Greensboro, N.C. – Guilford County Schools (GCS) Board of Education Chair Deena Hayes and retired GCS educator Stephen Lee were honored Wednesday with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest award for service in North Carolina offered by the office of the governor.
Hayes, who represents District 8, has been chairperson of the school board since 2018 and has served on the board since 2002. She is also the managing director of the Racial Equity Institute. Hayes received the 2019 Benjamin Elijah Mays Lifetime Achievement Award from the National School Boards Association’s Council of Urban Boards of Education. The Benjamin Elijah Mays Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual who, through service as a local school board member, has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to representing the educational needs of urban schoolchildren.
Governor Josh Stein called Hayes a community leader who has always fought for students in her hometown. "A few guiding principles have always directed her leadership: fighting to raise teacher pay, close the achievement and opportunity gap, and keep students safe in schools," Stein said during the event. "Deena, you are working every day to help more people find their place in our state’s promise."
People are also reading…
Lee retired from GCS in July after a long career in the district. For the past 20 years he was a career and technical education teacher at Northern Middle, and before that served at other GCS schools including Bluford Elementary, Southwest Middle, Montlieu Academy of Technology, Guilford Middle, Jackson Middle and Dudley High. Lee holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Technology Education from North Carolina A&T State University. He obtained National Board Professional Teaching Standards certification in Career and Technical Education/Early Adolescence Through Young Adulthood in 2010.
Stein said of Lee, "As a career and technical education teacher, he has inspired students through coursework in Exploring Technology, Inventions, Innovation, Engineering, and Aviation. He is himself skilled in design and 3D printing and uses these skills to help students think creatively and problem-solve. Many high school students graduate without knowing what their options are, but in Mr. Lee’s CTE classes, they can try out new skillsets and new career pathways."
"Both Chairperson Hayes and Mr. Lee have spent their careers in service to the students and families of Guilford County and have impacted countless lives for the better," said Superintendent Dr. Whitney Oakley. "This recognition is a fitting tribute to their commitment, leadership and enduring impact on our community."
More information about the event can be found here.
