Dr. Valerie Bridges, Superintendent of Edgecombe County Schools was selected as the Central Carolina RESA Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Bridges dedication to educational leadership has been evident since her tenure as Principal, where she was nominated several times for Principal of the Year, and named the 2007 Principal of the Year by Gaston County Association of Educators.
Dr. Bridges nomination for Superintendent of the Year was put forth by Edgecombe County Schools Charlene Pittman, Assistant Superintendent of HR, Dr. Abbey Askew, Assistant Superintendent of C&I, and Erin Swanson, Director of Innovation.
In their nomination letter, they state that “her optimism, bold leadership, and commitment to
overcoming obstacles have led to the development of highly effective, never-before-seen
learning opportunities for all students – and particularly for students of color in the most
economically disadvantaged areas of our community.”
In the words of Dr. Bridges, “In our state, we’re that little district that keeps surprising people. People ask, ‘What’s Edgecombe doing know?’ We continue to lead strategically putting kids and their educations first. Regardless of where they live, we provided opportunities for students to grow beyond ordinary expectations. When people in our community see this they feel uplifted. When they see large districts visit us to learn about our work, it’s validating. It makes our student realize how special they are. It makes all of us – students and staff – want to work even harder and be successful.”