On Friday of last week, evil visited Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. On Saturday, authorities put together more of the pieces of the puzzle to explain what happened inside Sandy Hook one day after a gunman opened fire and killed 20 students and 6 adults.

Since that time we have reflected on what this means for us. One news commentator said that the day before the shooting she was at her child's elementary school. As the PTA meeting was ending, the principal said "…thank you for entrusting us with your child…our student." The commentator reflected that those words took on new meaning after the horrific events on Friday. Parents do entrust their children's lives with our teachers and school administrators every school day.

To remember the victims, our flags are flying at half-staff until Tuesday evening. We are wearing green ribbons as requested by the Newtown, Connecticut, community.

Please increase your level of observation, and let's continue to take care of one another and our students as you always have. I have asked Jim Smith, assistant superintendent, to review our emergency operations plan for any adjustments that need to be made. We will seek best practices for providing security in our schools. Besides having preplanning review of the emergency operations plan, we will now have at least three emergency operation drills throughout the year. In post planning, we will review our plans and drills to see if there are modifications that need to be made.

I remain convinced that the best way for deterring this type of action here in our community is for us to take care of one another. Students know more about what other students are thinking than we adults do. As we continue to increase our relationships with students and earn their trust, they will share with us their concerns. We should take their concerns seriously and act on them accordingly. We also know there are adults who have issues and there are people in our community who know who those individuals are. They, too, will share information with us as we increase our relationships and levels of trust with them. The best way to respond is to depend more on one another, to increase our relationships and communication and to respond appropriately.

I have great confidence in you and so do the parents and community of Griffin-Spalding County Schools. Please know your safety and the safety of our students remain at the forethought as we maintain a safe learning environment in GSCS. If you have any concerns or questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to let your supervisor or me know.

Thanks.

Curtis

Happy New Year!

Once again we usher in a new year with great promise and potential. I believe this will be the best year that we've ever had. As we look forward to 2012, we say goodbye to 2011. Even though 2011 was a tough year economically, a lot of good things were accomplished. I hope you take time to reflect on what was good and what can be improved. Simple reflection is good for all of us.

As I reflected, one thought that I had was that the Griffin-Spalding County School System is one where students feel safe. It's a place where caring adults reach out to children and help them learn. You're very good at that. We're lucky that you're here with us.

As I was looking at the Griffin Daily News yesterday (and as I heard on the radio) not all students find school a safe place. There was an article with the headline, "Police killed armed 8th grader in school". This occurred in Brownsville, Texas. The student apparently had something that looked like a weapon, and law enforcement told him to put it down. He did not, and when they believed their lives were at risk, law enforcement officers took action. At least that is how I understand the story.

I share this with you because there have been occasions here in our own school system where individuals have brought weapons to school, and our law enforcement agencies have told me that they are going to do all they can to protect students - but within reason. And I understand that.

We have to continue making our schools, classrooms, playgrounds, and busses places where our students are safe. Students need to know not to bring weapons to schools, and that there are adults at school they can turn to for help.

We need to work harder to make sure that our elementary students understand that, even at that level, they cannot bring weapons to school. Over the years I've seen more and more occasions where students have gone from bringing scissors to bringing butter knives to bringing more serious items. We owe it to our students and their parents to let them know that this is serious business.

If our schools are going to be safe, we must forever be on the lookout to see warning signs. Students need to know they can come to us with their problems. We have to create trusting relationships with our students so we can all be safe.

I close this first-of-the-year message by wishing each and every one of you a very happy and prosperous New Year! It is great to have you back. The weather has changed - and one thing about being in this part of the country is that we get to see four seasons. Let's celebrate what we have with this one.

It is a good time to be in the Griffin-Spalding County School System!

Have a great weekend!

Merry Christmas!

This week, most of the cost reduction teams met to begin their work. Some of the feedback I have received so far about the sessions has been encouraging, but some has been disappointing. So this week I want to address where we are in the process and where we are going.

(Originally published in the Friday, November 18, gscs COMMUNICATOR)

When I became superintendent in 2009, a personal goal I set was for the Griffin-Spalding County School System to become more of a school system and less a system of schools. In conversations with principals and teachers, perception was that we had some schools that were doing well and others that weren't. I wanted us to establish a band of excellence so that no matter where students went to school or where teachers taught, we knew that we were a school system helping one another. That thought has been in the back of my mind for the last two years.

We've made great strides in that effort. We have:

• Revised our mission statement
• Changed our vision
• Established system values
• Created a system strategy map.
• Implemented programs throughout the district like PBIS, Performance Matters.
• Implemented team-based improvement protocols.

All of those efforts are trying to help us become a more unified school system. This week, it all came together and validated the work that you and I have being doing the last two years. We were able to celebrate the best AYP results that our school system has had since No Child Left Behind was created. 17 of our 18 schools made AYP - 94% - that's a tremendous achievement especially when you consider less than 75% of schools in the state made AYP.

The AYP results are tribute to the hard work you have done. But, it's also an indication of the sharing and learning happening between schools, grade levels, and departments. You've participated in care meetings. You've come together to create common assessments and benchmarks. Truly, you've transformed the way you operate. You've transformed the way you learn and the way you help students achieve. So, I sent a cake to your school to celebrate AYP. I hope you also saw that as part of our effort to say, "We are the Griffin-Spalding County School System".

