More than 270 high school students from across North Carolina gathered at the Statesville Civic Center in early March for the 26th annual Teacher Cadet Conference. Hosted by the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children (NCFPSC), the conference aimed to inspire and mentor students considering a career in public education. Over the March 7–8 weekend, attendees had the opportunity to learn from and be guided by experienced professional educators.
The North Carolina Teacher Cadet Program is an in-state teacher recruitment and leadership initiative designed to create a pipeline of future educators.
“That’s the importance of the teacher cadet program, to take kids who may be interested, maybe not interested in teaching and showing them yes, I want to do this,” said Sawyer Wemyss, a senior in Winston-Salem/Forysth County Schools and NC Teacher Cadet State President. “It encourages students to take that next step to become a teacher and gives them a head start.”
Sawyer Wemyss, Forsyth County Senior and NC Teacher Cadet State President
The program seeks to address North Carolina's ongoing educator shortage by training teachers who reflect the diverse student population. This initiative is particularly timely, as last year’s State of the Teaching Profession report revealed an 11.5% attrition rate for the 2022-2023 school year, marking an increase from the previous year.
“Teacher Cadet is the most cost-effective recruitment effort for the public school system. Teachers growing future teachers has been a proven method for success,” said Marca Jones, NPFPSC Executive Director.
The event's impact was evident, as colleges from across the state attended to recruit potential future educators. Institutions such as the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Appalachian State University, and North Carolina State University were among those present.
“These kinds of events remind us that there are plenty of people who still want to be teachers, who believe in public education, and who believe in the future of our students, our schools, our leaders,” said Betsy Rosenbalm, of the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University. “These types of events also remind us that when our state or social media tells you that no one is interested in this profession anymore, that there are plenty of people that are still very energetic and excited about this profession, and it fills me up every time I come here.”
For some students, the passion for education stems from a personal desire to be the teacher they once needed.
“In fourth grade, I had a teacher that was not the greatest,” said Jonathan Glaze, a senior from Richmond County and the NC Teacher Cadet Vice President. “She always looked down on me, made me feel as that I wasn’t worthy of being there. That right there made me make a decision that I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be the teacher that I needed in that moment.”
Jonathan Glaze, Richmond County Senior and the NC Teacher Cadet Vice President
Elkin City Schools junior and NC Teacher Cadet Communications Director Diana Rodriguez echoed that sentiment.
“I just want to be the type of teacher that I wanted when I was little, because I know when I was little, I definitely struggled a lot. I struggled to speak out and to reach out to better understand what it was that I needed. I just want to be that type of person, to be a teacher.”
Diana Rodriguez, Elkin City Schools Junior and NC Teacher Cadet Communications Director
Many recruiters at the conference praised its effectiveness in attracting students to the teaching profession. They emphasized that fostering an early interest in education could have long-term benefits for keeping North Carolina educators in local classrooms.
“Starting someone in education in North Carolina can really keep them here and keep them in the classrooms,” said Hanna Starling with the College of Education at North Carolina State University. “That’s what all of this event, that’s what all of these colleges are for, is to prepare extraordinary educators.”
