Fernando Solano Valverde

Assistant Principal

Greetings, Gator's family! 

I am very thrilled to become part of the Gator family! I want you to know that I was born in San Jose, Costa Rica. I majored in English Literature with a minor in Translation. After graduating, I lived in Cologne, Germany, where I expanded my cultural horizons. In 1999, I was chosen by the Visiting International Faculty Program (VIF), known now as “Participate Learning,” to come to teach, and I have called North Carolina home ever since! I have earned a master's in Education in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) with a concentration on Bilingual Education, graduating with honors. More recently, I was selected by the Principal Preparation for Excellence and Equity in Rural School program (PPEERS) to complete a Master's in School Administration . I have extensive experience working with all elementary grade levels and some with High School. Family, community, and relationships are the pillars of my educational philosophy, and Glenwood Elementary's core goals align with my beliefs of what schools should foster and instill in our students to develop competent citizens in a global society! I was honored to be chosen district teacher of the year during the 2016-2017 school year in Lexington City Schools. A year later, I was appointed a member of the North Carolina Governor's Commission "Access to Sound Basic Education." Personally, I enjoy doing some baking and cooking, reading, visiting small and big cities, and strolling around learning about architecture and people's social interactions.