Governor Perdue Announces 57 New Master Teachers in Georgia

Governor Sonny Perdue today announced the names of 57 new teachers who have earned the “Master Teacher” certification designation based on appreciable gains they’ve facilitated in their students’ achievement.

“These 54 teachers join the nearly 300 Master Teachers before them who have clearly demonstrated their expertise in helping our children achieve at higher levels,” said Governor Perdue. “They are masters at inspiring students to learn, and I’m proud to recognize them for their outstanding work in one of our most honorable professions.”

Georgia’s Master Teacher Certification Program was championed by Governor Perdue during the 2005 legislation session and is coordinated by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC). It provides statewide recognition to certified public school teachers in Georgia who have at least three years of teaching experience and who consistently demonstrate instructional excellence through their students’ achievement.

Master Teacher certification qualifies teachers to earn a stipend for mentoring new teachers or serving as Academic Coaches who use instructional release time to promote effective professional development practices among colleagues and make recommendations to improve schools and student learning. In addition, Master Teachers are eligible to automatically renew their teaching certificates as long as they continue to qualify for Master Teacher status.

“The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is proud to administer this important certification program,” said Kelly Henson, Executive Secretary of the PSC. “We extend our heartiest congratulations to these teachers for this well-earned recognition.”

For more information on the Master Teacher program, please visit http://www.gamasterteachers.org or send an email to MasterTeachers@gapsc.com.
Below are the names of those teachers who have earned the “Master Teacher” Certification in 2008:

Atlanta Public Schools Pamela Renee Andrews
Atlanta Public Schools Adella Lenore Dixon
Atlanta Public Schools LaTrenda Shanane Willis
Baldwin County Donna B. Kirby
Berrien County Staci Rentz Jernigan
Bibb County Kristy French Graham
Candler County Monicca M. Bohannon
Cherokee County Deborah Lynn Kelly
Clarke County Summer Elizabeth Tuggle
Clayton County Linda F. Kight
Cobb County Susan Elaine Blackwell
Cobb County Dora Phillips Brown
Coffee County Angela Rigdon Anderson
Columbia County Sandra Kay Thompson
Cook County Marian Sabrina Lindsey
DeKalb County Leisa Taylor Berry
DeKalb County Jisu Song
Dodge County Angela Lynn Peacock
Effingham County Margaret Nicole Davis
Effingham County Teshewanda B. Shuman
Fulton County Danielle Ruth Arnold
Glynn County Yondla Kanae Clark
Glynn County Oatanisha Renee Dawson
Glynn County Brentsie Bobo Walker
Gwinnett County Sonjyia Faye Bryant
Gwinnett County Denise Trosky Buckelew
Gwinnett County Tamara Nicole Candis
Gwinnett County Melinda Nicholson Lewis
Gwinnett County William B. Lewis
Gwinnett County Kim Michelle White
Hall County Lela H. Whelchel
Henry County Anthony D. DiSario
Henry County Michelle Leigh Platson
Jefferson County Jeffrey C. Dent
Jones County Angela Carnes Bailey
Lamar County Tami Tyre Barnes
Lumpkin County Sabrina Grizzle
Lumpkin County Patricia Richmond
Lumpkin County Rita S. Truelove
McDuffie County Felicia R. Cullars
McDuffie County Sharon N. Turman
Muscogee County Staci Nicole Allen
Muscogee County Nakia Hunter Farley
Muscogee County Tanya Lawrence Kearse
Newton County Lynn House
Newton County Leamon Carroll Jourdan
Newton County Shundreia N. Neely
Newton County Jeanne Roxanne Rachels
Newton County Stephanie Demitra Tyler
Pierce County Martha Joi McCarthy
Pierce County John Ratliff
Polk County Cristi M. Gober
Polk County Dale Loyd Tuck
Putnam County Holly M. Parker
Thomaston-Upson County Jodie S. Day
Thomasville City Catherine M. Briggs
Walker County Chastity Leann Steadman

CRCT Results Show Progress

Student performance is rising and the achievement gap is closing in every area where the state's new curriculum has been implemented for more than one year.

The official statewide results of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) were released today and show improvement across the board on the 25 exams that have been aligned to the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) for two or three years.

"These results provide further proof that our teachers are doing a great job implementing our new curriculum and should be commended for their hard work," Superintendent Cox said. "It also shows that when you raise expectations, Georgia students will rise up and meet that higher bar in all areas."

Among the highlights of the report:

- Mathematics, grade 7: The pass rate was 80 percent, an increase of six points in one year.
- Science, grade 7: Seventy-five (75) percent of students passed the science CRCT, an increase of 12 points in two years.
- Reading, all grades: Eighty-seven (87) percent or more of students in all grades passed the reading CRCT and the pass rate increased in all areas.

Achievement Gap is Closing

Even as student achievement increased in all racial subgroups, the achievement gap between minority students and white students closed in all areas where the GPS has been in place for more than one year.

