Terry Grier,
Former Superintendent of Schools

Mackey McDonald, Chairman,
VF Corporation and member of Businesses for Excellence in Education

Richard "Skip" Moore, President, Weaver Foundation and member of Guilford Education Alliance

What are the issues?

Business leaders in Greensboro conducted research about the community's economic prospects. Results, obtained in 2000 by McKinsey & Co., a national research firm, indicate that the community's prospects would continue to be grim, unless something changed. The McKinsey report reveals that "The current performance and infrastructure of public schools significantly discourages job creation and impedes recruitment of talent. This issue was the single most widely cited concern in our community interviews."

Ask business people in Guilford County about the importance of education. They will most likely agree that a good education system determines the quality of the future work force, an important factor influencing where industries relocate.

Mackey McDonald, Chairman,
VF Corporation and member of Businesses for Excellence in Education

Terry Grier,
Former Superintendent of Schools

What are they doing?

As a result, Action Greensboro created a plan to support public education. That plan initiated an organization called Commitment to Excellence (later renamed Businesses for Excellence in Education). Area businesses and foundations contributed $2 million in two months. Another $3 million in community and foundation support was raised for literacy and leadership programs.

See www.actiongreensboro.org

Businesses for Excellence in Education join other leaders from the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, CEMALA Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Moses Cone Wesley Long Community Health Foundation, Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation, Toleo Foundation, and Weaver Foundation to improve public education in Guilford.

Many of the new academic improvement programs in Guilford County Schools, such as the Information and Awareness Campaign, are made possible by the "Business for Excellence in Education" committee.

According to the Guilford County Schools 2006 Annual Report, Action Greensboro donated approximately $300,000 to GCS in the 2006-07 school year. Funds cover the costs of college tuition and fees for Early College students. In addition, Action Greensboro helped fund Academic All-Star Camps and the Celebration of Excellence recognition program of the district's most improved schools.

The Celebration of Excellence honors the 15 most improved Guilford County Schools, based on their improved end-of-grade and end-of-course scores. Action Greensboro awards $8,000 to each school to advance students' academic progress and provides T-shirts and banners. Additionally, high-achieving students from each school can nominate those teachers who had a significant impact on them. Winning teachers are awarded $1000 and the nominating students receive $50 savings bond.

Terry Grier,
Former Superintendent of Schools

How does this make a difference?

According to the 2006 Action Greensboro Annual Report, "In its 6th year, Businesses for Excellence in Education represents an investment of over $4 million by over 30 local companies to promote and recognize educational excellence. The 6th annual Celebration of Excellence recognized and rewarded the 15 most academically improved Guilford County Schools, the 30 top-performing students at those schools and the 30 teachers chosen by those students for their positive impact. $925,000 has been awarded over the six years of the program."

Action Greensboro promises $2 million over three years to expand a pilot project to recruit and retain highly qualified math teachers for eight Guilford County high schools identified by Judge Howard Manning as underperforming.

"It's not just a do-good effort. We expect to see results because of our efforts and we are seeing results," says Mackey McDonald, Chairman of VF Corporation of Greensboro, a Fortune 500 company. McDonald considers the funding support of Guilford County Schools an investment in their future workforce.