About Dr. Chisum

Dr. Gina Chisum was named principal of Sun Valley Middle School at the June 2022 Board of Education meeting. 

As principal of Sun Valley Middle, it is my passion to cultivate and facilitate a collaborative, positive learning environment of continuous learning and reflection through systems thinking processes, elevating critical thinking for all school community stakeholders, and building collegial partnerships with all community stakeholders for shared accountability for all learners. 

I believe that the constant variable of humankind is that people, in general, do not care what you know until it is known that you truly care. As a result, it is my educational philosophy that we build relationships with our students so that they know that there are adults in this school community who genuinely care about each child's social, emotional, physical, and intellectual well-being. This only happens when parents and educators work in unison to communicate openly and frequently to improve learning for all children.  

I started my educational journey while my children attended school at Indian Trail Elementary. I volunteered as their room mom and as a PTO parent. As a substitute and interim teacher, I began to see the impact one could have on learning based on a positive attitude and a little fortitude. As a result, I returned to school at Wingate University and obtained my Professional Educator's License to teach K-6 while serving as an Instructional Assistant at Indian Trail Elementary. Once obtaining my license, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. I have also had the privilege of working with Central Services as an Instructional Technology Facilitator. In 2017, I obtained my Education Specialist degree from Wingate University. In 2018, I continued to pursue further learning and obtained a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wingate University. These opportunities have enabled me to see how the whole puzzle fits together so that at the center of each working component are our students - no part working in isolation, but each part working in symphonic harmony so that each child is empowered to embrace lifelong learning. My background has helped me to acquire substantial knowledge that makes me intuitive, personally relational, and 21st-century-driven.  It is my joy to be serving my home campus as an educational leader and I can't imagine anywhere else that I would rather be! 

Degrees and Certifications

• Doctorate of Educational Leadership, Wingate University
• Education Specialist Degree, Wingate University
• Masters in Art of Teaching, Wingate University, 2005
• National Board Teacher Certification, 2012
• Certification for Online Teaching, 2012
• Bachelors in Science of Music, Lee University, 1990

Contact Dr. Chisum

• Email: gina.chisum@ucps.k12.nc.us

About Ms. Brown

Ms. Brown serves as the sixth-grade administrator. Ms. Brown has more than 10 years of experience in the educational field. She has served as a classroom teacher and in various leadership positions throughout her career. Prior to coming to Sun Valley Middle, she served as Assistant Principal at East Elementary, and as the Instructional Coach at Unionville Elementary. Tomika brings a strong knowledge of current best practices in standards-based instruction, data analysis, and programs that will benefit our students.

Contact Ms. Brown

• Email: tomika.brown@ucps.k12.nc.us

Contact Ms. Nikolaus

• Email: alycia.nikolaus@ucps.k12.nc.us

About Ms. Giers

Ms. Giers serves as the 8th Grade Assistant Principal. She began her career in education teaching elementary school in 2000 in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. She taught in the classroom until 2009, and then she transitioned to a curriculum facilitator position for five years. In 2014 Ms. Giers moved to Union County Schools to teach 4th grade and then support as an interventionist while completing her administrative internship.

Ms. Giers earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and her Masters in School Administration from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She lives in Waxhaw with her two sons, Carter (8) and Christian (5). When Ms. Giers is not at football games or catching frogs in the backyard, she enjoys walking her dogs Luka and Romeo.

Contact Ms. Giers

• Email: jamee.giers@ucps.k12.nc.us