"Student achievement is improving for all of our students, but our African-American and Hispanic students are making substantial progress each year under our new standards," Superintendent Cox said. "We still have a long way to go, but I know if this trend continues, Georgia can be one of the first states in the union to erase the achievement gap."

Among the highlights of the score report:

- Reading, grade 4: The pass rates for African-American (81%) and Hispanic (83%) students have increased 11 points respectively in two years. The achievement gap has closed 8 points for each group.
- Mathematics, grade 7: The pass rates for African-American (70%) and Hispanic (77%) students increased 8 points respectively in one year. The achievement gap closed 5 points in each area.
- Science, grade 7: The pass rates for African-American (62%) and Hispanic (69%) students have increased 15 points and 16 points respectively in two years. The achievement gap has closed by 6 or more points.

Performance on New Tests

In 2008, there were eight CRCTs that were aligned to the GPS for the first time - mathematics in grades 3-5 and 8; science in grade 8 and social studies in grades 6-8.

The results of these tests are not comparable to last year, when the test was aligned to the old curriculum. In each case, the new test was more rigorous and required higher order thinking.

"These results give us a new, realistic baseline to work from," said Superintendent Cox. "We are holding our students to a higher standard so that when they get their diploma it will mean they are truly ready for the demands of the 21st century."

Seventy-two (72) percent of 5th graders and 62 percent of 8th graders passed the new GPS-aligned CRCT in mathematics. In science, about 60 percent of 8th graders passed the new CRCT.

"While these are not the type of results we have seen in the past, these pass rates are more in line with what we are seeing on national assessments," Superintendent Cox said.

"As a state, we must face the reality that our students need more advanced mathematics and science skills to be successful in the 21st century," she said. "If we don't raise standards in these and other core areas, we are doing a disservice to our students and our state."

The results of the grade 6 and 7 social studies exams were invalidated due to alignment issues on the test. Groups of educators and curriculum experts have made preliminary revisions to the curriculum in these areas. These revisions will be made available for public comment by the end of the week.

Isakson Announces U.S. Military Academy Appointees for 2008

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today proudly announced that 30 Georgia students whom he had nominated to the United States military academies have now received appointments to the prestigious schools.

“One of my favorite tasks each year is to nominate promising young leaders to our nation’s military academies,” Isakson said. “I know this year’s appointees will make Georgia and America proud.”

The annual nomination of young people to our nation’s military academies is the responsibility of each Member of Congress. Those nominees who are accepted into the academies are awarded full four-year scholarships, which are valued at approximately $350,000 each and include tuition, books, board, medical and dental care. Since his election to Congress in 1999, nearly 200 Isakson nominees have been accepted into U.S. military academies.

Isakson plans to host a reception for the students and their families this Sunday, June 8, at 2 p.m. in Atlanta. The reception will be held at the Georgian Club, 100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1700, Atlanta, Ga., 30339.

The Isakson nominees who have been accepted by the Academies (listed with their current schools and hometowns) are:

U.S. Air Force Academy
David Adams - Campbell High School, Mableton
Donald Adkins - Tift County High School, Tifton
James Collins - Greater Atlanta Christian, Norcross
Jacob Fulton - Chapel Hill High School, Douglasville
James Hill - Fayette County High School, Fayetteville
Rachel Mittleman - Starr’s Mill High School, Peachtree City
Kevin Rosen – Dunwoody High School, Dunwoody

U.S. Military Academy
Thomas Carney - Woodward Academy, Peachtree City
Rachael Duval - Hebron Christian Academy, Auburn
Matthew Joiner - Collins Hill High School, Lawrenceville
Nathan Markette - Deerfield Windsor School, Albany
Jarrod Oliver - Buford High School, Buford
Colin Patrick - Norcross High School, Norcross
Timothy Schmidt - Home Schooled, Loganville
Jessica Sexauer - Adairsville High School, Cartersville
Jev Valles - Pope High School, Marietta

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Michael Jeffers - St. Pius X, Atlanta
Mikhail Manalo - Brookwood High School, Lawrenceville
Bernard Underwood - Balboa Academy, Martinez

U.S. Naval Academy
James Brigham - Fellowship Christian School, Roswell
Michael Carothers - Greater Atlanta Christian, Flowery Branch
Tina Estrem - Union Grove High School, McDonough
Kyle Gentry - The Walker School, Woodstock
Paul Neidhardt - Brookwood High School, Lawrenceville
Daniel Perme - Blessed Trinity High School, Alpharetta
Robert Rountree - Tucker High School, Tucker
Hayden Van Dyke - Bremen High School, Villa Rica
Eric Von Behren - Camden County High School, Kingsland
Michael White - McIntosh High School, Peachtree City
Nathan Woodason - Northwest Whitfield, Dalton

GMOA to Host NEH Funded Picturing America Workshop for Teachers and Librarians

The Georgia Museum of Art will host a workshop for K-12 teachers and librarians who are participating in the National Endowment for the Humanities program Picturing America on July 22-24, thanks to a chairman’s grant from the NEH.

