FCBOE Work Session - Jan.
FCBOE met at 3:30 p.m. for this months Work Session. Stay tuned for updates.
Work session presentations were given prior to the meeting. See below for the presentations.
Charter Schools Coordinator Andrea Cooper-Gatewood presents an update on the FCS charter school segment. Visuals can be found below.
Graphics courtesy of Fulton County Schools
Chief Information Officer Dr. Emily Bell presents the Balanced Scorecard Update. Visuals can be found below.
Graphics courtesy of Fulton County Schools
Chief Communications Officer Brian Noyes speaks about difficulties finding partnerships during COVID-19 and a lack of consistent engagement process across the entire district. As a result, they created a partnership agreement form that everyone can use. Presentation information can be found below.
Several corporations - Papa Johns, Kroger, Disney (children’s masks) - have given FCS corporate partnerships.
A database, known as “Fulton Connections”, has been created to help maintain community partnerships with businesses, mayors, the city council, the academics division, student services, school nutrition, etc.
They hope to continue to expand the program. Look for updates on the weekly “News to Know” website.
“We hope to have continued success in this endeavor,” Noyes said.
Board members ask questions regarding the presentation. District 2 Board Member Katie Reeves asks Noyes about partnership data, specifically where the 59 schools come from. Noyes responds that they need to go back to schools and see if there is anything that was missed.
District 4 Board Member Franchesca Warren asks how we can see the partners by schools. Noyes explains the partners by schools are within a database which can be shared.
District 3 Board Member Gail Dean notes that the businesses listed on slide 3 are not the only ones who have helped them and thanks all their partners for their assistance.
District 6 Board Member Kimberly Dove also shares her gratitude at CCO’s efforts in creating a database that will help areas know what services are needed, and remarks that this is a great start. Other partners include Sandy Springs Rotary and T mobile.
District 5 Board Member Linda McCain questions the form’s methods of recording new partners and leadership. Noyes answers that overall implementation is forthcoming, and that the system must be built first. He notes that the information businesses must give depends on the type of partnership and that the process needs to be streamlined.
District 4 Board Member Francesca Warren asks if school principals recommend their partners to each other, and expresses her concern that too many schools will try to contact the same businesses. Warren asks if they have thought about reaching out to local chambers, in addition to businesses. Noyes notes that current corporations have been good and that there are several pre-existing relationships with local offices that are effective.
Graphics courtesy of Fulton County Schools
The meeting resumes after a five minute break.
Each board member congratulates students, teachers, and administrators in their respective districts for their achievements.
District 5 Board Member Linda McCain acknowledges that although schools are dealing with an incredible amount of change and circumstance, students still manage to do incredible things.
McCain highlights Northview’s journalistic achievements, mentioning Northview’s yearbook, literary magazine, and newspaper publications. Northview’s Literary Magazine, the Muse, won a CSPA Gold Crown Award and is recognized as one of the best publications in the United States.
River Trail Middle School science teacher Marwa Crisp received the Bridge 2020 Innovation for Good Leadership Award through the Bright Spark Challenge.
Supt. Mike Looney opens the floor for nominations for Board President and Vice President.
District 7 Board Member Julia Bernath and Incumbent Board President is reelected as Board President.
District 6 Board Member Kimberly Dove is nominated for Board Vice President.
The meeting resumes after a five minute break.
Supt. Looney presents a COVID-19 Management Update. Visuals can be found below.
Graphics courtesy of Fulton County Schools
Supt. Looney acknowledges that yesterday marked the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in Georgia.
Supt. Looney introduces the Epidemiology Report.
“Schools are simply a microcosm of what happens in the greater community,” Supt. Looney said.
Looney acknowledges challenges for people 65 and older to get vaccinations since vaccine centers opened yesterday. FCS has requested a partnership with GA Dept. of Health for employees 65 and older.
Talent and HR division is sending specific directions to those most vulnerable employees on how to get the vaccine.
Starting Jan. 16, FCS Employees 65+ (approx. 2000) and their spouses will be allowed to receive Pfizer vaccines at the Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Saturday is for FCS employees only and their eligible spouse, if they meet the criteria.
FCS can register these employees for the Fulton County Board of Health. Vaccinations for this event are exclusive to FCS, anyone not a part of it must go through a traditional registration process. All employees eligible must take the survey.
Security and support staff will also be provided for Saturday.
Those getting the vaccine can expect a 30-minute process.
People must bring a picture ID, insurance card, and consider how to dress (to make it easy to pull up your sleeve).
The Fulton County Board of Health notes the availability of vaccines to any of these employees who need it, however, it additionally acknowledges a concern of people not participating. The Board of Health is helping and sponsoring this event. School nurses will be trained for schools as well.
District 4 Board Member Franchesca Warren asks if there is a next phase of teachers getting vaccines. Looney notes that he has communicated with the governor and that they are working on getting past the 65+ phase.
A date for the second dose for the 65+ group has been decided but not confirmed.
District 5 Board Member Linda McCain asks if there will be a time when enough people have been vaccinated to exit quarantine. Looney mentions a change in CDC guidance. We will be adhering to new guidances, however, the vaccination process is independent of the guidance rules.
Executive Sessions: Chief Academic Officer Cliff Jones presents two social studies course proposals: Introduction to African American Studies and Introduction to Women’s Studies. These would be two half-year social studies electives for high school, carrying 0.5 credits.
African American Studies course includes arts, culture, history, march towards societal and political equality as relating to African Americans in the U.S., etc.
Women’s Studies includes arts, culture, history, march towards societal and political equality as relating to women in the U.S., etc.
All were in consent.
For schools to have courses, school personnel must ask administration to bring forward registration materials and provide a certified teacher to teach the material. Additionally, they must allot a budget and enough students must select the course for it to make the course catalog/students’ schedules in the fall.
