In today’s world, school districts have many ways to communicate with families, but one of the most valuable communication tools is engaging with and receiving feedback from those our schools serve. Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) has partnered with ThoughtExchange, a discussion management platform, to gather feedback from students, families, staff, and community members. In its first exchange, GCPS is asking families, staff members, and the community about mitigation strategies, practices, or procedures that the district should consider as we adjust to living with COVID-19.

With ThoughtExchange, participants will be able to share their thoughts confidentially, ensuring that all voices are heard and all divergent views can come to light around a shared topic of interest or concern. It is not a survey tool. Instead, ThoughtExchange encourages engagement as people respond anonymously with other participants.

How does it work?

1. GCPS poses a broad question and invites people to respond.
2. Participants share thoughts anonymously with others participating in the exchange.
3. Using a 1-5 scale, participants rate their agreement with different thoughts.
4. GCPS analyzes data from the exchange and uses this input for decision-making.

Data, insights, and feedback gathered through ThoughtExchange will help the district gain a better understanding of what students, families, staff, and community members think about key issues, initiatives, and topics. In this current exchange, the district is asking “What mitigation strategies, practices, or procedures should we consider as we adjust to living with COVID-19?”

Community members interested in participating can access the exchange through the GCPS website or can access the following link to participate:  https://tejoin.com/scroll/512159374. Information about the exchange also is being sent to families and staff via SchoolMessenger.