Petruzielo, School Board Rebuff Common Core Committee Request

A request from Cherokee County School Board member Kelly Marlow for board members to form a committee to examine the Common Core standards received a cool reception, and led to a discussion on whether citizens should revisit the initiative that's already in the midst of implementation.

The school board on Thursday heard a request from Marlow, who asked if each board member could appoint two members to a committee that would research Common Core and submit a full report to the school board on the initiative.

Marlow said her proposal stems from her receiving numerous questions and concerns from residents in the Cherokee County community about Common Core. The issue, she stated, seems to be a "hot topic."

The Cherokee County Republican Party last month held a forum where an opponent of Common Core said the initiative amounted to "indoctrination and manipulation" by the federal government, according to the Cherokee Tribune.  

Common Core standards are federal guidelines that require all students from kindergarten to 12th grade be taught the same standards in core subjects such as English/language arts, math and science.  

Forty-five states, including Georgia, have implemented the standards, which are part of the federal government's Race To The Top initiative.

With the exception of Board Member Michael Geist asking for Marlow to clarify what she wanted the committee to do, no other board members chimed in on the proposal.

However, Board Chair Janet Read reminded Marlow that the board does not appoint committees as that power is reserved for Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo. 

The superintendent, who said there are folks who are "trying to make this something that isn't," added the school district has already implemented parts of Common Core, as it's one of several school districts in the state that's signed onto participate in Race To The Top. 

Cherokee is in the midst of its pilot of year of the Common Core initiative, and is slated to be fully implemented by next school year, said District Spokesperson Barbara Jacoby. 

He noted Cherokee has received millions of dollars from the federal government to implement the standards, which also includes a new teacher, assistant principal and principal evaluation system based on whether students are mastering standards set forth in Common Core.

"So, frankly it’s a little late in the game, I think, for the political discussion to be occurring about common core," he added, noting Cherokee County students need to be prepared to compete with students from around the globe. 

The superintendent also noted he never understood why in his 40+ years in education standards vary from state to state. 

A committee, he added, would be counterproductive to what the district is already doing.

"I think you need to to be very careful that you don’t send a mixed message to the people who work in this system…who have been committed to implementing Common Core already for the last two years," he added.

Marlow reiterated that she felt it was imperative that the school board appoint committees, and asked School Board Attorney Tom Roach to cite if there are state laws that prohibit the board from appointing committees.

Roach noted there aren't any statutes that prevent the school board from forming committees. However, Roach noted there were such committees in place when the school district was place under academic probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in the late 1990s.

He added he does see "potential issues" the formation of such committees by board members, and referenced the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners' conflict with the now defunct Review and Recommendations Committee To Assist County Government. 

That committee, led by Carolyn Cosby, started out with wanting to help the county government cut spending, but only insisted the county halt its parks and recreation projects stemming from the 2008 parks bond referendum voters approved. 

Read asked Marlow if she could submit names to her and she would forward them to be possibly added to one of the district's ad-hoc committees.

"As the board chair, I am not going to authorize a board committee because that is not how we do things," she added. "We don’t have committees on this board."

The board also selected Fairburn-based Strack Incorporated, the lowest of four bidders on the project, to relocate sewer lines at Cherokee High School. 

The project will be funded with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Taxes, or SPLOST, and will cost $450,000.

Strack is proposing to perform the work for $392,167 and the relocation of the infrastructure will allow the district to use property to build a new girls' softball field on the school campus.  

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