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Chatham County Schools introduces new Teach Chatham cohort; district outlines pathway and scholarship plan
Summary
Board received an update on Teach Chatham, a partnership program with Central Carolina Community College and UNC Chapel Hill to develop local teachers. Three new students were introduced and staff outlined scholarship and signing-bonus conditions tied to future service in the district.
Chatham County Schools on Jan. 13 introduced a new cohort of high school students in Teach Chatham, a local pathway program intended to encourage students to pursue teaching and to return to work for the district after college.
Michelle Burton, executive director for secondary programs, told the board the program began in 2018 and had its first cohort in 2022. "The goal for Teach Chatham was to provide students who are interested in education an opportunity to grow their interest and in return come back to work for Chatham County Schools," Burton said.
Burton introduced three students who are part of the fall cohort: Peyton Douglas and Landon Johnson, both 11th graders at Chatham Central High School, and Lizbeth Martinez, a 10th grader at Jordan-Matthews High School (Martinez was not present at the meeting). Burton said Teach Chatham scholars complete coursework in high school and may pursue additional community college or university options through partner institutions, including Central Carolina Community College and UNC Chapel Hill.
Under the district plan, scholars who meet program requirements could be eligible for scholarships and a signing bonus of up to $10,000 to support postsecondary coursework if they commit to return to Chatham County Schools and teach for a minimum of three years. Students who are selected for North Carolina Teaching Fellows would not need district scholarship funds because the Teaching Fellows program covers full costs; the district said it is pursuing a $50,000 pilot grant to support exposure and application work for Teaching Fellows.
Burton described training and partnership activities for scholars: quarterly group meetings, tutoring opportunities such as the read-to-achieve summer camp, introductions to college teaching programs, observation opportunities in classrooms, and coordination with partners including Central Carolina Community College, the Chatham Education Foundation, UNC Chapel Hill and local organizations.
Why it matters
The program is designed to strengthen the local teacher pipeline by creating early exposure to education careers, aligning high school coursework with college credit opportunities, and offering financial incentives to return to the district.
Board response and next steps
Board members asked about publicity and donor outreach; Burton said promotion began in October and that the district is working with the Chatham Education Foundation to secure philanthropic support beyond district funds. Burton said the district will run two application windows for the year and will continue to recruit scholars.
Attributions
Direct quotations and program details are from Michelle Burton's presentation to the board on Jan. 13.
