Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member marykaymurphy@aol.com

June 10, 2008

Building Civic Capacity through 
Transparency in Communications

   As District III School Board member, I participated in a two-year training program for the Gwinnett County Board of Education and Superintendent sponsored by the Broad Foundation.

   One of the most significant components of the program was discussion of the importance of building civic capacity to support public education through transparency in communications with stakeholders.

   The inventory that follows, while extensive, is not inclusive of all GCPS communications initiatives.   The inventory that follows is shared with community stakeholders to suggest the range and depth of communications activity linking GCPS with the many constituencies required to build civic capacity in support of public education in Gwinnett County .

Student Achievement Communications

   Communicating the results of students’ academic achievement is one of our School Board’s most important responsibilities.   Utilizing the local school home page found on the GCPS website, stakeholders can access an annual report on outcomes of student assessment for each school in Gwinnett County through the Results Based Evaluation System (RBES).  

   This information provides a direct link between the Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI) and the annual goals of local School Councils.   Also, each local school conducts between four and nine School Council meetings a year.   During these meetings, business leaders, parents, and teachers who are Council members develop the LSPI and regularly monitor its performance.

Budget and Fiscal Management Oversight

   Every spring, the Board conducts five Area Board Meetings—one in each Gwinnett County School District .   These sessions provide stakeholders with a transparent means of reviewing planned budget and millage rate adoptions as well as a review of highlights of the academic year.  

   Area Board meetings are followed by one budget work session and at least three open meetings for public comment on the proposed budget.   These meetings are then followed by additional public meetings before the Board meets to set the millage rate for the year ahead.

Curriculum Review and Community Input

   The academic program of Gwinnett County Public Schools is based on the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum adopted over a decade ago with extensive community input.   Each year the Superintendent works with more than 100 community members to review and update the curriculum through the GEMS Oversight Committee (Gwinnett Education Management System.)

Communication and Celebration with Teachers

   Once each year, the Gwinnett School Board meets with members of the Teachers Advisory Council (TAC) to hear elected representatives from local schools provide input on  issues that impact teachers.   Also, once each year, the “Teacher of the Year” program is held to honor finalists and winners in this highly prized competition.   Board members have additional opportunities to hear from teachers about best practices and cross-functional team reports during monthly Work Sessions that are part of twelve scheduled School Board meetings a year.

Redistricting, School Naming, and Textbook Adoption Communication

   In rapidly growing Gwinnett County , continual planning of new schools, facilities, and materials is essential.   Securing the input of stakeholders is one of the School Board’s most important initiatives.   Public meetings to create new school districts and clusters, to name new schools, and to adopt new textbooks and other materials are vital to the School Board’s success in building civic capacity to support public education.   

Meetings with Gwinnett Chamber, State Legislators, County Commissioners, PTA Councils,   Fund Raising Leaders, and Others

   Building civic capacity provides an opportunity for the School Board to collaborate with leaders in the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, the Gwinnett County Commission, the Gwinnett Delegation to the Georgia General Assembly, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Councils, and Fund Raising Leaders, among others.

   Communicating with these leaders through Joint Meetings and other methods of cooperation advances the economic development of Gwinnett County and extends the global workforce opportunities available to our students and teachers.

Media Collaboration to Build Civic Capacity for Public Education

   Through sustained relationships between the GCPS and print, broadcast, cable, and online media leaders in Gwinnett County and beyond, the system utilizes a wide variety of media for transparent communication to its stakeholders.  

   Key initiatives to build these relationships include the GCPS web site, http://gwinnett.k12.ga.us , as well as GPTV, the school system’s cable outlet.   Archived news releases populate the system’s web site, while a monthly electronic newsletter and other specialized publications update stakeholders on key school system developments and initiatives.  GCPS Media Relations specialists provide one-on-one support for journalists, reporters, and others.  

   As District III Board member, I look forward to hearing from community members about other ways that we might communicate and together continue to build civic capacity for the best possible education for all students in Gwinnett County Public Schools.

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