Cherokee BOE Awarded 2018 Quality School Board Designation

WOODSTOCK, GA — The Cherokee County School Board has earned state recognition for its outstanding governance and leadership. The Georgia School Boards Association has awarded the school board its 2018 Quality School Board designation.

The statewide recognition program celebrates school boards that consistently model best practices and meet specific high standards of excellence, CCSD said Friday.

“We know our school board members are of the highest quality, as servant leaders who show exceptional professionalism and compassion in all they do and who always put children first when making policy decisions,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Hightower. “They pay their ‘civic rent’ every day through this extraordinary service and do so without any expectation for recognition. We’re so proud of them for the important work they do and for earning this special honor for our community.”

The Cherokee County School Board is made up of Chair Kyla Cromer, Vice Chair Mike Chapman (District 6), Kelly Poole (District 1), Patsy Jordan (District 2), John Harmon (District 3), Robert “Rick Steiner” Rechsteiner (District 4) and Clark Menard (District 5).

In order to earn Quality School Board status, school boards must demonstrate its members meet or exceed specific criteria that shows their commitment to professionalism, including adherence to a code of ethics, effective use of strategic planning, annually assessing their own performance and progress, and continuous participation in professional development.

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School board members are elected to four-year terms for the Cherokee County School District, which serves more than 42,000 students and 4,800 employees. Their many responsibilities include setting School Board Policies, approving CCSD’s annual budget, hearing disciplinary and employment appeals and hiring the superintendent of schools.

The school board has twice earned National recognition in recent years from the National School Boards Association’s MAGNA Awards program, and recently earned statewide attention for its successful pilot of the Georgia School Boards Association’s VILLA parent academy program to increase parent engagement in their local schools and school system.

Photo: Front row, from left, Kelly Poole, Chair Kyla Cromer and Patsy Jordan. Back row, from left, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower, Robert Rechsteiner, Vice Chair Mike Chapman, John Harmon and Clark Menard. Credit: Cherokee County School District