School Board Appreciation Week Showcases Fulton's "Solid Leadership"

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March 16 marks the first day of School Board Member Appreciation Week, a weeklong celebration to show Fulton County School Board members “how much they are valued for their service and dedication to the students of Fulton County Schools,” the system said on Monday.

The current school board is comprised of President Linda McCain, Vice President Linda Bryant and members Julia Bernath, Gail Dean, Catherine Maddox, Katie Reeves and Linda Schultz.

“I can think of few jobs that are as a difficult as being a School Board member,” said Fulton County Schools Superintendent Robert Avossa. “Their decisions affect the success and outcomes for nearly 96,000 students in a county that is geographically and socioeconomically diverse. But with the challenges come the rewards. Their clear guidance has created a stronger education for all students and a better work environment for our employees. Together this positions Fulton as one of the nation’s top educational leaders.”

The Georgia School Boards Association, sponsor of the annual celebration, is a voluntary statewide organization of local boards of education. The organization serves as an advocate for the interest of the state’s public school students and local school boards and provides in-service training and technical assistance to Georgia’s local school systems and school board members.

As constitutional officers of Georgia, school board members are responsible for setting educational and personnel policies, providing buildings and equipment, operating a transportation system and approving the school system budget. As community leaders, school board members serve as advocates for the children in local public schools and must study, evaluate and decide what actions are in the best interest of all students.

In particular, the system noted the School Board provides solid leadership through:

Experience and Expertise. The Fulton County Board of Education has one of the most veteran school boards in Georgia, with its current members collectively serving more than 80 years. This breadth of experience allows the school board members to make knowledge-based decisions regarding the school system and the children it serves.

Good Stewardship of Taxpayers’ Dollars. The Fulton school board led the school system during some of its most difficult economic years. Critical decisions made by the board years ago have resulted in the district’s sound financial health today. As a result, Fulton County Schools is in a better financial situation than many neighboring school systems and employees have not been affected by furloughs or pay cuts for the past four years. In fact, for FY14, the school board provided district employees their first pay raise in five years, and for FY16, a pay raise as well as a step increase is under discussion. School millage tax rates also have remained the same for five years.

National Award-Winners. Fulton County Schools was a national winner of the 2014 Annual Award for Urban School Board Excellence by the National School Boards Association’s Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE). As part of the award, Fulton County Schools received a $2,500 prize and was featured in the fall issue of Urban Advocate, CUBE’s quarterly publication.

In addition, last year Fulton County Schools was selected as a first place winner in the 19th annual Magna Awards program sponsored by the National School Boards Association’s American School Board Journal. The Magna Awards recognize districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance student learning and encourage community involvement in schools. This was the second time the district won the national award since the recognition program debuted in 1995.

AdvancED Reaccreditation. Due to strong school board leadership, Fulton County Schools has been reaccredited for another five years by AdvancED. This signifies that the district and its schools is focused on raising student achievement, providing a safe and enriching learning environment, and maintaining an efficient and effective operation. In addition, it means that the school system and its leadership adhere to high quality standards based on the latest research and successful professional practices.

SPLOST. Fulton school board members also have been strong community leaders through past and current SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) educational campaigns. The most recent referendum was passed in 2011 with its highest voter turnout, and is now in the third year of enhancing classroom technology as well as building new schools and improving older buildings.

Safety. Using SPLOST funds, the Fulton school board has approved installation of comprehensive video surveillance systems that help keep students and staff safe, inside the school and out, as well as new technology to allow instant background checks of all school volunteers. Buzzer entry systems with audio and visual capabilities have been installed to all school entrances.

Charter System. The Fulton school board also has led the school system through its quest for charter system status, which was approved by the Georgia Department of Education in 2012. As a charter system, Fulton County Schools can be granted waivers from certain state laws and rules in exchange for greater accountability and increased student achievement. Fulton County Schools is the first large school system in Georgia to receive charter system status, and is a model for other school systems and school boards. All schools have created School Governance Councils to guide the creation of their school’s strategic plan, and schools also are engaged in the Request for Flexibility progress where they can use the charter model to request additional flexibility options that support their strategic plans.

Strategic Plan. Fulton school board leadership also was evident through the school system’s creation of a five-year strategic plan, which was launched in 2012, and serves as the district’s road map to improving student achievement. The strategic plan has three large goals that serve as a measure for long-term student success: 90% of Fulton students will graduate on time; 85% of Fulton’s seniors will be eligible for admission to a University System of Georgia college or university; and 100% of Fulton’s graduates will be work-ready.

Early success stories are evident. Fulton County Schools’ 2014 SAT scores remain among the highest in Georgia, with six schools ranked in the state’s Top 20, and in the past three years Fulton has risen from being ranked eighth in the state to being ranked second in overall score. Also, the overall percentage of ninth-grade students on track for graduation increased from 76% in 2011-2012 to 81% in 2012-2013, which indicates progress toward the graduation rate target. Fulton’s overall graduation rate also has risen more than 8% – from 70.1% in 2011 to 78.7% in 2014. Fulton also has the highest graduation rate – and the highest rate of graduation growth – among the large metro Atlanta school systems.

Central Office Consolidation. This spring, Fulton County Schools is closing six of its oldest, most outdated administrative facilities and consolidating to three buildings that better meet the district’s long-term needs. The district anticipates consolidation will yield a one-time $22 million capital investment savings and $2.2 million in reduced operating costs each year. These savings can be redirected to the classroom and invested into student learning. The new buildings also are strategically located where they are of the most use to stakeholders and put central office employees in a geographic position to better serve schools and communities.

Community Engagement. The Fulton County Board of Education strongly believes that the public must be involved in public education, and board members go above and beyond to encourage community participation in decision-making activities. Time is set aside at each school board meeting to hear from the community, and public hearings are held to receive feedback on various issues. The board also requests that school system committees include parent and community representatives.

Community Meetings. In addition to the monthly agenda-focused meetings, each Fulton school board member also sponsors a community meeting open to the public that gives an opportunity to discuss upcoming board issues and other system-related activities. These community meetings have been hosted for a number of years and Fulton is believed to be one of the few school boards in the country to use such a process for gathering input. The meetings provide an opportunity for direct contact with community members and give board members a chance to listen to local issues and concerns.

Photo: Fulton County Schools Superintendent Robert Avossa and members of the Fulton County School Board. Credit: Fulton County Schools