Tag Archive for: #ncae

Clarke Elementary Principal Dr. C’Monee’ Wilkins Named NCAE’s 2025 Principal Of The Year

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Clarke Elementary School Principal Dr. C’monee’ Wilkins has been named 2025 Principal of the Year by the N.C. Association of Educators.

This distinguished award honors outstanding leadership, a deep commitment to student and staff success and steadfast support for public education.

Wilkins has more than a decade of experience in education. She was selected following an interview process led by the NCAE Division of Principals/Administrators Board, who chose her for her strong instructional leadership, innovative approaches and dedicated advocacy for educational equity, according to information from NCAE Press Secretary Adrian Ezell.

NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly said, “We are honored to name Dr. Wilkins as our Principal of the Year. Her transformative work is a powerful reminder of the impact strong educational leadership can have on a school community. We are proud of all she has accomplished and excited to see what she will do next.”

Under Wilkins’s leadership, Clarke Elementary has seen remarkable gains. The school’s overall performance grade has improved, and math proficiency in grades 3-5 has tripled. She credits these achievements to the school’s structured coaching model implemented through its Opportunity Culture framework.

Beyond academic outcomes, Wilkins has championed partnerships with organizations such as Student U and Duke University to secure grants that provide critical academic support, mentorship and family engagement resources – helping students thrive both in and out of the classroom.

“Strong schools are built through collaboration, vision and dedication to student success,” Wilkins said. “Through strategic coaching, thoughtful advocacy and continuous learning, I strive to ensure that Clarke Elementary remains a model of excellence where every child has the opportunity to succeed.”

The NCAE Principal of the Year Award is presented annually by the NCAE Division of Principals/Administrators. Nominees are judged on professional practice, advocacy for the profession, community engagement and leadership skills.

The NCAE is the largest association of professional educators in North Carolina.

North Carolina Teacher Retention – NCAE

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Teacher pay and a moratorium on private school vouchers are two of the tangible issues that the president of the North Carolina Association of Educators has on her radar. But Tamika Walker-Kelly also is calling on legislators to join her as she and other public school advocates seek to restore a culture of respect for the thousands of teachers who work in public schools.

Yes, salaries have gone up – it’s about $41,000 for starting teachers, Walker-Kelly acknowledged on Thursday’s The Local Skinny! But North Carolina has lost ground to other states and now is ranked at 38th in the nation for teacher pay.

“We know our legislators in Raleigh could do more,” she said, adding that higher pay is a critical component when it comes to recruitment and retention, but teachers deserve to have respect restored to their profession – “they want to be valued and be heard, and their contributions… are respected and valued,” she said.

The 2024-25 school year marks the fifth year that Walker-Kelly has led the NCAE, which she said is the largest education advocacy group in the state.

She is a proud product of North Carolina public schools and has taught music all of her 18 years in Cumberland County.

“I was inspired by my high school chorus teacher,” she said. “I wanted to be a music teacher just like her.”

Public school teachers interact with more than 1.5 million students across the state’s public school districts – that number accounts for about 85 percent of all children in the state.

The legislature’s private school voucher program stands to siphon off upwards of $500 million dollars, a move the NCAE opposes.

“As an organization, the NCAE continues to be in opposition to vouchers,” she said, adding that taxpayers’ money should go to public schools.

Supporting universal breakfast and lunch programs, mental health programs for students and additional tutoring are other areas of interest for the NCAE, and Walker-Kelly said “education should be everybody’s issue. It should be a bipartisan effort, she said, adding that the NCAE would continue to be a voice for public schools in the General Assembly, across the state and in local communities.

She ranks visiting schools across the state as one of her favorite things to do in her role as NCAE president.
“We should never let people forget that great work goes on in public schools every single day.”

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