This week we also had the visit from the AdvancEd SACS-CASI Accreditation Team. They reviewed the work you have performed for the last 5 years, and they saw tremendous growth. Their recommendation is that we be fully reaccredited. We look forward to getting the final report in 30 days. The team-chairman's comments about your use of data and how you've embraced the idea of individualized instruction for our students validated your work in so many ways. When we get the final report and have received accreditation for the next five years, we going to have to celebrate again. So, I guess I owe you another cake!

It was a great feeling to know just how far we've come. Celebrations are good, and we should find opportunities to celebrate whenever we can. These continuing small celebrations are indications that we are on a journey towards continuous improvement and success. I am so proud of you! I hope you enjoyed this week - I did! And, to top it off, it was also American Educator Week.

Please accept my most sincere wishes to have a happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving break with families and that you take time to reflect not only on what we've done here, but also how your families have supported you in these endeavors.

Enjoy the break!

Curtis

(Originally published in the November 11 gscs Communicator)

First, let say that with today is November 11, Veteran's Day, and it's a great day to be an American! On behalf of all of us, I wish to extend a special thank you to all who have served and who are currently serving in our armed forces, you protect us and the provide opportunity for us to enjoy the American way of life. Thank you for your service!

I could take time to talk about our budget situation, but we've talked about that a lot lately. Please know that we're continuing to work hard to bring this process to a conclusion as soon as possible. We understand your concerns about the 170-day calendar, administrative early retirement initiatives, and the possibility of a reduction in force. Please continue to work with us, ask your questions, and help us with solutions.

One reason, I believe, that we're going to come out of this leaner, more effective, more efficient is because of all the people working in our school system. Several months ago I asked principals, "Why do you think our school year 2011 is better than 2010?" Consistently, the principals' answer was, "Our workforce is doing a much better job." You have been provided tools and professional development. You're using it, and you're talking with each other in professional learning communities.

I repeated that conversation with teachers, and they told me, "My students are working harder. They appear to be smarter, and they're coming to me more prepared."

Students are working hard. Teachers are working hard. The results are clear in our AYP report - we're 17 to 1! It is a good year!

Leadership counts!
But one group not talked about much is our principals. We have some of the best principals in the state. It's an easy statement to make and hard to back up - but there is antidotal information.

As you know our SACS visit starts this Sunday and concludes on Wednesday. In anticipation of this visit, as well as preparing for our next SACS visit, we sent a team to a conference to learn what AdvancEd is currently doing and how accreditation visits will work. We just wanted to be sure that we hadn't missed anything.

Two Griffin-Spalding County School System principals presented at this SACS conference in Atlanta.

• Mr. Keith Simmons presented what Griffin High School is doing with the School Improvement Grant, saying this is what we're doing and this is why it's working. Keith has been sought out for additional speaking opportunities. We believe he and a team from Griffin High will present at the model schools national conference this summer.
   
• Dr. Martha Taylor of Moore Elementary School presented, "Removing Barriers in Instructional Delivery Through Professional Growth and Teacher Retention." She also presented at a national conference last year. She's well known and respected, and she is providing valuable leadership to her school and beyond.

Other principals have been featured speakers at conferences, too.

• Mr. Larry Jones of Futral Road Elementary School presented "Enabling High Performing Learning Environments" at Griffin RESA last March. He was selected because of Futral Road's performance. Larry's presentation was well received and attended.
   
• Mr. Derrell Jeffcoat of Spalding High School presented "Increasing the graduation rate by reducing the dropout rate by increasing subgroup performances" this year at Griffin RESA during a lunch and learn. I attended the session. Derrell and Dr. John DeCotas did an excellent job of explaining how Spalding High School has increased its graduation rate to record highs.
   
• Mr. Dexter Martin of Orrs Elementary presented at last year's National Character Education Conference. Orrs, as you know, is a National School of Character. At their conference, he presented how Orrs is increasing student achievement by focusing on character development.
   
• And next week, Mrs. Evelyn Jones of Anne Street Elementary will present to aspiring leaders. She was selected because of Anne Street Elementary's performance and the successes that they've had as a Title I Distinguished School for nine years.

All of these principals, as well as others, are providing great leadership in our schools. An excellent indication is that good leadership is being recognized outside of your own building and school system. I think this a story not well known, which is why I wanted to share it with you today.

We have a lot of folks to be proud of - and we are! We thank each of you for working hard and doing what you do for our children. Please have confidence that your leadership team will continue to work with you to help find the best solution for moving forward.

Why? Because that's the Griffin-Spalding County School System way. Daring to do Better! Have a great Veteran's Day and a great weekend!

Curtis

(Originally published in the November 4, 2011, Communicator.)

There's much irony that on the day our school system received the official word that our record for schools making AYP was 17 & 1, the Griffin Daily News published the article "Griffin vs. Whitewater: Rocky vs. Apollo" (November 2, 2011).

17 & 1 is a winning season. 17 of 18 schools met the highest-ever academic performance in Math and English/Language Arts on state tests. I am proud of the work you are doing. I am proud of our students and their achievements.

It is because we are achieving that I have responded to the article in the Griffin Daily News with a letter to the editor. I hope the Griffin Daily will publish it soon. Let's keep telling our community about our successes! We are Daring to Do Better!

Submitted to the Griffin Daily News on

Thursday, November 3, 2011.

Dear Editor,

Ronald Reagan said it best with, "There you go again."

That's how I felt reading the Griffin Daily News's sports article, "Griffin vs. Whitewater: Rocky vs. Apollo". The analogy made was that Griffin was Rocky, and Whitewater was Apollo Creed. Griffin has nothing, Apollo Creed has everything.

