How can NC recruit and retain effective teachers?
By Alex Granados - Posted Feb 13, 2020
Cherelle Sanders is a multi-classroom leader at Martin Millennium Academy in Tarboro. In her first year in that role, she worked with four teachers. One was in her third year teaching, but the other three were all brand new.
“Not only were they brand new to teaching but they had no formal education in teaching,” she said.
If that seems “alarming,” Sanders said, the important thing to remember is that they were getting coached and supported by an effective teacher: her.
“At the end of the 2018 school year I was excited to see, to share, to celebrate that all four teachers exceeded growth,” said Sanders.
On Wedenesday, The Belk Foundation brought together educators, policymakers, and experts to discuss best practices and how North Carolina can get and keep effective teachers in its classrooms. It started with an understanding that teachers are the single biggest indicator of student success.
“Identifying and retaining our best teachers in North Carolina is a central question for our schools and should be one of our state’s highest priorities. Teachers are the most important in-school factor on students’ academic success,” said John R. Belk, board chair of The Belk Foundation. “Our most talented teachers in North Carolina are the difference makers who can connect with students and contribute to their academic achievement.”