Congratulations to Person County Superintendent Rodney Peterson, named on October 9 as the 2026 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year!
The national superintendent of the year will be named in February at the national conference of the American Association of School Administrators.
As the award announcement noted, the district is planning to “continue building systemic solutions that transform student achievement across the district.” Under Peterson’s leadership, Person County Schools went through a fast-track design process in the spring to begin using Multi-Classroom Leader® teaching teams this year, to extend the reach of excellent teaching to more students through Opportunity Culture® staffing design.
Hear more from Dr. Peterson in our first “Superintendents Speak” podcast.
The award is presented jointly by the North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA) and the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA), and includes a $5,000 award to the winner.
Jack Hoke, NCSSA’s executive director, called Peterson “a champion for children throughout his career as an educator and as a district leader.”
As Person County superintendent since 2017, Peterson brought in Opportunity Culture® design this year to provide a career path for teachers that lets excellent teachers advance and earn more without leaving the classroom, support and retain teachers, and increase student learning.
Including Peterson, four the last seven superintendent of the year winners have been leaders of districts using Opportunity Culture® models:
2020: Dr. Anthony Jackson (then at Vance County Schools, now at Chatham County Schools, to which Jackson introduced Opportunity Culture® design)
2022: Dr. Valerie Bridges (then at Edgecombe County Schools, now retired)
2024: Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. (then at Cumberland County Schools, now retired)
2026: Dr. Rodney Peterson (Person County Schools)
Learn more: Watch NC Superintendents of the Year on Their Opportunity Culture® Districts