As I read I thought, "There you go again." It reminded me of an article earlier this year where Anne Street and Atkinson elementaries were cited as "Low Performing Schools" because of one science score in one certain grade. I thought that was unfair. The principals responded with excellent letters that Griffin Daily News gets credit for publishing.

When I saw this article I felt: You don't get it, and you're still living in the past.

You think Griffin is a mill town? Wrong. You think Griffin High is dirt poor? Wrong. You think Griffin High doesn't have dedicated coaching staff? Wrong. You don't think they have weight equipment? Wrong. You don't think that Griffin High is a good school? Wrong.

I believe that the article about Anne Street, Atkinson, and now this article about Griffin High continues to hold Griffin back.

There is this culture that says we're still a mill town, our school system is not achieving, and our students can't perform. All wrong. We need to stand up and say so.

Want to talk about our record like it's a football record? We're 17-1. 17 schools made AYP (Annual Yearly Progress). I'll take a 17-1 record anywhere. That's the highest that we've ever had since AYP was created. Our schools did well!

The graduation rate at both Spalding High School and Griffin High School are record highs. The graduation rate for the system is the highest documented. We should be proud!

It's time we stop allowing others to say ours is not a good school system. We are a good system! Schools are performing; students are achieving and they going to some of the nation's best colleges. They're getting good jobs.

Are we perfect? No. Do we have more work to do? Yes.

It's time to recognize that it's 2011 - not the 60's or 70's.

Griffin is an educational center with the Griffin-Spalding County School System, Southern Crescent Technical College, the UGA Griffin Campus, and nearby Gordon College.

We are Daring to Do Better, and it's time that's recognized. We are Griffin! We are Spalding! We are Griffin-Spalding!

Sincerely,

Curtis L. Jones, Jr., Superintendent, Griffin-Spalding County School System

(Originally published in the October 28, 2011, Communicator.)

Despite our bleak revenue and budget situation, we must look toward our future to remain a mission-driven standards-based organization. Three different events this week made that very clear to me.

Whole Board of Education Training
A new law requires that Georgia school boards attend and receive professional learning and development. Three hours of this requirement is called, "Whole Board Training." This occurs when all board members and the superintendent work together with certified instructors.

Our Whole Board Training was this week at Griffin RESA. It was unique because we were joined by the Henry, Lamar, Newton, Pike and Upson boards of education. This was the first time that we, as a Griffin RESA, had our school boards in the same room going through training. And so the instruction from Griffin RESA as well as Phil Hartley, a well renowned school board attorney, was enlightening for all. We came out of it better.

Teacher Keys
The second training event, which centered on the Teacher Keys Evaluation System provided by the Georgia Department of Education, was two-days long and held in the GSCS Learning Center with some of our administrators. It was a lot of time, but it was good information and an outstanding training!

A common understanding was developed of what individual evaluation standards look like, what you should be looking for, and how to better communicate with the person being evaluated. The attendees told me they were extremely satisfied and impressed with Tawnie Taylor, the DOE trainer. She will return next week to complete another two days of training with the rest of our administrators. Training will then continue in January and February when the pilot of Teacher Keys goes into effect. From what I saw yesterday, Teacher Keys and Race to the Top implementation are starting to come together.

I am convinced that if our system is going to continue to improve, it's going to happen because of the development of our human capital. While Teacher Keys is time consuming, it will help us grow from evaluations. I'm very excited about it.

AdvancEd - SACS
The third event this week was Thursday night's community meeting at Griffin High where about 75 stakeholders came together to prepare for our SACS visit . They broke into groups and talked about each one of the SACS standards that the school system has to meet in order to maintain accreditation. Overall, it was a good time for people who support our school system.

It was a great week for growth. That's what we have to keep in the back of our minds that as we go through these tough budget days. Things will get better, and when they do, we need to be prepared to Dare to Do Better, and we are!

Have a great weekend!

(Originally published in the October 21, 2011, Communicator.)

On Thursday, October 20, I met with system employees from five different schools at Kennedy Road Middle School. This was the first of four meetings where we're taking an opportunity to discuss the budget for Fiscal Year 2013. I thank the 145 employees for taking the time out of their schedule to meet with me. I thank Kennedy Road for preparing a setting conducive to open conversation.

Whenever we meet there is learning that occurs on both sides. I learned something pretty valuable yesterday, and that is the confusion surrounding the 170 day proposed school calendar. So let me explain the calendar in a different way.

 

Normally, teachers have a 190-day contract which is divided into two parts:

• 10 professional days that are subdivided into pre-planning, post-planning, and some professional learning days
• 180 Student instructional days

So in a typical 190 day schedule you would have maybe 5 days for pre-planning, 2 days of professional learning, and 3 days of post planning, and 180 days for student instruction.

 

The 170 Day School Calendar
The proposed calendar (and the one you have expressed your opinion on our website) is truly a 180-day calendar. The 180 days include 10 professional learning days (divided into 5 days for pre-planning, 2 days for professional learning, and 3 days for post planning) and 170 days for student instruction.

 

We've called it a 170-day calendar because we wanted to communicate with parents that students would be coming to school for 170 days. The confusion that I helped to create was not letting employees know about those other 10 days.

 

So, the bottom line is that the calendar is 180 days for teachers. During the presentation, we saw how many days people would be working during FY13/School Year 2012-2013.

 

The 8 Hour Work Day
The second major thing I learned during the first meeting was that employees thought that because we said the instructional day for students would be extended by 20 minutes, the workday would be longer.

