Natalie Beyer supports and empowers educators. During her career as a DPS Board Member she has visited my school at the request of staff to hear our concerns and help resolve issues. For example, she met with us when we were concerned about the amount of time the district was using for mandatory trainings on early release days, rather than protecting the time for teachers to utilize at their school for collaborations within their learning teams. She listened to our concerns, helped us figure out the best way to a solution, and the following year the majority of our early release days were protected. On another occasion, she met with distressed staff about our school-based administration. Again, she listened, helped us determine possible solutions, and worked with us through the next steps. Natalie understands that Durham needs to attract, recruit and prepare highly-qualified teachers. As a result, she partners with teacher preparatory programs, such as Duke’s Program in Education. Natalie is a public education advocate and makes sure to attend public events and raise awareness about the issues that public schools are facing in North Carolina. As an educator in Durham, I am casting my vote, without hesitation, for Natalie!

Mika Hunter Twietmeyer
DPS Teacher