Goldsboro, N.C. – On Tuesday, May 6, Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) will host its annual Celebration of Excellence & Awards Program to honor outstanding educators and staff for the 2025-2026 school year. The event will be held at 6:00 PM at the Lane Tree Conference Center in Goldsboro.
The program will recognize the district’s top educators, including the WCPS Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, and Assistant Principal of the Year, as well as the finalists for each of these prestigious awards. In addition, the district will recognize its Career & Technical Education (CTE) Middle and High School Teachers of the Year, School Counselor of the Year, and Media Coordinator of the Year. These honors highlight excellence across all educational roles within WCPS.
Finalists for the district’s top honors have already been selected following a thorough nomination and interview process conducted by a district-level selection committee. They include one finalist each from the elementary, middle, and high school levels for Teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal of the Year.
Teacher of the Year Finalists:
- Kelli Sasser, Spring Creek Elementary – K-5 Separate Setting
- Susan Randolph, Wayne School of Engineering – 8th Grade Science
- Mark Ritcher, Wayne Early/Middle College High School – 9th–11th Grade English
Assistant Principal of the Year Finalists:
- Laurie Keck, North Drive Elementary
- Charlie Davis, Norwayne Middle
- Randall Meisenhelder, Spring Creek High
Principal of the Year Finalists:
- Karla Smith, Carver Elementary
- Edward Cromartie, Jr., Mount Olive Middle
- Nelson Cunningham, Charles B. Aycock High School
“These awards recognize not only the hard work and dedication of our educators, but also the passion they bring to their classrooms and school communities,” said Dr. Yvette Smith Mason, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources & Professional Development. “We look forward to celebrating all the nominees and finalists during this special evening.”
Adding to the evening’s prestige, Heather Smith, the current North Carolina Teacher of the Year, will serve as a guest speaker, offering words of inspiration and encouragement to attendees.
As part of the celebration, each school-level Teacher of the Year will also be honored. These individuals were selected by their peers to represent their schools for the 2025-2026 academic year. A full list of school-level honorees is available and includes teachers from every WCPS school.
Winners of the district-level awards will be announced publicly for the first time during the May 6 ceremony. The WCPS Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year will go on to represent the district in the regional phase of the statewide competition, while the remaining honorees will continue to represent excellence within WCPS.
The Celebration of Excellence highlights Wayne County Public Schools’ ongoing commitment to recognizing outstanding educators who are making a lasting impact on students and the community.