 

Because of the way the calendar is laid out and the way the day is structured, the workday is still 8-hours. We're having to move things around a little bit to work through the mechanics to get more student instructional time, but we're keeping the 8 hour work day for employees intact.

 

The next three meetings

I hope I've clarified some of the major issues. It became clear to me yesterday that the 170-Day 2012-2013 calendar was a point of confusion. We have more employee information sessions planned, and I hope that you take time to come so I may share with you my thoughts and also address your questions and concerns.

 

 

The first meeting (Kennedy Road Middle)

 

I've said this before, and I do believe it, "In the middle of every difficulty, there are opportunities." These opportunities are there for us to recognize and to capitalize on.

 

I am optimistic about our future and what we can do to continue to improve student achievement in the Griffin-Spalding County School System. It's an honor to see you work hard to make this work. I thank you for joining with us as we continue this journey for increased student achievement. We're Daring to Do Better!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

(Originally published in the October 17, 2011, Communicator.)

If you were on fall break last week, I truly hope it was restful and fun for you.

On Friday of fall break week, principals, assistant principals and central office department heads met in a Symposium in the Learning Center. Then the next day, Saturday, October 15, the board of education and cabinet members met for the board's fall retreat in our board meeting room.

In addition to the talking about the strategic plan, we discussed the FY13 budget and options to meet the projected $6 million shortfall.

As you know the 170 day school calendar for 2012-2013 is one way we have proposed to meet at least $3 million of the shortfall. That proposal, if accepted by the board, includes 10 work-adjustment days for all employees. (The 170-day proposed calendar takes those days into account so there are no additional work adjustment days planned at this time.)

We have been gathering ideas for the additional $3 million in cuts since the principals' meeting on September 15. At that time all principals and department heads - 40 people in all - met in small groups and brainstormed ideas to consider to meet the shortfall. The ideas they presented that day were again presented to principals and assistant principals at our Friday Symposium and to the board of education on Saturday.

• Use virtual school to cover certain classes
• Share assistant principals based on school size ratio
• Share counselor positions based on school size ratio
• Centralize services that may concentrate cost pressures
• Reduce or eliminate middle school athletics
• Eliminate general fund allocation of 20 day instructional extension program
• Return Elementary gifted model to home schools
• Cut athletic travel for competition paid by System
• Adjust local supplements on salary schedules
• Look at alternative models for school nurses/school resource officers
• Eliminate/absorb Media paraprofessional positions
• Eliminate additional specials at elementary level above one included in QBE formula
• Consolidate smaller schools
• Use early retirement incentives

I would caution you that these are only ideas at this time. The board told me to put "everything on the table." Just because an idea is on the list does not mean it will be implemented. Just because an idea is not on the list does not mean it won't be implemented.

I have set up a series of meetings to be able to talk to you face to face to present information and answer your questions.

• Thursday, October 20, 4:15pm - at Kennedy Road Middle School 
   
• Monday, October 24, 4:15pm - at Cowan Road Middle School
   
• Tuesday, October 25, 4:15pm - at Rehoboth Road Middle School
   
• Monday, October 31, 415pm - at Carver Road Middle School

Please take the opportunity to attend one of these meetings to talk to me. If you cannot attend the one set up for your school, please attend another. [More information is below in next article.]

The next step is to set up exploratory committees to look at these ideas. Jim Smith our Chief Financial Officer/Assistant Superintendent will arrange the meetings. I urge you to volunteer to serve on a committee.

Our goal is to have the FY13 plan to meet the shortfall in place by January 2012. In the meantime, we will have to research the ideas.

Is this easy? No. Is it necessary? Yes. We are now having to do what neighboring school systems did three to four years ago to cut the budget. . . . . . . . . . As I said in my October 7 Communicator column, "We're making tough decisions now about next year, and the tough decisions are not over - more are to come." I want to include you in these decisions.

Please come to one of these meetings. I want to talk with you.

• October 7 - Information on the 170 School Year Calendar plan
   
• September 30 - A change in the 2011 Millage Rate is proposed
   
• September 16 - Preliminary FY13 budget work begins
   
• August 3rd & 4th Presentations to all employees
   
• June 17 - Challenges during the adoption of the FY12 budget

(Originally published in the October 7, 2011 Communicator.)

(Originally published in the September 30, 2011 Communicator)

I'm getting old. Well - I've been old. I am old. But professionally, I am realizing that I'm getting older because two individuals I have great respect for are retiring from the Griffin-Spalding County School System this week.

  

Dr. Quimby Melton, III

Quimby and I go back to the days when I was the Griffin High School principal. He was my assistant principal for instruction. I remember:

• Late evenings when he and I worked with the old AS400 computer to get students' schedules prepared. We were walking around the building at 10 o'clock at night trying to make it work.
   
• Quimby's helping us design the Allan Vigil car giveaway to ensure a deserving student would win.
   
• Quimby's willingness to do whatever it took to help Griffin High School be the very best it could be. Those were challenging times when No Child Left Behind first began.

My focus was from the military motto: Mission First, People Always. I was able to focus on the mission of increasing the graduation rate, but it was Quimby and Kay Moore who helped me stay focused on the idea that People Always is what made the mission successful.

 

I was happy that Quimby became the principal of Griffin High School. He continued to develop his unique talent of building relationships with employees as well as students. A caring man, Quimby was able to take the idea of Mission First, People Always to the level of People Always, Mission First.

