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Cobb school board needs to focus on mission, not fads Published: 04/29/2009 By Don McKee Columnist Why can’t the Cobb school district stick to its knitting? The primary responsibility of the district is to provide the best possible quality of education for the students of the county. Instead of focusing on its mission, the district under Superintendent Fred Sanderson keeps finding ways to burn time & energy of teachers & parents with new fads, the latest being the 3-2-1 grading scheme now proposed for expansion to third grade. This dumbing-down scheme was stealthily introduced in kindergarten without a vote - or apparently even any notice - by the school board. Ditto for first & second grades. Apparently Sanderson operates on the theory that what the board doesn’t know won’t hurt him. But instead of taking the superintendent to task, our “new” school board took a pass instead of a vote when a presentation on 3-2-1 was made. Chairman John Abraham allowed recently that the silence was consent - “full support” of the new report cards. The majority of the new board looks more & more like the old majority that meekly followed where former superintendent Joe Redden led. On that point, at least Redden conducted public forums for discussion of his out-of-bounds plan to provide laptop computers for students, the caper that threw the district into turmoil, triggered a grand jury investigation & cost the superintendent his job. Now a citizens committee is being formed to come up with a recommendation for or against the 3-2-1 “standards-based” report card. The new committee was proposed by a three-member board committee consisting of Alison Bartlett, David Morgan & David Banks. Bartlett proved her mettle by doing research on the Facilities & Technology Committee to show the district should bring its SPLOST III management in-house. Morgan likewise seems to be on the same page generally. But Banks, of all things, called on Morgan & Bartlett not to appoint any teachers or parents with children in kindergarten through second grade. They would be biased, he said. He’s looking for people who don’t “have a dog in the fight.” Who better to assess the value of the new fad? And what about Banks’ bias? He’s already decided in favor of the new report card. Where does that leave his credibility? You remember Banks is the fellow who campaigned in support of a later starting date for school. But he got educated after taking office & changed his mind. He said his “perception” of the board underwent a 180-degree change, explaining that on the inside “you’ve got a better knowledge of why the things are done the way they are.” In other words, go with the flow - think inside the box. The school district has plenty of real challenges - getting off the Needs Improvement list, for starters. It’s almost unbelievable that time should be invested in another unproven fad. The question that nobody’s answered yet is this: What was wrong with what we had before the new fad? The old grading system was not broken. It does not need fixing. dmckee9613@aol.com
Does school board only want positive comments? Published: 04/29/2009 I find it very disappointing that an elected Cobb school board member would dismiss concerned parents at last week’s meeting as a “special interest” group, as though our opinions & concerns don’t matter! If we are to be labeled as such, fine. We are especially & specifically interested in our “special” children & their education. I find it hard to understand why that is so distasteful to this board member. The parents & citizens who attended the meeting (& those who wrote emails to their board members) were there to let the board know that they object to something being changed that they feel is wasteful, unnecessary & hasn’t been proven to help our students. They were there to urge the board to stop any further roll out of the Standards-Based Report Card until further research is done. Is it imperative that parents attend every board meeting in order to be taken seriously or even express their points of view? I certainly hope not! I emailed my Board member, Alison Bartlett (copying the others), & she responded in an appropriate manner. I know she listened to me & even said that she appreciated my thoughtful comments. If our board members only want positive comments & agreement with every issue, then how are we ever to grow & succeed? When did debating issues become useless? It is the duty of every elected board member to respectfully listen & consider other points of view. Otherwise, they are not doing their job. Vicki Pannell / Letter to the Editor: Concerned Parent, Cheatham Hill Elementary/Lovinggood Middle School Read full article at mdjonline.com
