GCS Receives National Award for Partnership with UNCG 

Guilford County Schools (GCS) has been recognized for its partnership with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) to strengthen and support the work of our classroom educators and enhance student learning.  

In late October, GCS and UNCG received the Dr. Shirley S. Schwartz Urban Education Impact Award from the Council of the Great City Schools and its affiliate group, The Council of the Great City Colleges of Education. The award honors an outstanding partnership between a university and an urban school district that has had a positive and significant impact on student learning. Elements of the program were also recognized by the Biden White House in 2024.  

In 2022, GCS and UNCG formalized a long-time partnership through UNCG’s Institute for Partnerships in Education. Together, they’ve worked to address post-pandemic learning recovery, teacher shortages and the need for high-quality professional development.  

Through this partnership:  

• Graduate students serve as paid, high-dosage academic tutors in GCS schools, gaining direct classroom experience while supporting K–12 learning recovery. More than 850 students received 76,000+ hours of high-dosage academic support delivered by more than 160 UNCG students. 

• Undergraduate students participate as mentors in enrichment programs such as Girls Who Game, providing STEM-focused mentoring and leadership development for middle school students at 10 GCS middle schools. 

• Residency-licensed teachers (provisionally licensed educators already teaching in GCS) enroll as graduate students in UNCG’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, where they receive coursework, coaching and support to complete full licensure.  

• Through the Math and Science Teachers of Tomorrow (MST2) program, 29 residency-licensed STEM teachers completed a licensure pathway; 25 remain teaching in GCS, strengthening instruction and stability in high-need schools.   

“UNCG has been a steadfast collaborator with GCS for many years, sharing our vision to transform learning and life outcomes for all students,” said Dr. Whitney Oakley, superintendent. “This partnership demonstrates what’s possible when a district and a university work side by side – combining resources, expertise, and shared commitment – to strengthen the educator pipeline and improve learning for every student.”  

“The strength of this partnership lies in its commitment to sustained collaboration – not a project or program, but a shared effort to grow, adapt, and learn together. It takes vision and leadership to build that kind of trust, and we’re fortunate to have leaders like Dr. Oakley, our GCS colleagues, Interim Dean Chitiyo, and former Dean Penfield who make that possible,” said Holt Wilson, Professor and Director of the Institute. 

The award was received by Superintendent Dr. Whitney Oakley during the Excellence in Urban Education Awards ceremony held during The Council of the Great City Schools’ 68th annual fall conference in Philadelphia. Sponsored by Harmony Academy at National University, the award is named in honor of Dr. Shirley S. Schwartz, the Council's former Director of Special Projects and staff liaison with the colleges of education.