Woodington agriculture teacher Jessica Jones a finalist for state CTE Teacher of the Year
Jessica Jones, who was honored in March as LCPS’s Career and Technical Teacher of the Year, has now earned a spot on the short list of finalists for the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Teacher of the Year Award.
The agriculture teacher and FFA chapter advisor at Woodington Middle School, Jones is one of 24 career and technical education teachers from across the state in the running for the award, presented by the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT). The winner will be announced at a ceremony on Dec. 4 in Greensboro.
“I’m shocked, I don’t understand how I made the finals, but I’m very excited,” Jones said Thursday, when NCCAT rolled out its list of finalists.
Over the last eight years, Jones has created an agriculture program that, with the help of a greenhouse, allows students to practice horticulture and, with chickens and rabbits and other critters on campus, to study animal science. The school’s FFA chapter is one of the largest in the state and has earned multiple state and national awards. She and her students are active supporters of a number of community groups, from the American Red Cross to the SPCA.
“Ms. Jones has built a powerhouse agriculture program that would rival much larger high schools,” said Dr. Amy Jones, LCPS’s high school and CTE director. “She is an outstanding teacher whose passion for agriculture, exemplary classroom instruction and commitment to service set her apart.”
A graduate of North Lenoir High School, Jessica Jones obtained a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University. She earned National Board Certification as a special education teacher, a position she held at Woodington for 12 years – until a curriculum shift led to the creation of an agriculture program and the offer for her to create it.
“I jumped at the chance,” said Jones, who had previously taught agriculture at Pamlico County High School for four years. After being nominated by LCPS for the NCCAT award, Jones submitted a package that included an application and several letters of recommendation, among them letters from a fellow teacher, a student’s parent and a former student. “They made me cry,” Jones said of the letters.
She and the other finalists will be recognized at the state CTE conference in July. They will also participate in a week of professional development at the Truist Leadership Institute in Greensboro from Dec. 1-5. There, each will undergo an interview as the final step in the state award selection process. The winner of the award will receive a $5,000 cash prize, participation in the national ACTE conference, instructional supply funds for the teacher’s school, and a three-year membership to the NCACTE. The runner-up will receive a $2,000 cash prize and a three-year membership in NCACTE. All finalists will have their travel expenses covered for the professional development week in December and a one-year membership to NCACTE.
The signature sponsor for this year’s award is the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. the chief diversity officer at the fund, Alfred Mays, said in a press release that career and technical education is a “cornerstone of opportunity” and that these finalists show the “best of what’s possible when educators are empowered and encouraged to lead with purpose, creativity, and care.”