In December 2019, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order No. 113, which established the state’s DRIVE (Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education) Task Force charged with developing a plan to strengthen efforts to create and sustain a diverse educator workforce. Although the official work of the state task force ended in December 2023, local school districts are challenged to expand the impact and longevity of the recommended strategies.

We are pleased to share the creation of the DRIVE for Forsyth Task Force. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) is committed to ensuring that our 51,000 students graduate FUTURE READY. We are striving to identify the most effective levers to impact student capacity to meet the demanding needs of an unknown future.

The research from Rand is clear: Effective teachers are the single most important factor in determining student outcomes. Research from Brookings also suggests that if a black male student has at least one black teacher in the third, fourth, or fifth grade, he is significantly less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to aspire to attend a four-year college. Furthermore, research from Education Policy Analysis Archive indicates that a diverse teacher workforce may bring new ideas and perspectives to help prepare all students for a racially changing society.

We acknowledge that we have significant work to do to ensure that our students have equitable access to diverse teachers. We are being intentional about calling out the need for specific strategies to recruit, prepare, support, and retain teachers, specifically Black and Hispanic educators.

The DRIVE for Forsyth Task Force will create a plan for WS/FCS to increase and sustain a diverse educator workforce reflective of the community. Over the next several months, approximately 40 stakeholders from all sectors of the community will engage in meaningful exploration of the state’s recommendations and their applicability in our local ecosystem as well as other evidence-based strategies to address our specific challenges.

We appreciate the leadership of Dr. Anthony Graham, Interim Chancellor for Winston-Salem State University, who served as the Chairperson of the state DRIVE Task Force. He has been instrumental in local conversations around this effort, and he will be an integral participant on the DRIVE for Forsyth Task Force.

We are fortunate to have strong community interest in and commitment to public education. We are grateful to our avid and active supporters in every aspect of our community.

• Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 5-7 p.m. (Carver High School)

• Tuesday, February 20, 2024, 5-7 p.m. (Virtual)

• Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 5-7 p.m. (Virtual)

• Monday, June 24, 2024, 5-7 p.m. (In person, TBD)

If you have any questions, please contact:

Alexandra Hoskins,
Executive Director of Systems Coherence and Strategic Planning

abhoskins@wsfcs.k12.nc.us.