experience that becomes a catalyst for each student’s future success.“It sounds broad,” she acknowledges, “but personalization is the point. Whatever pathway students choose, we want them to leave us with the skill set and confidence to thrive.” That focus on individual growth is rooted in the realities—and strengths—of a rural community with global ties. Vance County Schools sits about 45 minutes from Research Triangle Park, the state’s innovation engine, yet it is very much a hub in its own right. Public schools serve roughly threequarters of the local student population, and the district’s footprint extends across the county’s faith communities, businesses, newcomers, and long-time residents. The community is resilient and welcoming, shaped by a transient workforce and an unusually international faculty: approximately 90 global educators from countries such as Jamaica and the Philippines have made Vance County their professional and personal home. Their presence has broadened the county’s cultural life—with new restaurants, faith communities and small businesses—and deepened the district’s capacity to serve multilingual and multicultural learners. “Families here figure it out together,” Bennett says. “We try to honor that in our schools. We want every student and every educator to feel they belong the moment they walk in.” A WHOLE-CHILD PROMISE Belonging is not just an aspiration in Vance County; it is operational. The district invests in layered supports that match the needs of its students and families. Every school is staffed with a counselor and a social worker. English learners and migrant students receive dedicated services that extend beyond classwork to family outreach and community resources. Exceptional Children’s programming covers the full spectrum of special education services, from speech and occupational therapy to adaptive support. Academically or intellectually gifted students access enrichment designed to challenge and accelerate. The aim is the same at each point: remove barriers, connect care to instruction, and create schools that feel safe, warm, and purposeful. Those same wraparound commitments extend to adults. Vance County thinks of each school as a “micro-system” within a district ecosystem and asks principals to build internal support for staff while the central office adds targeted layers on top. Professional growth is not a calendar event; it is the work itself. Multi-classroom leaders coach teams of teachers, co-plan and co-teach, and drive the instructional playbook. Teacher Development Specialists provide content-specific support—math, 393 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS
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