Superintendent’s Teacher of the Year roundtable recommends stronger PLC practice and supports for special populations

The Superintendent’s Teacher of the Year roundtable reported May 5 that teacher‑led review of North Carolina teacher‑working‑condition survey data produced measurable gains and concrete recommendations to strengthen professional learning communities (PLCs) and supports for students with special needs.

Theresa Rogers Thorpe, a second‑grade teacher from Pathways Elementary who served on the roundtable, and Mariah Morris, who coordinates the roundtable process, presented results from the district’s 2024 teacher‑working‑condition survey and the group’s follow‑up work. The roundtable is a superintendent‑led group of teacher‑of‑the‑year representatives who meet monthly to raise classroom concerns and develop recommendations for leadership.

The presenters said the district saw positive trends between the 2022 and 2024 working‑condition surveys in several items: “an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect” rose by 18.7 percent; “I feel comfortable raising issues and concerns” rose 15.43 percent; “an appropriate amount of time is provided for professional development” rose 12.78 percent; and “professional development is differentiated to meet teachers’ needs” rose 14.12 percent.

Roundtable members focused on two priority areas: (1) improving PLC practice so meetings reliably include collaborative lesson planning and protected planning time, and (2) strengthening supports for special populations (students with disabilities and multilingual learners). The team developed a “model PLC” that district leaders videotaped for principals and instructional coaches and are now using for coaching and school‑level implementation.

Ms. Morris said the roundtable’s special‑populations subgroup recommended maximizing common planning time in master schedules, ensuring EC (exceptional children) and ML (multilingual learner) staff can participate in PLCs, and extending supports to adapted‑curriculum classrooms as needed. The team also recommended continuing the roundtable next year and centering special populations in the next cycle.

Board members asked for clarifications about next steps. Presenters said the district will provide real‑time coaching for principals leading PLCs, circulate recommended protocols for protecting planning time, and work with schools to adopt locally appropriate approaches. The roundtable also announced the third annual Orange County Schools “Stars of Education” event scheduled for Aug. 18, 2025 at Cedar Ridge High School.

The board welcomed the recommendations and asked staff to integrate the roundtable’s products into principal coaching and district PD offerings.