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The first day of school . . . .
That is what this new job has felt like. The excitement, nervousness, plans, anticipation, doubt, and passion I felt on every first day of school as a teacher are the same feelings I’ve experienced taking on this new role as the Special Advisor to the Superintendent on Educator Engagement.
I have been an educator for 23 years, and with a mom and two brothers who are also educators, you could say it was engrained in our family’s culture to love North Carolina public schools! I've taught high school English in Rutherford County Schools since 2003 and was named the 2018 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Western Region NC Teacher of the year. For the last 18 months, I served as the education outreach manager for No Kid Hungry. When the opportunity came to work as an educator engagement advisor to Superintendent Truitt, I jumped at the chance to help lift up the voices of educators and other education stakeholders to NCDPI. I am looking forward to building a strong communications system between what is happening in your classrooms and communities and inform policy and practice as we build North Carolina as the best place to teach and learn!
I'd like to share some of the vision of Superintendent Truitt with you and how it truly elevates the teaching profession. Her "North Star" for her work is that every student will have an excellent, highly qualified teacher in every classroom. That puts the focus on the relationship between the student and the teacher, and every other element of the system of education is meant to support that relationship. How simple, yet profound! What this says to me is that YOU are valued, and your work with students is the most important. As we build our new vision for teaching and learning in North Carolina, we will continue to value teacher voice and perspective, and make sure that educators are engaged in all that we do.
THANK YOU for choosing to be a teacher!
Julie Pittman
Special Advisor to the Superintendent: Educator Engagement
 Each month, this section will highlight HOT TOPICS in education and address them from the classroom to the board room. The next edition will have an interactive link for teachers to suggest hot topics we cover!
Vaccines for Teachers:
It is our vision and hope that every single educator and support staff has access to the COVID vaccine and is able to get this important vaccine so we can return to our new normal of educating the students of North Carolina. Contact your local health department or the DHHS website to find out how you can claim your spot to get your shot!
COVID Response and Recovery:
Teachers across North Carolina are working hard to prioritize student learning. Stay tuned for our "Regional Road Show" to find out more about how teachers are answering the call to meet student needs. Here are just a few examples of our #NCLighthouseLeaders from Edenton-Chowan and Watauga County Schools!
 Educator Diplomats
What does it mean to be an Educator Diplomat? Listen to the stories of educators across North Carolina as they reimagine what it means to engage students, colleagues, and communities.
 Maureen Stover, the 2020 Burroughs Wellcome North Carolina Teacher of the Year, has been selected as one of four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year.
Maureen, a science teacher at Cumberland International Early College High School in Fayetteville, is the first teacher from North Carolina to compete for the national honor since 2008, when Cindi Rigsbee, an Orange County middle school teacher, was a finalist. North Carolina’s last National Teacher of the Year was Donna Oliver, from Hugh Cummings High School in Burlington, in 1987.
Maureen is so incredibly deserving and a true #NCLighthouseLeader in our state. She will now continue her work as an #educatordiplomat at the national level. Thank you for representing educational community in NC, and the 1.5 million students we serve! #TeamMaureen #NTOY2021
Press Release 1.27.21
Read more about Maureen Stover in this EdNC article by Molly Osborne.
TOY Stories about School Nutrition Heroes
In 2020, our NC Regional Teachers of the Year told stories about how school nutrition fit into the lives of their classrooms and students prior to and during COVID. You can read more about these collaborations between teachers and child nutrition HERE.
This week, the 10th Annual NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference will take place virtually and FREE on Wednesday and Thursday (2/17-2/18). Many of the stories about how hunger affects our students will be woven throughout the conference. You can find registration and agenda information HERE. You can also find stories of school nutrition heroes HERE and HERE and HERE.
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2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund N.C. Teacher of the Year Regional Finalists
Congratulations to nine North Carolina teachers who have been selected as this year's state regional Teachers of the Year. These accomplished educators will compete for the title of 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund N.C. Teacher of the Year.
The 2020 North Carolina Regional Teachers of the Year are:
 West: Susanna Cerrato, Ira B. Jones Elementary - Asheville City Schools
Northwest: Erin Ellington, Mabel School - Watauga County Schools
Southwest: Cecelia Sizoo-Roberson, Piedmont IB Middle School -Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Piedmont Triad: Kelly Poquette, E.M. Yoder Elementary - Alamance-Burlington School System
Sandhills: Nicole Rivers, Gray’s Creek High School - Cumberland County Schools
North Central: Eugenia Floyd, Mary Scroggs Elementary - Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Northeast: Jennifer Attkisson, White Oak Elementary - Edenton-Chowan Schools
Southeast: Jennifer Bryan, South Brunswick High School -Brunswick County Schools
Charter schools: Jeremy White, West Lake Preparatory Academy
Learn more about the Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year program - http://bit.ly/2LVGuXw.
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NCCAT Opportunities: Do you need professional development? NCCAT has many residential, remote, and district level PD opportunities.
Legislative Update: Link to the bi-weekly Legislative Update that highlights government and community affairs activity around education.
State Board of Education Agenda: The State Board of Education meets the first week of each month. The March meeting is scheduled for March 3-4. The agenda is available two weeks before the meeting. Check back here for updates and materials.
Governor and DHHS Updates: DHHS gives a monthly update about COVID. Governor Cooper's latest update around schools can also be found here , here, and here.
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