Dr. Melba Spooner, dean of Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education, has been honored with the 2024 Outstanding Contribution to Educator Preparation Award by the North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NCACTE). The award was presented during NCACTE’s annual conference in September.
The award, administered by the NCACTE Board, recognizes individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to educator preparation in North Carolina. Selection criteria include distinguished service to the educator preparation community, the development and promotion of exemplary practices, and exceptional contributions to NCACTE.
“As I reflect on this moment, I am reminded of the countless educators, leaders, mentors, and students who have walked alongside me throughout this journey,” said Spooner. “This recognition is not mine alone. It belongs to the community of people who believe in the power of teaching and in the promise of every child in North Carolina.”
Spooner began her career in a K–12 classroom, where she quickly realized that education is about more than delivering content; it’s about building relationships, nurturing curiosity, and opening doors of opportunity.
“Those early experiences fueled my commitment to strengthening educator preparation,” she added, “because I knew then, as I know now, that the quality of a child’s education is deeply connected to the quality of their teacher.”
Throughout her career, Spooner has remained actively engaged with NCACTE.
“NCACTE has provided a network of colleagues who challenge me, inspire me, and partner with me in work that is bigger than any one person,” she said.
In her acceptance remarks, Spooner issued a call to action: “The work of preparing, supporting, and sustaining educators has never been more urgent. Let us continue to advocate for our teachers, our students, and our communities. Let us continue to collaborate across institutions and regions, finding innovative ways to strengthen the pipeline. And let us never forget that at the heart of this work is the life-changing power of education.”
About Dr. Melba Spooner
Dr. Melba Spooner has served as dean of Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education since July 2016. She began her higher education career at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she held multiple leadership roles in the Cato College of Education, including assistant dean, department chair, and senior associate dean. Prior to that, she worked as a classroom teacher and assistant principal in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District.
A national leader in educator preparation and accreditation, Spooner has served on the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission and is currently in her second term on the North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission. She also served on the State Board of Education’s Pre-K–12 Literacy Instruction and Teacher Preparation Task Force.
Spooner has led numerous initiatives to strengthen university–school partnerships, including directing professional development school networks and helping establish App State as an anchor institution in the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program. She also led the creation of two UNC lab schools: the Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork and the Academy at Elkin.
Her leadership has resulted in the development of the Office of Assessment and Accreditation and the expansion of the James Center for Student Success and Advising, which now serves as a central hub for academic advising, professional development, and leadership opportunities for education students.
Spooner supported the expansion of App State’s Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership to serve online students across the state and nation. She also helped establish the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges as a center within the college, promoting research and advocacy for regional institutions.
In 2024, Spooner was one of only two deans nationwide invited to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. Her testimony, titled “Innovative Teacher Preparation: Properly Equipping America's Educators,” highlighted the success of North Carolina’s educator preparation programs and the collaborative leadership she has modeled throughout her career.
Spooner holds an Ed.D. in curriculum and teaching from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and both her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education from UNC Charlotte. She also earned a Management Development Program Certificate from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
Her professional interests include university–school partnerships and teacher development networks. In 2016, she received the Distinguished Faculty Award from the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association.