 

Having completing his assignment at Griffin High, Quimby moved on to start the A. Z. Kelsey Academy project, where Griffin-Spalding could give the most at-risk students one last chance. Because the program had no defined boundaries, Quimby designed the model. He recruited the staff, shaped the curriculum, and built the school from the ground up.

 

Our initial idea was that AZKA would be a 6th - 12th grade school which would be open from 9 in the morning until 9 at night. While the school's hours of operation never went that way, Quimby did. He doesn't know that I know, but he spent many nights at AZKA working to make it successful.

Dr. Quimby Melton leads AZKA graduates to the stage.

 

In the mornings, you would find Quimby standing at the door greeting students. Sometimes students brought their problems from home, just like they do in all schools, but Quimby was the right person for A. Z. Kelsey Academy. We're fortunate he served there for these many years.

 

So it's with sadness I realize that today is Quimby's last day with us. He is a true professional and a friend who will be missed. Enjoy retirement, Quimby.

 

This is also my opportunity to reflect on his decision to retire. His decision is a message to me. I have to try to understand and comprehend it. Across the nation people are getting to the point where the idea of doing more with less is just becoming more and more difficult.

 

No Child Left Behind was supposed to be the silver bullet that was going to improve education. It's not the silver bullet we thought it was. Now we have new a national and state administration with brand new ideas about how to improve public education. It seems everybody has an idea, and that just gets old.

 

I will continue to think about Dr. Melton's retirement and the lessons I can learn from it. There are lessons for all of us in his decision. Times are getting difficult. Hard decisions are going to be made as we look at moving forward.

 

John Hemphill
John's retirement reception was held yesterday at Anne Street Elementary. When it was his turn to speak, he said something very profound and very true. John said, "This is my school." That's the way he feels, and that's the way I'd always envisioned him over the many years I've known him. He loves the students and employees of Anne Street Elementary. He gave his all. He will be missed. Enjoy your retirement, John!

 

Our school system won't have these two individuals on an active basis anymore, but I know they will continue to support us and public education, and for that I thank both of them.

 

And for the rest of us, let's remember these two individuals as some of the pioneers that helped us Dare to do Better! Have a good weekend!

 

(originally published in the Sept. 23. 2011, Communicator)

On Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Education held a statewide meeting to inform stakeholders about implementation of the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. As I watched their presentation, I was impressed because of the amount of work, knowledge, and expertise demonstrated as they discussed where we had been, where we are, and where we are going with implementing the common core.

My view is that the Georgia Department of Education has looked at lessons learned from the rollout of the Georgia Performance Standards some years ago, and they are trying to make this rollout much better.

I am encouraged and excited about where we are at this point. That said, I am anxious as I think about new performance standards being in place next year and wondering how it's going to be impacted by the new accountability system. But I am encouraged because we're going to be learning the standards before we are evaluated or assessed on how well we are teaching them to students.

We're all in this together. I hope you have the same thoughts. If not, I ask that you share your concerns with your principals, curriculum department, or with me so we can get them to the Georgia Department of Education. Besides, if you have a concern, someone else probably has it too - they just haven't spoken. So, please share.

At the end of the day, I am confident that we will implement the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards in an outstanding manner, and our students and system will be better because of it. Have a great weekend!

(Originally published in the Sept. 16, 2011 Communicator)

This week began with some excitement for the Griffin-Spalding County School System.

Very early on Monday morning, we received a call from 911 with a report of a bomb threat at our high school. We conducted emergency actions at Griffin High School, Spalding High School, as well as A. Z. Kelsey Academy. It was an interesting way to start the week, but as I've said before, in the middle of every difficulty is opportunity.
 

We learned from this experience is that planning and preparation helps us through emergencies. In this particular case, we did very well in responding to the threat. Kudos goes to Griffin High School, Spalding High School, and A. Z. Kelsey Academy for implementing the emergency action operations for bomb threats and kudos also goes to the Central Office Emergency Operations Teams. In the past, we've had bomb threats where we've had to respond to one school, but I think this is the first time we've had to respond to multiple schools.

Congratulations to Jim Smith, Donna Parks, and the others in the Central Office who had just conducted a table top exercise to prepare for multiple simultaneous emergencies. So, while we were in the process of deploying one team to Spalding High School, we were able to send the second team in a very smooth, efficient, and effective manner to Griffin High. The crisis action team asked A. Z. Kelsey Academy to conduct a search as well.

Representatives from all of the involved schools and agencies attended our after-action review. We determined the following:

1.  The response went very smoothly. In fact, many believe that this is probably the smoothest response to a crisis situation that we've had in years.
    
2. We can still improve. One principal suggested that it's difficult to have a cell phone, a walkie-talkie, and a megaphone at the same time while trying to control a situation. So the lesson was, "Can we use technology to help us improve, or can we figure out a way to better delegate responsibilities and duties during emergencies?"

Overall, the cooperation between the school system, the Spalding County Sheriff's Department, the City of Griffin Police Department, and the individual schools was outstanding.

I thank you for maintaining a safe learning environment for our students. Your knowledge of the emergency operations plans is important. Once the crisis starts, it's key that we know where to go and to get there in a timely manner. So while this was very early in the school year and very early in the week, congratulations to all, and thank you, very, very much.
 

Have a great weekend!

(Originally published in the September 9, 2011, Communicator)

On Tuesday night, the Board of Education recognized the 2011-2012 Teachers of the Year at a reception and at the board meeting. Our "TOTYs" got a framed certificate and a VISA gift card thanks to the generosity of the Southern Federal Credit Union, sponsor of the TOTY program, and other donors.

