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GCS Superintendent Testifies Before Congress
Feb. 14, 2019 – Guilford County and Guilford County Schools was in the national spotlight on February 12, 2019 when Superintendent Sharon L. Contreras, Ph.D., testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor. She was the only superintendent testifying at the hearing, “Underpaid Teachers and Crumbling Schools: How Underfunding Public Education Shortchanges America’s Students.”
Contreras discussed the condition of school facilities and how infrastructure impacts the educational experience for students and teachers.
The invitation came on the heels of an independent audit of GCS facilities, which recommends $1.5 billion for school renovation, replacement and new construction. The full report may be found on GCS’ website by clicking here.
“Every national study indicates that the nation’s school construction, modernization, renovation, and repair needs are getting worse over time,” said Contreras. “The figures are astounding – at $112 billion in 1995 according to the federal Government Accountability Office and $197 billion in a 2014 report from the federal National Center for Education Statistics. All levels of government – federal, state, and local – have to step up now and invest in our children.”
The superintendent was accompanied to the hearing by Angie Henry, GCS chief financial officer, and Julius Monk, GCS executive director of facilities.
The hearing can be found on the House Education and Labor Committee’s website, https://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/underpaid-teachers-and-crumbling-schools-how-underfunding-public-education-shortchanges-americas-students-
Contreras’ written testimony can be found by clicking here.