MEET STEVEN
Staff. Students. Stability.
Protecting Progress. Sustaining Success.
Steven Gupton is an emergency services and education systems leader with nearly two decades of experience serving in both frontline and administrative roles. His career spans public safety, K–12 education, higher education, and workforce development, giving him a rare systems-level perspective on how large public institutions are led, monitored, and continuously improved in service of their communities.
Steven’s professional background includes operational leadership as a paramedic and EMS administrator, as well as classroom, district, and state-level leadership in education. Across sectors, he has led accountable improvement efforts, strengthened instructional and professional practice, and built support systems grounded in data use, policy alignment, compliance, and continuous improvement. This cross-sector experience shapes his leadership approach—one focused on outcomes, sustainability, and responsible stewardship of public systems.
Steven currently serves in the Office of Continuous Improvement and School Support for a large urban public school district serving more than 32,000 students and thousands of educators. In this role, he leads and operationalizes the district’s educator support and development model, with a particular focus on early-career teachers, alternative licensure educators, and schools facing the greatest instructional and staffing challenges. His work extends far beyond individual coaching. Steven provides program-level leadership and supervision for districtwide systems that support hundreds of new educators each year across 57 schools, ensuring coherence, quality, and consistency of implementation. He works closely with principals, central services teams, and external partners to align educator support with state policy, licensure requirements, instructional expectations, and audit readiness—while keeping instructional quality and educator retention at the center of the work. Steven co-leads educator support and development efforts grounded in North Carolina law and State Board of Education policy governing the Beginning Teacher Support Program (BTSP). These policies call for structured induction, high-quality mentoring, aligned professional learning, and sustained development to improve teacher effectiveness and retention. Under Steven’s leadership, these requirements are translated into consistent, high-quality practice across schools.
His responsibilities include overseeing mentoring and induction systems; supporting standards-aligned instructional planning; strengthening classroom practice through coaching and feedback; using data to differentiate support; and ensuring meaningful reflection on teaching and learning. Educator support is positioned not as a compliance exercise tied to licensure or monitoring, but as a lever for improving instructional quality, stabilizing the workforce, and improving student outcomes. Steven also plays a key role in district strategy and implementation. His work includes facilitating professional learning for educator support staff, leading systemwide orientation, strengthening school-based educator development structures, and building sustainable partnerships with educator preparation programs. He works closely with North Carolina Central University and BranchEd to align teacher preparation with district expectations and classroom realities, helping ensure new educators enter the profession better prepared and supported for long-term success.
In addition to his district leadership, Steven served as a curriculum writer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, contributing to the statewide EY30 Career and Technical Education curriculum project. In this role, he collaborated with state leaders and educators to develop curriculum aligned to state standards, workforce needs, and instructional rigor. The EY30 curriculum was adopted statewide and now impacts classrooms across North Carolina.
Previously, Steven served as an IB Magnet Coordinator and Career and Technical Education teacher, where he oversaw specialized academic programs, supported instructional improvement, managed program budgets, and led professional development. As a classroom educator, he designed culturally responsive, student-centered curricula focused on career pathways and real-world application, particularly for students historically underrepresented in advanced academic and career programs.
At the state level, Steven has had the distinct honor of serving as a member of the North Carolina Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee, where he advised the Governor on the impact of state, local, and federal education policy affecting Pre-K–12 education. This work included guidance on budget priorities, proposed legislation, and policy decisions with direct implications for students, educators, and schools across North Carolina.
As part of this service, Steven worked closely with the former Teacher Advisor and the Deputy Policy Director and Senior Education Advisor to the Governor during a period of leadership transition. He contributed to the development of recommendations shared with the incoming administration of Josh Stein, focused on strengthening public education statewide. These recommendations addressed the full continuum of student success—from early childhood through workforce readiness—and were grounded in real conditions facing classrooms, schools, and communities. Policy priorities included strengthening teacher recruitment and retention so students have consistent access to qualified, supported educators; expanding mentorship and “grow-your-own” pipelines; and increasing representation among teachers and school leaders to better reflect the students they serve. The work also emphasized student well-being, calling for expanded physical and mental health supports in schools, trauma-informed practices, and improved access to counselors, nurses, and social workers.
Steven also served on the Advancement and Development Subcommittee of the North Carolina Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission, which reports to the State Board of Education and helps establish statewide standards for educator preparation programs. In this role, he contributed to efforts focused on strengthening educator pipelines and improving preparation and entry into the profession. In addition, Steven helped advance recommendations to prepare students for future careers by investing in STEM and Career and Technical Education, aligning curricula with emerging industries, and expanding internship and apprenticeship opportunities. The committee also prioritized early childhood education, broadband and technology access, inclusive supports for students with disabilities, and school safety approaches focused on prevention, de-escalation, and social-emotional supports. This state-level work required balancing policy, budget considerations, and on-the-ground realities—connecting what students experience in classrooms to decisions made at the highest levels of government.
His work on the subcommittee focused on re-designing North Carolina’s educator licensure and professional progression system to better reflect modern entry pathways, growth over time, and workforce realities. This work includes developing new entry points into the profession—such as apprenticeships and alternative preparation models—clarifying how candidates can enter the licensure system at different stages, defining the credentials required at each entry point, and establishing clear expectations for professional progression and the evidence of successful practice needed to maintain licensure. It also includes identifying the evidence required to advance to different license statuses, determining the supports necessary for educators to engage in successful professional growth (including mentoring, induction, coaching, and aligned professional learning), and examining compensation structures tied to licensure levels to promote sustainability and long-term retention in the profession.
Steven has been published in state and national outlets for his advocacy on education funding and system improvement, including work with the Center for American Progress related to federal education investments through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. His advocacy highlighted how recovery funds could be used to expand instructional support, address pandemic-related learning disruptions, and ensure systems of support are equitably accessible to students and educators. His advocacy emphasized the need for sustained, systemic investment in teaching capacity, instructional infrastructure, and the educational ecosystems that support children and families.
Steven also serves as a Lead EMS Program Coach and Instructor at the state's largest community college, supporting student success in high-stakes workforce credentialing programs through academic coaching, progress monitoring, and continuous program improvement. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles in emergency services, including establishing compliance and professional development systems and conducting investigations—experience that continues to inform his approach to accountability, policy, and public service.
Across every role, Steven brings a consistent philosophy: strong systems require strong leadership, accountability protects opportunity, and educator support must be directly connected to instructional quality and student outcomes. His work reflects a commitment to stewarding public systems responsibly and ensuring they serve communities with integrity, purpose, and long-term impact.
