HAMLET — Earlier this month, the Richmond County Board of Education approved the district’s Advanced Teacher Roles grant application, LEAD at Richmond County Schools — Leading Educators Achievement and Development.
“This grant would create advanced leadership opportunities for highly effective teachers, provide job-embedded support for educators, and expand students’ access to excellent teaching,” said Executive Director of Human Resources Danielle Meeks.
“If awarded, we will keep the board informed to bring forward any future items requiring additional board action,” Meeks said.
According to information provided in the Advanced Teaching Roles document in the board’s agenda packet, the district aims to create a sustainable system of teacher leadership designed to strengthen instruction, support beginning teachers and ultimately improve student achievement. The plan would be implemented in two phases.
During the first phase, planned for the 2026-27 school year, the district would implement a locally designed Instructional Teacher Leader pilot program in its middle schools. The pilot would allow exemplary classroom teachers to take on additional instructional leadership responsibilities while remaining full-time teachers.
The program is designed to build instructional leadership within individual schools while increasing coaching, mentoring and support for beginning and developing teachers. The pilot would also help prepare schools for the implementation of the Advanced Teacher Roles model.
According to the Advanced Teaching Roles document in the agenda packet, the Instructional Teacher Leader pilot would be funded through existing Title I and Title II funds. Teachers selected for the additional leadership responsibilities would receive annual stipends ranging from $1,500 to $2,000.
Exemplary teachers would be identified collaboratively by principals and district leadership for participation in the pilot.
During the second phase, planned for the 2027-28 school year, the district would transition to the Advanced Teacher Roles model through the North Carolina Opportunity Culture Grant, building on lessons learned during the pilot program.
The Advanced Teacher Roles model is designed to expand the impact of highly effective teachers by restructuring staffing so teacher leaders can coach colleagues, lead instructional teams and influence student achievement beyond their own classrooms.
Teachers participating in the Advanced Teacher Roles program would be selected through a competitive process based on grant requirements and district criteria. According to the agenda packet, the selection process would be modeled after successful implementations in surrounding school districts.
Under the proposed model, participating teachers would receive salary supplements ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. The supplements would be supported through the Advanced Teacher Roles grant and the district’s long-term sustainability plan, which could include individual schools using Title I funding to support stipends for Advanced Teacher Roles positions.