Smithfield – Two teaching scholars have been selected to teach in Johnston County Public Schools as part of a pilot program with N.C. State College of Education and The Innovation Project (TIP).
The Innovation Project Teaching Scholars Award is a pilot program designed to create a pipeline of teachers for rural and semi-rural districts in North Carolina.
“We are excited about the opportunity to welcome these talented N.C. State students into our districts. It is the beginning of developing a cohort experience for them that will enhance their careers,” shares Ann McColl, CEO of The Innovation Project. “It is also part of a growing partnership with the N.C. State College of Education that will allow us to creatively address the roles of educators in our communities.”
Sarah Bowman and Madison Miller of the N.C. State’s College of Education will complete their student teaching and two years of teaching in Johnston County Public Schools in exchange for a $10,000 financial award and additional enrichment opportunities.
During the summer, Bowman and Miller will have the opportunity to participate in a summer immersion experience to strengthen their relationship with the district. Immersion experiences differ based upon each scholar’s certification area and range from two-day professional development workshops to 10 week N.C. Rural Works program experiences. In the coming academic year, the two will teach and take part in TIP-sponsored cohort support experiences.
Additionally, Bowman and Miller will participate in N.C. State’s Beginning Teacher Institute prior to the start of the 2019-2020 school year. Throughout their first two years of teaching, they will continue to receive mentoring from experienced teachers in their assigned school and support from their Scholar cohort sponsored by TIP.
Johnston County is one of five districts involved in the program. Other districts include Cabarrus, Lenoir, Onslow, and Wayne.
About The Innovation Project: TIP is a nonprofit collaborative working group of 24 forward- thinking North Carolina district superintendents with a team of staff and collaborators. TIP grounds its work in objective evidence while acknowledging the need to thoughtfully consider and implement promising, pioneering practices. TIP projects emerge from rigorous analysis of research and national best practices, which inform superintendents’ engagement in iterative design processes. TIP’s work is driven by three overlapping themes: innovation, collaboration, and capacity building. These touchstones orient its approach to decision-making and guide project design.
About the N.C. State College of Education: Now in its 90th year, the N.C. State College of Education is the leading college of education in North Carolina. The college is the state’s largest supplier of STEM educators, consistently ranks as the state’s top teacher preparation program in the state across multiple variables, and has established a leadership pipeline for schools, community colleges, and higher education in North Carolina. The college enrolls more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students, and its faculty currently engages in 139 research projects, and more than $54 million in active research and development grants. U.S. News & World Report ranks the college in the Top 15 percent nationally among graduate schools of education. The publication also ranks the college’s online programs No. 29 and higher education program No. 19 in the nation.
