Gaston ’ s Superintendent of Schools earns regional recognition
W . Jeffrey Booker named Southwest Regional Superintendent of the Year
W . Jeffrey Booker , Superintendent of Gaston County Schools , has earned the prestigious Southwest Region Superintendent of the Year recognition for 2016-2017 .
Superintendents in the Southwest Region , which includes 11 public school districts in nine counties across the greater Charlotte region , selected Booker for the honor , which is presented by the Southwest Education Alliance .
Booker will compete against other regional winners for the North Carolina Superintendent of the Year title . The state winner will be named in November during a ceremony sponsored by the N . C . School Superintendents Association , N . C . Association of School Administrators , and the N . C . School Boards Association .
During the Gaston County Board of Education meeting on June 20 , Board chairman Kenneth R . Lutz , Jr . publicly announced Booker ’ s selection as the Regional Superintendent of the Year .
Lutz stated , “ Superintendent Booker is most deserving of this important recognition , and we are extremely proud to have the Regional Superintendent of the Year leading Gaston County Schools . Since becoming our Superintendent in January 2014 , Mr . Booker has demonstrated excellent leadership and exemplary vision , which has moved us forward in a very short amount of time .”
“ In two and half years , we have seen improvements in academics , technology , communication , community involvement , school safety , professional development , and many other areas ,” added Lutz . “ These improvements are a result of Mr . Booker ’ s hard work , expertise , and steadfast dedication to our schools and the children of Gaston County .”
Lutz continued , “ Mr . Booker ’ s service and commitment to excellence also extends beyond Gaston County Schools . Not only is Mr . Booker a leader for our schools , he also is a leader for our community through his involvement in organizations such as the United Way of Gaston County and Gaston Together .”
“ The Board of Education joins me in congratulating Mr . Booker – we are very fortunate to have him as our Superintendent of Schools ,” concluded Lutz . “ We have known for some time that we have an outstanding leader in Jeff Booker , and now , the entire Charlotte region knows it .”
Because of Booker ’ s leadership , Gaston County Schools has experienced the most progress and success over the past two years in the following areas :
• Academics : Overall student proficiency is higher and more schools are exceeding academic growth expectations . The district ’ s graduation rate has reached an all-time high of 88 percent , and the dropout rate continues to be lower than the state average .
Superintendent of Schools W . Jeffrey Booker spends time with children on Read Across America Day . Booker was named the Southwest Regional Superintendent of the Year for 2016-2017 .
Other successful projects and initiatives during Booker ’ s tenure include :
• Overseeing plans for a new elementary school and middle school ;
• Establishing an elementary magnet school that focuses on STEAM ( Science , Technology , Engineering , Arts , and Mathematics );
• Bringing attention to the importance of Career and Technical Education in preparing students for the workforce ;
• Providing more professional development opportunities for teachers to ensure effective instruction and best practices ;
• Working with the Board of Education to obtain funds for increasing the local supplement pay for teachers and other certified personnel ;
• Safety : Gaston continues to rank as the safest large school district in the state because of work to enhance security . Efforts include updating school camera surveillance and visitor check-in equipment , installing front door buzz-in entry systems at schools , and securing grant funding for more police resource officers .
• Communication and Community Support : The district increased communication with audiences through a revamped website and new mobile app and by producing more video content for social media and the district ’ s educational television channel . To engage parents , students , employees and others , Booker hosted on-going community meetings and parent forums . Further , he strengthened the district ’ s partnership with the Gaston Regional Chamber to involve more businesses and civic organizations in education .
• Technology : Realizing the need for the latest instructional technology and to improve the student-to-computer ratio , Booker led efforts to secure $ 1.1 million and purchase more than 4,300 Chromebook computers . He made it a priority to replace out-of-date computers , upgrade SMART Board technology , and install wireless Internet access at all schools .
• Leading various endeavors to improve morale and attract and retain quality employees ; and
• Approving a district-wide fundraiser that collected more than $ 25,000 to help schools in South Carolina affected by a devastating flood .
Ric Vandett , director of the Southwest Education Alliance , stated , “ We are extremely fortunate to have Mr . Jeff Booker as our Regional Superintendent of the Year . He is a visionary school leader who wants the very best for the students and employees in his district . Superintendent Booker goes beyond the call of duty in everything he does to promote our schools and serve as an advocate for public education . He is the epitome of what a school superintendent should be .”
The Southwest Region Superintendent of the Year honor is the second significant recognition of its kind for Gaston County Schools this year . In April , Bobbie Cavnar , an English teacher at South Point High School in Belmont , was selected as the North Carolina Teacher of the Year for 2016- 2017 . Cavnar was named the Southwest Region Teacher of the Year in December .
2 • September / October 2016 • Parent Teacher News