Author: Andie Freeman
Header image: Photo by Sara Ridings, courtesy of A+ Schools of North Carolina / North Carolina Arts Council.
As A+ Schools celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, we’re highlighting the voices of those who experience its impact every day. Teachers, administrators, and students shared what they love about A+ and how this transformative model has enriched their teaching and learning environments.
A+ educators and administrators share their thoughts
Why do you love A+?
“I love A+ because it gives us the how. At ABS, we know the value of educating through the arts, but A+ provides the practical strategies: how to get kids up, moving, dancing, and learning, and just as importantly, how to bring them back to their seats ready for focus and paper-and-pencil tasks. It’s the bridge between creativity and structure, helping us make learning both joyful and effective.”
—Robin Hollis, principal at Arts-Based School, Winston-Salem. and A+ liaison
“I love A+ because it re-centers learning around joy, creativity, and possibility. It creates a space where every child can shine—whether through music, movement, visual art, or storytelling—and it reminds us that education is not just about test scores, but about nurturing the whole child. I wish this mindset toward education had been around when I was young. It would have completely changed how I view myself as a learner and an individual. I am thankful, however, that it is available to the youth of today and that I get to play a role in helping to bring positive change to their lives.”
—AmyLyn Foster, A+ Coordinator at Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Kannapolis
“I love A+ because it makes school exciting for both kids and adults, and it gives us a purpose to rally around and focus on for total school improvement. It gives every student a chance to shine, whether they’re into music, art, movement, or just thinking outside the box. Learning becomes an experience, and it makes school a place where people want to be. It has truly transformed our whole school environment and made our school one of the most desirable places to work and learn in our district.”
—Melody Marsh, principal, Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Kannapolis
“A+ is all I have ever known in teaching. A+ is a part of me. I love it and wouldn't teach any other way. My own child went through Saluda and is a product of an A+ school. He appreciates art and music. I don't think he would have gotten that at another school that was not A+.”
—Ginger Rackley, A+ Coordinator at Saluda Elementary, Polk County
“We love A+ because it gives hope and joy to a school community that needs it most. It allows us to teach the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally—while honoring creativity and culture. Our students come from challenging backgrounds, but A+ ensures that every child has a chance to shine, to be seen, and to succeed in ways that go beyond the classroom. We love A+ because it transforms not only how we teach, but also how students see themselves—as capable, creative, and full of potential.”
—Miriam Stiwalt, A+ Coordinator at China Grove Elementary, Rowan-Salisbury Schools
How has your school climate been impacted by being a part of the A+ network?
“From the very beginning, adopting the A+ philosophy was transformative for us. Our teachers were energized to collaborate and think creatively about integration, and we immediately saw the impact: students were more engaged, attendance improved, and academic gains followed. It's been quite the journey, and we are so proud to have been an A+ school now for nearly 10 years! More than anything, A+ shaped our culture into one that is collaborative, creative, and joyful. It’s truly the heartbeat of our community. Happy 30th birthday, A+!”
—Katiuska Herrador, principal at Jones Academy, Arlington, Texas
“I was a teacher within our school before we became an A+ school. Watching the shift in the climate has been fun. Teaching in a high poverty Title 1 school is not for the faint of heart. It requires more creativity, resources, and energy to bring students who are woefully behind up to a level of success. For teachers, the personal situations of the students are often heartbreaking and taxing emotionally. Once we started delivering our instruction using the A+ model, students started finding success, teachers began to enjoy teaching again, and the overall atmosphere within the school began to shift positively. Over the years, our scores have increased, and our school climate has shifted to one that feels more joyful and inclusive. Students and teachers alike look forward to seeing how the arts will be woven into their day. Because of the A+ model, there’s a sense of shared purpose and celebration of creativity that extends beyond classrooms into hallways, performances, and even family events.”
—AmyLyn Foster, A+ Coordinator at Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Kannapolis
“Since we joined the A+ Network, the climate at Gunn Junior High Fine Arts and Dual Language Academy has flourished into a more positive, collaborative, and unified community. Teachers feel valued, supported, and empowered to take risks in their practice. They recognize that for students to feel safe being vulnerable in the classroom, educators must model that same openness themselves. Through purposeful A+ professional development and more focused professional learning communities, our teachers are not only learning but also experiencing meaningful growth together.”
