October 22, 2024
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Teaching Fellows Institute (TFI), I extend our deepest gratitude and best wishes to our talented and tireless Executive Director, Barbara Caldwell, as she retires from the helm of TFI in the Spring of 2025.
Barbara took over leadership of the organization 12 years ago, after serving on the Board of Directors for 4 years. She has been the heart and soul behind TFI’s mission to honor, engage, and inspire the Charlotte area’s finest teachers since almost the founding of the organization in 2005. During that time, she has served as a careful steward of the organization’s legacy and funding, while moving the organization from serving 75 teachers to more than 450. She has consistently brought unique, forward-thinking, and inspiring professional development programs to our participants, and has created ongoing opportunities for fellowship among teachers at public, independent, and parochial schools together. At a time when teacher retention is talked about in grave terms at the local, state, and national levels, 99% of TFI Fellows have remained in the teaching profession, reporting that the experiences TFI has provided them under Barbara’s leadership have reinvigorated them professionally, and positively influenced their teaching practice.
Barbara leaves the organization in solid financial standing, having recently worked to secure bridge funding from the E.E. Ford Foundation to support TFI as it shifts from the McColl Family Foundation funding that sponsored the organization through its first two decades. And she leaves TFI on solid programmatic ground, with a newly-formed division of the Board – the TFI-Independent Schools Consortium+ (TISC+) – which brings together Charlotte Country Day, Charlotte Latin, Providence Day, and Charlotte Christian Schools in a renewed commitment to continuing Barbara’s legacy of high-quality programming for TFI Fellows.
What is perhaps Barbara’s most profound contribution, however, has been the many ways in which she has touched our teachers. As one of our Fellows eloquently shared:
“Barbara – You have been absolutely amazing, and we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering commitment to the educators of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. You have been a true catalyst for change and growth, impacting so many lives throughout your tenure. Your leadership has kept us well-informed and on target with the current issues facing education, positioning Charlotte’s best educators to meet the evolving needs of our students in an ever-changing world. We have been immensely blessed by your vision and dedication.”
As we celebrate Barbara and her years of dedication, we are also excited about the future. We are pleased to report that we are now accepting applications for a new Executive Director, under the direction of Alex Hall of Valinor Talent Solutions who is assisting the board, pro bono, in this search. If someone you know shares our passion for teaching and K-12 education, please connect them with this opportunity!
With hearty congratulations and much gratitude to Barbara,
Ariana Shahinfar, Chair
On behalf of the Teaching Fellows Institute Board of Directors
Read Barbara’s message to our Fellows HERE
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