Carla Garrett is the Early Childhood Program Specialist at SERVE where she provides support, technical assistance, and policy guidance across early learning projects. Prior to joining the SERVE team, she served as the Title I Preschool Consultant at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. She is most proud of her leadership efforts involving a collaborative effort supporting local coordination of services among early learning partners using the Every Student Succeeds Act as a lever and NC’s Pre-K/Kindergarten Demonstration professional development initiative where she continued to grow with expert preschool and kindergarten teacher leaders as they improved their practices, resulting in better outcomes for children.

Prior to becoming a state consultant at the NC Department of Public Instruction, Carla worked as a director and school administrator with Person County Schools. She provided overall leadership of state and federally funded preschool programs serving children in high quality, comprehensive classrooms.

Carla holds a Bachelor of Science in Child Development from Meredith College and a Master of Education in Preschool Education and Development from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her focus on relationships and passion for appropriate practice contribute to her mission of providing the best possible experiences for young children and their families. A few of Carla’s favorite activities include making memories with her family, laughing with her best friends, enjoying the lake, and relaxing in the NC mountains.