This year's Teachers of the Year are a truly awesome group, and I look forward to their being their school's representative on my Instructional Advisory Committee. These teachers are definitely leaders among us - and I applaud them for being named by their peers as Teacher of the Year.

  Teachers of the Year

  Nina Ogletree

  Anne Street Elementary

  2nd & 3rd Grade Math

  Joined GSCS in 2003

  Audra Olukoya

  Atkinson Elementary

  3rd Grade

  Joined GSCS in 2008

  Laura Love

  Beaverbrook Elementary

  5th Grade

  Joined GSCS in 2001

  Christine Ray

  Cowan Road Elementary

  3rd Grade

  Joined GSCS in 2006

  Lisa Peeples

  Crescent Elementary

  1st Grade

  Joined GSCS in 1990

  Sharon Totman

  Futral Road Elementary

  K-5 Special Education, Reading & Math

  Joined GSCS in 2005

  Heather Fountain

  Jackson Road Elementary

  1st Grade

  Joined GSCS in 2004

  Joanna Johnson

  Jordan Hill Elementary

  Kindergarten

  Joined GSCS in 2005

  Denise Daniels

  Moore Elementary

  Kindergarten

  Joined GSCS in 1981 & 1996

  Nicki Gore

  Moreland Road Elementary

  3rd Grade

  Joined GSCS in 1997 
 

  Dana Jett

  Orrs Elementary

  SDD-SC Kindergarten

  Joined GSCS in 1997

  Bart Pinckney

  Carver Road Middle

  8th Grade Math

  Joined GSCS in 2008

  Kathy Duke

  Cowan Road Middle

  8th Grade Science

  Joined GSCS in 1986 & 2008

  Robyn Davis

  Kennedy Road Middle

  8th Grade Science

  Joined GSCS in 2007

  Beverly Blackmon

  Rehoboth Road Middle

  Connections (Computers)

  Joined GSCS in 1991
 

  Dawn Gatlin

  Griffin High School
  9 - 12 Math

  Joined GSCS in 1997
 

  Michelle Purmort

  Spalding High School

  9 - 12 in Math

  Joined GSCS in 2001 & 2006

  Autumn Barnes

  A. Z. Kelsey Academy

  Grades 9-12

  Joined GSCS in 2008

  Val Gladney

  Taylor Street Achievement Center

  9-12 Science

  Joined GSCS in 1996

  Julie Neel

  Mainstay Academy

  Middle Grades, All Subjects

  Joined Mainstay in 1991

Congratulations to our System Teacher of the System finalists

On Wednesday afternoon, last year's TOTYs met to determine this year's finalists in a blind selection process. I'm quite proud to announce our three finalists for the 2011-2012 Griffin-Spalding County School System:

• Joanna Johnson - Jordan Hill Elementary
• Dana Jett - Orrs Elementary
• Robyn Davis - Kennedy Road Middle

These three finalists will be recognized and featured at the October 4th Board of Education meeting. I'm so very proud of the three of you, and I thank you for setting such a great example for all of us to follow!

A note about Parent University

On another note, we hosted our first Parent University this week. You may have seen the flyer in last week's Communicator and the status posting on Facebook. Robin Dykes, the Griffin RESA School Improvement Specialist spoke about developmental milestones related to literacy, as well as the many ways parents can make a difference at home. Her words of wisdom included, "Parents and students should be united. It's about the children - not the grown-ups!" Sadly, parent attendance was low.

Our next Parent University will be on November 3rd, and it will be the school to career fair for middle and high school students and their families. Let's start talking this up now so that our students' parents will know about it and attend. You'll see advertising for it in the next few weeks.

(originally published in the September 2, 2011 Communicator)

We're off to a great start. The month of August was simply outstanding! I am amazed when I think about all the accomplishments you've made during this past month.
 

Just think about it. In August, you:

• Completed pre-planning and hosted a great open house,
• Welcomed more than 10,500 students,
• Provided schedules,
• Reassigned students and teachers based upon the new students we didn't know about,
• Conducted system-level benchmarks to determine what students knew and what they may have lost over the summer from last year, and you
• Began teaching this year's standards.

In addition:

• Positive behaviors interventions and support continued in all schools.
• Many of you went to Infinite Campus training to learn about FTE and how we can better account for all students.
• We finished the Read 180 upgrade, making it next generation.
• New teachers have been brought on board with System 44.
• Many schools have already had the first PTA/PTO meeting for parents to learn what this school year is going to bring for their students.

That's a lot; but it's what a reliable organization does.
 

Thinking Maps
As I've visited schools, I've seen Thinking Maps in so many different places and in so many different ways. Teachers have demonstrated how the maps allow students to process information, and students are already using the maps.
 

When we first heard about Thinking Maps, I was impressed, and I believed that it would be a good initiative for us. You have taken this idea and run with it, and our students are responding in different ways.

There are two other great "end of August" events I wish to share:

The first was a very successful GHS vs. SHS football game. In the past we've had safety concerns. This year was outstanding - there's no other way of explaining it. The game was very competitive, people attended and enjoyed, and safety was a non-issue. Congratulations to all for making that ballgame and the beginning of school successful. Everyone was excited about that particular game, and I think it has helped set the tone for this year.
 

Second, we conducted a joint superintendent advisory council where I met with school representatives, students, parents and teachers. There are independent advisory councils for all three groups. We developed topics we'd like to discuss this school year. You should be proud of your representatives on these advisory councils. Please talk to them about we are and where we're going. I'm very excited that they are sharing their perspectives.
 

