FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2025
37 educators selected across 10 counties will deepen their practice, strengthen teacher leadership, and build a durable rural educator community
Last year, the Public School Forum of North Carolina convened the third cohort of the Rural Teacher Leadership Network (RTLN)—a professional learning initiative that brings together diverse rural educators to strengthen practice, foster cross-district community, and grow leadership capacity. The network builds a lasting community of teacher leaders with an emphasis on access, opportunity, trauma-informed practice, policy, advocacy, and teacher leadership.
Under the programmatic leadership of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity we will convene a fourth RTLN cohort in Eastern North Carolina during the 2025–26 school year, comprising 36 teachers across 10 counties. Participants will engage in a yearlong, cohort-based series of sessions, peer exchange, and applied learning designed to translate evidence-based strategies into better classroom practice and stronger school communities.
“Rural educators deserve the same sustained, high-quality professional learning as their peers in larger systems,” said Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Dudley Flood Center. “RTLN delivers that support in a cohort model—centering opportunity, access, trauma-informed practice, building teachers’ leadership, and creating the peer community that keeps great educators in our rural schools.”
We will continue alumni support for prior cohorts and, as grant funding permits, sustain RTLN beyond Cohort 4 to meet persistent demand. Providing structured opportunities for rural educators to learn together creates intentional spaces for authentic dialogue and practicing change, enabling teachers to strengthen advocacy, share solutions, and build the capacity of colleagues—ultimately benefiting every student.
The RTLN expansion is made possible through a generous grant from the Anonymous Trust and will support this cohort that comprises educators from Bladen, Lenoir, Wayne, Duplin, Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Sampson, Wayne, Onslow Counties and Clinton City Schools. More than fifty educators applied for the new cohort and participants were selected through a rigorous process. A full roster of the 2025–26 cohort will be available below. We congratulate this year’s cohort members, who are listed below.
2025-2026 Rural Teacher Leader Network
To learn more about the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity and to see a list of events and resources please visit https://floodcenter.org/ and join us in the fight for access and opportunity in education.
For media inquiries, please contact Deanna Townsend-Smith at 919-781-6833 x114 or dtownsend-smith@ncforum.org.
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About the Public School Forum of North Carolina
Since 1986, the Public School Forum of North Carolina has been an indispensable and nonpartisan champion of better schools and the most trusted source in the state for research and analysis on vital education issues. We bring together leaders from business, education and government to study education issues, develop ideas, seek consensus, and ultimately inform and shape education policy. We do that through research, policy work, innovative programs, advocacy, and continuing education for educators and policymakers. Follow the Forum on Twitter @theNCForum and visit our website at http://www.ncforum.org/.
About the Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity
The Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity (Flood Center) serves as a hub to identify and connect organizations, networks, and leaders to address issues of equity, access, and opportunity in education across North Carolina. Leaning on the 70+ years of experience and wisdom of our namesake Dr. Dudley E. Flood, the Flood Center works collaboratively to take action toward addressing issues of systemic racism by advocating for structural changes in policy and practice to build an equitable education system that meets the social, emotional, and academic needs of NC’s diverse student population. Specifically, the Dudley Flood Center exists to create an equitable education system by addressing the systemic inequities plaguing the educational system that limit opportunity and access for PK – 12 students and educators. Follow updates from the Flood Center on LinkedIn, Facebook and online at https://floodcenter.org/.