In the heart of Catawba County, North Carolina, veteran educator Sheila Pinkney is doing more than teaching fifth grade ELA and social studies at St. Stephens Elementary—she’s mentoring the next generation, advocating for equity, and reminding the public that veteran educators are essential to a thriving public school system.
With over 20 years in the classroom and more than three decades in education, Pinkney's journey has been rooted in public schools. She’s been a reading specialist, a principal, and an educational case manager for children in psychiatric care. Her career is a testament to deep dedication and offers important lessons for today’s education leaders.
Pinkney joined the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) because she wanted her voice to be heard. “When I first started at St. Stephens, I was the only educator of color for five years,” she recalled. “I wanted to find like-minded people, where I could be heard and grow.”
That search for community led to her becoming an NCAE Association Representative and a leader in professional development. Though not officially a mentor, Pinkney is trusted by new educators, many of whom seek her guidance when their assigned mentors are unavailable or inexperienced.
“They come to me because their mentors may not be available or experienced,” she said. “I mentor all the time, but I’m not a paid mentor. I just do it because they need support.”
Pinkney believes mentorship is key to teacher success and retention, especially as the demands of the profession grow more intense. “New teachers are walking into classrooms where the expectations are high, the workload is overwhelming, and the support is inconsistent,” she said. “Mentorship is what keeps many of them from walking away in those first few years.”
The informal support that veteran teachers provide often fills the gaps left by underfunded mentorship programs. But Pinkney says that labor should be compensated and valued. “When your assigned mentor is too busy or doesn’t have the experience to guide you, it’s the veterans who step in. But we need to be recognized for that labor. It’s essential, not extra.”
Quote byShelia Pinkney, 5th Grade Teacher

Mentorship, she says, isn't just about survival. It’s about helping educators thrive and creating stronger classrooms and school communities. Veteran teachers bring hard-won experience, classroom management skills, and deep institutional knowledge—things that can’t be taught in a college class but are critical to success.
Despite their value, veteran educators are being left behind. While North Carolina has increased starting salaries for new teachers, experienced educators have seen little to no growth in their pay— including the current budget proposals from the NC House and Senate.
“When I started, during Governor Hunt’s tenure, educators were valued,” she said. “We were heard at the General Assembly. Step increases aligned with the cost of living. That’s not the case anymore.”
This lack of investment, Pinkney warns, discourages new educators from considering teaching as a long-term career—and pushes veteran teachers out of the profession. “If veteran teachers leave because of pay or lack of support, who will guide them?” she asked. “There are departments where the most experienced teacher has only been there for three years. That’s not sustainable.”
Pinkney’s own growth as a teacher and advocate came from learning how to navigate policy and power. Early in her career, she didn’t know how to help parents or speak up at the state level. “Now, I can walk into a legislator’s office and say, ‘This is what it looks like when we don’t have substitutes,’” she said.
She credits NCAE for much of that growth and believes more educators need support in understanding how education policy shapes their daily lives. “I don’t think educators come into the profession knowing how to navigate systems. They have to find community and a safe place to ask hard questions.”
Programs like Aspiring Educators help fill some of these gaps, but Pinkney sees a need for more structured preparation, especially around advocacy, equity, and real-world policy challenges.
When asked what one thing she would change with a magic wand to improve public education, her answer was clear: policymakers.
“I would help policymakers truly understand the plight of education—so they leave conversations ready to enact changes,” she said. “That includes infrastructure, pay, curriculum, staffing, meals, and transportation—all of it.”
Improving education, she emphasized, isn’t just about salary. It’s about investing in the entire system: safe, well-maintained buildings; access to resources; wraparound services; and the staff needed to support every student.
Her message to parents, community members, and elected officials is simple but urgent: “We all have a role to play. When people move to North Carolina, they want to know where the strong schools are. Strong schools build strong communities.”
Sheila Pinkney is more than an experienced teacher—she’s a leader, a mentor, and a keeper of institutional memory. Her story is a powerful reminder that veteran educators are the foundation of strong schools. If we want students to thrive, we must support and value the educators who have made it their life’s work to help them succeed.