Bryan Patton, a middle school counselor in Hillsborough, North Carolina, recently talked with us about his first teacher of color, shifting career focuses, and his experiences as a Black male educator.

“Great things don’t happen on accident,” says Sonia Márquez, a principal in Guilford County. “When you aspire to greatness and you have a standard of excellence for yourself and for your team, you have to go out and create that.” In the latest article of our Diversify the Narrative series, Sonia talked with us about the importance of leading with intention.

TaVshea Smith, an Assistant Professor of Education at North Carolina Central University, talked with CREED about the important role of community and connections in education.

Public schools have rapidly become resegregated in recent decades, and North Carolina schools are unfortunately no exception. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County—once deemed a positive example of public school integration—is now the most racially and socioeconomically segregated school district in the state. With this issue rearing its head more and more frequently within the state, it’s crucial that the public has conversations about it and how to resolve it, regardless of how uncomfortable it may be. CREED recently partnered with Davidson College’s Department of Educational Studies to do just that. On Thursday, October 26th, we hosted our first Education Policy Chat of the academic year.

Amanda Aguayo, an art teacher in Orange County, North Carolina, discusses identity in the classroom and advocacy through art.

In the first article in the #TeachinginColor Diversify the Narrative initiative, Durham educator Anjalique Abernathy shares her experiences as a former high school teacher in North Carolina. “We want you in this space so we can meet our diversity quota. We want you in this space because we accept that you, to us, are exceptional. But we don’t actually want you to talk about your lived experiences or realities, or to advocate for what you need once you get into these spaces,” they share.