Fulton Schools Receive Charter System of the Year Award

The Fulton County School System is the first-ever recipient of the Charter System of the Year Award for its leadership in supporting school-level governance and innovation, the Charter System Foundation Inc. announced Thursday.

The award, which includes a $10,000 prize, recognizes the Georgia charter system that best demonstrates effective local governance through the empowerment of parents, teachers and community members; leadership in the charter system community; strong community partnerships; and academic progress supported by flexibility and innovation.

“This award recognizes Fulton County Schools’ culture of local school autonomy and the school board’s vision to involve parents, teachers and community members in developing their schools’ strategic direction,” said Kenneth Zeff, interim superintendent of the district. “We are honored to be recognized and remain committed to the charter system model.”

In July 2012, Fulton County Schools became Georgia’s largest charter system. This special designation, made possible by the Charter Systems Act, frees the school system from most state regulations that typically apply to traditional public schools.

In exchange for assuming greater accountability for results, it allows district leaders to give local school communities freedom and flexibility to decide what changes their schools need to make in order to achieve their specific goals.

“Through their focus on innovation, charter systems have the ability to develop strategies that challenge and engage students in unique ways, which ultimately helps them succeed in school and beyond,” said Dr. Emily Lembeck, chair of the Charter System Foundation’s board of directors and superintendent of fellow charter system Marietta City Schools. “We applaud Fulton County Schools for demonstrating a successful model for others to follow.”

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, who served as keynote speaker at the awards luncheon and is a longtime proponent of charter systems, agreed.

“Fulton County Schools is a great example of the success that comes from a charter system,” said Cagle. “Innovative charter systems are an important tool to provide access to a world class learning environment and I appreciate Fulton County Schools’ diligent work to improve education in the community.”

In the spirit of the charter system model, the district will use the $10,000 prize money to support school-level strategies developed by school governance councils.

The Charter System Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports charter systems in Georgia by serving as a conduit for collaboration and innovation; providing training for superintendents, school governance teams and local board members; and advocating for increased flexibility for charter systems.

Of the state’s 181 school systems, 31 have applied for and been granted charter status. At 96,000 students, Fulton County Schools is the largest charter system in Georgia.

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