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Gilmer County
Charter Schools
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 Beliefs
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- We believe that all students can experience academic growth with engaging, rigorous, and individualized learning.
- We believe that relationships foster collaboration and are mutually supportive. (Home, school, community).
- We believe that learning occurs through relevant experiences.
- We believe in a successful learning community that promotes respect, integrity, fairness, leadership and accountability.
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Mission
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Every Child, Every Opportunity, Every Day
Cada Criatura, Cada Oportunidad, Cada Dia
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Vision
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Our vision is to develop lifelong learners who enrich their community through the creation of learning environments that challenge and empower every student to reach his full potential to succeed in the workforce, military, or post-secondary opportunity.
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 Goals
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Strategic Focus: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Strategic Goal 1: INCREASE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL WHILE ENHANCING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
As a system dedicated to academic excellence and student progression, we cannot continue to rely solely on existing instructional methods to meet the changing expectations of our stakeholders, or the changing needs of the future workplace. The following initiatives, implemented over the next five years, will ensure that all students are engaged in learning that enables them to reach their full potential, for college and career readiness.
OBJECTIVES:
- ENSURE A HIGH PERFORMING CULTURE: Develop customized programs of study responsive to the individual interests and needs of all students
- INCREASE ACADEMIC RIGOR FOR ALL: Design a comprehensive assessment and feedback program t provide timely, constructive information, about ongoing student performance and progression.
- DEVELOP CORE COMPETENCIES: Build capacity through tailored instruction (needs based) and supports, to deliver appropriate and effective academic guidance to all students.
- FOSTER INNOVATIVE PRACTICE: Increase challenging, innovative learning opportunities, for all students through additional course implementation and external partnerships.
- APPLICATION OF LEARNING: Infuse stringent programs of study across math, science, and the humanities that promote student skills necessary for college and career opportunities, including financial and technology literacy, communication, and application of learning through relevancy.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
- Utilize the Gilmer County Schools Learning Expectations to align and enhance opportunities to develop student’s core competencies (academic and personal) from Kindergarten through graduation.
- Design and expand educational opportunities and experiences for students that will eliminate the achievement gap between subgroups and meet the needs of all learners.
- Foster innovative practice in academic programs, staffing and school budgeting to better serve the students of Gilmer County.
- Develop and maintain a learning management system to provide an infrastructure for the instructional framework of the school system.
- Develop and maintain a technology infrastructure that provides 21st century tools for learning and is flexible to accommodate transformational learning environments.
- Design and maintain a data architecture that produces actionable data within the learning management system to improve student achievement.
Strategic Focus: CULTURE AND CLIMATE
Strategic Goal 2: RECRUIT, DEVELOP AND RETAIN A HIGH PERFORMING WORKFORCE.
As a system dedicated to ensuring that our students are provided instruction by top tier educators. We must achieve positive change to enhance the capacity of those charged with facilitation. The strategic initiatives will ensure the Gilmer County Charter School System will attract and retain, the most talented and effective employees in K-12 education.
OBJECTIVES:
- ATMOSPHERE OF RESPECT AMONG STAKEHOLDERS: Build a trusting, positive, and supportive culture that demonstrates a commitment to employees and encourages a mutual commitment from employees.
- BUILD SYSTEM CAPACITY TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS: Establish an integrated, ongoing process that manages performance, assesses effectiveness, and provides support to ensure accountability across the district.
- PROVIDE PROGRESSIVE AND RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Enhance professional development to support performance growth and improvement, both individually and as a collective teaching force.
- FOSTER A CULTURE OF OPPORTUNITY: Develop and implement a targeted recruitment, selection, and placement strategy to attract effective and qualified professionals.
- LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT: Create and implement a system to retain and reward our most effective/influential employees.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
- Continue to develop talent in all employment classifications through high-quality professional development, mentoring, and other forms of collaboration.
- Ensure a high performing culture through professional learning and system-wide collaboration that fosters content sharing, K-12 networking, teacher-centered design, and 24/7 access to learning and production tools.
- Create a leadership development approach that includes coaching, mentoring, collaboration/study.
- Maintain an ongoing comprehensive plan for recruitment, selection, induction, development and retention of personnel.
- Ensure that 100% of staff is highly qualified per state and federal definition through comprehensive process of certification and Hi/Q counseling, assignment, and support.
- Establish and maintain a comprehensive, competitive and equitable compensation and classification administration system, staff benefits program, and collaborative working conditions.
