Alumnus Charles Perkins named superintendent of Rockingham County Schools
The Rockingham County School System is now being led by one of its own. Born, reared, and educated in Rockingham County, Charles Perkins was sworn in as the superintendent July 1, 2026 following a career in education there. The UNC Greensboro triple graduate is hoping for a seamless transition in the school system and county he’s always called home.
Perkins is one of more than 15 UNCG School of Education alumni to take the title of school superintendent, joining colleagues in Guilford, Vance, Asheboro, and other counties who lead and collaborate with school principals in their districts.
“Education is a very rewarding, noble, and much needed profession for the future of our state and our country,” Perkins says. “
First Generation Student Finds His Way
Perkins grew up working with his brothers in the family’s lawn and garden repair shop. The first in his family to attend college, Perkins chose UNCG because it was near home.
“My parents supported me going to college right out of Reidsville High School, but I’m sure they would have loved it if I had stayed on and worked with my brothers in the family business,” Perkins said. “At the time, I wanted to work in the world of sports, so I earned my degree in recreation management.”
Following graduation, Perkins went to NC State University for his master’s in sports management and was soon hired as the director of club sports at NC State. His wife was a teacher in Wake County Public Schools and they soon found their schedules didn’t jibe.
“It was a rough first year of marriage trying to juggle those schedules: her up and out early in the morning, me often not closing the facilities until after midnight,” he says. “I started seeing how much enjoyment my wife got out of teaching, and that’s what led me into teaching.”
The couple soon moved back to Rockingham County and both began teaching in the school system there.
“I started teaching middle school social studies through what they call ‘lateral entry to education,’” he says.
While teaching full-time, he returned to UNCG to earn his master of arts in teaching – middle grades education.
“I found success in the classroom and I could immediately apply what I was learning in my classwork at UNCG in the classroom at Reidsville Middle School,” Perkins says. “I really followed in my wife’s footsteps, and her support was key in me finding success as an educator.”
Opportunity Knocks
Perkins taught at Regional Middle School for five years. One day, he heard a knock on his classroom door.
“The superintendent of schools, Walter Bromenschenkel, came in and sat in my classroom, observing me for two periods,” he says. “At the end he invited me to join an administrator scholarship program and pursue my master’s in school administration.”
That mentorship from Bromenschenkel, would change Perkins’ career trajectory. Working with the Leadership Rockingham Cohort, he earned his master’s in School Administration from Appalachian State University, and went on to become principal at Williamsburg Elementary, then Reidsville Middle, and then Reidsville High School. During this period, he returned to UNCG for his doctorate in educational leadership.
“I’ve been very blessed to have a long–standing relationship with UNCG, lots of great professors and staff members that I’ve worked with,” he says. “Even after graduating with my doctorate, I’ve continued to work with UNCG and their principal preparation program PPEERS as a member district. That partnership with UNCG has continued to get stronger every year.”
Leading the Way
Perkins earned the role as assistant superintendent in Rockingham County in 2014. As he steps into the role of superintendent, he’s excited for what’s to come.
“My whole career in public school education has been here in Rockingham County,” Perkins says. “I have a pretty good working relationship with staff members and I’m very familiar with the operations of our schools and all the support services that we provide. My hope is that it’s a seamless transition and that I’ll be able to establish priorities and get started quickly.”
To students and professionals considering a shift to the classroom, Perkins offers his perspective.
“Education is such a rewarding career. If you are interested in people, and love helping people, there’s not a better career to go into,” he says. “I appreciate that people have invested in me throughout the years and saw something in me to encourage me to keep moving forward. I want to do the same.”
Written by Alice Manning Touchette
Photography courtesy of Charles Perkins
