Early Educator Support (EES) Unit

Who Are We

The Early Educator Support Unit is the Local Education Agency (LEA)  that supports  NC Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) Lead Teachers, and Developmental Day Preschool Lead Teachers in non-public sites through the birth-kindergarten licensure process. 

The Early Educator Support (EES) Unit formerly known as the Early Educator Support, Licensure, and Professional Development (EESLPD) Unit has been officially renamed effective December 2020.  

What We Do 

The EES Unit provides licensure support for Early Childhood Lead Teachers who hold or are eligible for, an NC Professional Educator’s Birth-Kindergarten (BK) license per NCAC Chapter 9 - Child Care Rules and State Board of Education Licensure Policy.

We support teachers at each licensure level from a Residency License to a Continuing License and provide oversight of the Beginning Teacher Support Program (BTSP).

DCDEE EES Unit Staff

All licensure questions should be directed to the appropriate BK Licensure Specialist. Should you have questions regarding enrollment, please contact the Intake Coordinator.

How We Support Lead Teachers

NC Pre-K Lead Teachers and Developmental Day Preschool Lead Teachers employed in non-public sites are required to enroll with the EES Unit.

The EES Unit delivers support to these teachers by requesting licenses or initiating actions to a variety of existing licenses such as, but not limited to renewals, extensions, and conversions. Professional Development support is provided through mentoring and/or evaluating services by the EES Offices at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and East Carolina University.

While enrolled with the EES Unit, each teacher will transition through three phases of support, identified in the chart below.  One cannot move to the next phase without completing the prior phase.

For more information, please see our Additional Resources.   

Click each box below to learn more about each step in the process.