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Schools

Morgan Driving Discussions This Morning

South Cobb's representative has seven items on the Cobb County Board of Education's work session agenda.

South Cobb school board member David Morgan has seven items he plans to raise for discussion at this morning's work session of the Cobb County Board of Education, more than any other member.

Data regarding repeat course failures and whistleblower policies were supposed to be discussed at the board's February work session but were postponed because that meeting stretched over a 10-hour period. Morgan's items also include a continuation of the discussion of the district's strategic plan, the district’s charter school process, the Teacher of the Year policy, and the school board’s priorities and vision.

He also will discuss the Teach for America program. This segment will feature a presentation by Kwame Griffith, the executive director of Teach for America's metro Atlanta region.

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“It could potentially be a great partnership where we can infuse more great teachers in our schools by partnering with Teach for America,” said Morgan, whose Post 3 covers , and high schools.

Superintendent Fred Sanderson's report to the board could be the focus of the meeting.

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Sanderson is scheduled to discuss the  the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) sent to the .

Sanderson’s report also will include an update on the state’s math curriculum and the Georgia School Boards Association/Georgia School Superintendents Association “Vision for Public Education,” plus a monthly budget update from Chief Financial Officer Mike Addison.

The school district faces an April 28 deadline to respond to the SACS inquiry letter, but the budget update and “an opportunity to ask questions” will be more important today, said board member Lynnda Crowder-Eagle of Post 1, serving , , and high schools. “The final budget will be presented to us in June.”

Morgan said he has no idea what Addison’s budget presentation will hold. Last month Addison predicted a budget shortfall of $40 million to $50 million for next school year.

“We just have to wait and see what the numbers are and act accordingly,” Morgan said.

Board Chairwoman Alison Bartlett of Post 7, which serves , was scheduled to present items on weather procedures, standards for high school athletic facilities and the millage rate, but she is planning to skip the meeting and watch from home. Her doctor advised her not to attend while she recovers from a she suffered March 30.

Vice Chairman Scott Sweeney of Post 6, covering and high schools, will lead the meeting in Bartlett’s absence. Sweeney said late Tuesday that the board still will discuss weather procedures and the millage rate, but he wasn't sure about athletic facility standards.

Among the meeting’s five non-SPLOST agenda items are a recommendation to increase class size allotment ratios by one to three students for 2011-12 and the construction of stadium seating at Allatoona High for $400,000. The stadium funding would come from the Allatoona Buccaneer Touchdown Club Inc. and local school cell tower funds.

The board will also discuss 13 agenda items related to Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funding. Ten involve additions, modifications or preliminary work at , , , , and elementary schools, , and , and Wheeler high schools.

The board also will discuss spending $609,680 on 300 digital video recorder camera units for school buses and adopting textbooks and other instructional resources for fine arts, health, physical education, social studies and high school mathematics of finance, with an estimated cost of $6 million to purchase those materials.

The meeting starts with public comments at 8:30 a.m. in the Central Office’s boardroom. You can watch the meeting live on Comcast Channel 24 or Charter Channel 97 or at the school system website. South Cobb Patch will have meeting updates via Twitter.

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