Local CTE Teacher Recognized
for Educational Excellence
Gray’s Creek High Schools Ashley McCullen is
the 2023 CTE Teacher of the Year
Fayetteville, NC -- Ashley Long McCullen, the agriculture teacher at Gray's Creek High School (GCHS), has been selected as Cumberland County Schools (CCS) Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year.
McCullen’s colleagues say she is focused on what is best for all students. She meets each student where they are and pushes them to be 'their individual best.' Her classroom has become a hub for reaching exceptional learners who may have academic struggles in other learning environments. McCullen is creative, gentle, and compassionate all while setting high standards and expectations for her students. She has organized many community service projects for GCHS' Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter including Adopt-A-Highway and a Giving Tree for students in need. She is dedicated and goes above and beyond and students gain real-world skills from her classroom and FFA Chapter.
McCullen is creative in her lesson plans and the resources she uses. She uses innovative and engaging instructional strategies and resources in her agriculture classroom. One example is how she organizes students in teams to care for animals on campus while teaching problem-solving, grit and teamwork skills. Students are able to reach their greatest leadership potential through serving as a mentor and other roles on the team as she supports them through challenges and facilitates their learning experiences. McCullen has a special passion for exceptional learners and exhausts every avenue to remove barriers for their success. She provides individualized programs for her special needs students, giving them the chance to work in the school livestock facility to gain hours and experience. Seeing the need in her classroom and the desire for all students to share in meaningful and engaging learning experiences, she researched and secured a specialized egg-washing system that enables physically disabled and wheelchair-bound students to participate in caring for the animals. Using this device, these students are also able to be a part of the team by supervising egg production in the school barn.
McCullen inspires others and willingly gives of her time. She puts in extra time to stay after school and work on weekends to provide opportunities for students to grow and learn. She believes in caring for the whole student and encourages student growth as seen in how she coordinates field trips to expose students to new ideas and experiences such as college options and work-based learning. McCullen is also not afraid to build relationships within the community and with parents to help with networking students with possible employers for Supervised Agriculture Experiences (SAE) and ensure parents are actively involved in the student's academic life.
The North Carolina Center for Advancement for Teaching (NCCAT) Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year process is in its second year and was developed to honor and retain excellent CTE teachers and education leaders in North Carolina public schools and public charter schools. Candidates were nominated at the school level. Finalists and the winner will be selected by independent panels of local stakeholders.
McCullen will go on to represent CCS in the Sandhills Regional CTE Teacher of the Year process during the summer.
CCS' 2023 Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year Ashley McCullen
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