NC Teaching Fellows Program aims to train next generation of educators

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program named its 210 early decision recipients, representing 63 counties across the state.

"I really feel like Teaching Fellows is a premier pipeline opportunity for the state," said Dr. Bennett Jones, who serves as Director of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program.

The program provides tuition assistance of up to $10,000 per year in the form of a forgivable loan for students who commit to teaching elementary education, special education, or a STEM subject in a North Carolina public school. One year of teaching serves as repayment for one year of the loan.

"For a profession like teaching, which most folks who go into it aren't going into it expecting to get rich anyway, the idea of something like the Fellows program, where you can go and have your education covered, I think is a huge bonus," added Keith Poston, the President of WakeEd Partnership.

"Getting that scholarship and then being able to pay it back by my service to my community, that's just a big deal. I'm sure that other recipients feel that way also. Being able to pay back by doing something that you love," said Zacchaeus Jones, a recipient and student at North Carolina Early College High School in Kinston.

Recipient Avery-Grace Chrismon, a student at Western Alamance High, cited her personal experience in why she wanted to pursue a career in education.

"I have a learning disability called dyslexia. When I was younger, I had a very hard time getting the help that I needed. But I helped a teacher that put so much effort into helping me achieve what I wanted, and I really want to be that person for children," explained Chrismon.

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Students can attend 10 colleges and universities in the state: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elon University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, NC State University, Meredith College, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Upon completing the program, they can choose which public school they'll work in.

"What we're looking at as part of the commission, as part of our long-range planning for the program, is opportunities to how do we maybe provide incentives or further additional incentives for hard to fill areas or more remote or rural areas of the state," said Dr. Jones.

Zacchaeus Jones plans to teach math and return to Lenoir County.

"I want to come back to use the gifts that I have developed over my time in the Lenoir County public school system. The teachers who poured so much into me, took their time teaching me, giving me their extra attention. I want to come back and do the same, give students the same attention the same to help the same classroom community and family sense of the education field back in my hometown," said Jones.

According to a report in The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Black people are underrepresented in STEM programs across higher education and in STEM careers.

"Having some representation in the classroom that looks like them, they would be in better (position) to achieve because they say, 'hey, if he can do it, so can I. I can go to college and achieve those goals,'" said Jones.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction reports attrition was 11.5% for the 2022-23 school year, up markedly from the 7.8% figure the year prior. The vacancy rate, which is based on the number of positions not filled by a fully licensed, permanent employee was 6.4% in 2022-23, up 5.9% in 2021-22.

"More people are leaving the school system and they need more younger people to come in and step up," Chrismon said.

"As a former high school principal, I'm well aware that it's hard to find teachers in many content areas. Being able to open up those doors, especially the elementary (education), really gave us a boost in our programs, numbers, and participation. We're able to hopefully meet the needs of areas across the state," said Jones.

Recipients receive coaching and mentor support from the program while in the repayment window. It's open to high school seniors, college transfers, and professionals seeking licensure.

In November, lawmakers overrode Governor Cooper's veto of House Bill 10, a measure which provides significant additional funding to the Opportunity Scholarship Program, money that can be used for grants to attend private or religious schools.

Public school advocates like Poston are hopeful that lawmakers will take action to more forcefully support public schools when the General Assembly returns in January.

"How about let's make sure that we invest enough in our public schools so they have enough school supplies. Let's make sure they have school nurses and school counselors, (that) we have enough resources and new books. Let's increase pay for teachers, restore master's pay, make it again this revered an esteemed position," said Poston.