Belinda McGinnis, a math teacher and leader of digital instruction at Lenoir County Early College High School, is winner of the 2024 Outstanding Young Educator Award from the North Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She was honored with praise from her colleagues and a bromeliad plant at a reception Monday at Early College. She will receive her statewide award on Feb. 2 at the NCASCD’s annual conference.

Belinda McGinnis, who has earned local and regional recognition as a math teacher and leader of digital instruction at Lenoir County Early College High School, now has a statewide honor to her credit. She is the winner of the 2024 Outstanding Young Educator Award from the North Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

McGinnis was surprised with the award announcement Monday at a presentation organized by Early College principal Steve Saint-Amand and attended by LCPS Superintendent Brent Williams, other district administrators and Early College faculty. She will receive her award and a check for $1,000 on Feb. 2 at the NCASCD’s annual conference in Pinehurst.

“I know I would not be in the position to earn such an award if it were not for the trust all of you put in me each day,” McGinnis told her colleagues at the Monday presentation. “I know I walk into this building every day to be among the best of the best. I’m very humble to be chosen for this. It’s an honor beyond words.”

The NCASCD presents the Outstanding Young Educator Award to an education professional, 40 years of age or younger, who demonstrates “exemplary commitment and exceptional contribution” to the teaching profession.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving. Thank you for everything you do for the entire school district,” Saint-Amand told McGinnis at the Monday announcement. “I couldn’t think of a better way to start this second semester than by doing this here today.”

After teaching for two years in Forsyth County, McGinnis joined the Early College faculty in 2010 as a math teacher and became the department chair in 2014. In 2015, she took on the additional role of the school’s digital learning specialist, a position designed to help fellow teachers get the most out of the digital devices that are the backbone of instruction in LCPS classrooms.

A 2008 cum laude graduate of UNC-Pembroke with a bachelor of science degree in math education, she earned a master’s degree in mathematics education from East Carolina University in 2023. She holds National Board Teacher Certification and Apple Teacher Certification. She is a leader in the district for high school math curriculum development and has led a number of professional development sessions on math instruction.

McGinnis is the current Teacher of the Year for Early College High School, an honor she also won in 2013 and 2017. She was chosen as the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics Outstanding Secondary Mathematics Teacher for 2020-2021 for Lenoir County Public Schools.

Melissa Lynch, the district’s digital learning instructional coordinator, praised McGinnis’s skills both as a teacher and a digital learning specialist in a document supporting her Outstanding Young Educator of the Year nomination.

“Belinda’s dedication to her students is unparalleled. Her students not only excel academically but also develop a genuine passion for learning. Through personalized lesson plans and a deep understanding of individual student needs, Belinda ensures that every child in her class feels seen, heard and valued,” she wrote.

As her school’s digital learning specialist, “she is committed to providing professional development and coaching support to her fellow teachers to ensure the learning experience for all students is engaging and impactful,” Lynch continued.

“I have been in education for 32 years, including 15 years in administration. Ms. McGinnis is as good a teacher as I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” Saint-Amand wrote the NCASCD in his nominating letter. “Her passion for education and her love for the students is unparalleled.”