Courtesy of The Exploris School
Congratulations to Deborah Brown, the 2026 NC Charter School Principal of the Year! The director of middle grades at The Exploris School, Brown is one of nine regional finalists announced last month by the Department of Public Instruction for the 2026 North Carolina Principal of the Year award.
Located in Raleigh, The Exploris School serves students in grades K-8.
We share an excerpt from DPI’s announcement below:
It should come as no surprise that Deborah Brown, a pioneer of the “flipped” classroom model in North Carolina, shook things up at The Exploris School when she was hired to be the director of middle grades in 2019.
She embarked on a mission to change the school’s leadership structure, in her words, “from a ‘throne room’ to a ‘round table’ approach.” Today, the school is overseen by a collaborative, five-person team – including two elected teacher leaders – that is responsible for decision-making.
That sense of shared ownership is reflected in her approach to professional development for teachers.
“Contemporary principals have to be experts not just in student learning, but in adult learning, too, to make sure staff stays inspired, equipped and connected to growth and skill development that can be the rising tide to lift all the educational boats in the school,” Brown said.
Read the rest of the write-up from DPI. See more from EdNC, the News & Observer, or The Exploris School.
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