Math Teacher, Piedmont IB Middle School in Charlotte
Cece Sizoo-Roberson was the 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Southwest Region Teacher of the Year and 2020 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teacher of the Year. She is a math teacher at Piedmont IB Middle School, where she also coaches volleyball and soccer. She is a graduate of Haverford College and received her masters in Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also an alumna of CMS!
What have you recently learned from a student?
Some steps to Bharatanatyam – a classical Indian dance.
What best prepared you for the role you have now?
I grew up in a family of educators and do not really remember life without hearing “teacher talk.” I knew what I was getting myself in to.
What do you consider your organization's greatest achievement?
Continuing to grow and change with our dynamic society in order to meet the shifting needs of over 140,000 students.
What quality do you most admire in a school leader?
Recognition that no task is beneath them. Principals belong in whatever roles teachers need to feel supported- not in their offices.
If you could change one thing about public education, what would it be?
High-stakes testing. It pervades the entire education system, compounding inequity at each level, reducing students and teachers to numbers.
What is your favorite children's storybook character?
Ferdinand. Yes, the peaceful bull.
What is your most treasured possession?
An ever-expanding box filled with cards, drawings and notes from students I have learned with over the past ten years.
Advice you would give to a young person interested in a profession in education?
Be ready to work tirelessly and laugh endlessly. Your students will see your passion come on the journey with you.
What were you really into when you were a kid?
Reading, playing outside and having a difficult time following directions.
Who is/was your favorite teacher and why?
My AP US History teacher- Justin Holt. He finally convinced me that learning has more important outcomes than grades.
What statistic have you recently heard that surprised you?
In 2020, 64 of North Carolina’s 100 counties experienced more deaths than births. This has effects on our state’s economic future.