Dear GCPS Students, Families, and Community,

I am aware that recent social media posts and letters have been circulating amongst our community, and as a result, they have caused some students, staff, and families to be concerned about the stability of our district. As our superintendent, I remain committed to our shared responsibilities, and to working alongside you in full support of the success of our district and of each and every GCPS student.

After more than two decades of consistent leadership among the Superintendent and Board Governance teams, the organizational change over the last two years has been both overwhelming to some, and welcomed by others. As a result, this will require each of us to be mindful of the change management process. In fact, I have been working with our school and district-level leaders, and I will continue to work alongside them to provide the awareness and the tools to lead through this change. Indeed, our next steps will take time, and we will move forward along this change process together.

Over the past 16 months of my superintendency in GCPS, our Board Governance Team has taken a major step forward by adopting the district’s strategic plan, Our Blueprint for the Future. Prior to our board’s adopting this plan in July, our district measured performance based upon strategic priorities and initiatives. In order to meet the measurable goals within Our Blueprint For the Future, however, we have identified milestones and performance indicators. Over the next five years, we expect to implement our strategic plan alongside students, staff, and families, and with the support of our board, and our community. This process reflects our commitment to “each and every,” and serves as a major step toward ensuring our students are able to thrive.  

Although Our Blueprint is new, we have also maintained elements of our district's foundational best practices, including our longstanding model of continuous improvement. Since the end of the first quarter, we entered the “Check” phase of the “Plan, Do, Check, Act” continuous improvement cycle. As a result, we now have a better understanding of our implementation since we began in August. We also recognize what areas of implementation are working well and what areas need improvement. While I stand by the priorities of our strategic plan, I have also listened carefully to the feedback that we have implemented too much too fast to meet the objectives within the plan. During my listening sessions this Fall with Student Advisory Council, Teacher Advisory Council, Principals, Cluster Superintendents, district leadership, community members, and during my school visits, I have continually heard that Our Blueprint For the Future represents the right work, but the pace is not understandable to all, and as a result, we need to slow down. I have also heard a clear call for support and adjustments to the implementation so that we can do this work well.

The operational actions I have taken are based on the feedback our team has received recently. As a result, I have also considered a) conducting a full audit of current district initiatives, b) creating a “road map” that clearly articulates the implementation of Our Blueprint over the next five years, and c) building the capacity of all team GCPS members so that our schools and district staff can fully embrace and invest in this work. 

Finally, please know that I have been and will continue to work with our Board of Education to support our district’s success. I will be working even more closely with our Board to ensure our core business of teaching and learning is centered on viable curricula, rigorous assessments, and effective instruction so that we remain committed to educating every student to world-class standards and individual potential; to providing a safe, secure, and welcoming learning environment; to optimizing the positive impact our schools have on every child; and to supporting the fair and open governing of our district by the Board of Education, including seeking the engagement of our entire GCPS community.

As your superintendent, my focus will continue to be centered on the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing of each and every GCPS student.

In partnership and service, 

Dr. Calvin J. Watts

Superintendent