Dare County Schools is pleased to announce the appointment of Juan Castillo as the district’s Multilingual Education and Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator.

 

In his new role, Castillo will lead Dare County Schools’ English as a Second Language (ESL), Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, World Languages, and provide support to the Beginning Teacher program districtwide.

 

As an experienced building administrator, Mr. Castillo will also be working to strengthen teaching and learning by supporting the Beginning Teacher Program in partnership with human resources. This work directly aligns with the Dare County Board of Education’s goal of addressing the recruitment and retention of high quality educators.

 

Castillo brings more than two decades of experience in education, including 14 years in school leadership. He recently served as assistant principal at Manteo High School and has held principal and assistant principal positions throughout eastern North Carolina.

 

As a native Spanish speaker, Castillo has served as a bridge for communication and relationship-building with diverse school communities. He is passionate about fostering student success, building strong relationships with families and staff, and creating school environments where all students feel seen, supported and inspired.

 

“We are thrilled to have someone with Mr. Castillo’s talents, experience, and background stepping into this role. Since joining Manteo High School’s administration, Mr. Castillo has not only been an outstanding addition to the MHS administrative team, but has also provided a valuable connection and support for our Hispanic families on Roanoke Island. We believe this is the right person with the right talents at the right place and time. We are very pleased to expand his role throughout Dare County Schools,” said Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight.

 

Originally from Medellín, Colombia, and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, Castillo began his career as an elementary art teacher in Palm Beach County, Florida. He began his North Carolina educational career in 2004 in Pitt County, where he taught high school art and coached soccer for six years before moving into school administration.

 

Castillo has held school leadership positions in Greene, Pitt, Pasquotank and Camden counties before joining Dare County Schools in 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Florida Atlantic University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Grand Canyon University and a Master of School Administration from East Carolina University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Old Dominion University.

 

Castillo holds multiple certifications, including North Carolina Principal/Supervisor, K–12 Art, Curriculum Specialist and K–12 Spanish licensure.

 

Castillo will continue serving as assistant principal at Manteo High School while the district works to fill the position.

 

Dare County Schools looks forward to Castillo continuing his work with students, families and staff in this new role and expanding support and opportunities for multilingual learners across the district.