Teacher Academy Will Brighten Future

by Thadd White - July 21st, 2008 - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

As many as 20 Bertie High School graduates can become Shaw University cadets in August. Those who become cadets will have the opportunity to work for Bertie County Schools during the day while attending school at night to obtain a degree in education.

“We haven’t worked out the specifics of what they will be doing,” Dr. Zullinger said of the daytime duties of these college students. “More than likely it will not be in the traditional teacher assistant role.

“We want them in contact with great teachers early on and we have great teachers,” he said.

Bertie County is about to obtain its first University Campus with the opening of the Shaw University campus next month. This is an exciting program, and just the first start in a great new future for education in Bertie County. If this works out, not only will we soon have a University campus with 80 students studying to become our teachers of the future. We will have the seeds for expansion of Shaw's program into other areas that will offer our kids a brighter future.

This is an incredibly exciting time for Bertie education thanks to some really hard work by Dr. Chip Zullinger and our entire Board of Education. Congratulations to them all for a job well done.