Courses can only be taken once and are open to grades 9-12.
District 4 Franchesca Warren asks about textbooks and reading material. Jones answers that the courses must be approved first. Teachers will come together and showcase possible textbooks before the board.
“As CAO, I am proud to tell the public that we have one of the most robust curriculum in our area, in our community,” Jones said.
Course Proposal: Theater relating to Acting and Production for Film, a production-based class focusing on the acting and technical aspects of film. Independently and in teams, students will write, edit, and produce short films. Students will focus on framing, angles, working with light, and objectives and tactics. All were in consent.
Chief Talent Officer Ron Wade presents a continuation for URL updates.
Emergency paid leave is offered to employees as a safety net; employees who have exhausted all other leaves may be offered up to 10 days in quarantine. These options are temporary, not entitled, and not long term or sustainable benefits.
If an employee decides to take EPL, it has to be between Jan. 4 and Apr. 2. Employees may choose to mark any additional dates they have taken off previously for EPL.
Given the increased impact of COVID-19, FCS accepts a recommendation for URL leave to be reinstated. Employees who are able-bodied maybe work from quarantine.
URL leave does not apply to jobs that cannot work remotely (i.e. bus drivers). In that case, individuals would have to use their sick leaves.
Employees must have exhausted all other leave options to use this.
Reasons to be eligible for URL leave:
Positively diagnosed with COVID-19 and unable to work.
Quarantining due to work-related, direct exposure.
Awaiting test results.
Leave will be paid by FCS, not other federal benefit.
District 3 Board Member Gail Dean initiates the movement to amend the motion, board members vote, and the motion passes unanimously.
Students, teachers, and parents across the district created a student, teacher and parent/guardian Bill of Rights. These documents are intended to support an environment of reciprocal accountability, and outline tenets for each of the groups.
Students from Roswell HS, Johns Creek HS, and Riverwood HS speak about the Student Bill of Rights, a document drafted entirely by student leaders from numerous school districts that aims to encompass the values/principles of students across districts and to serve as a cornerstone for future policies.
Teachers from Esther Jackson ES and Summit ES speak about the Teacher Bill of Rights, a document that seeks to provide a collaborative working environment and represents teachers across Fulton County schools in their varied instructional fields.
Parents speak about the Parent/Guardian Bill of Rights, a document that acknowledges a parent/guardian’s needs to advocate for their children across districts.
After open to questions, board members leave comments on the Bill of Rights.
“I would challenge the district to do more research and implement an equity policy to ensure that all of our students, parents, and teachers are treated equitably across the teacher,” District 2 Board Member Katie Reeves said.
Executive Director of Strategy Dr. Ryan Moore speaks about added provisions for remote learning regarding absences/excuses. More information can be found below.
Dr. Moore also speaks about revisions to the public comment section of the Board Meeting.
Patrick Burke, Chief Operations Officer speaks of the request for Board Resolution for a Certificate of Completion of various projects (into consent), including Media Center modifications for North Fulton middle schools (Milton, Taylor Road, River Trail), types of improvement approved by board, expected to be done by August 2021. The motion passes into consent.
Warren asks if there are any ways 9th and 10th graders can get ready for the ACT.
Jones responds that schools are coming up with plans, and that the ACT should be taken junior year and the SAT should be taken first semester of senior year.
Jones also reiterates that the PSAT will be administered on Jan. 26. Families of freshmen, juniors, and seniors should expect to recieve something from their schools very soon.
Alyssia Wright, the director of school nutrition, is introduced. She shares that school nutrition is focused on producing healthy meals and increasing meal availability to students, sharing data from the slides below.
Wright highlights the efforts of school nutrition departments, including transporting meals to places around the district, preparing weekly meal kit for 5 days for families of any Fulton school to pickup on Wednesdays - including a holiday meal kit, providing meals during school closures in Aug., and offering meals at 22 food stop locations.
Originally, meals were hard to get as obstacles included filling out a waiver or paying for meals. However, after the federal government’s approval in Sept. 2020, meal pickup increased tremendously in Oct., as meals were served to all students in all schools.
Dean notes that the nutrition department has done a tremendous job and adapted well to the circumstances.
A board member asks if non-Fulton students can pick up meals. Wright responds that they can.
It is announced that Fulton County has finally paid off general obligation bond from 1998 and is debt free. The room applauds. It is also noted that since then, Fulton County Schools has expanded by 51 new schools and 30,000 students.
Reeves, Dean, McCain, Stuart and Dove extend their gratitude towards taxpayers and thank everyone for their hard work.
Marvin Dereef, the Chief Financial Officer, takes the podium, saying that this Thursday, the governor will be presenting budget recommendation. The recommendation’s impact on Fulton County schools is to be seen then.
The 2021-22 pre-kindergarten program will increase student readiness for kindergarten. It already exists in 45 elementary schools, and will be the same as last year with no locations changing.
1600 pre-K students are being served
Application for pre-K programs will open March 1 and close March 19.
In June 2020, board suspended Tax Allocation District (TAD) review due to uncertain effect of covid on finances. TAD review is reinstated now.
Fulton County recently awarded a contract to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to manage the pitch and payroll plan. The system will streamline employment data and keep track of retired employee data, makes it easier for retired employees to access benefits. It will modify and correct changes in payroll. The doc below has more info.
It will cost approximately $315,000 to upfront implement, in additional to the annual cost of maintenance.
The Board concludes the meeting by announcing that the Proposed Budget Adjustments for January 2021, the Banking Resolutions, and the FY2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report/Annual Audit Pension Trust Fund/Annual SPLOST Performance Audit have not been moved to consent, and will be discussed at the next meeting.
