Governor Roy Cooper toured Martin Millennium Academy in Edgecombe County and delivered supplies collected from the Governor’s School Supply Drive today. The Governor also visited the classroom of a teacher who graduated from the Edgecombe Early College High School (EECHS) Scholar Teachers Program.
“It’s so encouraging to see how great teachers can inspire students to become great teachers themselves,” said Governor Cooper. “The Edgecombe Early College High School Scholar Teachers Program is a shining example of making becoming a teacher easier and more affordable.”
“It is an honor to host Governor Cooper at Martin Millennium Academy. We are grateful for the generous donation of supplies that will help our scholars as they work towards incredible growth this school year,” said Martin Millennium Academy Principal Kelly Ann Mudd. “At MMA, we are anchored in the belief that we must first and always lead with love and we each have a responsibility to foster space to succeed. Governor Cooper's donation and giving of time is very much in the MMA Trailblazer spirit of leading with love and providing supplies and opportunities to succeed.”
“It is with joy that we are able to host Governor Cooper in Edgecombe County Public Schools and share the Edgecombe County Public Schools' Scholar Teacher program with him,” said Edgecombe County Public Schools Superintendent Valerie H. Bridges. “This program is invaluable during a time when recruiting and retaining teachers is a challenge many schools face; being able to turn to our community and recent graduates to return home and give back is an incredible gift.”
The Governor dropped off supplies and visited several Martin Millennium Academy classrooms to meet with students, educators and support staff. He thanked them for their dedication to helping students learn and grow.
Governor Cooper first held the Governor’s Annual School Supply Drive in 2017 to provide school supplies to help support families, schools and communities across the state. It is held in partnership with the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU), Communities In Schools of North Carolina and TeachNC. Governor Cooper’s cabinet members and volunteers with Communities In Schools of North Carolina and VolunteerNC are helping to distribute the supplies to public schools across North Carolina. Paper, pens, pencils, notebooks and sanitizing wipes are among the supplies that are being delivered to schools across the state as part of the annual drive.
On average, teachers spend over $500 of their own money on supplies for their classrooms each year. The Governor’s past budget proposals have included funding to ensure that all students have the opportunity for a sound basic education, including teacher raises to attract and retain more teachers in the system. Governor Cooper is also urging the state legislature to provide more funding for schools and teachers, including school supplies.
Martin Millennium Academy is a K-8 global school in Edgecombe County. Students range from kindergarten to eighth grade. Approximately half of the students are part of the school’s Spanish immersion program.
The Edgecombe Early College High School (EECHS) Scholar Teachers Program provides Edgecombe County High School students who desire to become teachers with an advanced preparatory program. The Scholar Teachers program is building capacity in Edgecombe County to recruit highly qualified high school students into the teaching profession and employ and retain them in Edgecombe County upon graduation from college. The first cohort of the Scholar Teachers Program began teaching at Edgecombe County Schools this year. The Scholar Teachers Program aligns with several of the recommendations from the Governor’s Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education (DRIVE) Task Force to increase the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of North Carolina’s educator workforce.
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