—Samantha Uribe, A+ Coordinator, arts integration specialist, and A+ Fellow at Gunn Junior High, Arlington, Texas
“Being part of the A+ network has shifted our entire school climate. Students feel valued because their ideas and creativity are celebrated, not just their test scores. Teachers feel supported and inspired to bring joy back into their classrooms. Families who may not have always felt connected to school are coming in for performances, art shows, and showcases, and they see their children shine. The overall atmosphere is more positive, hopeful, and collaborative—we feel like we’re part of something bigger.”
—Miriam Stiwalt, A+ Coordinator at China Grove Elementary, Rowan-Salisbury Schools
What kind of growth have you seen in your students—academically, socially, or emotionally—since adopting the A+ model?
“We have seen kids really open up since we started with A+. Academically, they’re more engaged because lessons are more creative and hands-on. Socially, they’re working together more, and even the quieter kids are finding their voices. Emotionally, students have a lot more confidence. We have had students who didn’t think of themselves as “good at school” suddenly shine and thrive because the arts gave them another way to show how smart they are. Our school has grown from a D school to C school, as scored by the NC state accountability system, and we are no longer on the recurring low-performing list.”
—Melody Marsh, Principal, Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Kannapolis
“Since adopting the A+ model, I’ve seen students begin to believe in themselves as academic scholars. They are using creativity to problem-solve and are working more collaboratively with their classmates. Because of the increase in collaboration, students are learning to see the value in the input of others around them. Socially and emotionally, I’ve noticed a real increase in confidence—especially from students who were once hesitant to speak up in class. They are participating in class discussions and collaborative group work. Teaching through the arts and the exposure to the different areas of the arts has opened up a new world of possibilities for the students and given them a hope for a successful future.”
—AmyLyn Foster, A+ Coordinator at Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Kannapolis
“My school was an A+ school when I started working here. This is the only place I have taught, so A+ has been ingrained in me from the beginning. I started here as a teaching assistant and had to go to another school to do my student teaching. It was an amazing difference in the school that I student-taught in compared to Saluda. The Saluda students were more engaged in their learning and they were experiencing so much more through the arts integrated, arts-enhanced, and arts exposure lessons they were receiving at Saluda. I have seen the difference in students since I started teaching. They do better academically, they have so many aha moments during an arts-integrated lesson, and the students who struggle academically find ways to shine through the arts.”
—Ginger Rackley, A+ Coordinator at Saluda Elementary, Polk County
“Since adopting the A+ model, we’ve seen our students grow in ways that go far beyond test scores. Many of our children come to us with limited exposure to the arts and sometimes with social-emotional challenges related to poverty. Arts integration has helped them find their voices, build confidence, and take pride in their work. Academically, we’ve seen more students willing to take risks, stay engaged, and persist in problem-solving. Socially and emotionally, students who once struggled to participate now collaborate, share ideas, and express themselves more freely. The growth isn’t just in numbers—it’s in the joy, confidence, and resilience we see every day.”
—Miriam Stiwalt, A+ Coordinator at China Grove Elementary, Rowan-Salisbury Schools
“In the past two years, we have really buckled down with accountability and fidelity on the A+ model alongside some other coaching and leadership moves. We have seen our test scores rise significantly, which in turn has brought our state report card grade up! Our students come to our school FOR the arts-integrated lessons and arts programs. Their behaviors are kept in check because they have the arts as a vehicle to express themselves and learn!”
—Crystal Briley, A+ Coordinator at University Park Creative Arts Academy, Charlotte, and A+ Liaison
How has A+ professional development influenced your own teaching practice or practices across your school?
“A+ professional development has really changed the way our teachers think. Instead of just “fitting in” the arts when they have time, they are using them as a core part of how they teach. It’s given us lots of new strategies and it’s made teaching more fun. Teachers are excited about trying new things and thinking outside of the box and you can feel that creative energy spread across the whole school.”
—Melody Marsh, Principal, Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Kannapolis
“The A+ professional development has been transformative. Arts Integration is the vehicle through which we deliver our instruction, and the professional development provided by A+ has given us the tools we need to become successful teaching in this way. We have learned how to think outside the box when preparing our lessons—making sure the content is strong yet delivered in a meaningful way. This has given our teachers a sense of freedom when planning instruction, and completely changed the climate within the school. A+ professional development has created a common language for us to discuss creativity, engagement, and deeper learning.”
—AmyLyn Foster, A+ Coordinator at Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Kannapolis
“Every time I have attended an A+ professional development, I feel rejuvenated. It is truly amazing. I am ready to tackle the world when I leave A+ professional development. So, I come back to my room with even more determination to integrate the arts in my lessons and work more closely with the enrichment teachers, so that we are truly having that arts-integrated collaboration. I bring back ideas that I can start using in my classroom the very next day.”
