December Board of Education highlights

December

Board of Education highlights

Highlights

from the Fulton County Board of Education's meeting last Thursday included:

Spotlight

and recognitions : This month's Spotlight on Achievement featured

the eight-step instructional process being followed in 26 Fulton County

schools.

Students

and staff from Tubman and Northwood elementary schools explained how

the process has led to significant gains in student achievement.

Staff

and school recognition: Centennial High School teacher Tom Washburn

and Seaborn Lee Elementary teacher Michael Stewart received recognition

for their selection to the 2000 Atlanta Journal Constitution Honor Teacher

Program.

Washburn

was a finialist in last spring's program, receiving $5,000. Stewart

was named an honor teacher and received $10,000 from the paper. Nominations

for this year's program are now being selected.

Honors continue

for Chattahoochee High, most recently named a National Blue Ribbon School.

The award comes from the U.S. Department of Education.

A team from

the school traveled to Washington, D.C. for the official recognition

ceremony.

Superintendent

and board honors: The board congratulated Superintendent Stephen

Dolinger on being named the 2001 Georgia Superintendent of the Year.

The award

comes from the Georgia School Superintendents Association in recognition

of Dolinger's leadership and accomplishments.

Board members

received certificates from state School Superintendent Linda Schrenko

for successfully completing the Georgia Department of Education's Leadership

Academy.

Vice President

Janet Forbes received thanks for her eight years of service on the Board

of Education. Her fellow board members presented Forbes, whose term

expires Dec. 31, with a sculpture.

New rules

for special education: Nan Hughes, executive director of services

for exceptional children, presented an overview of new Georgia Board

of Education rules affecting special education services.

One major

change involves reducing the number of days allowed for evaluating and

developing individual education plans from 90 to 60. The new regulation

also presumes that the least restrictive environment for students with

special needs will be the general education c l assroom.

Pilot

network program: Information on a Cisco Networking Academy was presented

for first reading. Tri-Cities High School has asked to pilot this program

during the 2001-2002 school year. The four-semester program covers principles

and practices of designing, building and maintaining computer networks

and is taught both through the Internet and hands-on learning activities.

Naming

of facilities: The board accepted for first reading the following

naming recommendations for five schools opening in 2001. Committees

from each of the five sites presented three recommendations for review.

The board will vote on these names next month.

Big Creek

Elementary School Site Stoney Creek, Clear Springs, Creek View.

Hembree Road

Elementary School Site Hembree Springs, Hembree Oaks, Hembree Park.

Scott Road

Elementary School Site Knights, Nesbitt Valley, Hillside.

Hembree Road

Middle School Site Elkins Pointe, Great Oaks, Elkins Corner.

Rogers Circle

Middle School Site McGinnis Crossing, River Trail, River Plains.

Other

instruction items: Extensions until February were granted for Woodland

Elementary and Fulton Science Academy Charter School petitions.

Attendance

zones set: Last December the board approved new zone lines for elementary

and middle schools in north Fulton, effective with the 2001-2002 school

year.

Last month,

the school system administration presented fine-tuning recommendations

for these zone lines. This month the board approved those administrative

recommendations with modifications.

Personnel

actions: The board approved the personnel action report and the

superintendent's recommendations for employment, reclassification and

separation including:

New hire

Felicia A. Hedgebeth, software integration specialist for business computer

applications, to technical support specialist II for technology services

promotions.

Retiring

Sandra M. McKittrick, College Park Elementary assistant principal.