NNPS educators earn additional degrees with administrators as instructors
Posted: January 21, 2026
Newport News Public Schools educators return to following instruction rather than teaching it when they take advantage of one of the district's numerous opportunities for continuous learning.
The latest group is almost halfway through the NNPS Leads-Grow Your Own program, which is a partnership between NNPS and Old Dominion University. As it does with many K-12 school divisions, ODU hires NNPS administrators as adjunct faculty and they teach courses in their areas of specialty to NNPS faculty and staff.
NNPS Leads aims to develop future educational leaders through advanced study. Participants pursue either a master's or education specialist degree while gaining the skills, confidence and real-world preparation needed to step into leadership roles, according to Dr. Angela Rhett, Director of Professional Growth & Innovation.
"Teaching this cohort reflects our commitment to growing our own talent,"said NNPS Chief Academic Officer Dr. Kipp Rogers, who taught in the summer and fall of 2025.
"Our leaders in the cohort are being taught and supported by leaders within the division who understand their needs and align their needs to our shared goals, and that makes the ODU partnership especially impactful and unique for Newport News."
Sarah Olsen, instructional coach for NNPS' Dual Language Immersion program, is studying in the program. It has value for every educator, regardless of what stage of their career they're in, according to her.
"Doing this through the division means I get to study leadership not as an abstract idea, but as something that directly shapes how we design, implement and sustain initiatives that open doors for our students," Olsen said.
She is learning in a supportive group with classroom teachers of all levels and content areas, instructional coaches, specialists and school counselors.
"We have just finished semester two out of five, and this program has already strengthened the way I connect classroom practice with leadership decision-making," Olsen said. "It builds your skill set. But just as importantly, it strengthens your commitment to stay engaged in the work for the long haul."
Keshawna Smallwood, a first grade teacher at Jenkins Elementary School, said she felt very special to be selected to earn her degree through the school division.
"I have been a licensed teacher for NNPS for 20 years, and although teaching really is a 'work of heart,' it is also a career," Smallwood said. "It is important to know that there are opportunities for advancement in our profession just like any other. This degree program is a wonderful opportunity that is definitely worth working toward as we move forward in our careers."
NNPS continuous learning opportunities for faculty and staff offered by Rhett's department also include National Board Certification, Aspiring Leaders Academy, Aspiring Principals Academy and the NNPS-University of Virginia Reading Cohort for teachers earning their master’s degrees in reading education from U.Va.
These programs are available at no cost to employees who are selected to participate and are offered at various time intervals depending on grant funding. The current group of NNPS-ODU students, who complete the program while still working full-time, is scheduled to graduate in December.
NNPS Superintendent Dr. Michele Mitchell served as an instructor during the fall and Rhett taught during the summer's initial session. Currently Dr. Maya Tupponce, interim director of middle school, and Dr. Jaraun Ransome, principal of Ella Fitzgerald Middle School, are serving as instructors.
Dr. Kellie Mason, PK-12 leadership coach, and Dr. Felicia Barnett, executive director of Youth Development and Family Engagement, will serve as instructors for the summer classes with Dr. Eleanor Blowe, director of high school leadership, and Dr. Terra Harris, PK-12 leadership coach, teaching in the fall.
"One of the greatest advantages of this partnership is that NNPS faculty bring deep, firsthand expertise into the classroom," Rhett said. "They understand our students, our instructional priorities, and our system's expectations for great leadership because they live the work every day.
"When they teach, they do so through the lens of real NNPS experience, which gives cohort members authentic insights they can't get anywhere else."
