Education is the key to success in economic development. High Point has so many amazing schools – from public, charter, private, and non-traditional – and we want to show them off for everyone to see. Whether you have lived in High Point your entire life, or you are new to the area, there are so many hidden gems to discover in our school system. Why wouldn’t you want to choose High Point as your home? Business High Point – Chamber of Commerce partnered with the High Point Community Foundation to create a destination for parents, business owners, and residents of High Point to discover each and every school in High Point.
The High Point Schools Partnership
As the collaboration between Business High Point and the High Point Community Foundation grew, leaders throughout the High Point community galvanized around the idea that we have to unite to promote, strengthen, and advocate for great schools in High Point. What emerged from this group is the High Point Schools Partnership. The Partnership is a volunteer led initiative of the Guilford Education Alliance (GEA) committed to maximizing support for High Point Schools so all children thrive and are prepared for the future. It includes business leaders, educators, philanthropists, parents, non-profit executives, elected officials, and neighborhood leaders. It is a grass-roots coalition that has formed to focus on and to highlight the schools in High Point.
The High Point School Partnership Vision: Shape the City of High Point to be a community that in all ways supports academic excellence in our schools, preparing our students for the college and/or career tracks that will allow them to be skilled workers, engaged citizens, and civic leaders.
The High Point Schools Partnership Mission: Mobilize the High Point community – our businesses, civic groups, religious organizations, and government – around the common purpose of partnering with our schools to bring them and the students they serve to their full potential.
The High Point Schools Partnership Areas of Focus:
- We will build business and non-profit partnerships to ensure all High Point schools have the appropriate community support.
- Through marketing and advocacy, we will improve the story and image of our schools.
- We will work to ensure the recruitment, retention, and rewarding of excellent teachers and administrators.
- We will support and advocate for capital improvement across all schools in our city.
The Partnership Coordinator
As the High Point Schools Partnership grew, we needed to add staff support. Through a generous donation from High Point University and in collaboration with the Guilford Education Alliance, the Partnership hired Dawn Spencer in May 2019 to be our Coordinator. Spencer served as Principal of Allen Jay Elementary in High Point for 15 years before retiring in 2017. Prior, she was an assistant principal as well as an elementary and middle school teacher. Spencer lives in High Point and has been an active volunteer with the High Point Community Foundation where she chairs the Students First Initiatives fund. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Guilford College and a Masters of School Administration from UNC Greensboro. Dawn Spencer can be reached at dspencer@geanc.org.
