Lake Norman educator named 2026 North Carolina Charter School Teacher of the Year

Hundreds of elementary school students did their best to sit still and stay pin-drop silent as first-grade teacher Stephanie Lane made her way into the lunchroom Thursday.

Too much noise, and they might give away the surprise.

As Lane entered, they erupted in tiny cheers, jumping out of their seats. At the front of the room stood Lane’s husband, daughter, parents and aunt, alongside her school principal, Michelle Holland. Lane, a teacher at Lake Norman Charter School in Huntersville, is the North Carolina Charter School Teacher of the Year.

“I was initially just in shock,” she told The Charlotte Observer. “It’s just such an honor to represent LNC, and it’s humbling to know that I am representing LNC in this way and all charter schools, honestly.”

Lane, who has worked at Lake Norman Charter for nine years and taught for six, was initially nominated by her school. She wrote about four essays and completed an interview before representatives from NCDPI came to her school to observe her in action.

She said the award is more than hers. It’s a reflection of every teacher and student she works with each day.

“This is for all of us,” she said as she addressed her colleagues. “Whether I’ve been in your classrooms or we’ve collaborated, this is for every single one of you. And kiddos, you’re why we do this.”

Lane isn’t one to brag, even if she deserves to. When NCDPI came to her school to consider her for the award, she cried.

“I was like, ‘I don’t feel worthy of this,’” Lane said.

But now, Lane said, she knows she’s earned it through her commitment to forming relationships and an “environment of belonging” for each student. It was a relationship evident in the eyes of her students as she exited the cafeteria — each one waving to her and beaming ear to ear.

“I try to build relationships, with my students even before they step into my classroom, and as they leave my classroom and go to other classrooms, that relationship doesn’t end,” she said. “I want them to know that they are my student and I’m on their team for more than just the 180 days they sit in my classroom.”

She now becomes one of nine educators in the state in the running to be named the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

The state has awarded the honor since 1970. In 2013, it began partnering with Burroughs Wellcome Fund to give the award, which includes a $7,500 prize, professional development opportunities and entry into the National Teacher of the Year program as North Carolina’s candidate.

The winner also gets a two-year appointment as an adviser to the North Carolina Board of Education. The NCDPI Teacher of the Year will be announced this spring.

Each of the nine finalists is also a regional winner – charter schools as a whole are considered one of the nine “regions” – receiving a cash prize of $5,000 along with professional development.

This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 2:48 PM.

Rebecca Noel

The Charlotte Observer

Rebecca Noel reports on education for The Charlotte Observer. She’s a native of Houston, Texas, and graduated from Rice University. She later received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. When she’s not reporting, she enjoys reading, running and frequenting coffee shops around Charlotte.