Schools
Superintendent Will Respond To Marlow's AdvancED Complaint
Cherokee Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo will provide a written response to AdvancED regarding allegations made by Board Member Kelly Marlow.
Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo is preparing to respond to allegations leveled by School Board Member Kelly Marlow in her letter to AdvancED.
Petruzielo notified the Cherokee County School Board on Friday of his plans to respond to Marlow's letter to AdvancED, which accused the board of being unable to "effectively" govern and that Petruzielo regularly insulted the public and elected officials.
AdvancED is the company that oversees the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, or SACS CASI.
Petruzielo also invited board members to submit by Aug. 9 "any observation, response or comment regarding the allegations in Ms. Marlow's complaint."
As part of its standard protocol, AdvancED CEO/Director Mark Elgart on Thursday informed the superintendent it received Marlow's letter and noted the complaints allude to the district possibly violating the Governance and Leadership accreditation standard.
As part of the hallmarks of achieving and maintaining accreditation, each "system operates under governance and leadership that promote and support student performance and system effectiveness."
Specifically, AdvancED notes Marlow's complaints point to the district violating:
- Indicator 2.1 - The governing body establishes policies and supports practices that ensure effective administration of the system and its schools.
- Indicator 2.2 - The governing body operates responsibly and functions effectively.
- Indicator 2.4 - Leadership and staff at all levels of the system foster a culture consistent with the system’s purpose and direction.
The agency's letter to the superintendent comes on the heels of Jennifer Oliver, a spokesperson with the company, saying the accreditation committee declined to take action on Marlow's complaint "at this time" and that they were "monitoring the situation."
Oliver added the case is not closed on AdvancED's part, and reaching out to Petruzielo is a "normal, next step in our process."
"Our accreditation team will review his response and determine whether they feel any additional contact with the superintendent is necessary," she said.
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