Community Corner

Recap of Fulton School Board First 2014 Work Session

The first official Board of Education meeting of 2014 began with the re-election of Linda McCain as vice president for a one-year term. Linda Schultz continues as president for the second year of her two-year term.

 Also during the meeting, the school board received updates on charter system implementation, particularly the progress of Cohort 1 and 2 schools, as well as the district’s construction program management and its improved process for teacher selection. 

Charter System Update
Now in the second year of instituting School Governance Councils, the 20 schools in Cohort 1 are beginning the Request For Flexibility (RFF) process. Last spring, the governance councils helped school leaders develop school strategic plans and now are using the charter system status to request additional flexibility options that support the plans. 

As examples, Stonewall Tell Elementary School has proposed changing its traditional visual arts program to include a specialized digital arts component while Centennial High School has requested a waiver to grant physical education credit to students who are participants in GHSA athletics, school-sponsored club sports, or marching band. Overall, 22 requests were received from 13 schools in the areas of certification, class size, delivery mode, field trips, new courses and time.

To be considered, Requests For Flexibility had to be approved by the governance council before being submitted to Superintendent Robert Avossa. Decisions are expected by the end of January. 

Following the example of the Cohort 1 schools, in November a group of 37 schools (Cohort 2) elected parent and teacher representatives to their School Governance Councils. Similarly these councils will aid their school leaders in developing strategic plans next year and assessing whether there are opportunities to use the charter system status for flexibility. In 2014-2015, the remaining Fulton County schools will develop School Governance Councils.

Construction Program Management
Jacobs Engineering, the firm that works with Fulton County Schools on its construction management, gave an overview of its first year of work with the district. Together, as the Capital Improvements team, they have managed the planning, design and construction of more than 40 projects, with all projects being bid on or under budget. In addition, all of the projects constructed have been on schedule and without a lost-time accident.

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Much of the construction management program centers on eSPLOST, the one-penny sales tax that builds new schools, renovates buildings and upgrades technology, buses and security equipment. Since $500 million of the capital improvement plan is slated for new construction, renovations and modifications, communication and community engagement is key. Special signage, community meetings, groundbreaking ceremonies, videos and community presentations have been used to share project information and timelines. 

Teacher Selection
Members of the district’s Talent Division shared details of a new selection model under way for staffing teaching positions. Of the 9,000 teaching applications received annually by the district, less than 9% of the candidates are actually offered positions, showing how competitive it is to be hired by Fulton County Schools. 

The new selection model will increase the district’s competitiveness by balancing the use of technology with a leader’s professional judgment. An automated component filters out applicants that do not meet qualifications and can generate reports that highlight school‐based needs and preferences. On the personal side, a team of ‘teacher selectors’ evaluates applicant submissions, assigns scores and conducts phone interviews. From there, principals can select interviewees and conduct customized exercises.

 

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The new selection model is funded by a Belk Foundation grant and aligns to The New Teacher Project, one of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and preparing teaching candidates, as well as the state’s Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES). Training for the new model will continue until its full launch in the spring.

The full agenda for the January 14 work session is posted online at www.boarddocs.com/ga/fcss/Board.nsf/Public. The next meeting is January 23 at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School.

Source: Fulton County Schools press release dated Jan. 14, 2014


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