Deborah Brown serves as the Director of the award-winning Exploris Middle School, bringing nearly 30 years of dedicated experience in public education to her leadership role. Widely recognized for her commitment to innovative learning environments, Deborah was honored as the 2017 North Carolina Charter School Teacher of the Year, served for 8 years on the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee and was appointed to the NC Superintendent’s Principal Advisory Committee. A respected voice in education, Deborah is a frequent presenter at national and regional conferences and is a seminar designer and presenter for NCCAT, empowering teachers to build networks, advocate for students, and embrace digital teaching and learning.
Deb has contributed significantly to the field through her numerous publications, including co-authoring a textbook on using the flipped method in language arts classrooms. She has previously worked in education in NY, Boston, and Wake County Public Schools, and was a founding team member for the groundbreaking Research Triangle High School. Deborah is passionate about fostering a culture of reading, nurturing teacher growth, and advancing forward-thinking pedagogy. Her work champions project-based and personalized learning, and she is at the forefront of integrating generative AI in education to create impactful, ethical, and future-ready experiences. When not at school you can find Deb traveling with her high school sweetheart and husband of 36 years or curled up with a good book, a strong cup of tea, and her newest batch of foster kittens.