Author: Andie Freeman
Header image: Teachers at the 2025 A+ Schools of North Carolina summer conference at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. Photo by Andie Freeman
Each summer, the A+ Schools of North Carolina staff invite administrators and educators from the A+ network for unique and empowering professional development. These training sessions occur at conferences across the state, ranging from five-day institutes for new A+ schools to two- and three-day trainings for returning A+ schools. The summer conferences are interactive, hands-on, and open to all staff members: administrators, classroom and special-area teachers, student support staff, and office staff. A+ Fellows lead conference attendees through curriculum-based and arts-integrated sessions. These specially designed sessions strengthen creative teaching and learning skills and build school culture through customized whole-school experiences. Peer-to-peer networking facilitates the sharing of practices across the A+ Schools network. The conferences use the A+ Essentials throughout the training as the foundational tenets of the A+ practice and philosophy.
“As we celebrate our thirtieth year of providing custom-designed A+ professional development for schools across our network, both during the summer and throughout each school year, we continue to work hard to remain relevant, fresh, and current for schools that return to A+ training year after year,” Michelle Burrows, the A+ Schools director, said. “And we continue to learn and grow from the ideas, resources, and practices that our A+ network schools share with us.”
A cornerstone of the A+ training is the involvement of A+ Fellows, who are highly trained and vetted to facilitate this unique professional development. These fellows, comprising educators, arts educators, and teaching artists from across the state, play an integral role in customizing the program. Each school is assigned a team of A+ Fellows who get to know the school, and then plan and facilitate an agenda tailored specifically to the school. A participant in the program noted, “I appreciated the intentionality of the team in ensuring that we were engaged and structuring our activities in a way that met our needs.”
To guide the specialized experiences of A+ professional development, A+ Fellows read daily reflections written by participants. These reflections help the fellows understand the needs, questions, and concerns of the participants. With this knowledge, they can make real-time adjustments for each individual school’s needs, further customizing the experience for each participant.
The customization, collaboration, and unique energy of the experience have resonated with those who have taken part. As one participant said, “I love teaching at an A+ school and how it changes my classroom for the better and keeps students engaged. I am always excited to come and gain new ideas to take back and use.”
The training is also a good time for everyone. “This summer, I was struck by the common threads running through participant reflections. Educators not only noted how engaging and thought-provoking the sessions were. They also emphasized how supportive and kind the A+ Fellows and staff were, and how much fun they had. Engagement, relevance, kindness, and fun—that’s the ultimate recipe for success,” Michelle said.