Author: North Carolina Arts Council
Michelle Burrows has played a pivotal role in A+ Schools of North Carolina since its inception, providing steadfast leadership as its director for more than 15 years. She launched her teaching career in Oakland, California, where she embraced interdisciplinary instruction as part of her educational foundation. After relocating to Raleigh in late 1994, she applied for a fourth-grade teaching position at Charles R. Bugg Elementary.
In a fortunate turn of events, Bugg Elementary had been selected to become one of the first 25 North Carolina schools to implement the A+ Schools model. Michelle met her new colleagues at the A+ Five-Day Institute, at UNC-Greensboro, that summer, marking the beginning of her journey with the program. The following summer, she accepted an invitation to become an A+ trainer—now known as an A+ Fellow.
The A+ Schools program was launched by the Kenan Institute for the Arts in 1995, and as it expanded, it transitioned from the Kenan Institute of the Arts to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2010, the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, became the home of A+ Schools of North Carolina, where the program remains today. Michelle’s time as director began with the move to the N.C. Arts Council, where she worked tirelessly to bolster the program. What started out as a team of one has grown to a team of four full-time staff members dedicated solely to A+ Schools.
A+ Schools of N.C. has grown under Michelle’s leadership. Each year, new schools and new A+ Fellows are welcomed to the program. Professional development for teachers, administrators, and staff is the hallmark of the transformative model, and through her leadership, A+ Schools has developed a high-quality, engaging, standards-based process for developing creative schools. In addition, Michelle and her team work to spread techniques that support the arts in education broadly, creating opportunities and connections for educators and education partners outside of the A+ Schools network.
The N.C. Arts Council will begin the search for an A+ Schools of North Carolina director this fall and plans to fill the position before Michelle’s departure, in mid-January. This timing allows ample time for Michelle and the A+ Schools team to provide the new director with a foundation for leadership. Michelle told us in an interview recently, “A+ Schools of North Carolina is well-positioned to continue our transformative work in education. We have an amazing A+ staff of forward thinkers, as well as a strong and experienced cadre of educators and teaching artists who stand at the ready to continue building creative and engaging schools.”