January 28, 2021, CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—The North Carolina State Board of Education awarded Advanced Teaching Roles grants to Wilson County Schools and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in fall 2020 to join the national Opportunity Culture initiative. The districts are using their grant funding this year to design and strengthen Opportunity Culture plans for implementation in fall 2021.
The districts intend to use Opportunity Culture roles to help address difficulties in recruiting and retaining great teachers, and to strengthen student learning. The roles extend the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to many more students, provide intensive support to all Opportunity Culture educators, and create paid career paths that let great teachers advance without leaving the classroom. They have produced outstanding student growth in other Opportunity Culture schools.