School to offer history academy 04/28/2009 By Talia Mollett tmollett@mdjonline.com MARIETTA - Sprayberry High School in northeast Cobb is about to become part of history. The high school will be the first in the state of Georgia to offer a Saturday History Academy this fall. The program will run in affiliation with the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History, said Sprayberry psychology teacher Michelle Luckett. “The advantage for the student is that it makes their college application more competitive because it is an academic elective that is not offered any place else in Georgia or within 750 miles of Atlanta,” she said. “As college gets more & more competitive, they will look at what you, as a student, are doing to improve your academic performance.” According to a summary for the 2007-08 school year, 31% of Cobb students failed to meet or exceed the U.S. History standard for the End-Of-Course testing. Of the 3,117 students that participated in 23 Saturday academies across the United States in 2007 & 2008, 51% of the students were 10th & 11th graders. Nearly 70% of the students indicated that they gained significant confidence in understanding the topics taught at the Saturday academies, according to information released by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The Saturday History Academy will begin sometime after Labor Day, but an exact start date has not been set. The classes, divided into two 90-minute blocks with a break in between, will provide a more in-depth study of history material. Students can choose to go to one or both of the 90-minute sessions. The classes will not have homework or exams. The program is free for any student attending any public high school in Cobb County. Private school & home-schooled students will not be accepted into the academy. Students will not get class credit for attending the academy, Luckett said. The school needs $36,000 to fund the first year of the academy. The money will be raised through private donations from businesses & citizens, she said. No money has been raised to date. Read full article at mdjonline.com
Schools Across the Country ‘ZAP’ Poor Grades April 27, 2009 Attempts to determine exactly how many schools, school districts & local municipalities use ZAP policies — or “Zeros Aren’t Permitted” — in their grading of students were unsuccessful. Both the U.S. Department of Education & the National School Boards Association were unable to provide figures on the programs. While by no means a comprehensive list, here’s a look at some schools nationwide that utilize either “H” grades or ZAP policies: Costa Mesa High School, Costa Mesa, Calif.: In a letter to parents in February, Principal Aaron Peralta announced the launch of a ZAP homework tutorial program that would require students who did not turn in homework to stay an extra hour after school. “This program offers your child what they need; it is not a punishment,” Peralta wrote. “Furthermore, research has proven that students who consistently turn in their homework assignments get better grades & score higher on mandatory state tests.” Wayzata East Middle School, Plymouth, Minn.: Wayzata students receive ZAP “tickets” for missed homework assignments & are then placed on the ZAP 2 list if the work is not submitted by the next school day. Failure to complete the assignment a third time results in a working lunch. Little Axe Middle School, Norman, Okla.: At Little Axe, 25% of the student’s total grade is slashed under its 2008-09 ZAP program, but students can still receive a maximum 75% for late assignments handed in up to 2 days late with a parent’s signature. More than two days late? That zero is etched in red ink. Charlotte High School, Charlotte, Mich.: According to its 2008-09 student handbook, late credit is always preferable to a zero. As such, students who miss their deadlines get “zapped” & are required to attend 55-minute sessions on Tuesdays or Thursdays. And unfortunately for student athletes & musicians, those “zap labs” take precedence over all other school activities. Fowler Middle School, Maynard, Mass.: Assistant Principal Jeff Mela told parents in a letter last March that the purpose of its ZAP program was twofold: to give students a second chance on missed, lost or “forgotten” assignments & to increase student performance while building pride. “ZAP will not be used as a punishment,” Mela wrote in the letter. “The intent is to keep your child from receiving a zero.” Grand Rapids Public Schools, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Although it’s believed to be the only school district nationwide that uses “H” letter grades, spokesman John Helmholdt said the mark is essentially the same as an “I,” or incomplete, which has been used for generations. “We called it ‘H’ for hope,” Helmholdt told FOXNews.com. “We held the grade as opposed to issuing an incomplete. But the student & the parent are the one who have to be willing to put forth the effort to improve that grade.” But according to figures released earlier this week, the effort may not be working. Just 16% of classes failed during the program’s initial trimester were converted into passing grades, & in 68% of classes students made no attempt to reconcile the grade. Another 15% of the classes were failed a second time. Glenpool Middle School, Glenpool, Olka.: Students here have been thriving under the ZAP program introduced in September 2007, with a reported 1,000-plus assignments resubmitted within the first three months alone. End of state scholarship is an unhappy surprise for 1,500 students Gov.’s Scholarship Program was eliminated from budget By JAMES SALZER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution April 26, 2009 The state is notifying some of its top students that a 4-year scholarship designed to entice them to attend college in Georgia has been wiped out. The Governor’s Scholarship Program, a precursor to the state’s popular HOPE scholarship, was quietly eliminated in the budget lawmakers passed April 3 on the final day of the 2009 session. Within a week of the vote, the Student Finance Commission began notifying about 1,500 students that they wouldn’t get the aid next