Guilford County Schools community meetings continue this week

Guilford County Schools launched a series of community conversations earlier this month. The initiative, called Better Together, will continue in High Point on Tuesday.

The district is using these events to meet with different stakeholders in Guilford County to hear about what they want for students. 

Superintendent Whitney Oakley says that the meetings have been powerful so far.

"You know I think there's so much support in Guilford County Schools, and people want to be a part," she says. "And I'm deeply committed to communication and transparency, and listening and understanding." 

She’s met with principals, staff, business leaders and parents, and will continue to do so over the next few months. She says some of the top priorities people have discussed are school safety, mental health, facilities improvements, and recovering from pandemic-related learning loss. 

"I really believe and want Guilford County to be the best place for students to learn, for teachers and staff to work, and for our community to grow. And so that is my vision," she says. "And so listening to these groups is helping me understand how we can work together as a community and as an organization to make sure that that's what happens."

The conversations with teachers and staff will continue on Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Blue Heron Event Venue in High Point. 

The district also invites people to share their hopes for students in a survey available on the Guilford County Schools website. 

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.