Eric Sanchez:
Eric Sanchez earned his B.A. in Philosophy and Economics from Binghamton University in 2002. He then joined Teach for America in Eastern North Carolina, where he taught at Eaton Johnson Middle School in Vance County. After a few years, Eric transitioned to Gaston College Preparatory, part of the Knowledge Is Power Program, where he taught and assumed the responsibility of Grade Level Chair. A few years later, in 2010, he co-founded Henderson Collegiate with his wife, Carice Sanchez, as the School Leader over its first 4th grade class of 100 students. Eric led the school as it expanded a grade level each year through July 2015, when he assumed the role of Executive Director over 600 students in multiple schools. In this position, he supports the Principals and Directors of Operations and facilitates the charter school’s expansion on a growth trajectory that will reach capacity with over 1,200 students in grades K-12 in the year 2020. Under Eric’s leadership, Henderson Collegiate has Exceeded Expected Growth each year since opening, earned Title I Reward School status for High Student Growth for three consecutive years, and achieved the highest school performance grade in the state of North Carolina, A+NG, an honor earned by only 2.8% of all NC public schools. Eric recently completed the National Principals Academy Fellowship through the Relay Graduate School of Education, where he now serves as an advisor for principals around the country. He is a member of the Henderson Rotary Club and a house-appointed, voting member of the Charter School Advisory Board, which makes policy recommendations and provides performance evaluations to the North Carolina State Board of Education.
Carice Sanchez:
Carice Sanchez began her teaching career through Teach For America (TFA) in 2002 at Pinkston Street Elementary School. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.A in Education, she has also earned a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from North Carolina State University. In 2006, she received her National Board Certification, which is considered the highest symbol of professional teaching excellence. Carice extended her 2-year TFA commitment by teaching at Pinkston Street Elementary for six years. As a 1st grade teacher, 89% of her students scored 1.5 above grade level or higher on the state-wide reading tests in all 4 years. As a 3rd grade teacher, 100% (District 73.2% and State 83.9%) of her students passed the state reading assessment and grew an average of 17.5 points. In 2007, Carice served as a Literacy Specialist at TFA’s summer institute, where she helped 300 recent college graduates prepare to be new teachers capable of achieving high growth with their future students. With the intention of creating and supporting a middle school literacy curriculum, she decided to teach 5th grade reading at KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory. It was there that she decided the success students were achieving at GCP needed to be replicated in Henderson so that every child in Vance County can have access to an excellent education. Today, she is the Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at Henderson Collegiate Middle School.
