GCS Special Friday Notes from the Superintendent

January 23, 2008

San Diego

As you may be aware, I have been offered and accepted a superintendent’s position with the San Diego Unified School District, effective July 1, 2008.  Leaving friends and supporters is never easy.  My wife Nancy and I have enjoyed and greatly appreciated our time in Guilford County. 

Because of our great team effort and strong community and parental support, Guilford County Schools has experienced many successes during the past eight years.  The board of education has been bold and courageous in their leadership to bring about positive results for your children.  During our time together, we’ve been extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated school board overseeing our schools.  We have one of the strongest administrative teams that I’ve had the pleasure to work with in my career – a team that is poised and ready to continue moving the district forward.  And no credit would be complete without acknowledging the effort of support staff and teachers.  It’s their day-to-day passion, commitment and care for children that have made the greatest impact on students' lives.

Our business community and community-based partners have supported the district in unprecedented ways.  We’re particularly indebted to the Businesses for Excellence in Education group.  It’s with their support that innovative programs such as the Early/Middle Colleges and Mission Possible have been expanded to serve more children. The staff training program that they funded has been key to our school reform efforts.  Additional community sponsored recognition programs such as Cool to be Smart for students and the Celebration of Excellence for schools have helped to foster an environment for continued academic growth and achievement.   

The district could not run without the support and involvement of parents throughout the district – not only do they hold us accountable, they contribute untold hours in our schools and raise funds that enhance program offerings for our children.  Finally, we have enjoyed a good partnership with the Guilford County Association of Educators and their fine leader, Mark Jewell.
 
I have greatly appreciated the support, work and effort of this community in our ongoing effort to provide the best educational outcomes for our children.  We didn’t accomplish everything that I would have liked and there is still much work to be done.

As the number of students enrolled in GCS continues to increase on average by 1,700 new students per year, another significant school construction bond is needed. As part of this growth, we’re seeing increased numbers of Pre-K students, students who speak non-English languages and students who require special needs.  We still have gaps in achievement that simply are unacceptable.  Many of the staff and services these students depend on are not funded by federal or state allocations. This places a tremendous fiscal responsibility on our county government and local taxpayers.  Our children have only one opportunity in school. The community must continue working closer together to ensure that every child receives the resources they need to become productive, contributing members of our society.

Nancy and I appreciate and thank you for the support that you’ve given us.  I will work closely with our board to ensure a smooth transition during the coming months.