Christina Cole is a veteran special education teacher and a proud product of western North Carolina’s public school system. Her love for public education was fostered early in life by her mother and her community in West Jefferson, NC. From a young age, she not only saw but experienced the profound impact educators can have both inside and outside the classroom. She credits several educators with instilling in her a love of learning and inspiring her to pursue a career in education.
A 2009 graduate of Ashe County High School, Cole attended Meredith College in Raleigh, where she studied Exercise Science and Psychology. Even before entering the classroom, Cole was committed to improving the lives of children. During college, she worked as a Playworks Coach in Durham Public Schools and as a camp director and counselor. While at Meredith, one of her professors asked her a question that would ultimately change the course of her career: “Have you ever thought about being a teacher?” Following that conversation, Cole visited the college’s education department and quickly fell in love with the field.
Cole began her career with Wake County Public School System in 2015 as a special education teacher, working at both the middle and high school levels. She later spent four years in the district’s Central Office in the Office of Equity Affairs, where she supported educators in culturally relevant pedagogy and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. She also worked to address the school-to-prison pipeline and disparities in student discipline and suspensions.
“I want public school students, public school workers, parents, community, anyone who cares about public schools, working-class people, and North Carolina to win.” - Christina Cole, NCAE President
Throughout her career, Cole has witnessed firsthand the erosion of working conditions and benefits for educators as state leaders have pursued policies that undermined public education. After experiencing the deteriorating conditions facing educators and reflecting on the advice of one of her college professors, Cole joined the North Carolina Association of Educators. Her desire to answer the question, “What can be done to change these conditions?” led her to take on leadership roles within the union and advocate for meaningful change.
Cole has previously served as President of Wake NCAE, where she led the association to several victories. Among them was successfully stopping the district from eliminating $18 million in special education positions—cuts that would have eliminated roughly 200 positions. She previously served as vice president of Wake NCAE and as a Region 5 Director.
Cole currently serves as President of the North Carolina Association of Educators, North Carolina’s public school workers’ union.