And finally, congratulations to Spalding High School Coach Nick Davis for winning his first Spalding High ballgame yesterday.

So all in all, the month of August - Outstanding! Better than both August 2009 and 2010! I hope you enjoy your Labor Day break and come back to make September even better! Let's Dare to Do Better!

Curtis

(originally published in the Agust 27, 2011 Communicator)

We are truly off to a great start this school year! It appears you went home over the summer, enjoyed your vacation time and came back ready to make this the best year the Griffin-Spalding County School System has ever had, and I thank you for that. 

Today, I'd like to update you on Race to the Top. As you know, one of our short term goals is implement Year 2 of RT3. 

One component of that is implementing Class Keys. As one of the 26 school districts partnering with the state to implement RT3, we have agreed to apply the revised class keys this school year. In the very near future it will be announced that the newly revised class keys will be titled, "Teacher Keys".

In short, a reduced number of standards and strands will allow better focus. Because this is a pilot year this process will not be perfect. There are some questions about reliability and validity, and we're going help the state work through them. Training will occur this fall. We'll share that information with you as soon as we have it.

But we do know that 10% of the teachers within the 26 school districts will be evaluated this second semester with Teacher Keys. Ten percent of the teachers in our district will be selected by the Department of Education to be a part of a carefully controlled sampling process. Each school in our district will have someone participate.  My belief is that we will know who those individuals are around the first part of November, if not sooner. We'll let you know as soon as we know more. 

Stakeholder input is important in Race to the Top. As you may remember, some student surveys were distributed in our school district last spring. Those surveys have now been reviewed. The questions have been refined, the data has been analyzed, and over the next month the original survey questions will be reworded so that they are appropriate for 4th and 5th graders, too. Part of the idea behind surveying students, from grade 4 and up,  is to help inform teachers about their practice. It's a small percentage of the overall teacher evaluation, but it's one way that Race to the Top believes that students can help influence their learning. 

The same is happening with a teacher survey to allow teachers to comment on their principal's performance. So student surveys, teacher surveys, and parent surveys are all being worked on at this time. It's going to be a fast 3 months as we continue to put this process in place. 

Non-CRCT/EOCT courses
Lastly, for our teachers in subjects which do not have a CRCT or a EOCT, work is now being done to determine how you can receive that same type of information on student performance. For example, if we give a pre- and post-test, growth can be measured. A timeline will be developed over the next month so that you can help us develop what these assessments will look like. 

So, Race to the Top is moving forward - particularly this part about teacher effectiveness and leader effectiveness. We will continue to keep you informed as more developments occur. 

Today is the Griffin High vs. Spalding High football game. I hope you are able to enjoy the game and hope you have a great weekend! 

(originally published in the August 22, 2011, Communicator)

Earlier this week I had the privilege to meet with U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland at the Lamar County Board of Education office. Several local superintendents attended, and we're thankful to Dr. Bill Truby, Lamar County School System Superintendent, for setting it up. 

As you know, public education funding from the federal government has come to us in the form of ARRA and jobs stimulus dollars. These dollars have helped us over the last three years deal with the economy's downturn. Now we, along with the state of Georgia, are at a funding cliff for federal dollars. So we asked Representative Westmoreland for bipartisan support of education from the US Congress.  We also expressed our concerns on some of the compliance issues and strings attached to federal dollars. We believe we could better increase student achievement if we had more flexibility.

We shared with him our concerns about reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. He was receptive, and asked that we give him something in writing that articulates what we think. He also asked for three or four good ideas that should be included in the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, and to give examples of what those ideas would look like.

You've lived and worked with No Child Left Behind, and you have ideas. Please share them with me. You can put them on our Facebook page or you can email me directly. I would like to have a dialogue with you so I can share this information with him and with others.

And I close this week with two observations. First, thank you to those of you who have gone to our Facebook page. I do believe that it opens up a new communication channel for us. It's been very exciting to see some of the comments that have been posted there. So, thank you!

I also want to commend Denise Burrell for her presentation at the Kiwanis Club this week. She did an outstanding job sharing with them the same presentation you saw at the Education Celebration in the Griffin Auditorium. It was well received, and it was positively featured in Thursday's Griffin Daily News.

So, congratulations, Denise, on another outstanding presentation and for all of us, it's a lesson that the community is there to support us. We just have to let them know what the good stories are. So let's share. I dare you. Have a great weekend!

(Originally published in the August 12, 2011 Communicator)

This week, the first of the school year, is a special one.

It was a special week for all of us in different ways. Monday was Opening Day. Wednesday was my birthday. On this birthday I'm thankful for my family, my wife, my health, and also my position as superintendent of the Griffin-Spalding County School System. It's indeed a pleasure, an honor and a privilege to serve and I thank you for your support as we continue to improve education in Griffin-Spalding.

Opening Day during the first week of school is also special for so many students. Parents were happy, students were happy, teachers were smiling, and indeed it was a great first day!

On Tuesday, the second day of school, I visited at Jackson Road Elementary. I saw these little children and they all held their hands up and said to me, "Look!"  From my vantage point, all I saw were little hands. I replied, "What am I looking for?" The teacher said, "You have to come back into the classroom."

Inside the lights were out. The students' hands started to glow. The teacher explained, "We're learning about germs, and why it is important to our wash hands."

