Superintendent
Dr. Calvin J. Watts
Superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Dr. Calvin J. Watts has served as superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS)—Georgia’s largest school district and the eleventh-largest and fifth-most diverse district in the Nation—since July 30, 2021. Dr. Watts leads a bold strategic planning process focused on empathy, equity, effectiveness, and excellence—Our Blueprint for the Future.
As a former GCPS leader who served in varied leadership roles for 13 years, Dr. Watts rejoined the district after serving as superintendent of Kent School District (KSD) for six years. KSD is the fifth largest and the second most diverse school district in Washington. At KSD, Dr. Watts led a strategic planning process that increased organizational effectiveness. His education career also includes positions with the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Seattle Public Schools, Atlanta Public Schools, and Carrollton City Schools.
Also a graduate of The Broad Academy Fellowship (2018-2019), he has a demonstrated record of success as an instructional, operational, and community leader. He has presented regionally and nationally on a number of topics, including equity, personalized learning, and parent engagement.
Dr. Watts’ leadership philosophy has always been to reach and teach all students as if they had his last name. With this philosophy in mind, he and his wife have expanded their “family” to include the 183,000 children served in GCPS.
As superintendent of GCPS, Dr. Watts is focused on building the bridge from empathy to excellence along with listening and learning in order to engage more people in the work of the school district and the strategic plan. As part of that work, he launched a Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee, a Transition and Planning Team, and a Portrait of a Graduate Design Team. In addition, GCPS joined Learning 2025, a network of leading school districts that are sharing their learning and leadership to continuously improve outcomes for students in our public school system. Under his leadership, the school district has brought new voices into the conversation about how GCPS can better serve the whole learner in terms of what our students need to be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally, so that we can ensure that each and every student thrives.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, a master’s degree from the University of West Georgia, and his doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University.