At 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 10, the Fulton County Board of Education met to discuss universal remote learning.

The Board thanks Board Vice President Linda Bryant for her service and wishes her well for her retirement. William Edwards, the mayor of South Fulton, proclaimed that today will be Linda Bryant Day in the city of South Fulton.
The FCS Board of Education, having already approved the agenda, opened up to public comment, which is not aired. The meeting will resume shortly.
Board members share their thoughts and comments regarding Board Vice President Linda Bryant’s retirement. Bryant shares a few words as well.
The Board moves onto FCS 2021 legislative priorities.

Supt. Dr. Mike Looney begins his Superintendent Report by thanking Vice President Linda Bryant.
Supt. Looney shares a COVID-19 update. Looney states that the Fulton County Board of Health has reported an increase in cases in Fulton County. It is expected to rise.
Data suggests that COVID-19 cases are not increasing as a result of schooling. Atlanta Public Schools (which is completely remote) has approximately the same number of cases as Fulton County (of which nearly 50% of students are in face-to-face instruction). Please refer to the presentation slides below.

Graphics courtesy of Fulton County Schools

FCS does not plan on closing Fulton Schools broadly as of the winter holidays. FCS plans to resume the current hybrid model, giving parents the choice to send their students to school or not.
On Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, Fulton County Schools will set up two testing sites at North Fulton and South Fulton for teachers and faculty to be tested before returning to school.
Supt. Looney encourages parents to complete the second semester survey as soon as possible as it will close tomorrow. If the survey is not completed, the student will return in January with the same learning plan as chosen for the fall semester. Please refer to the second semester survey link below.

Regarding student engagement for students in remote learning and concerns about incomplete assignments, Supt. Looney states that parents should ensure their student is completing the necessary assignments and engaging in the learning process with their child.
Supt. Looney states that one of the reasons to keep children in the selected manner of learning (remote or face-to-face) for a 9 week period is to allocate teachers according to what the demand for a specific type of learning is.
Board President Julia Bernath reiterates Supt. Looney’s point about the importance of getting tested before returning for the spring semester. There were nearly 64 cases of both teachers and faculty after the Thanksgiving holidays.
Executive Director of Capital Programs David Knotts presents a Construction Program Management Update. Please refer to the presentation slides below.