The students could see their hands glowing, and therefore showing "the germs". The teacher continued, "We're getting ready to go to the restroom to see how well we wash our hands."  So I followed the students down the hall. They went in, washed their hands, and came back out. They were so excited!

I could see the spark in their eyes and their excitement because they had learned something new. I know many elementary schools, in fact probably all elementary schools, go through the process of helping students learn personal hygiene and school routines and procedures. That's what we do during the first week of school. But it's so exciting for the children!

As I reflect on my birthday and this first week of school, I commend you on an outstanding Opening Week. Last year was great. This year will be greater. I'm looking forward to seeing how you help us Dare to Do Better once again! Enjoy your weekend!

(originally published in the Friday, August 5, 2011, Communicator.)

Seeing all of you together at the Education Celebration in the Griffin Auditorium was fantastic!

• Deputy Superintendent Denise Burrell did a great job presenting the state of the system. She explained where we've been, where we are, and where we're going.
   
• Mr. Dan Cathy did an excellent job of sharing what Chick-Fil-A is about and what it stands for, along with how his personal values drive what he does. He pointed out how organizational values are important

• State School Superintendent John Barge was outstanding in sharing his personal story about why he supports public education and why he's moving the state in the direction of career pathways.

The entire effort by Norcom, Inc. to put together the Education Celebration and the Kids in Need Free Store for Teachers at SHS was incredible. The school supplies and the great volunteer support put into place at Spalding High School were amazing. Thank you, Norcom!

The next day we did something totally new! We met with the classified staff in the Taylor Street Auditorium for a beginning of school year gathering. And they enjoyed it! As Dr. Barge reminded us the day before, all adults in the building make a difference. That afternoon we conducted one of our most successful open houses! We met with many students and parents who were happy to be returning.  I made it to many schools, and everywhere I went there were high numbers of visitors.

The professionalism and teamwork I witnessed was impressive. Teachers were saying the same thing to parents showing consistency and reliability - thus starting the school year right. It's just been a great week!

Now, there are always some challenges. We did meet with some parents whose transfer requests were not approved. Many of them believe some schools are better than others. That's just an opportunity for us to continue to close achievement gaps so we can continue to say every GSCS school is excellent. I personally believe they are. You do a great job, and the results speak for themselves.

So, we still have some challenges ahead, and that is what this year is about. It's an opportunity for all to dare to do better and I am excited for the opportunity!

Enjoy your weekend. Monday is opening day!

Curtis

You've been missed! I'm looking forward to seeing you next week at the 5th Annual Education Celebration on Wednesday. Many activities have occurred over the summer, and I hope that one of them has been you finding time to rest, relax, and get ready for the new school year.

Let's welcome our new teachers
Earlier this week I had the privilege to meet our new teachers - 54 strong - and they appeared to be an outstanding group. Some are brand new to education. Others are coming to us with many years of experience. But collectively, I think you're going to be happy with our team's new additions.

I ask that we all continue to share with them our school system's values and culture so they can hit the ground running and have a great year.

Southern Crescent Technical College
I was also fortunate this week to attend a ground-breaking ceremony at Southern Crescent Technical College. It was exciting to see our community's support for Southern Crescent as they build a new medical building. This new facility will directly connect with our high school's career paths. Southern Crescent is showing once again what a critical partner they are to us, and I anticipate the addition of that building will help us increase our graduation rate. So, congratulations to Southern Crescent. This is an exciting time for us!

Open House is a beginning.
I know time is short. We've had to implement work schedule adjustment days again, and you lost Monday, August 1, and we will have an abbreviated open house on Thursday, August 4.

I ask you to focus during open house to make this an enjoyable experience for all of our parents and students.

• For some children, Open House will be the beginning of their educational journey.
• For others, it will be their first time they see their new school.
• And finally, some students will be returning to a place where they feel safe and loved.

Open House sets the tone for the school year and for what we will achieve. Our students will achieve a lot this year. How do I know? I know because last year's CRCT, EOCT, and GHSGT results are in. AYP status has been determined. By all measures, we are better this year than we were last year. Everyone can be proud!

Test scores don't tell everything, but they say a lot. The hard work, dedication, and focus you put in last year paid off. On behalf of our board of education and the citizens of our community, I say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

And I'll see you next week!

(this message was originally published in the June 3, 2011, Communicator)   

As I visited schools this week, I witnessed many summer activities. Custodians are cleaning rooms, floors are being stripped and waxed, broken furniture is being removed, repaired, and replaced. I've also seen professional learning communities throughout the school system. Teachers and administrators are meeting to discuss this year's results. Changes are being made to school improvement plans so we will be better prepared for our next school year.

These activities are part of our continuing improvement process. We're looking at where we've been to better understand where we are, and so we that can put in place changes that help make us better for next year.

I hope you enjoy your summer break. I hope you are participating in and will enjoy next week's GSCS Teachers as Learners Conference . I know many of you are going back to the UGA Griffin Campus to continue working on your math endorsement. Many of you are continuing to work on higher degrees.

• Please know that we are very proud of you.
• We're proud of the effort that was made this year.
• We're satisfied with the results that we're achieving.
• We're looking forward to 2011-2012.

This will be my last 2010-2011 communicator message. During the summer, messages from our staff members will be featured. They'll share what we're doing to prepare for next school year.

And, even though school is over, Spalding High School's baseball team traveled to Columbus to compete for the state championship. We're very proud of them!

So, until I talk with you again, please know I respect you, I'm very grateful for the opportunity to work with you, and I look forward to seeing you when school returns.

Dare to have a great summer!