It is the kind of transformation that everyone knows is possible but very difficult to pull off. Glenn Elementary School has done it, completely reinventing itself from a formerly low-performing school to one that has taken a near gravity-defying leap in achievement levels, employee satisfaction, and student and family engagement over the last half decade or so.

Glenn principal Matt Hunt attributes this success to a dedicated team of teachers who have committed themselves to supporting each other and working closely with parents to ensure that every student’s needs are met.

“Our teachers sincerely believe that each day is a new day. We are building a team where everyone feels that way,” said Hunt, who’s been at Glenn’s helm for five years, and was principal at Northern High (where he was a former DPS Teacher of the Year) and at Merrick-Moore Elementary, where he oversaw a similar transformation to what is happening at Glenn. 

Hunt said that his teachers are working hard to break down communication barriers at Glenn, where 60 percent of students are English Learners. The number of bilingual Glenn staff has jumped from 3 percent to more than 40 percent in five years. 

“We need to be intentional about breaking down some of those barriers,” said Hunt. “Being bilingual is a strength.”

Teacher support and collaboration result in stellar outcomes

Hunt and his staff have been intentional in a lot of other ways, too. Working together collaboratively has contributed to much success, such as:

• Being on track to achieve proficiency gains for the school’s fifth consecutive year;

• An increase of 17 points in its School Performance Grade (SPG) over four years - the second highest jump in Durham Public Schools;

• Growth indices that have averaged more than 2.0 over the last four years;  

• Teacher Working Conditions survey results that surpass DPS and state averages in all areas - with a score of 100 percent for the “good place to work and learn” category for the 2024-25 school year; 

• Zero suspensions for the last two years, with the district’s largest drop in suspensions since pre-COVID to now.

“I think it’s the things that we have done over time, consistently,” said Assistant Principal Danielle Boyd of Glenn’s success. “People want to look for what the magic button is, but we know there isn’t one. A lot of it has to do with the caliber of our instructional staff, just trusting them to do what’s right as far as their students are concerned.”

Teachers support each other not only through traditional types of professional development, but also through helping each other by sharing best practices and taking the approach that all students in the schools are theirs, not just those in their respective classrooms. And there is an extraordinarily low teacher turnover rate as a result.

“We are given the ability to build our teaching capacity here,” said kindergarten teacher Nancy Gonzalez. “We keep wanting to get better, and if you are struggling somewhere you can always get help. In a lot of places PD can go one way or the other, but here it’s really effective and we focus on where we need to grow.”

“We have a really great set of resources at the school that you can go to,” said Jasmin Nabors, who serves as a coach for teachers in grades 3 through 5 and also provides other types of instructional support.  “There is a continuous effort to make sure we’re not complacent here. It’s more about us caring and wanting to be better teachers and do better for our kids.”

Family outreach and student engagement

Dozens of families assigned to Glenn’s district had previously left for private or charter schools. Many of them are now back at Glenn and loving it. Consistent outreach to and communication with families are two big reasons. Remaining aware of students’ social and emotional needs is another.

“Never have I experienced a school community that was this present for everyone involved - students, staff, and parents … whether it’s a public school or otherwise,” said Kerrie Powell, Glenn’s AIG specialist and interventionist. “It’s the idea of understanding and getting to know one another and the personal struggles of our students that makes a difference. Everyone comes to school with their own personal ‘backpack’ filled with things that we can’t see. We have to honor that; we have to see that.”

Fifth-grade teacher Rachael Horne said that it’s also the types of activities and attention that Glenn teachers give to students to spark interest and engagement that makes a difference. This comes from “putting their learning in front of them.”

“I have a student who has behavior issues but is now seeing his own success for the first time,” said Horne. “He’s seeing that, ‘I am a good student.’’’

This comes from authentically caring about each and every student. Setting goals and expectations for students to reach and feel - and be - a success.

“‘Every hour of every day, let me show you how you’re being successful,’” said Horne of her teaching philosophy. “If you could do it better, then why wouldn’t you? I constantly want to get better because I care about this human being.”