On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at its regular monthly meeting, the Johnston County Board of Education recognized 11 exemplary educators of Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) who recently completed their National Board Certification.
The National Board Certification is one of the most respected professional certifications available in education and provides numerous benefits to educators, students, and schools. The certification was designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished educators and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.
These individuals have met the lofty standards set forth by the National Board through a performance-based, peer-reviewed series of assessment components, thereby proving that they are educators who are committed to students and their learning, are knowledgeable of the subjects they teach and know how to teach those subjects to students, are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning, think systematically about their practice and learn from experience, and are lifelong members of learning communities.
The newly named National Board Certified Educators stand outside the Johnston County Board of Education building in Smithfield before being recognized at the February regularly scheduled Board meeting.
Pictured (Back row, from left): Matthew Adams - Math Teacher, South Johnston High; Monica Kuznar - Teacher, Dixon Road Elementary; and Courtney Barefoot - Teacher, Meadow School.
(Front row, from left): Rae-Ann Headley-Allen - Counselor, River Dell Elementary; Latonya Foster - Counselor, Cleveland Elementary; Sherri Cabascango - Teacher, Cleveland Elementary; Anna Schlesinger - Teacher, Powhatan Elementary; and Mary Lavely - Teacher, North Johnston Middle.
Not Pictured: Jeremy Barbour - Johnston County Early College Academy, Tricia Palmer - Johnston County Early College Academy, and Jenna Parker - Corinth Holders High.
“I am incredibly proud of our National Board recipients for the dedication, resilience, and countless hours of hard work they invested to reach this remarkable achievement. The hundreds of hours candidates have spent reflecting on student learning outcomes create lasting, meaningful impact for the students they serve every day,” Janelle Bishop, JCPS Director of Professional Learning, stated.
The National Board is an organization dedicated to improving learning outcomes for all students and expanding access to National Board Certification so that every student has the opportunity to learn from accomplished, Board-certified teachers and administrators.
In addition to the 11 individuals celebrated at the Board of Education meeting, 19 JCPS educators renewed their National Board Certification over the past year, bringing the district’s total to more than 200 National Board Certified educators. Those individuals are: Fran Clark - Business/Marketing, West Johnston High; Ragan Schmidt - 8th Grade Language Arts, Archer Lodge Middle; Ashley Holloman - Agriculture Teacher, Corinth Holders High; Allen Williams - Social Studies Teacher, West Johnston High; Sharon Mohiser - FACS Teacher, Princeton High; Cristy Speight - 3rd Grade Teacher, Dixon Road; Colleen Lunger - EC Resource Teacher, Riverwood Middle; Kimberlee Nappier - Guidance Counselor, Corinth Holders High; Anne Nguyen - 1st Grade Teacher, Wilson's Mills Elementary; Aimee Joslin - 7th Grade ELA Teacher, Archer Lodge Middle; Kristy Washington - Assistant Principal, Benson Middle; Kirsten Lam - SC/ECS Teacher, McGee's Crossroads Elementary; Susan Randolph - Science Teacher, JC Early College Academy; Joseph Smith - History Teacher, South Johnston High; Stacy Cannady - OCS Teacher, Princeton High; Sylvia Parker - English-TOR Teacher, Princeton High; Melissa Hichue - 3rd Grade Teacher, Corinth-Holders Elementary; Susan Randolph - Science Teacher, JC Early College Academy; and Stacee P. Carr - SEL Interventionist Secondary, Student Services.
“Achieving and maintaining National Board certification is a rigorous, reflective process centered on positively impacting student learning. These teachers put in some incredible work, and we are happy to celebrate their recent achievements,“ said Melissa Pearce, Cleveland High English Teacher and JCPS National Board Liaison.
North Carolina ranks first overall in the nation for the total number of National Board Certified educators. Johnston County Public Schools ranks in the top 15 in North Carolina for certifications, and the 11 new National Board Certified educators bring the school district’s total to more than 200.