April 1, 2014

Dear LEA Teacher of the Year Coordinator:

The NC Department of Public Instruction is pleased to coordinate the 2015Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year Program. The program provides an opportunity to honor and recognize exemplary teachers in North Carolina and to call attention to the importance of the teaching profession. The NC Teacher of the Year Program is affiliated with the National Teacher of the Year Program, which is sponsored by the ING Foundation and is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers. For more information on the National Teacher of the Year process, please visit

Each school systemis responsible for the local Teacher of the Year selection process. The procedure used for the selection of the local Teacher of the Year is at the discretion ofeach superintendent; however, only one teacher can be nominated by a local education agency to proceed in the regional process. To be eligible for selection as a NC Teacher of the Year, a person must hold a Standard Professional 2 (SP2) license, be employed full time, and spend at least 70% of his or her time in direct instruction of North Carolina public school students.

Included in this correspondence:

  • Directions for LEA Teacher of the Year Coordinator
  • Teacher of the Year Nomination Form (excel)
  • 2015 Teacher of the Year Selection Schedule
  • Regional Education Facilitators’ map and contact information (click here)
  • 2015 Electronic NC Teacher of the Year Nomination Packet/Portfolio-for Nominee

In advance, thank you for your commitment and dedication to this process and for all the ways you support the retention of qualified professional educators in our state.

Warm Regards,

Your Regional Education Facilitator

<Name>

<Email>

<Phone>

State Coordinator: Dr. Yvette Stewart,

Enclosures

REGIONAL EDUCATION FACILITATORS

Northeast: Sonya Rinehart | Southeast: Kay Thompson | North Central: Erika Newkirk South Central: Martha Anderson

| Central: Cindi Rigsbee | Southwest: Karol McNeil-Horton |Northwest: Dr. Monica Shepherd | West: Amy Laughter

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

Directions for LEA Teacher of the Year Coordinator

  1. Please complete the Teacher of the Year Nomination form attached and return to your Regional Education Facilitator by September 19.
  1. Next, your local candidate will complete the electronic Teacher of the Year Nomination Packet/Portfolio. Candidates must submit the electronicpacket/portfolio as one PDF document by email to the Regional Education Facilitator (see map here) on or before 5:00 on Friday, September 19, 2014. Photo requirements are included. Please ask candidates to send photos as a separate attachment along with their packet/portfolio. Information received after this date will not be considered in the selection process. To ensure that your local Teacher of the Year has sufficient time to prepare their portfolio for the state deadline of September 19, we suggest you complete your selection by the end of the 2013-2014 school year.
  1. Finally, each local Teacher of the Year will be invited to participate in a regional interview process. They will be contacted by the Regional Education Facilitator with a date and time for the interviews. After the regional Teacher of the Year has been announced, the finalists will then complete the NC Teacher of the Year state selection process. More information about the state Teacher of the Year Program can be found at

NC TEACHER OF THE YEAR SELECTION SCHEDULE

2015

Local Process
April, 2014 / Teacher of theYear applications/informationemailedtoLEATeacher of theYear Contacts andPersonnel Directors
March-August, 2014 / Each LEA selectstheir local Teacher of theYear
September 19, 2014 / LEA Teacher of theYear Information Form,copy of currentlicense,Teacher of theYear publicity photo andTeacher oftheYear PortfolioduetoRegional Education Facilitator by emailsubmission
Regional Process
October-December, 2014 / LEA portfolios assessed, interviews conducted,
on-site school visits and classroom observations
December, 2014 / Names of Regional winners due to DPI December
2014-January, 2015 / Regional Teacher of the Year Announcements
State Process
March-May, 2015 / State selection process completed
May, 2015 / State Teacher of the Year event (winner announced)

REGIONAL EDUCATION FACILITATORS

Northeast: Sonya Rinehart | Southeast: Kay Thompson | North Central: Erika Newkirk South Central: Martha Anderson

| Central: Cindi Rigsbee | Southwest: Karol McNeil-Horton |Northwest: Dr. Monica Shepherd | West: Amy Laughter

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER