Dear GCSC Community,

I hope you are all enjoying the final weeks of summer and looking forward to the school year ahead! I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share my goals for the coming year. I’m thrilled to share that I will be serving as Deputy Manager for the Gary Community School Corporation in this final year before we exit Distressed Unit status. 

I started my career as a middle school math teacher, and I’ve spent the last 7 years helping schools across the country meet their goals for academic improvement.

Before joining the Gary team, I had the opportunity to visit hundreds of classrooms and talk one-on-one with teachers and leaders in all types of schools and districts. What this experience has taught me is that the only way to improve a school system is to empower educators and students with the skills they need to succeed and, most importantly, the belief that they can reach any goals they set for themselves.

I’m humbled by the opportunity to support the dedicated teachers, staff, students, and families in the Gary community, and I have no doubt that together we can make this GCSC’s best year yet!

Best,

Mavis Snelson, Deputy Manager

Dear GCSC Parents, Guardians, Faculty, Staff, and Community Members:

I hope this letter finds you in high spirits as you begin to prepare for the start of the 2023-2024 school year! It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I introduce myself as the newly appointed Chief Academic Officer of Gary Community School Corporation. I am honored and humbled to have been entrusted with the responsibility of fostering academic success with the exceptional students, teachers, administrators, and support staff of GCSC. Mavis, Esther, and I are absolutely thrilled to continue to work amongst dedicated educators, students, and staff members.

Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to fostering educational excellence and ensuring the success of every student. One of my core values as an educational leader is collaboration. I strongly believe that the best outcomes are achieved when we work together. I look forward to building strong working relationships with all of you, fostering an environment of open communication, trust, and respect. Together, we will strive to create a positive and inclusive learning community where all students can thrive and achieve their full potential.

Your hard work, commitment, and unwavering dedication do not go unnoticed, and I am truly honored to be a part of this exceptional team. Thank you for your warm welcome, notes of congratulations, and I cannot wait to embark on this exciting educational adventure together.

In Partnership, 



Kerchell Hobson, Chief Academic Officer

Dear GCSC family, 

I hope this message finds you well and excited for the upcoming academic year. As you may already know, I am Esther Goodes, Ph.D., and I am honored to serve as the Chief of Schools for the Gary Community School Corporation. With 25 years of experience in education, I have had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of teaching and learning in the lives of countless students.

My journey in education started when I graduated from Purdue University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management. While my initial career path was not directly in education, my father's encouragement, along with Cliff Gooden, led me to try substitute teaching in mathematics classrooms when teachers were absent. This experience ignited my passion for teaching, and I embraced the opportunity to become a Secondary Math teacher.

Throughout my teaching career, I had the pleasure of teaching a range of subjects, from 8th-grade math to Pre-Calculus/Trig, and it was during this time that I fell in love with Mathematics. I pursued further education, obtaining my 5-12 Mathematics license and a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from IUN’s UTEP program. Later, I became an instructional coach, focused on Mathematics, which allowed me to support other educators in their teaching journey.

Driven by a desire to take on greater leadership roles, I enrolled in a Principals' Licensure Program at Indiana Wesleyan, leading me to become the Principal of New Tech Innovative Institute. In this role, I not only served as a principal but also played a pivotal part in creating the school and developing its culture from scratch.

As my career progressed, I became the Executive Director of Secondary Education for the School City of Hammond, overseeing multiple schools, including the Career Center. My commitment to continuous growth led me to obtain my Superintendent's License and an Educational Specialist degree from Indiana State University.

Returning to my roots, I joined the Gary Community School Corporation as the Director of Elementary Education. I felt it was crucial to gain experience in elementary education to complement my previous work in secondary education. During this time, I completed my Doctorate of Philosophy degree at Indiana State University in Educational Leadership.

As the Chief of Schools for the Gary Community School Corporation, my primary responsibility is to ensure that all our schools operate efficiently and that our academic programs result in high-quality teaching and learning experiences for every student. 

As educators, we play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of our students. We have the unique opportunity to inspire and empower them to dream big, to set ambitious goals, and to work diligently towards achieving those aspirations. By fostering a culture of envisioning, we can instill in our students a sense of purpose and direction, helping them understand that their education is a stepping stone towards a brighter future.

I understand that teaching is a deeply personal and hands-on endeavor. Being the product of a teacher and a physical therapist, I recognize the profound impact educators have on shaping lives. As your Chief of Schools, I am committed to providing you with meaningful leadership experiences and opportunities for growth and mentorship.

I am thrilled to work with each of you, leveraging your expertise and dedication to inspire our students' desire for knowledge and providing them with limitless educational opportunities. Together, we will continue to uplift our schools and the Gary community as a whole.

Thank you for your commitment to education and your unwavering dedication to our students. Let us embark on this academic journey with enthusiasm, passion, and a collective goal of empowering every student to reach their full potential.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Esther Goodes

Chief of Schools

Gary Community School Corporation

Every year, the National GEAR UP grant chooses 150 GEAR UP students from across the nation (from over 500,000 students!) to attend the 3-day Summer GEAR UP Youth Leadership Summit, this year in San Francisco. For two years in a row, we’ve had a student from West Side selected! For his involvement as a leader in academic settings, GEAR UP events/initiatives, and other West Side activities, Dante Dorsey, Class of ’23 grad, was chosen and attended this summer’s conference, along with his mother, who attended a parallel Parent Leadership Institute. He had a great time, alongside 4 other Indiana GEAR UP students from Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, & Crawford County. In a fun twist of events, last year’s GEAR UP conference selectee, Joseph Coburn, also Class of ’23, was on a road trip and joined us in San Francisco for a few events.

We have a lot to be proud of in Dante, as he represented Gary Schools so well and stood out all week during the conference among his peers from across the country. This fall, he’ll be attending Wilberforce University in Ohio and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Dante – Go Cougars!