Dr. Stacey Wilson-Norman is chief academic officer for Cumberland County Schools, a district of 48,000 students in greater Fayetteville, North Carolina. In this role, she led the effort to develop and implement the district’s five-year strategic plan. She has also designed and launched a tiered school improvement system; strengthened professional development opportunities; and expanded access to STEM programming for students who have historically been underserved.

Prior to Cumberland County, Wilson-Norman was chief academic officer at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. There, she oversaw the divisions or offices of early learning; K-12 academics; literacy; charter schools; accountability and testing; career and technical education; gifted education; and digital teaching and learning. She also led the statewide testing and accountability taskforce and a redesign of the standards process and end-of-grade assessment in reading.

In addition to her work at the state and in Cumberland County, Wilson-Norman’s professional experience includes multiple roles with Durham Public Schools, including deputy superintendent of academic services; elementary area superintendent; assistant superintendent of elementary curriculum and instruction; and principal. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Wake County Public Schools.

Wilson-Norman holds a doctorate from Gardner-Webb University as well as a master’s in educational administration and a bachelor’s in public administration from North Carolina Central University.