Did you know that all of the five largest school districts in North Carolina use Opportunity Culture® strategic staffing models? With 10 other North Carolina school systems, these districts—Wake, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Guilford, Winston-Salem-Forsyth, and Cumberland—are also leading the first wave of schools nationally to receive Certified Opportunity Culture School™ status.
The schools earning this designation have implemented innovative models that extend the reach of excellent teachers and the small teams they lead to more students, for more pay, within regular school budgets. Certified schools have taken steps toward meeting standards correlated with student learning growth.
At 147 certified schools, CMS has the most schools of any district in the country earning certification for 2023–24. The nation’s 16th-largest district, CMS was the first to implement these models in 2013.
“Opportunity Culture models have served a critical role in retaining teachers and expanding the reach of our highest-performing educators. Over a decade ago, in partnership with Public Impact, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had the privilege of pioneering one of the nation’s first advanced teaching role initiatives. CMS remains committed to being a beacon for other districts implementing Opportunity Culture models by sharing resources, hosting site visits and continuing our culture of collaboration.
“In our current educational climate, the Opportunity Culture model allows schools to recruit, develop and retain exceptional teachers. This investment in our teachers ultimately increases the academic performance of our students. Charlotte- Mecklenburg Schools will continue to invest in our schools, teachers and students through our advanced teaching roles programming.”
—Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill
Nancy Brightwell, CMS chief of recruitment, retention and talent development, said the model’s Multi-Classroom Leader™ teaching teams address several crucial issues in education.
“In a world where teachers have many career options outside of education, we must make this an appealing, rewarding and supportive profession in every way. Becoming a career teacher must offer opportunities for continued growth and advancement—intellectually, emotionally and financially. Opportunity Culture teaching teams make that possible, with job-embedded professional learning and support at every level and well-paid career paths that keep teachers where they want to be—with kids, in the classroom. Certification will help schools reach the highest levels of quality implementation as we extend these career options to every school.”
—Nancy Brightwell, CMS chief of recruitment, retention and talent development
North Carolina leads the nation in Opportunity Culture® implementation. Its 15 Opportunity Culture® districts that have certified schools include other pioneers, such as the Edgecombe and Vance districts. Superintendents Valerie Bridges of Edgecombe County Public Schools (now retired) and Anthony Jackson of Vance County Schools both sought “game-changing” solutions to their districts’ needs, and both were named state superintendent of the year after implementing these models. Jackson has since introduced them to Chatham County Schools, which he now leads. Wilson County Schools, using the model in all its Title I schools, was recently highlighted as an outlier nationally in reading results.
“The Opportunity Culture model has the potential to impact student learning in profound ways. New expanded teacher leadership roles, such as the Multi-Classroom Leader role supporting a small grade-level or subject-area team with lesson planning, data analysis and more, are critical to assessing and advancing student achievement. These collaborative teaching teams help each classroom teacher continually improve their instructional practices to shape student learning. I am excited for the opportunities this model provides for our teachers and our students.”
—Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor
North Carolina has the most schools among the 14 states that have used these models so far in part because the state-funded “advanced teaching roles” program has supported districts in adopting them for the past eight years, with bipartisan support from the Republican-led state legislature, a Republican and a Democratic governor and business leaders represented by the nonprofit BEST NC.
North Carolina philanthropy also played critical roles, starting in CMS.
“My family has always believed in the capacity of educators and children of this district, state and nation,” said Katie Belk Morris, who was chair of The Belk Foundation when it supported early Opportunity Culture® expansion in CMS schools.
Preliminary analysis of state data for the 2023–24 year shows that North Carolina Title I schools that have been using Opportunity Culture® models for four or more years were 43% more likely to make high schoolwide growth (exceeding state growth expectations) than Title I schools not using the models. These same schools were also 33% less likely than other Title I schools to make low growth. Even in early years of implementation, the models made an immediate difference, also increasing odds of high growth and decreasing odds of low growth.
The fourth-largest district, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, recently celebrated learning growth results in schools with strong Opportunity Culture® implementation, crediting it with driving student success.
“The Opportunity Culture concept is a key lever for change in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. It is a strategy that empowers teachers to take ownership of student learning through adult learning, collaboration and a strong focus on instructional excellence for all. Thirty schools in WS/FCS utilize the Multi-Classroom Leader model and are finding great success in this approach to just-in-time professional learning and coaching amongst colleagues, and I would like all schools to be able to implement it over time. This team approach provides on-site support to those who make the magic happen for students every day, while also serving as a career ladder opportunity to keep our best teachers in schools. Teacher empowerment and support are the recipe for student success, and that is what this staffing model is all about.”
—Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus
Guilford County Schools (GCS) Superintendent Whitney Oakley was chief academic officer overseeing the district’s Opportunity Culture® work, which began in 2018, before becoming superintendent in 2022.
“Guilford County Schools is proud to be a pioneering district in the Opportunity Culture initiative, dedicated to bringing advanced teaching roles to our schools and serving the students who have faced the greatest instructional inequities. Since implementing this model in the 2018–2019 school year, our schools using Opportunity Culture roles have consistently demonstrated impressive growth in student achievement. Each year, GCS attracts exceptional educators to join our Opportunity Culture cohort, ensuring sustainable improvement across our schools. We believe that the Opportunity Culture model is innovative, and we are excited to continue expanding its reach and enhancing the success of our students.”
—Guilford County Schools Superintendent Whitney Oakley
Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Marvin Connelly, Jr., who is the 2024 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, introduced Opportunity Culture® models to the district in 2021.
“We are proud to see our schools receive provisional Opportunity Culture certification. This achievement highlights our commitment to models that support both students and educators. The Opportunity Culture model has allowed us to extend the reach of our most effective teachers, and we look forward to seeing its continued impact as we expand it to more schools in Cumberland County.”
—Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Marvin Connelly, Jr.
Along with the five largest, these North Carolina districts also have certified schools for the inaugural 2023–24 designation: Chatham County Schools, Columbus County Schools, Edgecombe County Schools, Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, Moore County Schools, Nash County Schools, Rockingham County Schools, Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Vance County Schools and Wilson County Schools.
Twenty-eight districts total in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia now have certified schools.
“We are here to change our nation, but North Carolina is our home. Congratulations to the state’s districts, both large and small, that are implementing collaborative staffing models and getting schools certified,” said Public Impact® Co-President Emily Ayscue Hassel. “Kudos to the legislators, governors and philanthropists who funded the transition to these roles that boost teaching excellence, student learning and pay. It’s time for North Carolina’s leaders to go big now: Let’s reach every school, student and educator. We crafted these innovations with research and teacher input starting 15 years ago, we use data every year to spread what works, and now we’re reinvesting to drive the price tag way down.”
Through the Opportunity Culture® portal, districts can also now take advantage of the Self-Driven Design™ process, a low-cost way for schools and systems to create their own Opportunity Culture® plans. The cost of implementation, whether paid for by state or philanthropical programs or the district directly, comes in the planning and transition time for these models, but not in higher educator pay, which must be funded by regular budget reallocations to receive certification.
“Leaders in states across the country can seize this moment to drive up learning, teacher pay and economic growth—all at once,” Public Impact® Co-President Bryan C. Hassel said. “As researcher Chad Aldeman wrote recently, the team-based approach can address the multiple challenges of educator shortages, low morale, declining student enrollment, re-engaging students and getting them back on track academically, and more—even though, as he wrote, that might sound crazy. I call this crazy good.”