Rodney Peterson, Ed.D., Person County Schools superintendent and a 1994 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will deliver the UNC School of Education’s graduation address Saturday, May 13.
The ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the Dean E. Smith Center on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.
Peterson has led Person County Schools since May 2017. The district serves more than 4,600 PK-12 students attending classes in 14 schools, including one early college and one virtual academy. Person County Schools also partners with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to offer the innovative K-2 Carolina Community Academy located at North Elementary in Roxboro, N.C. The district will also partner with the UNC School of Education on a privately funded $3 million effort to place highly effective Carolina-prepared educators in rural, Title 1 schools. The effort will see teachers and counselors placed in Person and Chatham Counties’ schools beginning fall 2023.
“Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside Rodney and see his leadership up close,” said Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, dean of the UNC School of Education and Alumni Distinguished Professor. “Rodney has been an incredible partner in our work to launch Carolina Community Academy, which was and continues to be an ambitious effort.
“He does this work to create meaningful impact in the lives of students and families in Roxboro and Person County.”
Before leading Person County Schools, Peterson served in a variety of roles in Johnston County Public Schools, where he began his career in 1996. He taught third and fourth grades and served in assistant principal and principal roles before joining the district office as executive director of support services in 2011. Peterson served as the district’s chief academic officer from 2012-2016 and then as area superintendent before accepting the top post in Person County Schools.
“Having spent his entire career serving rural North Carolina communities, Rodney knows some of education’s toughest challenges, but he also knows education’s potential, and his work fosters that potential. I cannot wait for him to share his story with this year’s graduates.”
Peterson earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1994. While teaching in Benson, N.C., he earned a Master of Education in Elementary Education and Teaching from Campbell University. He earned his Master of School Administration and Doctor of Education degrees from NC State University.
Since 2017, Peterson has served as a board member for the Person County Partnership for Children. He has served as a board member for Person County Recreation, Arts, and Parks since 2020 and is an ex-officio member of Person County Economic Development and Carolina Community Academy’s Advisory Board. Peterson also serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
The UNC School of Education will stream its graduation ceremony live on its Facebook page.