Shelby
Shelby, NC · Education
Charlotte Observer
Beloved NC high school student with Down syndrome scores TD on Senior Night
All week long, South Mecklenburg High football coach Joe Evans told Evan Pech that he was going to score a touchdown. Pech, 17, is a senior who loves WWE wrestling and football. He has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that affects 1 in about 6,000 newborns in the US annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition can alter how the brain and body develop. Last Friday was likely South Meck’s last home game of the season, and the last home game of Pech’s high school career. Coach Evans wanted to make it memorable. “I go get Evan on Tuesdays and he comes with me and goes to (football) practice,” Joe Evans said, “and then he goes to the JV games on Thursdays. But this past week, against Garinger, it was our Senior Night, and he’s a senior.” So Evans called Garinger coach Jupiter Wilson and arranged for a pre-game play. South Meck would line up at the Garinger 20 and Evan would get the ball. And Evan would score. And everybody would go crazy. “So I call Jupiter,” Evans said, “and I asked, ‘Would you guys be willing?’ Jupiter’s a great dude and he’s like,
Niner Times
UNC Charlotte places three fraternities on interim restriction
As of Oct. 24, UNC Charlotte placed the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity on an interim restriction. On Oct. 27, the University also placed the Chi Phi and Sigma Tau Gamma fraternities on interim restriction. An interim restriction is a temporary limitation put on a campus organization when an investigation or...
fortmillprepsports.com
Copperheads ride gutsy late comeback to top Clover
CLOVER – Catawba Ridge scored two touchdowns, including a momentous 98-yard kickoff return that sparked an emotional late comeback, in the final 6:30 of action to top Clover High School 19-14 in the regular season finale. With the win, the Copperheads they improved to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in...
Charlotte Observer
Tega Cay Sun
Tega Cay Sun
WBTV
Ashe Post & Times
$10M grant expands App State model for teacher-directed professional learning
BOONE — Appalachian State University’s Office of Rural Promise (ORP) has secured a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch ETL SPARK (Empowering Teacher Learning: Strengthening Professional learning to Advance Reading Knowledge). App State will partner with school districts across North Carolina as part of the five-year research initiative to study how teacher-directed professional learning in middle grades literacy can elevate classroom instruction and empower educators. North Carolina has made major investments in elementary literacy, but ongoing, individualized professional development for middle grades literacy remains limited, leaving little room for autonomy or responsiveness to local contexts, explained Dr. James Beeler, executive director of the Office of Rural Promise. ETL SPARK aims to address these gaps by: Strengthening middle grades literacy instruction through teacher‑directed professional learningIncreasing relevance and autonomy in professional learningSupporting teacher retention by building confidence, competence and community The program builds on ORP’s recently completed Empowering Teacher Learning (ETL) model, a five-year, $12 million federally funded project launched in 2021 in middle schools across Western North Carolina. Focused on teacher-directed, competency-based professional learning, the ETL model demonstrated that this approach can strengthen instructional quality, create clearer pathways for educators to earn microcredentials and support teacher
takingthekids.com
This Small North Carolina College Just Took The No. 1 Spot In The Entire South
A college with an 11:1 student-faculty ratio just tied for the top spot among every regional college in the South. That’s the No. 1 slot in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, and it jumped three places to get there. The surprises keep stacking up. This campus...
WBTV
Former Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board chair shares advice for next superintendent search
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board will search for its fifth superintendent in 15 years. Before the process begins, WBTV spoke with a former school board member who has been through a superintendent search. Mary McCray said the hardest assignment for a school board is finding the right...
WFAE
Johnson C. Smith University choir to make debut at historic Carnegie Hall
Students at Johnson C. Smith University are preparing for their debut performance at one of the world's most prestigious concert venues in the world. Twenty-five students from the JCSU choir will perform gospel and contemporary music at New York’s Carnegie Hall as part of an event titled “Sounds of the Season,” which spotlights distinguished musical ensembles across the country. Dr. Angelica Brooks leads the choir. Brooks says they hope to showcase their music in a different light.