Gwinnett County Public Schools' vision is to become a system of world-class schools, and our mission is to pursue excellence for each student. Our relentless focus on the vision and mission have led our school district to make great strides… however, there is still much to do. Our foundational commitments —the district’s vision and mission, the Board’s Beliefs and Commitments, along with its vision for quality and definition of world-class schools—guide decision-making and planning within GCPS. They have played a key role in the success of the district to date and help to ensure the school system remains focused on teaching and learning and the critical job of educating all students to high standards.
Vision and Mission
VISION
Gwinnett County Public Schools will become a system of world-class schools where students acquire the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and careers.
MISSION
The mission of Gwinnett County Public Schools is to pursue excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior for each student, resulting in measured improvement against local, national, and world-class standards.
Defining "world-class"
In Gwinnett County Public Schools, "world-class" describes any product, service, or organization that is judged by qualitative and quantitative measures as one of the best in its class, and is recognized accordingly by customers, stakeholders, professional peers, and competitors alike.
Characteristics of a "world-class" school:
- Rigorous academic standards and high expectations for all students
- A comprehensive, challenging, and relevant curriculum
- Effective, engaging instructional strategies
- Reliable, appropriate, and meaningful assessments
- High-performing and inspiring employees committed to professional development, training, and lifelong learning
- A safe, secure, and positive learning environment
- A culture of continuous improvement
- Accountability for results at all levels of the organization
- Productive and engaging partnerships with families and the community
- Effective use of technological resources to advance teaching and learning
- Innovative and productive approaches to management, operations, and use of resources
- Behavioral standards that promote teaching and learning
- An inclusive environment that acknowledges and values differences and encourages positive interactions between members of a diverse community
- Students who are prepared for the next grade level and graduate ready for college and careers
- Communication with internal and external audiences as a priority
- A shared vision for success
Board of Education Core Beliefs and Commitments
Believing, as we do, that public education is an integral part of the seamless fabric of the American experience, we, the Gwinnett County Board of Education, derive our core beliefs and commitments for public education in Gwinnett County from the foundational principles of the United States of America, specifically those espoused in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” and “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”.
America’s public schools exist to undergird and advance these principles. They are the one place where all children and youth in our great, diverse country are provided a common, free education. They must educate every child for success in life and for the responsibilities of American citizenship.
Thus, we commit ourselves to a world-class education that meets the needs of individual students, to a sharp focus on the traditions and values at the heart of our constitutional democracy and the rule of law, and to the civic virtues that bind together communities of many cultures, faiths, viewpoints, interests, and histories into a unified nation. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.
Therefore, the Gwinnett County Board of Education will:
- Ensure our core business of teaching and learning is built on a rigorous curriculum, effective instruction, and high-value assessments
- Educate every student to world-class standards and individual potential
- Provide a safe and secure learning environment
- Optimize the school effect to have a positive impact on every child
- Govern the district fairly and openly, seeking the engagement of the many stakeholders we serve.