Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sound off on the program and what it could mean for your children in South Cobb schools.
Teach for America stirs up skepticism and "disgust" for teacher advocates, Cobb Board of Education members and even parents from other parts of Cobb, but for many South Cobb parents, it signals hope and change for achievement-challenged schools. South Cobb Patch wants to hear from you, South Cobb, about Teach for America. Sure, many have spoken up about this program, but many of them are not from the area most likely to be affected by the program. Many of them have also not been teachers, but teacher advocates have been able to speak on their behalf. Before last week’s Board of Education 4-3 vote to authorize Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to begin fundraising for Teach for America, Cobb County Association of Educators President Connie …
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Cobb Board of Education voted 4-3 to allow CCSD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to begin fundraising efforts for Teach for America for the 2013-2014 school year.
In a 4-3 vote at Thursday night's nearly four-hour meeting, the Cobb Board of Education authorized Hinojosa's fundraising efforts for up to 25 TFA teachers, who will likely work in South Cobb during the 2013-2014 school year. Board members Kathleen Angelucci, Alison Bartlett and Tim Stultz voted against the measure. In order for the TFA teachers to be hired, the board established four stipulations at its May 9 worksession: a maximum of 25 TFA teachers can be hired, principals have final say on teachers hired at their schools, no Cobb teachers can be displaced by TFA teachers and TFA teachers must be evaluated. Possible Fee Increase for TFA Training Hinojosa said the training fee for each TFA teacher's five-week summer training program and …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Watch the video of Thursday night's Board of Education meeting to see how the budget failed, Teach for America passed and more.
- SCHOOLS
-
Thursday, May 17, 2012
We've replaced the live stream with the two-part recording of the 3½-hour school board meeting, so you can replay the parts of the meeting that interest you most. We'll have more from the meeting in the morning. In the meantime, we welcome suggestions for a budget that could win at least four votes. The Cobb County Board of Education is scheduled to vote tonight on the final fiscal 2013 budget, the school calendar that accommodates the approved furlough days, a contractor to prepare for a SPLOST IV referendum in March 2013, and the pursuit of donations and grants to support 25 Teach for America teachers in South Cobb starting in the 2013-14 school year. The board is meeting at 7 p.m. at the Cobb County School District's Central Office, 514…
If the Cobb Board of Education approves, the superintendent will begin efforts to raise funds to cover costs for Teach for America teachers.
Members of the Cobb Board of Education will vote at its Thursday meeting to allow Cobb Schools Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to begin his fundraising efforts for Teach for America for FY 2014. If last week's worksession was any indication of how the vote may go, board members Kathleen Angelucci and Alison Bartlett did not approve of TFA for Cobb. If approved, there are four stipulations that would apply before TFA would be permitted. No more than 25 TFA teachers would be allowed. Principals would have the final say on which teachers they would allow to teach in their schools. TFA teachers can displace no Cobb teachers. TFA teachers will be evaluated against an established set of metrics. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Cobb …
Friday, May 11, 2012
After a discussion at its recent work session, Cobb schools superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa agreed to submit a recommendation about Teach for America for a vote at the next Cobb Board of Education meeting.
After the Cobb County Board of Education’s discussion about Teach for America, Cobb Schools Superintendent Michael Hinojosa committed to presenting a recommendation to the board next week. The board agreed that TFA can be allowed in South Cobb schools if four stipulations are met: Cobb BOE Vice Chairman David Morgan, who represents South Cobb schools, said, “I was happy that Teach for America was back on the agenda. It would give us the opportunity to have some of the best and brightest standing in front of them (South Cobb students) to add to some of the great teachers we already have in that area.” Hinojosa will submit his recommendation to the board, including the four stipulations, for a vote at its next meeting. If the item passes, …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Local teacher associations are asking members to send emails and call board members and express disapproval of TFA.
Cobb Board of Education Chairman Scott Sweeney has requested that the board discuss Teach for America for the 2013-2014 school year. Sweeney told the Marietta Daily Journal that if the Cobb County School District moved forward with TFA, principals would have the final say on accepting a TFA teacher at their schools. Cobb County School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa pulled the TFA proposal in January before board members could vote on the measure. Hinojosa said he pulled the proposal because he felt the timing was wrong, and it would be revisited for another fiscal year. The MDJ published a piece announcing its own opposition to the TFA measure on Jan. 26. On Monday, the MDJ said "school board watchers" told their reporters that …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The vice chairman of the Cobb County Board of Education said during Wednesday's work session that he didn't know how much his fellow board members knew about the proposed school and that a Board of Directors was never established.
Cobb County Board of Education Vice Chairman David Morgan said during the board's work session on Wednesday that he didn't know how much his fellow board members did or didn't know about the proposed STEM charter school. The STEM Inventors Academy received a $50,000 planning grant using Race to the Top funds in January. However, when CCSD backed out as the lead partner for the charter, the school was forced to return the funds. Other partners, Southern Polytechnic State University and Kennesaw State University, also refused being named as leading partner for the school. Morgan said the idea for the school came from Nate Riley, a constituent and MIT graduate. "He knew there were Race to the Top dollars and thought it would be a good idea in…
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
During Wednesday's work session, the Cobb Board of Education will discuss several South Cobb issues.
South Cobb issues abound on Wednesday’s Cobb Board of Education agenda. The board will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the board meeting room for a work session at 514 Glover St. in Marietta. Board member Kathleen Angelucci, whose Post 4 serves north Cobb, has requested several times to have Teach for America and a proposed South Cobb STEM charter school discussed, and at Wednesday’s board work session, she will get her wish. Because no other board members supported her previous requests, Cobb BOE Chairman Scott Sweeney explained that the issues could not be added to the agenda for the March board meeting. Since then, Angelucci has received the required support from at least one other board member. Cobb Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa …
Sunday, February 19, 2012
South Cobb school board member David Morgan talked of creating an award for principals as well as advocating for a model of excellence at his Saturday meeting.
The controversies surrounding Teach for America and STEM charter schools were not the main topics of conversation at school board member David Morgan's town hall meeting Saturday at South Cobb High School. Instead, Morgan unveiled plans to put two agenda items on the CCSD board meeting in March. About 15 residents were on hand to hear about a Principal of the Year award he would like to establish in the county school system at all levels. "What do we do for our principals? Do they get a new car?" asked Morgan, referring to the Cobb County and Marietta Teachers of the Year program, where winners receive a leased car for one year. "I would like something fair, rigorous, and just as high-profile for our principals as we have for our teachers…
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Cobb Board of Education did not discuss or vote on the proposal to bring 50 Teach for America teachers to South Cobb at the board's Thursday night meeting.
It was pulled. After a week of constituents vocalizing their support and opposition, after they flooded the Cobb Board of Education with emails and calls, and even after a local newspaper made its opposition known, the proposal to bring 50 Teach for America teachers to South Cobb was pulled from the Board of Education’s agenda on Thursday. District Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa withdrew the item before the meeting began, and before three South Cobb parents spoke in support of it. The board did not have a chance to discuss the item. Vice Chairman David Morgan said now that the proposal has been pulled, it is unlikely to resurface “any time soon.” Hinojosa told the Marietta Daily Journal, “It’s going to come back. It won’t come back …
Andrea Young
11:19 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
I am a South Cobb parent and I support TFA. I would like to think that TFA would get the support needed to be a success but with so much negativity from teachers, Cobb County Association of Educators president and others – lets just hope for the best. I do not agree with Mrs. Jackson. Some of the schools in South Cobb have been failing for over six years and there is no other aid that has been … more ›