Dr. Destiney Ross-Putney has been named the Chief Officer of Instruction and Innovation. She will begin duties in her new role in May, according to information from VCS.

Kadecia Stewart-Faines has been named Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator and Casey Jackson has been named the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator and are set to begin their new duties in July.

Ross-Putney, a graduate of Vance County Schools, will take the reins from Dr. Gail Powers, who is retiring. She began in 2008 as a math teacher at Northern Vance High School, continuing as assistant principal at STEM Early High School, secondary math specialist, instructional technology facilitator and then executive director of the Center for Innovation and Professional Learning.

VCS Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett said she is confident Ross-Putney will expand her impact on the district in her new role, calling her an “innovative educator and systems thinker. Her work ethic is phenomenal and her desire to support teaching and learning is essential to the work we hope to accomplish.”

Ross-Putney was instrumental in the creation of the district’s first STEM middle school, designing and implementing an early high school model that was one-of-its-kind on the national level. She continues to fulfill her passion of providing access and opportunities to underrepresented student groups to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics) education and career fields.

As a graduate of Vance County Schools, Ross-Putney went on to earn her Bachelors of Science in Math Education and Masters in Education in Instructional Technology from N.C. State University. She earned her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from High Point University. As a student-centered and passionate professional who is committed to building relationships, ensuring equity, inspiring creativity, and promoting practices that effectively improves outcomes for students, the district is excited for the work Ross-Putney will bring to the role of Chief Officer of Instruction and Innovation and the impact on our learning communities.

Ross-Putney and her husband have three children and live in Franklin County.

Stewart-Faines joined VCS in 2013 and has a total of 17 in the field of education. She began teaching in Kingston, Jamaica before coming to North Carolina. She was a teacher at Pinkston Street Elementary and was named 2017-18 Teacher of the Year. She moved on to earn district teacher of the year honors and then regional teacher of the year. She transitioned to school administration and previously was assistant principal at Vance County Middle School. She currently serves as the Innovative Partnership Grant Coach.

She earned her Bachelors in Education from Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and her Masters in Curriculum an.d Instruction from Florida International University, Stewart-Faines then went on to earn her Masters in School Administration from High Point University. She participated in the High Point Leadership Academy for School Leadership.

Superintendent Bennett shared, “All educators need support, especially those new to the profession, state or country. Kedecia is very knowledgeable in the teaching and learning process and has a heart to serve.

Stewart-Faines lives in Williamsboro with her husband and three children.

Jackson, who will become the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator, joined VCS in 2018. Jackson began as a 4th grade teacher in Virginia for nine years, later becoming an Assistant Principal. After 3 years in that role, she became a Principal, serving in that capacity for one year. In 2018, Jackson joined Vance County Schools as a Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL) at Aycock Elementary.

MCL’s were initially established at Opportunity Culture schools within Vance County Schools as those with data to support high-growth student learning and leadership competencies. MCL’s work directly with staff and students, spending a portion of time teaching, as well as leading small teams of teachers, collaborating to provide support and implementing the best strategies for classroom instruction. Jackson has had great success in this role. As the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator, she will extend her reach, working with both MCL’s and principals.

“Casey is a strong instructional leader. From teacher to MCL to Principal, she has demonstrated her passion for education and supporting both students and staff,” shared Superintendent Bennett. “We are excited about the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator position, as it will expand Casey’s impact throughout the district.”

A graduate of Longwood University, Jackson earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and her Masters of Science in Educational Leadership. She resides in South Hill, Virginia with her husband and three children.

For the first time in the history of the state of North Carolina, students at STEM Early High picked, researched, designed, and on May 11th, will be testing scientific experiments in zero-g, lunar, and martial gravity environments.

— Vance County Schools Press Release —

STEM Early High School teacher Milton Lima represented Vance County Schools at the 29th Annual Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC) at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas. SEEC is one of the nation’s leading science educational opportunities for K-12th grade educators to access the latest teaching tools that can fuel their students’ passion for STEM, explore topics in aerospace and network with space industry leaders and NASA experts!

The theme of the 29th SEEC was “Inspiration Shapes Our Future”. Lima shared that scientists, engineers and exceptional educators conducted sessions which offered hands-on, easy to implement science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics lessons, geared towards engaging students at all grade levels.

During the conference, Lima had the opportunity to present the different programs that Vance County Schools’ students have developed at STEM Early High School, such as the:

➔ Microgravity Program: For the first time in the history of the state of North Carolina, students at STEM Early High picked, researched, designed, and on May 11th, will be testing scientific experiments in zero-g, lunar, and martial gravity environments. This program is a collaboration with the Wisconsin and North Carolina Space Grant Consortium, and also Winston-Salem State University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

➔ NASA Sparx: This is an international collaboration of teachers mentoring students on solving NASA Challenges. Students at STEM Early High worked on building lunar habitats with paper and 3-D models. They have also been working on using metaverse technology. Students at STEM were able to meet weekly with other students across the globe during NASA Sparx.

➔ Space Farmers: STEM Early High students were involved in some of the projects by NASA, which included understanding how to plant in space within harsh and inappropriate conditions. This program is part of an international collaboration of educators.

Lima was also asked to participate in the recognizing of the Limitless Space Institute (LSI) participants. Lima was 1 of 20 educators selected worldwide that are learning beyond solar system science and creating STEAM K-12 lesson plans to bring into the classroom.

“The Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC) is a place for hands-on activities combined with engaging speakers that inject enthusiasm to go back into the classroom and help students reach the stars,” says Lima. “It is my goal to continue inspiring our children to be successful in our state, nationwide and across the globe.”

The conference was also an opportunity for scientists, engineers and educators to network with each other and learn what’s happening in STEM in schools across the world. Milton Lima shared that he is meeting with the Director of Education at NASA Space Center Houston and Vice-Chair of Manned Space Flight Education Foundation Board of Director, Iván Rodriguez, to discuss collaborations for NASA Programs in North Carolina and Brazil.