The Edenton-Chowan Board of Education is the 2019 recipient of the School Board Leadership Award. This award honors a school board for extraordinary leadership during the 2018-2019 fiscal year. To receive this esteemed award, which is given by the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA), a board must demonstrate excellent governance skills through commitment to the role of the school board.
The board was recognized during the awards ceremony of the Association’s Annual Conference for Board Member Development in Greensboro on November 19. During comments to ceremony attendees, presenters remarked that the board is known in the community for its servant leadership. Their achievement of Master Board status shows their commitment to professional growth for the betterment of students. Under their leadership, the high-poverty district saw historic student achievement last school year, including increased proficiency, zero low-performing schools, and a 91.6 percent graduation rate.
In addition, NCSBA proudly recognized the Edenton-Chowan Board of Education as a Level I Master Board. “Master Board is a knowledge- and skills-based training program that provides school boards with the opportunity to develop governance skills as a full board,” according to Ed Dunlap, executive director of NCSBA. What makes Master Board unique from the Association’s other training programs is that all board members and the superintendent commit to the training. School boards can earn two different levels of Master Board status – Master Board Level I requires 20 hours of training and Master Board Level II requires 40 hours of training. Some course topics include Understanding School Boards in a Democracy, Solving Problems and Making Decisions, and Analyzing Ethical Challenges.
The members of the Edenton-Chowan Board of Education are: Board Chair Gene Jordan, Vice Chair Jean Bunch, Debra Brodie, Ricky Browder, Gil Burroughs, Paul Clifton, Maxine Mason, and Joan White. The superintendent is Dr. Rob Jackson, and the Master Board trainer for Edenton-Chowan is Ralph Warren.