Message From The Superintendent

from Gainesville ISD Spotlight Summer 2021

Gainesville Junior High - Beyond

Message

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

Dear Gainesville ISD Families,

I can’t put into words what this community means to me. First, let me say THANK YOU for your undivided support during my tenure as the Superintendent of Schools. TOGETHER, we have been able to build an educational environment that is centered around student success, but the best is yet to come. During the 2020-2021 school year we were faced with finding a way to keep our faculty, staff and students safe, while also creating an engaging learning environment that was designed to close academic gaps created by the closure of schools in March 2020. We did not know what to expect and the levels of anxiety were exponentially elevated throughout our community. Safety will continue to be our top priority as we continue to explore the expansion of programmatic offerings and opportunities for ALL learners.

We have begun looking at the future of our community and school system as a whole. According to a recent demographic report, over the next several years we are projected to grow as a district, which is both exciting yet concerning. With a possible increase in the number of students, we must ensure that our buildings are adequate and suitable for increased enrollment. Therefore, I will be hosting a series of community forums so that I can disseminate information as well as address any/all questions that our families may have. American Industrialist Andrew Carnegie once said that “teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results”. I am excited about what the future has in store for us, and I welcome anyone to join us as we navigate this process.

As we focus on the 2021-2022 school year, it is now time to hit the “RESET” button and to begin the process of returning teaching and learning to normal. We will be expanding our 1:1 technology initiative to include our 2nd – 4th grade students at Chalmers as well as increasing the number of devices at Edison. We will also look to build upon the many academic successes from 2020-2021. We will continue to look for new and innovative programs that will better prepare our kids to pursue their career ambitions. We will also welcome back our parents and volunteers to our campuses. Our faculty, staff and students have greatly missed your presence and cannot wait for your return.

Our motto “Every Leopard, Every Day” drives all that we do here in GISD. Over the last few years we, as a collective unit, have had many successes, but we still have work to do. Join us as we plan to make the 2021-2022 school year fun, exciting and educationally relevant for our nearly 3,000 students. Our students need us more than ever, and TOGETHER we will be able to provide a learning experience for our students that is second to none.