Durham Public Schools is pleased to announce that Steven Gupton, Program Supervisor for Beginning Teacher Support and Development, has been selected for the Learning Forward Academy Class of 2028, a national professional learning cohort designed for education leaders advancing system-level improvement in teaching, learning, and educator development.
Gupton was also awarded the Sybil Yastrow Academy Scholarship, a competitive scholarship that provides $5,700 toward Academy tuition and recognizes leaders whose work aligns with Learning Forward’s commitment to high-quality professional learning, continuous improvement, and improved outcomes for educators and students.
The Learning Forward Academy is a rigorous two-and-a-half-year leadership experience that supports system leaders in designing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-informed professional learning aligned to measurable improvements in educator practice and student outcomes. Participants engage in sustained inquiry, coaching, data analysis, implementation planning, and collaboration with professional learning leaders from across the country.
Gupton’s Academy work will focus on strengthening Durham Public Schools’ Beginning Teacher Support and Development system by advancing a more coherent, research-based, and impact-focused approach to induction, mentoring, and professional learning for early-career educators.
“This opportunity is not just about individual recognition. It reflects the daily work of a team that shows up for beginning teachers across Durham Public Schools,” said Gupton. “Our mentors are in schools every day building relationships, supporting classroom practice, helping teachers navigate challenges, and pushing our system toward more equitable, stronger educational outcomes for students. The Learning Forward Academy will help me strengthen the systems, structures, and evidence base that support their work.”
This work builds on the district’s ongoing efforts to strengthen beginning teacher support across schools by focusing on three high-leverage areas: deepening the instructional impact of mentoring, increasing alignment and consistency in professional learning experiences, and strengthening the use of evidence to measure impact on teacher practice and student outcomes.
“Our goal is to ensure that beginning teacher support is not only responsive, but transformational,” said Gupton. “We are working to move mentoring and professional learning toward a more intentional, coherent and sustainable system that strengthens instructional practice, improves teacher confidence and effectiveness, and ultimately supports improved outcomes for students.”
Durham Public Schools has already developed several strong layers of support to advance this work. At the district level, Gupton’s work is supported through collaboration with central office leadership. At the school level, Instructional Leadership Teams play a critical role in aligning beginning teacher support with instructional priorities. Central to this work is the district’s mentor team, whose daily coaching, problem-solving, classroom-based support, and commitment to beginning teachers serve as key drivers of implementation across schools.
The Academy experience will allow Gupton to further refine and strengthen this work through a sustained Problem of Practice aligned to district priorities and student outcomes. His focus will include baseline data collection, measurable goals, implementation cycles, progress monitoring, and a final data story demonstrating the impact of professional learning and mentoring on educator practice and student learning.
The work is grounded in both quantitative and qualitative evidence, including teacher retention trends, beginning teacher efficacy and preparedness data, New Teacher Orientation feedback, ongoing beginning teacher surveys, mentor reflections, and observations of mentoring practices. Together, these data points provide an opportunity to strengthen the connection between professional learning, instructional practice, teacher development, and student success.
Durham Public Schools’ Beginning Teacher Support and Development Program supports early-career educators through mentoring, instructional coaching, professional learning, licensure support, and collaboration with school and district leaders. The program’s impact is carried out each day by mentors who work directly with beginning teachers to strengthen confidence, classroom readiness, instructional practice, and long-term success in the profession.
“This work does not happen because of one person,” said Gupton. “It happens because of a team committed to supporting beginning teachers well. My role is to help build the systems that allow their work to be clearer, stronger, more aligned, and more connected to outcomes for teachers and students.”
About Learning Forward Academy
The Learning Forward Academy is a national professional learning experience for education leaders committed to leading standards-aligned, evidence-informed professional learning. The Academy supports leaders in applying continuous improvement practices to address high-leverage problems of practice that improve educator effectiveness and student learning.