- Identify factors that motivate employees to remain in or depart from positions in addition to self-efficacy surveys and work to improve the system / school climate to support learning.
Strategic Focus: EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Strategic Goal 3: ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THROUGH INCREASED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
As a Charter System, School Governance Teams will be an essential ingredient in the development of innovative and effective practices in each school. We will ensure fidelity through collaborative leadership that balances risk taking with accountability for all students.
OBJECTIVES:
- SCHOOL GOVERNANCE: Establish effective and a collaborative School Governance Teams at every school.
- STRONG SCHOOL SUPPORT: Support campus leaders with effective system-level structures and processes.
- INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES: Pervasively provide and increase opportunities for students, staff and system to serve the external community.
- EDUCATE, ENGAGE, AND RECOGNIZE: Through dialogue, we will engage the community to work collaboratively with the school system, while recognizing and embracing the quality of stakeholder involvement.
- TRANSPARENT DECISION MAKING: Develop, maintain, and enhance collaboration and relationships with stakeholders to make decision making throughout the system more transparent.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
- Increase collaboration with other community entities to ensure a high quality of life for all in Gilmer County.
- Develop, strengthen and recognize partnerships that support the learning of all students.
- Strengthen relationships with stakeholders and partners to develop better processes to gather and share feedback on our performance and identify the best ways to reach out to the broader community.
- Utilize Local School Governance Teams as a conduit of information to and from the Board of Education to inform GCCSS processes and strategic direction.
- Support local Parent-Teacher Organizations and Parent-Teacher-Student organizations within GCCSS to strengthen community involvement and collaboration
- Utilize Superintendent Advisory Forums as an opportunity to provide timely information about GCCSS while seeking feedback and guidance on strategic direction.
- Maintain and enhance opportunities to educate the community on programs and services offered to students of GCCSS through multiple communication avenues.
- Continue and enhance recognition of staff and community contributions.
Strategic Focus: TECHNOLOGY
Strategic Goal 4:USE TECHNOLOGY TO ENGAGE AND EDUCATE STUDENTS, STAFF, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY.
Our students expect to use technology to gather and demonstrate knowledge in the classroom, just as they do outside of school. Our community has clearly demonstrated their demand and desire for more integration of technology. Through these strategic initiatives we will ensure teachers, parents, and students have the tools and information necessary to accelerate learning.
OBJECTIVES:
- STUDENT ACCESS: Ensure student access to technologies, both through System and BYLD initiatives, which support innovative instruction.
- DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING: Ensure seamless access to timely data that will drive decision making.
- IMPROVE COMMUNICATION: Provide stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to utilize current technology to improve internal and external communication.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
- Use multiple and appropriate methods of communication and engagement to reach all stakeholders and every part of the community to gain meaningful input, participation, partnerships and shared responsibilities for student success.
- Develop best practices for communication that are sensitive to differences in culture, language, and educational background.
- Design climate survey content and utilize to measure and communicate system progress.
- Enhance the use of technology communication resources.
- Provide, communicate and review appropriate stakeholder involvement opportunities in decision-making.
- Evaluate Strategic Plan progress using stakeholder involvement and communicate progress using data and other accountability artifacts.
Strategic Focus: RESOURCES
Strategic Goal 5: SECURE FUNDING AND RESOURCES WHILE OPTIMIZING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY.
A critical part of innovation is aligning resources, including people, time and materials with the specific needs of students in each school. Given the diversity noted on our campuses, processes must be established for schools to have flexibility to waive state laws and school system guidelines to restructure resource allocations.
OBJECTIVES:
- RESOURCE FLEXIBILITY: Provide fiscal and academic flexibility, based on statistical data, to deliver resources designed to drive student achievement.
- PARTNERSHIPS: Increase the opportunity for receipt of resources through public and private partnerships, in order to maximize operational efficiency and opportunity in all areas of the system.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
- Ensure that instructional initiatives, the budget and other district and school plans align with each other and support the Strategic Plan and Board policies.
- Drive efficiency and effectiveness by improving central office functions to use public resources more efficiently to better support schools.
- Explore legislation to enhance local system flexibility and funding.
- Ensure efficiency of existing facilities, plan for future capital needs and provide equity of facilities in system to meet the needs of students and staff.
- Ensure safe and efficient transportation services by reinforcing safety and positive behavior.
- Ensure food and nutrition services are managed to maintain efficient, nutritious and cost effective operations.
- Ensure a safe learning and working environment for all schools and department personnel.
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