Fellow Tar Heels,

There is simply nothing like springtime in Chapel Hill. The dogwoods and azaleas bloom, the foliage returns to Davie Poplar, and Polk Place bustles. In May, we celebrate our graduates poised to become professionals who lead in classrooms, schools, districts, the academy, and a variety of organizations and fields. You know all of this, and I can assure you this spring is no di erent.

Yet, this spring has also delivered new energy to the UNC School of Education, and I am excited for you to read on in this edition of Carolina Education.

On the cover, we again feature Carolina Community Academy. Last fall, we shared a photo from the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our innovative K-2 school in Roxboro, N.C. What began as a promising partnership with Person County Schools has grown into a powerful collaborative e ort that spans the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. Our Carolina Community Academy kindergartners have visited campus six times this year for enriching field trip experiences with our campus partners. I would be remiss if I did not mention the academic success these students have achieved. Under the leadership of inaugural principal Daniel Watson (’18 M.S.A.), student success has outpaced previous years, and no child has been chronically absent. Even more campus partnerships that will benefit the students, their families, and Person County are in the works thanks to Amy Richardson (’06 A.B.Ed.), director of Carolina Community Academy and PK-12 partnerships. I cannot wait to share more about those benefits in the months ahead.

Within this issue, you also can read about an anonymous $3 million gift that launched the Fellows for Inclusive Excellence program, which invests in School of Education students and graduates who serve in rural, Title 1 schools — beginning in Person and Chatham Counties and in Carolina Community Academy. The program also provides unique professional development for assistant principals in those schools.

Rural counties like Person County are exactly where this School of Education should be, fulfilling our mission to serve North Carolina students, educators, and schools. The work done with Carolina Community Academy has opened new doors to expand our service. We recently signed a letter of intent with Person County Schools and Piedmont Community College to create a teacher pipeline, helping Person County’s students who aspire to become teachers realize that aspiration.

In this edition, you will see even more evidence of a busy and rewarding spring semester: You will meet students from the first graduating class of our Human and Organizational Leadership program. You will read about Anthony James, Ed.D., our inaugural director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. You will also read a brief mention of the School’s rise to No. 21 — our highest ranking in two decades — in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Good work is happening at the UNC School of Education, and I know you are part of good work happening in classrooms, schools, districts, and communities. Together, we Propel the World.

All my best,

Fouad Abd-El-Khalick Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor