Reforming schools and preparing the next generation of students for success in college and career is urgent. Education and community leaders report that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation conflicts with achieving education reform.  U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is proposing to replace the NCLB system with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility approach in the following areas: 2014 Timeline. Provide States with flexibility around how they set their annual targets for schools and student subgroups. Federal Labels and Federally-Mandated Interventions. Waive …

What is the appropriate role of a School Board member? What is the appropriate role of the Superintendent in relation to School Board members? In May 2010, former Gov. Sonny Perdue signed Senate Bill 84, landmark school board governance legislation in the making over more than two years. The legislation answered those questions and many others about school board service and its distinct role as it differs from other locally elected public office positions. The legislation came as the result of the efforts of the Commission for School Board Excellence, a group of business leaders that held …

Washington, D.C. will be the site of the February 2012 Federal Relations Network Conference drawing school board members from the 50 states to the nation’s capital. I will be among the elected school board members who will participate in our Georgia delegation. After attending a two-day conference where education issues will be highlighted, our assignments will be to meet with our elected House members and then as a group with our two elected U.S. senators. The Federal Relations Network is part of the National School Boards Association’s annual advocacy meetings in the nation’s capital.  My …

As our nation and community prepare to enter 2012, the School Board and Superintendent are updating Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Strategic Priorities for 2010-2020. Also, we are seeking community input related to the Academic Knowledge and Skills Curriculum through meetings of the GEMS Oversight Committee. At the five GCPS Area Board meetings in March and April of 2012, we will report to community members feedback that we have received related to these two important initiatives. We invite this feedback to help the school system collaborate with those whose support is vital to sustaining a …

  As we prepare to enter 2012, what are the issues to resolve in educating all students to their capacity and utilize public education to advance the productivity of Gwinnett County, Georgia, and our nation? One of the first issues to resolve is developing a standard measure of graduation rates state by state, regionally, and nationally. Why is this of such importance? Students who earn high school diplomas increase their options for employment in the global workforce. Dropping out before graduation reduces workforce opportunities. In 2005, the nation’s 50 governors signed a compact that by …

U.S. Congressman Rob Woodall, whose district includes Suwanee, will speak on Washington-related matters, including the national debt, at Peachtree Ridge High in Suwanee, on Friday, Oct. 21. Woodall will be speaking to teacher Linda Brimmer’s Financial Literacy class from 8-9:30 a.m. For more information, contact Peachtree Ridge High at (678) 957-3100. --- Roberts Elementary in Suwanee will host a visit from Dr. Kelly Sink, a psychiatricneuroscientist from Emory University, on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 9:15 a.m. Sink will share with FOCUS students in Shay Woody’s third-grade class about …

Kathryn Sarah Hall, a sophomore at Brenau University in Gainesville, has been tapped for membership in Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Founded in 1924 at the University of Illinois, the honor society recognizes and encourages academic excellence among first-year students at four-year colleges and universities. "The first year of college is tough for most students making the transition from high school," said Beth Nott, a French language professor who is faculty adviser for the Brenau chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta, in a media release. "Even the best students in high schools sometimes …