fall. Students & parents had no idea the money wouldn’t be coming. “I was kind of shocked when I heard about it,” said Joey Krumpach, 19, a freshman at Georgia Gwinnett College who received the scholarship this year after being valedictorian of his high school. Steven Longo, a Lawrenceville project manager whose daughter Julie receives the scholarship, said the award was supposed to be for 4 years. “I think they are sending a bad message,” Longo said. The Governor’s Scholarship was started in the mid-1980s as an incentive to keep Georgia’s top students from leaving the state to attend college. It goes to valedictorians & other top students. At its peak in the 1990s about 3,000 students were getting more than $4.5 million in awards. However, the program has been whittled back, & the state spent only about $1.3 million this year. For most students, it amounted to $900. Governor’s Scholarship recipients also get HOPE scholarships, which pay their tuition & provide book & fee money. The Governor’s Scholarship helped pay for room & board & other expenses. Tim Connell, president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, questioned whether the scholarship was keeping top students in Georgia. Connell recalled the annual ceremony Gov. Sonny Perdue has at the Governor’s Mansion for top students. When the students were asked where they planned to attend school, Connell said about 40% indicated they were heading out of state. “It kind of brought into question what was the purpose of the scholarship,” he said. “$900 is probably not having a significant effect on decision making. It’s not enough to say, ‘Instead of going to Harvard or going to Vanderbilt or going to Duke, I am going to the University of Georgia.’ “It’s probably became more of an ‘attaboy’ for valedictorians.” Krumpach, who is taking technology classes at Georgia Gwinnett, said the scholarship did help persuade him to stay in Georgia. “It was the best education for the money,” he said. In the midst of a fiscal crisis that forced massive budget cuts, Perdue recommended the program be eliminated & the Legislature obliged. Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta), a former teacher & member of the House Education Committee, said she didn’t realize the program had been eliminated until someone sent her a copy of the Student Finance Commission letter being mailed to students. She said the state made commitments to the scholars. “We need to make it a priority to reward these deserving students & keep them in the state,” she said. “I think it’s one of those places where priorities become very clear.” Democrats have argued that Perdue & the Republican majority haven’t made spending on education a priority. However, K-12 education took a smaller budget hit this year than almost any other area in the budget. Bert Brantley, the governor’s spokesman, said many top students are already getting a number of other scholarships, including HOPE. “When you’re looking for things to cut back on, you’re looking for what has the most benefit,” he said. “For a lot of kids, this is just over & above what they are already spending on tuition & books.” Find this article at: AJC
Calendar, architects on agenda 02/25/2009 By Jon Gillooly jgillooly@mdjonline.com Read full article in the MDJ
Patrick Stafford / Letter to the Editor: Break down Cobb test scores by post, school 02/25/2009 Patrick Stafford Vinings Read full article in the MDJ
02/21/2009 By Otis Brumby, Bill Kinney & Joe Kirby Read full Around Town Section in the MDJ
Published: 02/20/2009 By Jon Gillooly jgillooly@mdjonline.com Read article in the MDJ
Superintendent must be brought to heel by board 02/06/2009 By Pete Borden Columnist—Marietta Daily Journal Read article in the MDJ
Five Cobb high schools attain AP designation 02/06/2009 By Jon Gillooly Marietta Daily Journal
Larger class sizes proposed in wake of record shortfall 01/30/2009 By Jon Gillooly Marietta Daily Journal
Georgia Education Spending More Than Doubles Yet Graduation Rate Slips Jan 23, 2009 Center for an Educated Georgia Jan. 22, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Susan L. Meyers 404-518-2271 GEORGIA EDUCATION SPENDING MORE THAN DOUBLES, YET GRADUATION RATE SLIPS More information about the study & the Center for an Educated Georgia is available at www.educatedgeorgia.org.
Cobb school board members, I’m rooting for you 01/18/2009 By Laura Armstrong Columnist Read full article in the MDJ
New school board in tune with public 01/18/2009 Read full letter in the MDJ
Cobb test scores up for debate 01/17/2009 By Jon Gillooly Read full article in the MDJ School board could be unified for first time in years By Pete Borden Marietta Daily Journal Guest Columnist 01/13/2009 By staff reports
Critics: School-bus GPS waste of money Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer Data show that Hall, Georgia students struggle with new math curriculum By Jessica Jordan jjordan@gainesvilletimes.com Gainesville Times 12/09/ 2008 Read full article in the Gainesville Times Cobb not only school system with parents mad about math David Cass / Letter to the Editor: 12/12/2008 Read full letter in the MDJ
New math curriculum failing students Mitch Gilstrap / Letter to the Editor: Marietta Daily Journal 12/14/2008 Read full letter in the MDJ
Educators defend new math curriculum By Brandon Wilson bwilson@mdjonline.com Marietta Daily Journal 12/15/2008 Read full article in the MDJ |
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