tools and soft lighting. For adults, the spaces have massage chairs, lamps, aroma diffusers, even tea and coffee stations.“It’s a space where they can get away from the hustle and bustle that goes on in a school and kind of calm down on their conference period or their lunch,” says Jackson. Private therapy options are also integrated into staff insurance plans, making sure that teachers have access to professional support when needed. INNOVATIONS IN TECHNOLOGY As a one-to-one district, Goose Creek CISD is supported by a nationally recognized assistant superintendent of technology and a director of educational technology who oversees a full team of instructional specialists. Jackson explains, “They actually go out to the campuses and do workshops to show teachers how to use the technology to teach better and to engage the students more in the classroom.” Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another example of Goose Creek’s innovative approach, and training is built into the district’s GiantCon professional development conference, where teachers learn how to use platforms in lesson planning, assessment development, grading, and classroom management. “In the Goose, we grow giants. That’s our motto,” Jackson asserts.“There’s a lot of training that we’ve popped into our Giant Con to ensure AI is being done correctly in a way to enhance student achievement.” PREPARING STUDENTS FOR HIGH DEMAND CAREERS When it comes to CTE, Goose Creek CISD has a reputation for excellence. Stuart Career Tech High School offers six of the district’s ten career academies, which are aligned with high wage, high demand industries in the Gulf Coast region. CTE Director Leia Miller emphasizes, “We are unique in that we have a district steering advisory board with our community partners, but we also have individual advisory boards for all 10 of our career academies. We meet with them four times a year. They’re involved in our goal making, our mission and vision of our academies. They’re very active within our pathways and programs.” 252 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12
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