You had to have been there

a message from Anna Burns, Director of School & 
Community Services

That's the only way I know to describe central office campus activities this week.  

I truly hope you were one of those who . . . . 

•  attended our  three-day Teachers as Learners conference as 199 teachers did;
• know that the FY12 budget presented late Tuesday prior to the Board of Education meeting is $3 million lower than last year and projects our fund balance to be its lowest at $5 million since perhaps 1995
• are participating on one of the SACS standards committees, two of which met on Thursday.

Information exchanged in these settings has the potential to greatly impact how we carry out our jobs in 2011-12 and beyond. As we become more knowledgeable workers, we add greater value to our students' experiences.

The  week of June 6^th has been exhilarating and challenging. For those of you for whom this was your first week off contract or on vacation as some say, I hope it was relaxing. During your time off, however, I want you to stay informed about decisions that affect you.

The proposed budget includes . . .  

• an employee work schedule with  6 work-adjustment days - August 1, January 4, February 27, and either June 4-6 or June 27-29 depending on your contract length. Pre-planning is shortened by one day, and post-planning is virtually eliminated.
• 179 school days for students.  We will make up the instructional time missed on the 180^th day by adding two minutes to every school day.

And finally, saying good-bye is not easy

As graduation ended the school year for students, today we end our current association with Director of Teacher Quality Valerie Mercer, who will become the Director of Technology for Monroe County School System.

It was Valerie who brought us Teachers as Learners giving us access to university  professors and the latest research on using assessment to increase student achievement; to best practices in  teaching science; and to resources we might never know unless they were in our own back yard. Thank you, Valerie, for the value you have brought to our school system and to each of our lives. We will miss you.

Our jam-packed summer work continues the next seven weeks with . . .

• Griffin High School's massive renovation;
• Public hearings on the $75.6 million budget; and
• SACS committee meetings.

We will continue to learn how to become more effective and valuable as employees and how to give more value to our students though receiving less.

May you have a blessed summer,

Anna 

Anna Burns
 Director of School & Community Services   

Board Briefs

• Placed the FY12 budget on first reading:
• The FY12 projected general fund budget is $75.6 million and is a balanced budget under the legal definition used in Georgia. (This is down from $76 million in FY11 and $80 million in FY10.)
• $3,125,760 of fund reserves are being used to balance the general fund budget.
• The millage rate for 2011 tax bills is projected to remain constant at 18.8 mills.
• State revenues continue to fall below QBE formula earnings and the austerity adjustment for FY12 is $7,404,300.
• Six work schedule adjustment days are included in the budget. Five affect non-instructional days while one is a school day. However, minutes are being added to each school day to equal the instructional time of a full 180 day school year.
• The public is invited to attend budget hearings and workshops held during the month of June. The FY12 budget will be presented for final approval at the June 28, 2011, Board of Education meeting.

• Adopted Federal Grant Budgets (memo).
   
• Approved Title I Purchases.
   
• Received April finance report.
   
• Placed on first reading Policies GAK(1) - Criminal Background Check (memo), JCDAG - Bullying, and JHCAA - Secret Societies-Gangs. Click links to submit comments.
   
• Approved Policy KN - Complaints and Grievances. 
   
• Approved the Local Facilities 5-Year Plan.
   
• Approved the Board of Education's collaboration with Spalding Countyin preparing reapportioned election district and at a cost to the school system of approximately $500.

   

   
• Approved the FY12 Local Plan for Improving CTAE (Perkins Plans). 
   
• Approved the purchase of web-based free & reduced school nutrition program applications.
   
• Announced that at its April 13, 2011, State Board of Education appointed Denise Burrell to serve on the Advisory Panel for Special Education.

Recognized:

• The district's Challenge 24 winners.
   
• Alexis Smith (Anne Street Elementary) and Keniyah Allison (Atkinson Elementary), both of whom were national winners in the Inspirational Messages of Peace Contest. Both students' poems will be on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site. 

More information and documents on the June 7, 2011, board of education meeting agenda items can be found on E-Board. Please click here.

Proposed FY12 Griffin-Spalding County School System budgets totals $75.6 Million

• Tuesday, June 14, 2011 Public hearing 5:00 PM
• Tuesday, June 21, 2011 Public hearing 5:00 PM
• Tuesday, June 28, 2011 Public hearing 5:30 PM
• Tuesday, June 28, 2011 6:00 PM Regular board of education meeting including final adoption of budget

Close to 200 teachers take part in professional learning

Griffin, Ga. - Close 200 Griffin-Spalding County School System teachers used the second week of their summer break to take part in the Griffin-Spalding Teachers as Learners professional learning conference led by nationally recognized instructors. The conference was hosted by the school system on the Taylor Street campus.

Instructors included:

• GHS graduate and prolific education author Dr. Richard Milner IV (Associate Professor of Education at Vanderbilt University);
• Karen Bailey, an expert in high-quality classroom assessment and curriculum mapping;
• Kay Burke, the best-selling author of Tools for Assessing Student Learning;
• Dr. Timothy Rasinski, a professor of literacy education at Kent State University and also a best-selling author;
• Dr. Brian Williams, a specialist in science education with over 14 years of experience working with teachers and students in science education.
• Dr. Holly Ward, a specialized instruction consultant.

In addition to workshops led by these and other experts, participating teachers were treated to instructional materials. The offered courses were designed to help the school system's teachers achieve system and school goals.

The professional learning conference was paid for by Title I and IIA funds. 

Buffy Hamilton presents Making Research Relevant with Multigenre Projects

Dr. Holly Ward presents What Does Good Teaching Look Like?

GSCS teachers take part in Dr. Brian Williams' Explorations in Elementary Science.