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chapter 3

Our Strategic
Direction

chapter 1
OUR
JOURNEY
OUR JOURNEY
chapter 2
LEADING
FORWARD
LEADING FORWARD
chapter 3
OUR STRATEGIC
DIRECTION
OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Superintendent surrounded by students
chapter 4
JOIN US
JOIN US
Guilford County Schools aperture symbol

Strategic Direction
2023-2026

GCS has hosted 200+ community conversations and engaged more than 8,000 stakeholders during phase 1 and phase 2 to inform Better Together, our new strategic direction with a singular focus to make GCS the best place to learn, work and grow.

200+

Town Halls
and Meetings

8000+

Participants
engaged

350+

Online
responses

FOCUS AREAS

Our new strategic direction is anchored in four focus areas:

focus areas graphic icons: rocket, giving hand, health shield, globe
Accelerate learning
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  • Strengthen core curriculum and increase access to high quality instruction across the district​
  • Grow instructional leaders with a strong equity lens committed to increasing student achievement across racial groups​
  • Expand learning recovery efforts (high-dosage tutoring and learning hubs)​
  • Improve supports at key academic transition points including Kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grade
Recruit, retain, and
Reward top talent
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  • ​Advocate for competitive living wages for all staff​
  • Foster working environments where all staff feel respected, seen and appreciated​
  • Provide all staff with meaningful professional opportunities to learn and grow
Strengthen health, wellness & safety in schools
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  • Grow mental health supports for students and staff​
  • Expand school safety strategies, including deploying school bond dollars​
  • Support student wellbeing and physical health
Prepare students
For the world
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  • Build 21st-century schools that prepare students to compete in a global economy​
  • Invest in programs that provide students with the tools to perform 21st-century jobs​
  • Strengthen alignment between GCS programs, college readiness, and workforce development needs​
  • Expose students early to a broad range of post-secondary opportunities and prepare our graduates to seek various pathways, including employment, enrichment, entrepreneurship, enlistments
color arrows pointing downfocus areas graphic icons: rocket, giving hand, health shield, globe

Accelerate
learning

  • Strengthen core curriculum and increase access to high-quality instruction across the district​
  • Grow instructional leaders with a strong equity lens committed to increasing student
    achievement across racial groups​
  • Expand learning recovery efforts (high-dosage tutoring and
    learning hubs)​
  • Improve support at key academic transition points, including kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grade

Recruit, retain, and reward
top talent

  • ​Advocate for competitive living wages for all staff​
  • Foster working environments where all staff feel respected, seen and appreciated​
  • Provide all staff with meaningful professional opportunities to learn and grow

Strengthen health, wellness & safety in schools

  • Grow mental health supports for students and staff​
  • Expand school safety strategies, including deploying school bond dollars​
  • Support student wellbeing and physical health

Prepare students for the world

  • Build 21st-century schools that prepare students to compete in a global economy​
  • Invest in programs that provide students with the tools to perform 21st-century jobs​
  • Strengthen alignment between GCS programs, college readiness, and workforce development needs​
  • Expose students early to a broad range of post-secondary opportunities and prepare our graduates to seek various
    pathways, including employment, enrollment, entrepreneurship, enlistments
color arrows pointing down

Shared Commitments​

As we work across all our focus areas, we commit to: 

Making investments that address historical inequities
Prioritizing collaboration among stakeholders to address barriers to student success and achievement
Maintaining open lines of communication and engagement​
Operating efficiently to maximize resources for students
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Mission, Vision,
and Core Values

We will continue to be driven by our mission, vision and values established by the Board of Education.

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Mission

Guilford County students will graduate as responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or in the career of their choice.*

*This mission was adopted by the Guilford County Board of Education on December 12, 2000.

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VISION

Transforming learning and life outcomes for all students.

Guilford County Schools white aperture symbol

CORE VALUES

Diversity  |  Empathy  |  Integrity  |  Innovation  |  Equity

Guilford County Schools
Board of Education

T. Dianne Bellamy Small - District 1
Crissy Pratt - District 2
Bill Goebel - District 3
Linda Welborn - District 4
Deborah Napper - District 5
Khem Irby - District 6
Bettye T. Jenkins, Vice-Chair - District 7
Deena A. Hayes, Chair - District 8
Alan Sherouse - At Large

TRANSITION TEAM

Dawn Avolio
Jose Bernal
Joe Blosser
Angie Brown
Katrinka Brown
Rebecca Buffington
Kim Bullock Gatling
Ivan Canada
Leah Carper
Jerico Carrillo
Christopher Carroll
Eboni C. Chillis
Kenya Donaldson
Angela Draper
Wanda Edwards
Nasaa Enkhbold
Dania Ermentrout
Carla Flores-Ballesteros
J. Carlvena Foster
Denise Fransico
Khari Garvin
Marcus Gause
Jasmine Getrouw-Moore
Maria Gonzalez
Kevin Gray
Vanina Hackett
Michael Halford
Mary Herbenick
Mike Hettenbach
Deborah Hooper
Chesley Huskins
Taiwo Jaiyeoba
Cyril Jefferson
Paul Jeffrey
Afi Johnson-Parris
Rebecca Kaye
Leslie Kinard
Ed Kitchen
Rabbi Andy Koren
Paul Lessard
Tracey Lewis
Susan Linder
Ashley Lopez-Davila
Jusmar Maness
Sonia Marquez
Harold L. Martin Sr.
Marshall Matson
Phil McCall
Winston McGregor
Shirley Morrison
Rachel Moss Collins
Erik Naglee
Chaundra Norman Rogers
Mindy Oakley
Jose Oliva
April Parker
Randy Penfield
Tiffany Perkins
Jonathan Permar
Annika Pfaender
Mildred Poole
Stephanie Rakes
Michelle Reed
Lashana Richards
Mike Richey
H. Walker Sanders
Michelle Schneider
Terri Sims-Warren
Dawn Spencer
Kimberly Steinke
Sonya Stephens
Michelle Thigpen
Frank Thomas
Paul Travers
Tara Trexler
Elaine Utin
Kristin Vaughn
Weaver Walden
Monica Walker
Mark Watkins
Brittany Wells
Kevin Wheat
The Better Together website was inspired by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s
2018 All for NC Framework for Grantmaking and Learning website.
The Better Together website was inspired by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s 2018 All for NC Framework for Grantmaking and Learning website.
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Guilford County Schools

712 N. Eugene St., Greensboro, NC 27401
P: 336-370-8100