Carla Baptista Tavares, a career educator, is guided by mentorship and a passion for lifelong learning. Her commitment to academic accessibility and community partnerships fosters growth and lasting relationships for learners.
For more than 15 years, Baptista Tavares — a 2024 graduate of the UNC School of Education’s Master of School Administration (MSA) program and UNC LEADS, part of the N.C. Principal Fellows Program — has dedicated her career to the classroom, fostering learning and growth among her students. Now in her first year as an assistant principal at Lake Myra Elementary School in the Wake County Public School System, that dedication remains, and with the knowledge and experiences gained in the MSA program, she can support even more students.
“I have strong leadership skills, but what truly drives me is a sense of urgency — a desire to see meaningful change take place,” Baptista Tavares said. “It’s that urgency and passion for what we do that ultimately led me to choose this program. The MSA program empowers you to embrace that passion, to stand firm in your beliefs, and to take action. It equips you to not only believe in change but to actively lead it.”
For Baptista Tavares, this sense of urgency stems from experiences where she aimed to fill the gaps in making education accessible for all learners. Driven by a desire to help children, Baptista Tavares earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Rhode Island College in 1997 and then a Bachelor of Science in Teaching in 2002, also from Rhode Island College. She relocated to North Carolina in 2007, and in 2017, earned a master’s degree in K-12 English as a Second Language from Meredith College.
When Baptista Tavares began her career, she said she envisioned retiring as an ESL teacher. But throughout her teaching career, she embraced numerous leadership roles, collaborating with administrators, instructional coaches, and fellow educators who encouraged her professional development and paved the way for her transition into leadership at both the school and district levels.
Three years ago, her principal encouraged her to consider the N.C. Principal Fellows Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Inspired by the vision and leadership of Martinette Horner, Ed.D., MSA program director, and Chris Scott, Ed.D., UNC LEADS program director, she realized that pursuing an MSA aligned with her long-standing interest in administration and enabled her to continue a journey she had set aside nearly 18 years earlier when she moved to North Carolina.
“Every course felt purposeful,” Baptista Tavares said, “and aligned perfectly with my passion for building community with our students and their families.”
In her first year as an assistant principal, she served as co-chair of the Lake Myra School Improvement Lighthouse Team, a collaborative group of administrators, teachers, and parents. Together, they analyze key school data, including student achievement, instructional practices, staff and student demographics, and programs to drive school improvement.
“When I think about my MSA experience and how it empowered me as a leader, one thing that really stands out is how it fine-tuned my craft,” Baptista Tavares said. “I loved how our coursework continuously tied back to real-world practice in our schools. We’d gather data, reflect, and then write papers that ultimately improved our own work in our schools.”
One of the highlights of Baptista Tavares’ internship was implementing a project that originated in a family engagement course. In that course, she was challenged to develop a comprehensive idea to enhance family engagement in schools. From that assignment and as the chair of Knightdale Elementary School’s Family Engagement Committee, she led the development of what would become known as the Partners in Learning Family Resource Center.
This resource center hosts family engagement events and facilitates professional development sessions, offered in both English and Spanish, on topics such as preparing students for End-of-Grade testing, parent/caregiver advocacy, and developing academic vocabulary at home using hands-on activities. These sessions are tailored to needs identified through parent surveys.
In partnership with the Wake County Office of Equity Affairs, she and her team ensured the center provided valuable and accessible support to families.
“Reflecting on my time at Knightdale Elementary School, my internship school, the most rewarding aspect was the lasting impact I had on educators, students, and families,” Baptista Tavares said. “I had the privilege of coaching teachers through evaluation processes and helping them unpack educational standards, a support that continues to benefit the school community. Ultimately, the success of these initiatives, along with the personal growth I experienced, affirmed my work.”