Gwinnett County Public Schools’ (GCPS) newest educators will gather at a districtwide two-day event before the start of the new school year to learn about their new jobs and the support they will receive during their Gwinnett careers.

     On Thursday, July 18, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, GCPS will host its annual New Teacher Orientation at Gas South Convention Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. Nearly 1,700 teachers, speech-language pathologists, counselors, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and additional new district staff will convene to participate in this half-day, district-level orientation. 

     GCPS Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts will join members of the Gwinnett County Board of Education in welcoming the new hires. The district will share its signature culture of teaching and learning and the critical role all educators play in supporting students on their quest to success.

     During the event, the teachers will hear from 2025 GCPS Teacher of the Year Jenna Cloninger and Lena Tata, a recent graduate of Grayson High School. The keynote speaker for the event is well-known author and speaker John Antonetti, who works with schools and districts throughout North America on student engagement, writing, rigor and relevance, and high-yield best practices. The GCPS Foundation is sponsoring expanded programming at New Teacher Orientation this year. In keeping with its commitment to strengthening community relationships and providing resources and support to improve the educational future of all students, the GCPS Foundation will host the inaugural Welcome Expo. The event will take place at Gas South from noon to 4:00 p.m. Community partners and GCPS departments will be on hand to share various benefits and support to ease new hires’ transitions into the district.

    On Friday, July 19, new hires will report to one of four local schools, where they will spend an entire day taking part in grade-level and curriculum-specific professional learning sessions and engage in strategies to foster a supportive community for each and every student. Educators will also learn about the various instructional resources provided by the district to support their teaching and learning efforts. These sessions are part of GCPS’ work to create a continual learning community that supports staff by providing the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to be successful.
 
Additional staff development:
     Over the next few weeks, new teachers will spend two additional days at their local schools working with their mentors and leadership teams. GCPS ensures that new hires receive high-quality, standards-based, results-driven, and job-embedded staff development from the start of their careers and throughout their tenure. The district’s goal is for each and every educator to integrate impactful professional development into their daily work to enhance student learning.
 
Media outlets needing additional information on New Teacher Orientation should contact the Department of Communications and Media Relations at 678-301-6020.