I have a master's degree in Elementary Education, including master's-level coursework for my AIG certification through ECU. I taught advanced fourth-grade math for approximately 18 years and served as the AIG Facilitator at Kitty Hawk Elementary for about nine years. I am also running, unopposed, for the Dare County Schools Board of Education, District 3. I have extensive experience in this field.

Letter to the Editor: More questions raised than answered about future of Dare AIG program

Rich Shope has a master's degree in elementary education.

Letter to the Editor: More questions raised than answered ab...

## Rooted in Our Schools. Invested in Our Future.

For over two decades, I taught at Kitty Hawk Elementary School working with hundreds of students and families right here in Dare County.

I’m not running as a politician.

Elect Rich Shope to Dare County Board of Education

Rich Shope taught at Kitty Hawk Elementary School.

2026 North Carolina General Election

### Partner with Parents & Community

Parents are essential

partners in education.

• Ensure parents receive results from all required testing

• Expand parent review access to all instructional programs, including digital resources

• Provide clear information about student device usage

Plans to provide clear information about student device usage.

- Plans to provide clear information about student device usage.

School Facilities & Resources

### PURSUE Academic Excellence for Every STUDENT

• Ensure instruction meets the

needs of all learners

• Carefully evaluate programs before requiring district-wide implementation

• Protect valuable instructional time

I have a master's degree in Elementary Education, including master's-level coursework for my AIG certification through ECU. I taught advanced fourth-grade math for approximately 18 years and served as the AIG Facilitator at Kitty Hawk Elementary for about nine years. I am also running, unopposed, for the Dare County Schools Board of Education, District 3. I have extensive experience in this field.

The representation that these staffing changes are comparable to physical education teachers splitting campuses is inaccurate. More than thirty years ago, district leadership understood that research supports early intervention as the most effective way of nurturing students' abilities.

Plans to ensure instruction meets the needs of all learners.

Said research supports early intervention as the most effective way to nurture students' abilities.

- Plans to ensure instruction meets the needs of all learners.
- Said research supports early intervention as the most effective way to nurture students' abilities.

Access to Education

### Support Teachers & Strengthen Schools

Strong schools start with

strong teachers.

• Advocate for improved teacher pay

at the state level

• Protect teacher planning time and workdays

• Respect teacher expertise in evaluating instructional programs

Advocates for improved teacher pay at the state level.

Plans to protect teacher planning time and workdays.

Plans to respect teacher expertise in evaluating instructional programs.

- Advocates for improved teacher pay at the state level.
- Plans to protect teacher planning time and workdays.
- Plans to respect teacher expertise in evaluating instructional programs.

Teachers

Plans to carefully evaluate programs before requiring district-wide implementation.

Plans to ensure parents receive results from all required testing.

Plans to expand parent review access to all instructional programs, including digital resources.

- Plans to carefully evaluate programs before requiring district-wide implementation.
- Plans to protect instructional time.
- Plans to ensure parents receive results from all required testing.
- Plans to expand parent review access to all instructional programs, including digital resources.

School Curriculum

As of September 2, 2026, Rich Shope’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Student Wellbeing

Rich Shope

## Rooted in Our Schools. Invested in Our Future.

For over two decades, I taught at Kitty Hawk Elementary School working with hundreds of students and families right here in Dare County.

### Partner with Parents & Community

Parents are essential
partners in education.

• Ensure parents receive results from all required testing

• Expand parent review access to all instructional programs, including digital resources

• Provide clear information about student device usage

### PURSUE Academic Excellence for Every STUDENT

Ensure instruction meets the needs of all learners

• Carefully evaluate programs before requiring district-wide implementation

• Protect valuable instructional time

• Advocate for improved teacher pay
at the state level

• Protect teacher planning time and workdays

• Respect teacher expertise in evaluating instructional programs

For over two decades, I taught at Kitty Hawk Elementary School working with hundreds of students and families right here in Dare County.

I’m not running as a politician.

I’m running as a teacher who cares deeply about:

Five Republican candidates for the Dare County Board of Education met at a GOP forum on Jan. 22 where they tackled issues ranging from computers in the classroom to religious instruction during school hours. A two-part video was posted on the Dare County Republicans Facebook page. Of the five candidates, three of them are competing in the March 3 Republican primary for the District 1 seat that opened when incumbent Barry Wickre chose not to run for re-election. They are Stephen Nichols, Programs Committee Chair for the Dare Education Foundation, veteran teacher Shannon Waters and school parent and advocate Christie Baer.

Two other candidates who participated in the forum are not facing opposition—District 2 incumbent Ron Payne and Kitty Hawk Elementary school teacher Rich Shope, who will fill the District 3 seat that opened when incumbent Matt Brauer chose not to run again. The event was moderated by GOP First Congressional District Chair Harvey West and included questions from the audience.

In their opening statements, Nichols, a former Dare County Teacher of the Year, cited his two decades as a Manteo High teacher before retiring and joining the Dare Education Foundation. Walters, who was a high school teacher before moving to the Outer Banks five years ago, has been working as a substitute teacher at Manteo Elementary and has two children in the local schools. Baer, who grew up in Dare County, has two daughters who attended Dare schools and discussed her advocacy on education issues.

Payne, citing more than a quarter century as an educator, is a former Board of Education Chair who is on the board of the Dare Housing Foundation. Shope, who told the audience this is the first time he has run for something since his senior year in high school, spent more than 20 years as a teacher at Kitty Hawk Elementary School.

The Outer Banks Voice - At GOP forum, Dare Ed Board candidates discuss issues from computers to religion in the schools

At GOP forum, Dare Ed Board candidates discuss issues from ...

### Partner with Parents & Community

Parents are essential partners in education.

• Ensure parents receive results from all required testing

• Expand parent review access to all instructional programs, including digital resources

• Provide clear information about student device usage

### Support Teachers & Strengthen Schools

Strong schools start with strong teachers.

• Advocate for improved teacher pay at the state level

• Protect teacher planning time and workdays

• Respect teacher expertise in evaluating instructional programs

Pavel Tantchev

Buket Urgen

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 

Member of the board that governs your county's public school system