Cobb BOE To Vote on Pinnacle Access for Charter Schools

Parents with children at Cobb charter schools may now have access to the Cobb County School District’s online reporting system, Pinnacle. On Thursday, the Cobb Board of Education will vote to have the district pay $46,000 over five years to provide access to Pinnacle for the county’s two charter schools–Kennesaw Charter Science and Math Academy and

Pinnacle is only available for middle and high school students, their teachers and their parents.

Cobb BOE Vice Chairman David Morgan, whose Post 3 serves South Cobb, is behind the big push.

Morgan said he wanted this service provided after visiting Atlanta Public Schools a year ago and learning from the district’s charter school liaison that parents of charter school children had access to a districtwide system similar to Pinnacle.

Additionally, in a heated town hall meeting with Morgan at in September, former IIAM Governing Board President Joslyn Jackson said she had asked the district for three years for Pinnacle access and was denied.

Morgan said at his , “These children (at charter schools) are still in our district, let’ stop treating them like stepchildren…We’re funding children, wherever they go, not schools and adults.”

The charter schools will be able to take advantage of the district’s discounted rate from Global Scholars, the company that provides the service. Board members will consider two options for Pinnacle access to charter schools:

a)    Global Scholars-hosted solution: Global Scholars would host the student information, scheduling, gradebook, attendance, parent internet viewer on its system for a one-time $7,000 implementation fee per school, along with a annual $4.50 per student annually with a one-time. Annual software subscription would vary depending on enrollment.

b)   Charter school on-site solution: Charter schools would have Global Scholars solution on site, like other schools in the district. Charter schools would need to purchase their own hardware and software, as well as provide their own technical support personnel. For this option, the cost per school would also be a one-time  $7,000 implementation fee, a one-time $7 per student software licensing fee, annual support and maintenance fee of $1.50 per student.

Under either proposal, the charter schools will not be connected to the district’s Pinnacle system, but each school will have its own Pinnacle account. The district pays for Pinnacle access for conversion charter schools because they are district facilities and are connected to the district's network, said Chris Ragsdale, the district's deputy superintendent of operational support.

“It (Pinnacle access) will make life a lot easier for us and the charter school because we’ll be able to electronically transpose the records from one point to the other. Whereas, now, charter schools have to hand-enter those,” Ragsdale said.

Morgan, an advocate for charter schools and parent choice, said he had been pushing for the option for charter schools for a year or so.

“It’s another step to show that Cobb County School District embraces all of our students, whether they go to a traditional public school, alternative school, charter school, magnet school or vitual whatever it may be,” Morgan said during the board’s Jan. 18 work session.

Other board members had their objections.

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West Cobb board member Lynnda Crowder-Eagle said the parents had a choice to have their children attend the charter school and therefore, the district should not take on these costs. Crowder Eagle said the charter school or parents could opt in and pay a fee for the service at the discounted rates provided for the district.

Central Cobb board member Alison Bartlett agreed, explaining that she felt charter schools already take funding from the district.

“We are supporting giving parents a choice, at a cost to us in the millions,” Bartlett said at the Jan. 18 work session.

When the proposal was first discussed at the Nov. 9 board work session, it was presented as two possible solutions for charter schools. In both, the charter schools would pay an additional fee to access Pinnacle.

Morgan said that charging the school would be treating the charter school parents unfairly since their students are still CCSD students and they still pay taxes, which are used by the CCSD.

"I think we should do right by them (parents of charter school students) and make sure that they have access to that info. I think–and this is going to be a bit strong, but I will say it– I think if we don't, it's just sheer and utter discrimination of parents who choose a start-up charter school. I don't see how it's anything other than that," Morgan said.

North Cobb board member Kathleen Angelucci expressed similar sentiment.

“To me, it just seems to make sense that all schools would have access to this, all schools under the Cobb umbrella,” Angelucci said at the Jan. 18 board work session.

The board discussed at its Nov. 9 meeting that Pinnacle access would be taken into account when considering new petitions for Cobb charter schools going forward.

However, it has not been determined whether the district would pay the costs for Pinnacle access for future startup charter schools.

"At this juncture, that has not been determined, but that is my hope," Morgan stated in an email.