Gwinnett Schools Win Honor For Teacher Care

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Gwinnett County schools were one of eight systems in the nation honored for how well they take care of teachers.

The Great Districts for Great Teachers award, handed out for the first time Tuesday by the National Council on Teacher Quality, recognizes districts for exceptional programs and policies on recruiting, encouraging, supporting, and retaining great teachers.

Gwinnett was the only Georgia school system to receive the honor. Others honored were Boston Public Schools, Broward County Public Schools in Florida, Denver Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Schools, New York City Department of Education, Pinellas County Schools in Florida and Pittsburgh Public Schools.

The council announced these winners at the South by Southwest EDU conference in Austin, Texas.

"We first conceived the Great Districts for Great Teachers initiative over a year ago as a way to celebrate the good work on the part of so many school districts," said Kate Walsh, President of NCTQ. "We hope these winners will inspire other districts in their own transformations so that some time soon, all districts will be great districts where great people want to work."

To develop criteria for the honor, the council got input from teachers in focus groups and surveys and examined what research has concluded about best practices — along with the organization's own experience analyzing district policies and practices.

The eight winners excelled in five key areas: compensation, professional support, effective
management and operations, career and leadership opportunities, and support services for
students.
"We are proud to have been named a Great District for Great Teachers winner and that our
work to recruit, reward, and recognize our teachers is getting noticed," said J. Alvin Wilbanks,
CEO and superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools. "We have some of the most outstanding
educators in the profession and their dedication to their students and to providing a world-class
education for students is a driving force in our district's success… .

"This national recognition is a testament to the hard work our teachers do every day and our district's work to support and develop educators."

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