Christopher Brothers
My name is Christopher Brothers, and I am a History Teacher and the Head Wrestling Coach at Dixon High School. I am currently in my 10th year of teaching and coaching. I began teaching in the 2013-14 school as a 7th-grade teacher. I taught middle school for five years before transitioning to high school. Being a member of the RTLN was a very valuable experience for me. Learning about equity and diversity in issues in our state, from diverse perspectives, has changed the way I view my classroom and our school communities as a whole. I am excited to learn more about the policy and funding aspects of Public Education. I am excited about my new role as an RTLN Mentor. I hope to help Cohort 2 learn ways they can improve their school communities through an equity lens.
My name is Albertia Burgess, and I am a proud native of Jacksonville, NC. In addition to being the lucky parent of three adult daughters, I am also a career educator and community liaison. For more than 15 years, I have devoted my expertise, professional training, and work experience to the teaching field. This work included creating various types of teaching supplements, developing strategies for navigating literacy elements and devices, providing writing instruction, managing large groups of youth, communicating with student support teams, fundraising/grant writing, developing individualized education plans, and facilitating professional development for other educators. Though my work is not population limited, I have developed a talent for working with struggling youth and at-risk learners. I believe academic processes exist, or can be created, to aid all learners and that education should fulfill both personal and professional interests. Additionally, by promoting the ability to collaborate, network, and serve in unison, I believe community involvement and inclusion enhances much of the work we do. As a citizen, I believe educators pave the way for creating platforms and tools necessary for providing meaningful academic and personal learning experiences, while redefining and strengthening community culture.
Albertia Burgess
Vevlyn Lowe
Vevlyn Lowe is currently in her twenty-seventh of teaching and is the band director at Sampson Middle School in Clinton, North Carolina. She is a graduate of East Carolina University where she earned a Bachelor’s in Music Education and Certification in Administration. Vevlyn received her master’s degree in music education/piano pedagogy from Florida State University. She also received her certification in Academically and Gifted Education. She is a Nationally Board Certified teacher and has served as a National Board and edTPA assessor for Pearson Scoring. Vevlyn is a member of SEDBA, NAfME, ASBDA, and serves as the All-District Band Auditions co-chair for the South-Eastern District Band Directors Association. She has served as clinician for a variety of All-County and District ensembles and is the proud founder of Dark Horse Fellows, a future teacher preparatory program in Clinton City Schools. Vevlyn is passionate about helping new and future teachers. She feels that her participation in the inaugural cohort of RTLN has developed her leadership to guide future teachers and other teachers to strengthen their practice.
Hello, Everyone! My name is Emily Lahr, and I am a native of North Carolina. I’m an avid sports fan, varsity volleyball coach, assistant varsity girls soccer coach, amateur astronomer, and lifelong learner. I’ve received both my Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Art in Teaching Science Education from East Carolina University and I’m currently working toward obtaining my Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in curriculum studies and teacher education through Texas Tech University. My research interests are focused on rural teacher preparation, and pre-service, and early career teacher understanding of science content knowledge. I teach STEM Biology, Earth and Environmental Science, Physical Science, AP Environmental Science, and Student Research at Greene Central High School in eastern North Carolina. I sit on the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Regional Director’s Advisory Committee as a teacher advisor and volunteer with North Carolina Science Olympiad and other science competitions. Some of my leadership roles include coaching educators in the Greene County Schools STEM academy, being a North Carolina Science Leadership Association Fellow, and Kenan Fellow, being a district trainer for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), and being a clinical teacher, and member of the School Improvement Team as well as the inaugural cohort of the Rural Teacher Leader Network (RTLN). The RTLN experience reshaped my perspective on rural education and advocacy. This program allowed me to connect with a variety of teachers from unique backgrounds, and build professional relationships and skills that not only support my students but also the rural education system as a whole. As a result of this experience, I have come back to be a mentor for the next cohort of RTLN leaders! I chose to return because this was a transformative experience and I want to do what I can to perpetuate the practices of informed teaching, policy advocacy, and the driving of educational change.
Emily Lahr
