Gwinnett Parents Get Five Chances to Speak With New Superintendent
Gwinnett County parents can meet the new superintendent, Alexandra Estrella, at five listening sessions next week. These meetings address urgent school concerns and help shape the district’s future plans. Virtual sessions will be available in September.
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Gwinnett County parents can meet Alexandra Estrella during a five-stop listening tour beginning Monday, including two sessions in Duluth.
The first weeks of school leave parents with no shortage of immediate concerns: late buses, crowded classrooms, schedule problems, student safety, special-education services and uncertainty about new rules.
Next week, Gwinnett County Public Schools families will have an opportunity to take those concerns directly to the district’s new superintendent.
Alexandra Estrella will hold five evening listening sessions from Aug. 24 through Aug. 31, visiting one high school in each school board district. The two locations closest to much of the North Atlanta Star coverage area are Duluth High School on Wednesday, Aug. 26, and McClure Health Science High School on Monday, Aug. 31.
Each family and community session runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Advance registration is requested through the district’s Listening and Learning Tour registration form.
| Date | Location | Family session |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Aug. 24 | Dacula High School | 6:30–7:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Aug. 25 | Central Gwinnett High School | 6:30–7:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Aug. 26 | Duluth High School | 6:30–7:30 p.m. |
| Thursday, Aug. 27 | Brookwood High School | 6:30–7:30 p.m. |
| Monday, Aug. 31 | McClure Health Science High School | 6:30–7:30 p.m. |
Duluth High School is at 3737 Brock Road. McClure Health Science High School is at 3921 Club Drive, also in Duluth. The full tour schedule includes daytime student meetings and separate sessions for teachers and school employees.
Why the meetings matter
Estrella became superintendent July 1, arriving from Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut. She has more than 25 years of experience in education, including work involving literacy, graduation rates, multilingual learners, chronic absenteeism and family engagement, according to her district introduction.
The listening tour is part of her first 100 days leading one of Georgia’s largest school systems. GCPS says the findings will be shared with the community and used by a transition team examining instruction, leadership, employee engagement, school environments and communication.
The feedback is also expected to help shape the district’s future strategic plan. That makes these sessions more consequential than a routine superintendent meet-and-greet. They offer families an early opportunity to identify problems before the district settles on its next priorities.
A useful comment does not need to be a speech. Parents can describe one specific problem, explain how it affects their child and suggest what would make the situation better.
North Gwinnett families might raise questions about school crowding, transportation reliability, access to advanced courses, communication during emergencies or consistency between schools. Other subjects could include the new restrictions on personal electronic devices, support for students with disabilities, multilingual family communication and the availability of career-focused programs.
Families can also participate remotely
Parents who cannot attend in person will have another opportunity in September. Virtual sessions are scheduled by board district from Sept. 8 through Sept. 21.
GCPS is also planning three specialized virtual meetings:
- Multilingual learner community: Sept. 8, 5–6 p.m.
- Special-education community: Sept. 10, 5–6 p.m.
- Gifted and talented community: Sept. 21, 5–6 p.m.
Families may also submit comments through the district’s online feedback survey or by emailing TransitionPlanning@gcpsk12.org.
The most important question will come after the tour: which concerns appear in Estrella’s first public findings, and which ones lead to measurable changes. For parents, next week is the opportunity to make sure their experience becomes part of that record.
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