Teresa Owens

Ms. Owens joined High Point University in 2008 as an adjunct instructor in Special Education. After a distinguished 34-year career serving students with disabilities and their families as both a teacher and administrator, she retired from Guilford County Schools in August 2013. She then joined the Stout School of Education as a full-time Clinical Instructor. Ms. Owens holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Appalachian State University.

Ms. Owens began her career in Lexington, North Carolina, teaching preschool students with disabilities. She later served as a special educator with High Point City Schools and Guilford County Schools, working at Ferndale Middle School and Northwood Elementary School. During her time in the classroom, she received several honors, including Outstanding Young Educator from the High Point Jaycees, Educator of the Year from the ARC of High Point, and Teacher of the Year at Northwood Elementary.

She transitioned into leadership roles as a Program Facilitator for Exceptional Children Services and later as a Program Administrator for Special Education Services. From 2005 to 2013, Ms. Owens served as Coordinator for Exceptional Children Services in Guilford County Schools. In this role, she led the development and implementation of short- and long-term goals to improve systemwide instruction for students with disabilities. She also oversaw data collection and reporting for the district’s Continuous Improvement Plan, coordinated the Home/Hospital Program, served as a staffing liaison, and supervised services for incarcerated students.

From 2005 to 2013, Ms. Owens served as an ex officio member of the Exceptional Children’s Parent Advisory Committee. She also contributed to numerous district initiatives, including PACE (Personalized Achievement, Curriculum, and Environment), School Reform, and Building Advisory Teams for Haynes-Inman Education Center, C.J. Greene Education Center, Herbin-Metz Education Center, and Allen Jay Preparatory Academy.

In addition, Ms. Owens has provided consulting services to exceptional children departments in public school districts and charter schools across North Carolina. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the Teacher Education Division (TED) of CEC, and the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE). She currently serves on the Executive Board of the North Carolina Council of Administrators of Special Education (NCCASE) as Treasurer and Higher Education Representative. She is also a member of the Chi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an international professional society for women educators.

At High Point University, Ms. Owens has been recognized as a “Mentor Who Made an Impact” by the Office of Student Life in 2020 and 2021. She serves as the faculty advisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Student Council for Exceptional Children.