Asheville High CTE teacher named state award finalist

John Moody, Asheville High School’s computer science and cybersecurity teacher, was named a finalist for North Carolina’s 2027 Burroughs Wellcome Fund CTE Teacher of the Year award. The recognition placed a Buncombe County educator among 24 finalists statewide and drew attention to the classroom work that connects Asheville students to technology jobs and career credentials.

“Asheville High School exemplifies educational excellence through his passion for Computer Science and his dedication to our students,” said Dr. Ivry Cheeks, Asheville City Schools’ Career and Technical Education director. Moody’s role sits squarely inside the district’s graduation and career-prep structure: Asheville City Schools says every student must earn at least one Career Technical credit to graduate, and students pursuing a CTE concentration must complete four total credits in the area.

That makes Moody’s work more than a single specialty class. At Asheville High, the staff directory lists him in Computer Science and Cybersecurity and identifies him as head wrestling coach, showing how he serves students in both academics and extracurriculars. The district says it serves about 4,000 students across eight campuses and has been part of the community for more than 130 years, a scale that gives CTE teaching a direct role in how Asheville prepares students for college, certifications and entry into the workforce.

Moody’s own background fits the pathway he teaches. His staff bio says he grew up in eastern North Carolina, earned a Bachelor of Science in Management of Information Systems from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and later completed a master’s degree in secondary education at Northern Arizona University. That mix of business, technology and teaching experience helps explain why his classroom work stands out in a district where employers continue to look for students with practical technical skills.

NCCAT says each district or charter school may nominate one CTE teacher each year, and the finalist field is narrowed to 24 educators statewide. Finalists receive a week of professional development and interviews with the selection committee, while the winner gets a $5,000 cash prize, a trip to the national ACTE conference, instructional supply funds for the school and a three-year NCACTE membership. NCCAT developed the program with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Association for Career and Technical Education to elevate CTE teaching in public schools. The recognition also keeps Western North Carolina in the spotlight: last year’s CTE Teacher of the Year runner-up was Lacey Davis of Clyde A. Erwin High School in Buncombe County Schools.