By Amy Cockerham
Public Ed Works 

ROCKY MOUNT (June 18, 2026) – Nash County educator Jamilah Bullock was serving as an assistant principal in Rocky Mount when she was laid off from her job, but that didn’t slow down her passion for education.

“It was cut for funding,” Bullock said. “Where I was doing really great work, when there’s no funding to pay for a person or to hire that position, you know, unfortunately, things like getting cut happens.”

Layoffs are becoming all too common in North Carolina, as the latest report ranks the state last in public school funding efforts.

At the start of her career, Bullock was a social studies teacher and went on to help launch a school model called the North Phillips School of Innovation in Edgecombe County Public Schools.

“What I’m most passionate about is building programs for young people that help them actualize what they want to be true in their lives,” Bullock said. “I’ve worked alongside my students, their families, our community to build learning through internship programs to lift a program called SparkNC.”

Now that she’s out of the school system, she’s launching a new nonprofit called “Rooted for Good ENC.”

“That work is working alongside young people between 18 and 21 as they’re transitioning from … a formal education space into adulthood, careerhood, college,” Bullock said. “It’s very, very brand new. So, I’m excited about that.”

Bullock said the idea started when students reached out to her after graduation asking for help with their resumes or college applications.

“I think that a part of my work is also helping young people see that you can do great work right here in eastern North Carolina,” Bullock said. “There are amazing people that are here that are doing amazing work and just connecting them to all of those resources and together … we are continuing to ensure that our communities thrive.”

Bullock said thriving communities also require adequate education funding.

“There are amazing young people here who have brilliant ideas and are going to change the world,” Bullock said. “They need support, and they need funding, financial backing and policies that make sense to continue to support them.”