Monday, May 20, 2013
Students will be released early at set times, depending on grade level, Wednesday and Thursday.
Students in the Cobb County School District will be released from classes earlier than usual on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, as the 2012-13 academic year comes to an end. The early dismissal schedules are as follows: Tell us what you think in the comments, share your photos and videos, and don’t miss any of the local news you care about—subscribe to Acworth Patch's newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Friday, May 17, 2013
The $856.3 million budget approved Thursday includes 5 furlough days and 182 teacher cuts through attrition.
The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday approved a fiscal year 2014 budget that includes five furlough days for teachers and staff, a reduction of 182 teaching positions through attrition, a half-year step increase for employees and taking $41 million from reserves to reach a balance. After the board voted down three other budget proposals—including an amended version of the tentative budget with a full-year step increase for Cobb County School District employees—it went back to something it could pass. The $856.3 million budget, which takes effect July 1, is similar to the package that the board tentatively approved on April 29 and that closes a deficit of $86.4 million. Voting in favor the budget were board chairman Randy Scamihorn and …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
"You're going to destroy the county if you don't fix the problem," educators told school board members Wednesday.
Only a small handful of people turned out for a public hearing on the proposed Cobb County School District fiscal year 2014 budget Tuesday. But they packed a raw, emotional punch. Several teachers and coaches at East Cobb's Walton High School were especially vocal about budget proposals that they said would increase morale problems and stress levels that have been building up for several years. Among the proposals included in a tentatively adopted budget (see green column in attached PDF) include 182 teacher position cuts through attrition, a mid-year cost-of-living increase, higher insurance costs for teachers, larger classroom sizes and five furlough days. Those components are part of a budget plan that addresses an estimated deficit of…
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The school board has received two possible options as it moves closer to adopting the fiscal year 2014 budget.
Cobb school superintendent Michael Hinojosa is recommending that the five furlough dates built into the tentatively adopted fiscal year 2014 budget take place in October and next February. At a work session on Wednesday, the Cobb Board of Education received two proposed options for the furlough dates, which are still under consideration before a scheduled official budget vote on May 16. Hinojosa's recommendation would be for the furlough dates—which apply to all Cobb County School District employees—to be scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Oct. 3-4, Thursday and Friday, Feb. 13- 14 and Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, is a district holiday due to President's Day. That proposal would allow the 2013-14 academic year to begin on…
Cobb and Cherokee county schools in Acworth fared well in the College and Career Ready Performance Index, which replaces Adequate Yearly Progress reports.
The first test of Georgia's alternative to No Child Left Behind has yielded fairly good marks for the Cobb County School District. According to the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI), students at the elementary, middle and high school levels of the public school systems outpaced the state average on a wide-ranging accountability spectrum. The index grades each school in the state on a 100-point scale, measuring achievement (70 points) and tracking progress points (15 points) and achievement gap points (15 points). Cobb schools averaged a score of 85.4 at the elementary school level, 87.1 for middle schools and 86.3 for high schools. Cobb schools in Acworth scored: Acworth's Oak Grove Elementary School, a Cherokee County …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The students have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities.
An exhibit featuring the artwork of Cobb County students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities will go up May 9 in Marietta. The 'Inspired by the heART' art show will kick off with a dessert reception at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cobb County Central Library, 266 Roswell St. During the opening reception, there will be a student slideshow presentation. The exhibit will run until May 11. Tell us what you think in the comments, share your photos and videos, and don’t miss any of the local news you care about—subscribe to Acworth Patch's newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Additional changes have been proposed to the $894 million budget approved by a 4-3 vote Monday.
The Cobb Board of Education has tentatively approved an $894 million fiscal year 2014 budget that includes additional revisions and is likely to be altered further before final passage next month. By a 4-3 vote, the school board on Monday adopted a budget plan that retains five furlough days for all Cobb County School District employees, including teachers, but further reduces the number of proposed teacher cuts through attrition. The tentative budget also calls for taking more out of reserve funds than originally recommended and makes a more generous assumption about the upcoming Cobb tax digest than the county tax assessor. Voting in favor of the tentative budget were board chairman Randy Scamihorn of North Cobb, vice chairman Brad …
Monday, April 15, 2013
Depending on whom you ask, spring break just ended or happened weeks ago. Are the staggered spring breaks a good thing, or should schools aim to schedule their breaks at the same time?
It’s back to school today for students in Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties. Spring break for the three county school districts was held last week, and pupils are returning to the classroom for the last remaining weeks of school. But students in these three districts didn’t get to enjoy their time off along with all their peers from other school systems. For instance, nearby Bartow County held its spring break the first week of April. Spring break also varies for students at local colleges. While those attending Chattahoochee Technical College got their break from classes last week, students at Kennesaw State University and Georgia Highlands College took their break the first week of March—no classes were held at KSU March 2-8 while …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
And Republican newcomer Randy Scamihorn, a retired military officer turned educator, will take over in Northwest Cobb for Lynnda Eagle, who didn’t seek reelection after her first term.
In a clear victory Tuesday, political newcomer and 20-year Powder Springs resident Brad Wheeler will take over as the West Cobb representative on the county Board of Education. “The schools are the heart of your community,” the 57-year-old Republican and retired teacher and coach told Patch by phone shortly before midnight, “and I care a lot about it.” With all 26 of the seat’s precincts reporting, roughly 60 percent of voters sided with Wheeler over incumbent Democrat Alison Bartlett, who, at 50, is wrapping up her first four-year term. Bartlett’s 40 percent equaled 15,931 votes, while Wheeler grabbed 24,145. “There are some great things that happened (while I was on the board), and I hope they keep moving forward,” said Bartlett, a …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Alison Bartlett, along with a member of Georgia's PTA, debated Tuesday with State Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) over issues of school choice, regulation, accountability, funding and more.
State Rep. Ed Setzler’s main argument Tuesday night in favor of the proposed charter school amendment was choice—allowing parents to pull their children out of failing traditional public schools to attend charter ones. “Southwest Atlanta, rural Georgia—is there any school in the state that you wouldn’t want to send your kid to?” he asked the dozen-plus forum attendees at Hillgrove High School. “If there is any school you wouldn’t want to send your kid to, you’ve got to support choice.” But the forum’s other two panelist—West Cobb school board member Alison Bartlett and Karen Hallacy, the legislative chair of Georgia’s PTA—voiced their unyielding opposition to the amendment, with Bartlett calling charter school agencies “for-profit groups …
Marlene Mitchell
1:55 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013
I have no skin in the game, as my kids are out of college now, but it might be nice to have some coordination. I remember having family vacations kinda come to an end at this point. more ›