Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Talent Development Summer Learning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gloucester schools expand leadership pipelines and summer learning; pilot cohorts report progress
Summary
The division presented results from two employee leadership programs — Aspiring Leaders and LEAD — and outlined summer learning plans (July 7–24) for elementary and high school students, with Page Middle School hosting in-person elementary sessions and virtual high-school options via Canvas and Virtual Virginia.
Gloucester County Public Schools presented results from two pilot leadership-development programs and outlined its summer learning offerings during the June 10 School Board meeting.
Superintendent and staff described two talent-development tracks launched this year: an Aspiring Leaders program for teacher-leaders completing administrative licensure requirements and a LEAD (Leadership Excellence and Development) cohort for current assistant principals preparing to be principals. The division said 8 teachers participated in Aspiring Leaders (three attended the meeting) and 4 assistant principals participated in LEAD.
Program details and participant reports - Staff said participants worked on core leadership values, administrative skills (accountability, performance management), interviewing techniques and job-shadowing with assistant principals. Participants presented culminating projects: one assistant principal implemented a tier-3 multi-tiered systems of support, another established professional learning communities, and another focused on school safety procedures. - Participants who spoke at the meeting — Sherry Quigley (Abingdon, first-grade teacher), Jamie Rose (Bethel), and Kristen Shook (Achilles, now a behavior interventionist) — described the program as a collaborative experience that clarified leadership goals and built networks across schools. Board members praised the initiative as a way to “grow our own” leadership talent.
Summer learning and leadership-in-practice The division also outlined summer learning plans set for July 7–24. - Elementary and middle-school in-person sessions: Page Middle School will host the elementary/middle summer instructional program; teachers work 8 a.m.–12 p.m., students attend 8:30–11:30 a.m. Staff said the program prioritizes reading and math with small-group instruction; leadership of the summer program will be by Lead participant Shawna Merritt (principal of summer school, assistant principal at Peasley) with assistant principal support from aspiring-leader participant Kristen Shook. - High school options: High-school summer learning runs the same dates and offers three virtual pathways via Canvas (credit recovery, initial credit) and Virtual Virginia for courses not locally offered. Registration for Virtual Virginia and other high-school offerings closed June 18; staff reported they had hired several teachers and that the high school would be open for students who need in-person support.
Why it matters Board members framed both efforts as investments in workforce stability and student recovery: building leadership pipelines helps internal promotion and succession planning, while the summer program aims to close foundational skill gaps and provide credit recovery for high-school students.
Next steps Staff will recruit for the next cohorts (planned start as early as October with outreach beginning in September), finalize summer rosters, coordinate transportation and food service, and provide orientation for staff on July 2. The division said it will evaluate budget implications for expanding the LEAD teacher program and consider pathways for support staff leadership training in future phases.
