Q&A with Mary Kay | Mary Kay Works!

Q. What schools are in District 3?

A. Elementary Schools: Berkeley Lake, Burnette, Chattahoochee, Harris, Jackson, Level Creek, Mason, McKendree, Parsons, Peachtree, Riverside, Simpson, Sycamore, White Oak

Middle Schools: Coleman, Duluth, Hull, Lanier, Northbrook, North Gwinnett, Pinckneyville

High Schools: Duluth, GIVE Center West, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Paul Duke STEM, Peachtree Ridge

Specialty Schools: New Life Academy, Northbrook Center – ADAPT/STRIVE and Bridge programs, North Metro Academy for the Performing Arts

Q. What are your goals for GCPS for 2020-24?

A. A hallmark of my service on the Board has been an insistence on fairness for every student–in spite of challenges and controversy—while improving the quality of public education for all students.

Ease the overcrowding of the 180,500 students in Gwinnett County Public Schools to ensure that our schools and students are safe and secure and to confirm that our facilities are of the highest caliber.
Make sure our teachers have the materials they need to teach and the professional development they require so that they can continue to achieve success in closing the student academic achievement gap.
Work with parents, business and community leaders, and others to continue to build civic capacity in support of public education through open communication and collaborative planning related to school operations.
Further develop the E-Class technology program for all students and schools.
Remain vigilant in focusing on my commitment on “Building World Class Schools – One Student at a Time.”

Over the years I have served on the Gwinnett Board of Education, we have achieved success in educating a diverse student body of learners—gifted, International Baccalaureate, special education, newcomers, international, and college and career ready, among others.

As Gwinnett residents, you have supported public education at every possible juncture. In so doing, you have had a chance to observe me working as a member of a high-functioning School Board that strives to serve all children in our system. By serving Gwinnett County, we also serve the State of Georgia as we educate one of every ten children in the State’s public schools.

I have worked hard to develop our community’s trust. I believe our community knows that I will do the right thing when it comes to their children—and to making decisions that benefit all in Gwinnett County.

Q. What are your credentials?

A. My credentials include the following:

Public school English teacher for seven years in grades 8-12 in Georgia and California.
Higher Education fundraising for more than thirty years to secure more than $475 million in private funds as a staff member at Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, Morris Brown College, and Morehouse School of Medicine.
Ph.D. from Georgia State University in Education Administration.
M.Ed. from Emory University in English and Education Research.
B.A. in English from Loretto Heights College, Denver, Co.
Elected Board member Gwinnett County Board of Education – 1996 to present.
Georgia School Boards Association Board of Directors – 2005 to present.
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Education Committee – 2006 to 2018.
Governor’s Education Advisory Board – 2015.

Q. What will you do to get ahead of growth in District 3?

A. By 2024, Gwinnett County Public Schools student population growth is expected to be stabilized in District 3. Funding from SPLOST has helped to make construction of new facilities possible.

Also development of a technology-rich environment will continue for students in K-12 as the system transitions from reliance on textbooks. This initiative began with pilot programs in six clusters of schools, including all K-12 schools in the North Gwinnett Cluster and all K-12 schools in the Duluth Cluster of District 3.

These initiatives have gone a long way toward providing Gwinnett County with the support it needs to catch up with the unprecedented growth it has experienced since 1996.

Q. What will you do to move GCPS forward and make it competitive for our students, families, businesses, and community members?

A. As District 3 School Board member, I will continue to support the best education and services for your children and all children in Gwinnett County Public Schools, including the following:

safe and secure schools;
policy-making school board involved in governance of school system;
high-performing Superintendent of the highest character and integrity;
balanced budget that earns AAA bond rating from S&P and Moody’s;
outstanding teachers in every classroom;
involved parents, business leaders, and community members;
local school principals who lead rigorous academic programs;
competitive academic and athletic facilities;
technology-rich learning environments based on E-Class platform;
high-performing standards for language arts, mathematics, and other core subjects;
college and career preparatory programs;
high school graduation for all students;
special education, English language learners, and other specialty programs;
alternative schools for those who will benefit;
physical education and nutrition programs for K-12 students;

Q. What benefits have the schools in District 3 received from the SPLOST?

A. District 3 has benefited directly from the SPLOST with the following:

Paul Duke STEM High School opened in 2018 with cyber-technology, robotics, and technology-based career focus.
The Coleman STEAM Middle School serves the performing arts and technology-rich Duluth community.
District 3 schools and classrooms K-12 have been outfitted with the technology upgrades necessary for implementation of the E-CLASS program.
Duluth Cluster and North Gwinnett Cluster K-12 schools participated as pilot schools in the E-Class program. The program directed the move from reliance on textbooks to incorporation of technology devices as a major component of learning.
North Gwinnett High School has a new multi-story classroom addition and major renovations as well as gym air conditioning, energy-efficient lighting, and energy efficiency upgrades.
Peachtree Ridge High School has major classroom additions, gym air conditioning, and energy efficiency upgrades.
Duluth High School has a media center expansion, gym air conditioning, HVAC improvements, and energy efficiency upgrades.
North Gwinnett Middle School has major classroom additions.
Norcross High School has received energy efficiency upgrades.
Middle Schools have received energy efficiency upgrades including Duluth, Hull, Pinckneyville, North Gwinnett, and Northbrook.
Elementary Schools that received energy efficiency upgrades including Berkeley Lake, Chattahoochee, Harris, Jackson, Level Creek, Mason, McKendree, Parsons, Peachtree, Riverside, Simpson, and Sycamore.
Chattahoochee received re-roofing, Harris received an upgraded intercom and new fire alarm system; and McKendree received HVAC improvements.
Renovation of the former Duluth Middle School, now the Coleman Middle School, as a Middle School (STEAM) Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics facility. Renovation began in 2015 and the middle school opened in August 2016.
Beauty Baldwin Elementary School in Norcross opened in August 2016 to relieve overcrowding at Peachtree Elementary.

Q. District 3 is well known for its diversity and high performance within the state and nation. What are your thoughts on the future of the district?

A. The Gwinnett County Public Schools Planning Department predicts that the district will continue to attract additional students from around the world, thereby creating increased opportunities for us to educate children with many diverse needs.

I have a strong commitment to meeting the needs of individual students in all Gwinnett County Public Schools no matter how long or how recently they have been in Gwinnett Public Schools.

I am committed to providing whatever is necessary so all children can succeed in Gwinnett County Public Schools–including gifted, International Baccalaureate, special education, newcomers, international, students with talents and needs for other special programs, and college and career-ready students.

We need your help and engagement. Together, we will continue to close the student academic achievement gap and meet the economic development needs of Gwinnett County—the largest school system in Georgia and the twelfth largest system in the nation.