Ann Marie Gunter2020 State Supervisor of the Year
At its 61st annual meeting held virtually in November 2020, the National Council of State Supervisor for Languages (NCSSFL) named Ann Marie Gunter the 2020 State Supervisor of the Year. Dr. Gunter is the World Languages Consultant at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction where she provides policy leadership, professional development, and technical assistance for K-12 World Language programs, including classical, dual language/immersion, heritage, and modern languages. She also collaborates with colleagues across the curriculum to support initiatives such as global education, LinguaFolio, and the Seal of Biliteracy.
Ann Marie is a servant leader who truly cares about supporting districts and schools, and she is an advocate for K-16 World Language programs. Her nomination letters for this award noted that she constantly asks for input from coordinators, teacher leaders, and her counterparts from other states so that the resources designed to support North Carolina’s proficiency-based World Language standards are practical and meaningful.
Dr. Gunter has presented numerous times locally, regionally, and nationally, and she is involved with projects that build the pipeline of language teachers for her state and the country, like the STARTALK Multi-State Pathways to Teaching Institute.
Ann Marie’s career in language education spans over 25 years. She previously served as a secondary level classroom teacher of French and English in Indiana and Wisconsin, as well as a district coordinator of gifted and talented programs, and she has also taught elementary, dual credit, community college, and university courses.