Schools

Fulton School Board Launches Strategic Plan

Superintendent Robert Avossa shares long-term vision.

Superintendent Robert Avossa recently introduced his vision for the Fulton County School System’s future. Citing three specific long-term objectives and five areas of strategic focus to support them, Superintendent Avossa laid the groundwork – Strategic Plan 2017: Building Our Future – for how the district will meet its goal of increasing student achievement over the next five years.

More than 300 business and community leaders, elected officials, principals and district staff attended the AT&T-funded event at the Fox Theatre. Following remarks by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and State Superintendent John Barge, Superintendent Avossa took to the center stage to announce three goals that will serve as the district’s measure for long-term student success:

  • Graduation Rate – 90% of Fulton students will graduate on time
  • College Readiness – 85% of Fulton’s seniors will be eligible for admission to a University System of Georgia college or university
  • Career Readiness – 100% of Fulton’s graduates will be work-ready certified

“These are big goals, but they are attainable,” said Superintendent Avossa. “Our strategic plan is focused on improving outcomes for all students, and the only way to do this is to set measurable goals and put supports in place to help our students and staff reach them.”

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To that end, as part of its “Building Our Future” strategic planning initiative, the school system will focus on five strategic themes – instruction, people, technology, effective schools and resources – to drive improvement.

  • Instruction  Students will be engaged in learning that enables them to reach their full potential for college and career readiness
  • People  Fulton County Schools will attract and retain the most talented and effective employees in K-12 education
  • Technology – Students, parents, teachers and administrators will have the tools and information they need to accelerate learning
  • Effective Schools – School leadership will be collaborative and will balance innovation with accountability
  • Resources – Student needs will be supported with efficient and effective allocation of staff, instructional materials and equipment 

Superintendent Avossa also detailed how the district’s new charter system designation will provide flexibility and innovation in support of the strategic plan focus areas. As examples, student instruction can be tailored through more credit-bearing internship opportunities and waivers from the state’s “seat time” mandates, which require specific lengths of class instructional time for students. As another example of instructional flexibility, he mentioned how a student athlete who practices two hours a day might be exempted from a physical education class and instead be offered an additional academic course.

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Lieutenant Governor Cagle, during his remarks to the audience, expressed admiration for Strategic Plan 2017 and its goals. “What we are witnessing today is history in the making,” he said. “You have designed an educational curriculum that will change the lives of your students. Every child will be able to go as far and as high as they want to go.”

The strategic plan will guide the system’s direction over the next five years and is the result of many conversations with the school board, teachers and school leaders as well as engagement with parents and the community. The plan is posted at www.fultonschools.org/StrategicPlan2017.


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