Ultimately, the goal of a school division is to help students become successful in their chosen careers or educational paths. In Goochland County Public Schools, that work is centered around the Profile of a Goochland Graduate and can be seen every day in the division’s classrooms.
As part of an effort to showcase the programs and people that positively impact students throughout the Commonwealth, Virginia ASCD (VASCD) recently produced a mini-documentary highlighting GCPS. “It was an absolute honor for VASCD to feature Goochland County Public Schools in our spotlight series,” VASCD Executive Director Christopher M. Jones, Ed.D., said. “For quite some time, Goochland has been known throughout the Commonwealth for its innovation, implementation of the 5 Cs, and creation of safe and caring environments filled with deeper learning.
“Making this documentary was a journey to discover what that actually looks like in practice, capturing the heart and soul of the division through the eyes of its people,” Jones said.
Virginia ASCD is a professional organization comprised of a state-wide network of educators committed to innovation and excellence in teaching and learning. “VASCD has done great work over the years on behalf of the profession in Virginia and been on the leading edge of a lot of innovation, pushing toward what we believe about individual student growth,” Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Steve Geyer, Ed.D., said. “We recognize that test scores are important – and we want our students to do well on standardized tests – but there’s a lot more to long-term success for students than a score on one test, one moment in time.
“VASCD has done significant work taking the Profile of a Virginia Graduate to the next level by describing what we want our classrooms, teachers, and school leaders to look like in Virginia. That work resonates with us because it’s what we’ve been focusing on for many years,” Geyer said. “Participating in this documentary allows us to give back to our profession, make connections across the Commonwealth, and highlight some of the great things happening in our school division that may interest our community and other educators.” The video is available on the VASCD YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcBUdridtX0 and the GCPS website at https://goochlandschools.org