ideas, and the relentless belief that change is possible.
TFA NC: As you move beyond your first 100 days, what’s next?
Robyn Fehrman: Next, we move from listening to codesigning. We’ll refine our long-term strategy with input from staff, alumni, partners, and community members. We’ll continue strengthening relationships across the state and deepening our support for early-career teachers because their experience and retention are foundational to everything else. And we’ll keep lifting up stories, insights, and data that reveal both our progress and the work still ahead. In short, the next phase is about alignment, action, and impact. Doing the work together, with clarity and purpose.
I’m excited that so many people want to build this future with us. I’ve felt a powerful sense of shared ownership emerging. A belief that this isn’t “Robyn’s vision,” but something we will co-construct as a community of educators and innovators. I’m also excited about the opportunity to center the voices of corps members, alumni, and partners in our strategic direction. When we lead with their voices, our strategy becomes grounded, human, and actionable.
Recommended reading
