Today’s political environment offers many opportunities for educators to run for offices of public service. One educator who has decided to do this is Aimy Steele, a Spanish teacher and high school principal who is making a bid for a seat in the North Carolina State House of Representatives.
“I spent years thinking if there was a teacher or principal at the decision-making table—someone who could really inform lawmakers about how proposed laws would really impact students and teachers – perhaps they would make different decisions,” explains Aimy. Now, the veteran educator believes she can be the one who makes that difference.
Aimy earned her Bachelor’s in Spanish Language Education in 2002, her Master’s in School Administration in 2013, and her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction in 2017, all from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
Aimy inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a Spanish teacher at Northwest Cabarrus High School, where she worked from 2008-2011. She spent the next year as a Principal Intern at Central Cabarrus High School, and in 2013, she was appointed the Assistant Principal of Instruction at Cox Mills Hill School in Concord, North Carolina. From 2014 to the present she has served as the Principal of Beverly Hills High school in Concord.
Aimy is the only Democrat who is running to represent District 82. Her goal is to unseat the Republican incumbent Linda Johnson, who is currently serving as the Chairman of the North Carolina House Education Committee. “As a woman of color, I want to bring diverse voices into our state legislature by talking to constituents and making sure their voices are heard,” expresses Aimy. “I want to let them know that not only does their vote matter, but their voices, their suggestions and their opinions matter too. That’s one thing I specifically want to change,” she concludes.
You can learn more about Aimy on her website at www.aimysteele.com.