Johnston County Public School officials share success strategies with state leaders

Submitted by Johnston County Public Schools

SMITHFIELD — Several members of the Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) senior leadership team seized the opportunity to present at the 2024 North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) Annual Conference recently in Greensboro.

NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. The memberdriven association supports school governance teams, including school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff and board assistants by providing resources and guidance for governance teams throughout the state.

The annual conference hosts district leaders, such as school board members, superintendents and members of senior leadership, from school districts throughout the state, providing a platform for attendees to engage in impactful information and training sessions, vendor exhibitions, networking opportunities and collaborative learning.

JCPS was recently recognized as a high-performing school district after receiving outstanding results from the 2023-2024 school year. The district has also been recognized for its continued academic growth over the past five years, despite challenges presented by the pandemic, and was invited to present at the conference.

“I am extremely proud of our entire district, our recent success and all the individuals who have contributed to our growth, including students, staff, and parents,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Eric C. Bracy. “This level of achievement takes 100% effort from every single person involved, and when you get that level of commitment, great results happen.”

The upward trajectory of JCPS has not gone unnoticed and has provided unique opportunities to share strategies with other districts in various ways, including during the conference.

“We are humbled to have shared our success stories and strategies with our colleagues throughout the state,” said Bracy. “We are advocates for education and desire for school districts and students to achieve success globally.”

The JCPS session was titled, “Board Governance + Instructional Leadership = High Performing School District,” allowing the team to share strategies and procedures that have contributed to JCPS’ recent academic success and consistent improvement. The team discussed curriculum, the importance of synergetic relationships between the board and leadership, accountability at all levels, goal setting and follow through, effective organizational structure, benchmarking and more.