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Education
Editor's Pick
Classroom rookie season begins for Burke County’s new educators
By SANDRA WILKERSON QUEEN
sandra@thepaper.media
Teacher Kara Doyle shops for classroom supplies at Teacher’s Pet
in Morganton. BCPS educators will return to school on Monday, Aug.
11, and students will follow on Monday, Aug. 25.
LISA PRICE / THE PAPER
Kindergarten students won’t be the only newcomers stepping into classrooms when Burke County Public Schools open the 2025-2026 school year on Monday, Aug. 25. Thirty-five first year teachers will also be feeling the “beginning of school butterflies.”
But those educators will not be walking into their classrooms on their own. The school district has a team of experienced educators ready to help ease the transition for novice teachers.
According to BCPS Beginning Teacher Coordinator Lisa Daye, beginning teachers will have several days of meetings, with training and experiences designed to help them enter the new year filled with confidence.
“We have three days of inservice,” Daye explained, “(including) one day to learn their school and school expectations.
“They will also have time to work in their classrooms and meet with their mentors,” she stated. Daye also said new teachers will have a day of district orientation, additional meetings with their mentors, subject-specific training, and one day focused specifically on classroom management, which can be a big challenge for new educators.
During their first three years in the classroom, all Burke County teachers have both a mentor and a teacher buddy. Mentors are also instructional coaches for the county, Daye explained.
New educators in North Carolina are not required to have a teaching degree in order to step in front of a classroom. The lateral entry program provides an alternative pathway for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a non-teaching field to become licensed teachers while working in a classroom.
The lateral entry plan allows a school district to hire a person with a relevant degree into a teaching position, and that individual would then work toward earning their full teaching license while teaching.
Daye said Burke County Schools does have a mixture of initial and lateral entry-level teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Two weeks of teacher workdays will begin on Aug. 11, and students will return to school in Burke County’s public schools on Monday, Aug. 25.
Sandra Wilkerson Queen is the arts & entertainment editor. She may be reached at 828-445-8595, ext. 2002, orsandra@thepaper.media.
East Burke's and Freedom High School's Future Farmers of America were honored by the Burke County Board of Education at the panel's Aug. 4 mee…
Education
App State's GEAR UP director wins national leadership award
Burke County Public Schools is one of 17 districts that partners with App State for GEAR Up programs
By THE PAPER STAFF
Alex Chough, president of the National Council for Community and
Education Partnerships (right) presents the 2025 GEAR UP
Professional Leader of the Year award to Corinne Smith, director of
App State’s GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs) and deputy director of College Access
Partnerships, during the NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference on July 14
in San Francisco.
FOR THE PAPER
Corinne Smith, director of Appalachian State University’s GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and deputy director of College Access Partnerships, has received the 2025 GEAR UP Professional Leader of the Year award.
She was honored July 14, during the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships/GEAR UP Annual Conference in San Francisco.
GEAR UP — a grant program created and funded by Congress and administered by the U.S. Department of Education — helps students from low-income communities prepare for and succeed in education and training beyond high school so that they can achieve their career goals. The Professional Leader of the Year award recognizes an individual who is passionate about and committed to the GEAR UP movement and to the goal of ensuring college access and success for all students.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this award,” said Smith. “It reflects the collective passion, purpose and hard work of the incredible team and communities I’ve had the privilege to work alongside in expanding opportunities for students. As a first-generation college student, this recognition is especially meaningful because it represents a full circle moment in my journey and reaffirms my commitment to expanding educational pathways for students like me.”
From the beginning of her tenure and throughout her 10 years with GEAR UP, Smith has articulated a bold vision for student achievement. According to her colleagues, she not only sets ambitious goals but also builds the systems and partnerships necessary to achieve them. They describe her strategic leadership as being instrumental in expanding access to college and career pathways, particularly through her unwavering support of programs that serve students and families facing adversity.
Corinne Smith, director of App State’s GEAR UP (Gaining Early
Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and deputy
director of College Access Partnerships, is pictured with Dr. Jim
Beeler, executive director of College Access Partnerships, at the
National Council for Community and Education Partnerships/GEAR UP
Annual Conference.
FOR THE PAPER
“Corinne doesn’t just talk about leadership — she lives it,” said Dr. Jim Beeler, executive director of College Access Partnerships. “Her actions consistently reflect integrity, excellence and a deep sense of purpose. She brings people together, sparks innovation and builds high-performing teams through both intellect and heart. It’s a privilege to call her a colleague.”
Smith’s impact is perhaps most evident in her advocacy for scalable, sustainable and well-resourced initiatives. A skilled grant writer and strategist, she led the work that secured over $90 million in grants during the last five years — funding that directly supports student enrichment, family engagement and long-term program viability. Her colleagues said her ability to translate vision into funded, high-impact programs reflects her deep understanding of both organizational development and community needs.
“She’s not chasing one-off programs or short-term wins — Corinne is building an ecosystem,” said Cecilia Holden, president and CEO of myFutureNC. “Every grant she secures, every partnership she forges and every strategy she drives is grounded in the belief that lasting change happens when communities unite around a shared mission with students at the center.”
Smith’s contributions have expanded college access and success for tens of thousands of students across Western North Carolina. Under her leadership, App State GEAR UP has expanded from 10 to 17 school districts, from 49 to 99 schools and from serving 14,000 students to over 26,000. Burke County Public Schools is one of those 17 districts.
App State’s GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs) staff are pictured at the National Council
for Community and Education Partnerships/GEAR UP Annual Conference
on July 14 in San Francisco. Corinne Smith, director of GEAR UP and
deputy director of College Access Partnerships, shown at center in
the foreground, was honored with the 2025 GEAR UP Professional
Leader of the Year award at the event.
FOR THE PAPER
In the 2023–24 academic year alone, at a cost of just under $450 per student, App State utilized GEAR UP funding to accomplish the following:
Improve Algebra/Math I proficiency rates, achieving more than 16 percentage points above North Carolina students who were not in GEAR UP (53.42% versus 37%)
Increase high school graduation rates, achieving nearly 9% over that of North Carolina students who were not in GEAR UP (95.85% versus 87%)
Smith also led the creation of the GEAR UP Guarantee — a groundbreaking admissions policy at App State that guarantees admission to qualifying GEAR UP students. Since its launch in 2019, the program has produced a 57% increase in applications, a 61.5% rise in admittances and a 39.3% increase in enrollment from students in GEAR UP school districts, which are located in Ashe, Alleghany, Burke, Clay, Graham, Madison, Rutherford, Swain, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties.
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