—Ginger Rackley, A+ Coordinator at Saluda Elementary, Polk County
“The A+ professional development has transformed the way we teach. Before, lessons often felt rigid, with few entry points for students who struggled. Through A+, we’ve learned strategies to use movement, music, drama, and visual arts to reach students at all levels. It has given our staff a common language and renewed sense of creativity. Across the school, we see teachers collaborating more, experimenting with new strategies, and feeling more confident about meeting the diverse needs of our students. The professional development has truly reignited our passion for teaching.”
—Miriam Stiwalt, A+ Coordinator at China Grove Elementary, Rowan-Salisbury Schools
“My own teaching practice has grown exponentially—I used to think music was music and math was math. But in implementing the A+ Essentials and learning HOW to share them with others, I've grown my teaching practice to include the collaboration of subjects along with the people teaching them! But in doing so, we had to make some serious changes to our infrastructure, too, and I feel like the A+ professional development had serious influence on that piece of the puzzle. We are now using the A+ lesson planning documents and arts vocabulary alongside our own district protocols for arts-integration lesson planning and professional learning communities. As an A+ Coordinator learning from the A+ Schools model, I have led our practice to grow from only providing arts-integrated professional development to teachers hoping it would take, to modeling and taking lessons live in professional learning communities where they learned from our Encore team, and now we are planning and coteaching lessons alongside each other! It's SO FUN to see this growth and watch our students benefit from the rich lessons that are being provided.”
—Crystal Briley, A+ Coordinator at University Park Creative Arts Academy, Charlotte, and A+ Liaison
What do A+ students think?
Why do you love being at an A+ school?
“Being an A+ student feels equivalent to getting an ice-cream sundae on a hot day. I’ve always strived to be smart and this school allows me to experience that. They also give me the ability to help others and that feels amazing. When I work with other students at school. it makes me feel like I am doing something that could affect someone’s entire life. I want to make a difference for the ones who struggle.”
—Royal Oaks School of the Arts middle-school student
“Our teachers always give good examples in class and make things interesting that would usually be boring. I’m never bored at school.”
—Royal Oaks School of the Arts middle-school student
"It is fun because we do more projects."
— Saluda Elementary student
"You get to do more subjects like Media, Art, Music, and PE [physical education]."
— Saluda Elementary student
“Because it makes learning fun and not boring.”
—China Grove Elementary student
“I feel special because my art and projects are on the walls for everyone to see.”
—China Grove Elementary student
“We get to show who we are and be creative, not just do tests all the time.”
—China Grove Elementary student
Pick three words to describe your school and tell me why you chose those words.
“Creative, freeing, and safe. I picked these words because, one, my school is fully engaged with flowing creativity and freedom. Second, my school is where I feel safest, no matter the situation I might be in. Third, my school lets every kid be who they are, with no barriers.”
—Royal Oaks School of the Arts middle-school student
“Fun, Caring, Kind: I chose those words because there is more to our school than that, but those words are at the center of everything.”
—Royal Oaks School of the Arts middle-school student
“Creative, because the teachers let us create stuff. We get to do different games, like the scooter game in PE to help us with force and motion in science. Determination, because everyone here was determined to get us caught up when we missed school because of the hurricane. Fun, because we get to do things that other schools don't, like PE, art, and music.”
— Saluda Elementary student
“Fun, because we get to do art, plays, and music while we learn. Colorful, because the walls have our art and it makes me feel happy. Family, because teachers and friends help me and care about me.”
—China Grove Elementary student
How has learning at your school helped you become a better student or try new things?
“Learning at Royal Oaks not only helps my understanding academically but also has given me so many opportunities with performances, and I’m extremely grateful for it.”
—Royal Oaks School of the Arts middle-school student
“Through theater, our school has helped me find out who I really am. I’m not a sports kid and I’m a little different. I finally found ME.”
—Royal Oaks School of the Arts middle-school student
“I used to hate going up in front of the class, but because we do plays in class, I feel better about getting up in front of people.”
— Saluda Elementary student
“I used to be scared to talk in front of people, but now I can because we do plays and group projects.”
—China Grove Elementary student
“I try harder at reading because we act out the stories and it makes me understand them more.”
—China Grove Elementary student
“I learned that I’m good at painting, and it makes me want to try other new things, too.”
—China Grove Elementary student