Burke County Public School officials chosen for National School Boards Association's 2026 Policy Leadership Cohort

As school districts across North Carolina compete for teachers, two Burke County Board of Education members will spend the next six months developing strategies they hope can strengthen recruitment and retention locally.

Burke County Public Schools (BCPS) Board of Education Chair Tiana Beachler and Vice Chair Jamey Wycoff were chosen as participants in the 2026 Policy Leadership Cohort program administered through the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the district announced Tuesday.

Participants can choose to focus on special education governance or educator recruitment and retention.

Beachler and Wycoff chose the latter, and will learn about policies, strategies, and programs promoting teacher recruitment and retention from education professionals across the nation for the next six months.

“It is a true privilege to be representing Burke County on a national level,” Beachler said. “We’re excited for the valuable knowledge we will gain through this program and the advantages it will bring to our teachers, district, and community.”

Wycoff said this leadership opportunity is exciting and will strengthen his understanding of education policy while helping him explore new ideas for teacher recruitment and retention.

The six-month program begins in August. Beachler and Wycoff will be part of monthly, 60- to 90-minute sessions that include policy labs, peer working groups, and advocacy coaching. Most sessions will be virtual.

The program ends in early 2027 with the presentation of a capstone policy action plan at NSBA’s 2027 Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C.

Beachler and Wycoff’s capstone project will outline a teacher recruitment and retention strategy that can be implemented at BCPS.