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Twenty-five school leaders from across North Carolina, including Timothy Ratliff of P.S. Jones Middle School, have been selected for the inaugural cohort of the Assistant Principal (AP) Accelerator Leadership Program, a joint partnership among the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals’ Association (NCPAPA), the Belk Foundation, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). The newly established AP Accelerator Program is a statewide leadership initiative funded by NCDPI and the Belk Foundation to fast track promising assistant principals for principal positions.

Superintendents nominated more than 60 individuals across the state for the program. After a rigorous selection process, the inaugural 25-member cohort was identified by NCPAPA. The selected cohort members represent a range of diversity and experience; nearly half the participants are persons of color, three of four are female, and participants have an average of three years of experience. Selected participants will enter the AP Accelerator Program and receive targeted leadership development and coaching from proven practitioners in the field.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt underscored the importance and value of this principal-focused professional development opportunity.

“The AP Accelerator Program allows us to invest in school leaders and grow the pipeline of highly qualified and excellent principals in our state,” Truitt said. “As a teacher, I know that principals are the great multipliers of excellence, building and maintaining school morale, so we want to prioritize this group of professionals and ensure that they are supported and provided with professional development opportunities to continue growing.”

Tabari Wallace, special advisor to the state superintendent on principal engagement, said he’s confident that the first cohort will finish the program with strong leadership skills.

“After a rigorous selection process, we are delighted to accelerate the competencies, effective practices and school turnaround ability of the 25 cohort participants,” Wallace said. “This approach will begin to address the perceived divide between highly qualified and highly effective leadership.”