Nine teachers from across North Carolina have been selected as the state’s regional Teachers of the Year for their dedication, innovation and ability to inspire students to achieve.
These accomplished educators will now compete for the title of 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. The winner succeeds the 2020 Teacher of the Year, Maureen Stover, a science teacher at Cumberland International Early College High School in Cumberland County.
The 2021 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: Ceclia 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
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt praised the nine regional Teachers of the Year for demonstrating the kind of excellence in instruction and leadership that every student in North Carolina needs and deserves.
“We are fortunate to have these dedicated and enthusiastic educators leading North Carolina’s students every day,” said Truitt. “Their passion and commitment to students is evident in how they connect, engage, and inspire those both in and outside of the classroom. I send sincerest congratulations to this group of exceptional educators and extend deepest thanks for their tireless efforts in keeping students at the center of everything they do.”
The 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year will be announced April 9 at an awards ceremony in Cary. Since 2013, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction has been proud to partner with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to honor North Carolina teachers. The state has recognized outstanding teachers through its Teacher of the Year program since 1970.
The mission of the North Carolina Teacher of the Year Program is to promote the profession through advocacy and support while recognizing outstanding teaching professionals who are implementing best practices in classrooms across North Carolina.
