Elena Ashburn has long viewed education as a calling — one that has taken her from teaching high school English to shaping education policy at the highest level of North Carolina’s government.
In early 2025, Ashburn (’12 M.S.A., ’18 Ed.D.) was named senior advisor for education policy on Governor Josh Stein’s policy team — a role she stepped into after years of service in North Carolina public schools, including leadership roles across Wake County at the district and school levels.
Ashburn, a two-time graduate of the UNC School of Education, where she earned her Master of School Administration in 2012 and her Doctor of Education in 2018. While pursuing her Ed.D., she was also named the inaugural recipient of the School’s Priddy Family Award, which is awarded to students who are aspiring superintendents.
Ashburn began her career in education in 2007 as a Teach For America educator at Southern Durham High School. She later brought transformative leadership to her roles in school administration — first as an assistant principal at Fuquay-Varina High School and then as principal of East Garner Middle School in 2014, where she led efforts to improve academic outcomes. In 2017, she was named principal at Raleigh’s Needham B. Broughton Magnet High School, where under her leadership the school achieved record-setting milestones:
- Highest graduation rates in school history (2020, 2021)
- Nearly 50% increase in 9th grade promotion rates
- 70% improvement in teacher retention
Additionally, her work earned her statewide recognition, including receiving the 2021 Distinguished Leadership Award from the UNC School of Education and being named the 2021 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year.
In 2022, Ashburn became Wake County Public School System’s central area superintendent.
The School recently reached out to Ashburn to find out what her new role entails and what she’s helped to accomplish so far. Read more from Ashburn in this brief Q&A.
Tell us about your role as senior advisor for education policy on Governor Josh Stein’s policy team. What impact has this role had on your professional journey so far?
As the senior advisor for education policy in the Office of North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, I work alongside the Governor in setting policy priorities for Pre-Kindergarten through higher education across our great state.
Having come to this role after 15 years of service as a practitioner in North Carolina public school systems, this new role has challenged me to think and lead in different ways as we work to ensure every child has access to an exceptional public school experience in North Carolina.
What does a typical day look like in your current role? What have you been able to accomplish so far?
There is no typical day! I engage in a myriad of activities to support the Governor’s education priorities — including policy implementation through various boards and commissions, engaging with and listening to educators across the state, and fostering collaboration among state agencies and organizations that support public education — and so much more.
The Governor has built an incredible team, and one of the best parts of this role is working alongside others who care deeply about serving North Carolinians. While each day may look different, every day is grounded in the belief that every child in North Carolina deserves the opportunity to attain an excellent education.
I appreciate our Governor’s deep commitment to excellent public schools — and his commitment translates most apparently in his expectation that we are delivering on our promise to support North Carolina’s kids. In just these first few months, the Governor has: proposed necessary and ambitious pay raises for teachers and educators; established an Advisory Council for Student Safety & Well-Being, with an initial charge to support school systems in making classrooms cell phone free; and launched the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee to hear directly from our hard-working teachers on how we can best support their daily work. This, of course, is just the beginning, and we’re excited to continue our work for North Carolina students.
How has your experience in the UNC School of Education’s MSA and Ed.D. programs informed the work you do today?
Dr. Catherine Marshall was my first professor for any class at UNC. On the first day of class during my MSA experience, she asked the group who wanted to be a superintendent. I was the only one to raise my hand. Over the next 6 years of working with her, Dr. Marshall never let me forget that I had, in fact, raised my hand – and she always reminded me that I was capable of doing something wildly important.
To me, what is wildly important is having the courage to lead and serve all people with love. Whether in my role as a teacher at Southern Durham High School, principal at Broughton High School, Wake County Public School System area superintendent, or policy advisor to our NC Governor, I am bolstered by Dr. Marshall and the many other UNC professors who poured into me, believing in my ability to affect change. Our kids most certainly deserve it.