Description
About Us
For more than 150 years, Grand Rapids Public Schools has been a leader in West Michigan. With 40 schools in one dynamic district, we take pride in preparing our scholars for the real world.
GRPS is Michigan’s eighth-largest public school district and the third-largest employer in the City of Grand Rapids.
Our 14,000 scholars represent more than 80 countries with over 70 different languages spoken, creating a value-added educational experience and benefit that is above and beyond basic education.
Come be a part of the energy, excitement, and momentum at Grand Rapids Public Schools!
Our Mission: To ensure that all students are educated, self-directed and productive members of society.
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Upon graduation scholars will be:
Educated and therefore able to:
Apply skills and knowledge learned from a rigorous and relevant core curriculum.
Demonstrate proficiency in current technologies.
Transfer career and employability skills across multiple settings.
Pursue lifelong learning to succeed in a changing global community.
Self-Directed and therefore able to:
Use a high degree of self-awareness to facilitate making life-directing decisions.
Identify and initiate career-appropriate post-secondary options.
Productive and therefore able to:
Appreciate and respect cultural and individual diversity.
Actively participate as productive members of a democratic society.
Graduates will meet the specific credit requirements as defined by the rules of this policy. These requirements will meet or exceed the minimum graduation requirements as defined by the state of Michigan.
Our Belief
Our Vision
School Choices
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GRPS proudly offers the largest selection of school choices in all of West Michigan, including neighborhood schools, theme schools, and Success Centers.
Neighborhood schools offer robust, traditional education. GRPS has neighborhood schools serving scholars in preschool through 5th grade, preschool through 8th grade, and 9th through 12th grade throughout the city. Neighborhood schools have attendance area boundaries where every child living in the attendance area is eligible to attend the school. While every neighborhood school is unique, each program offers important key features: strong community partnerships, extracurricular and enrichment activities, field trips, social-emotional learning, and positive scholar-teacher relationships. Find your neighborhood school using our Attendance Area Finder.
Theme schools offer the core curriculum through a unique lens, including environmental science, arts and music, global studies, leadership, Montessori, International Baccalaureate, and more. In many theme schools, scholars have the opportunity to participate in exciting extracurricular programming to enhance their learning. GRPS has 17 theme schools, each with a customized curriculum and unique academic offerings that are centered around a certain theme. Applications are required, admissions criteria may apply, and seats are limited. Some limited attendance area seats are available for scholars who live in the immediate neighborhood around a particular elementary theme school. Apply to a theme school.
GRPS has two Success Centers designed for scholars who may need extra support recovering high school credit, be off-track academically, or have experienced other challenges that required an alternative educational setting. Success Centers are referral-based schools offered to GRPS scholars already enrolled in GRPS. Referrals will be given to schools who require high school support.
Schools may also offer services for English Learners; “community schools” with social, health, and mental health services embedded; and more.
Schools Updated for the 21st Century
Our Scholars
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You may see the word "scholar" on a poster in a school building, in an email to the community, and throughout our website. You may hear our Superintendent, district leaders, teachers, and staff use the word "scholar" to refer to our students. As a district, we elevate our students by calling them "scholars" to convey their full potential and encourage high expectations. Words have the power to transform when used often and intentionally. Our goal is to transform the way our students see their potential - making the impossible possible.
GRPS Strategic Plan
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Building on the successes of the Transformation Plan–including increased graduation rates, decreased chronic absenteeism, and increased test scores––GRPS spent months collecting community feedback to build on our progress of a bold, comprehensive plan aimed at restoring stability and growth for GRPS.
After reviewing two months of community input from a diverse set of stakeholders, the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan resulted in six prioritized outcomes and six themes, each with multiple initiatives.
https://vimeo.com/1223086911?fl=pl&;fe=sh
Requirements
Characteristics Desired in Our Superintendent
Listens to understand, builds consensus, and acts decisively.
Possesses strong communication and leadership skills, knowledge, and sensitivity required to respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by a diverse student body and community.
The ability to work effectively with community partners and policymakers.
Has a strong moral compass that is rooted in justice and equality.
Has experience recruiting and maintaining exceptional staff for the district and schools.
Experience with effective management that will benefit the long-term financial health of the district.
Is strongly committed to a scholar centered philosophy in all decisions, in order to promote a healthy and safe learning environment.
Commitment to both academic and extracurricular programs.
Experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and commitment to working with all genders, races, and socio-economic group.
Promotes a positive and professional environment that includes mutual trust and respect among faculty, staff, administrators and Board.
Demonstrates a deep understanding of special education that meets the individualized needs of each student.
Has classroom experience in a K-12 setting.