Picturing America, the latest initiative of the NEH We the People program, brings some of the most significant pieces of American art into classrooms throughout the nation. The program is free for teachers and librarians who apply. Participating institutions will receive a comprehensive package of 40 large high-quality images of American paintings, decorative arts and architecture, which paired with a teacher resource packet, will provide a catalyst for the study of the U.S.

To provide participants with further support in using the Picturing America materials, the Georgia Museum of Art has developed a three-day workshop that focuses on the images and themes in Picturing America and ties those works of art to objects from the museum’s permanent collection, as well as architecture and interiors in Athens.

Participants will hear lectures by the museum’s curators and humanities scholars. They will participate in gallery tours and educational sessions led by art educators and museum docents as well as tours of historic local sites and two private art collections. They also will receive museum publications related to the seminar topics to be used in the participants’ schools and libraries. The participants will work in teams to develop age-appropriate lesson plans using Picturing America. At the conclusion of the seminar, participants will receive two Professional Learning Units for their participation.

Through the funding provided by the NEH, the museum will offer an honorarium to each participant, as well as meals and travel expenses. Space is limited to 30 participants, and the deadline for registration is June 30. For more information about Picturing America, please visit http://picturingamerica.neh.gov. For information on the Picturing America workshop, see www.uga.edu/gamuseum or call 706/542-GMOA (4662).

Economic Impact of University System Reaches $11 Billion

An updated report offers confirmation that Georgia’s public university system continues to be one of the state’s key economic engines. Together, the 35 institutions of the University System of Georgia (USG) packed an economic impact totaling $11 billion on the state’s economy during Fiscal Year 2007.

The Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP), an initiative of the Board of Regents' Office of Economic Development, commissioned the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business to analyze data collected between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007, to calculate the University System’s FY2007 economic impact. This work updates a similar study conducted on FY2004 data that placed the University System’s economic impact at $9.7 billion. The first such study calculated the USG’s impact at $7.7 billion in FY1999.

In addition to the $11 billion in total impact generated by the University System in FY2007, the study determined that Georgia’s public higher education system is responsible for 106,267 full- and part-time jobs – 2.6 percent of all the jobs in the state or about one job in 39. Approximately 42 percent of these positions are on-campus jobs and 58 percent are positions in the private or public sectors that exist because of the presence in the community of USG institutions.

Locally, Clayton State University has an economic impact on its region (the Southern Crescent) of 1,737 jobs. Initial spending in the Southern Crescent generated by the University for FY2007 was just under $120 million and the output impact of the University was just under $184 million.

“All 35 of the University system’s institutions are economic engines in their communities and the state,” said study author Dr. Jeffrey M. Humphreys, director of economic forecasting for the Selig Center. “The benefits they provide permeate both the private and public sectors of the communities that host the campuses. For each job created on a campus, there are 1.4 off-campus jobs that exist off-campus because of spending related to the college or university. These economic impacts demonstrate that continued emphasis on colleges and universities as a pillar of the state’s economy translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater production of goods and services for local households and businesses.”

Humphreys’ report quantifies the economic benefits that the University System of Georgia’s institutions convey to the communities in which they are located. He determined that $7.3 billion (66 percent) of the $11 billion in total economic impact was due to initial spending by USG institutions for salaries and fringe benefits, operating supplies and expenses, and other budgeted expenditures, as well as spending by the students who attended the institutions in FY2007. Re-spending – the multiplier effect of those dollars as they are spent again in the region – accounted for another $3.8 billion (34 percent). Researchers found that, on average, for every dollar of initial spending in a community by a University System institution, an additional 52 cents was generated for the local economy hosting a college or university.

The Selig Center’s research has its limitations – it neither quantifies the many long-term benefits that a higher-education institution imparts to its host community’s economic development nor does it measure intangible benefits, such as cultural opportunities, intellectual stimulation and volunteer work, to local residents. Spending by USG retirees who still live in the host communities and by visitors to USG institutions (such as those attending conferences or athletic events) is not measured, nor are additional sources of income for USG employees, such as consulting work, personal business activities and inheritances.
“Another important aspect of this study is that we have very detailed data across institutions that can be used for a wide range of planning purposes by the Board of Regents and other state and local agencies, as well as the private sector,” said Humphreys.

Seven institutions in the metro Atlanta area – Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Clayton State University, Kennesaw State University, Southern Polytechnic State University, Atlanta Metropolitan College and Georgia Perimeter College – accounted for almost $4.5 billion of the University System’s $11 billion total, and 40,700 jobs.

“This Economic Impact Report continues to be an invaluable study,” said Terry Durden, interim assistant vice chancellor of the University System’s Office of Economic Development. “It conclusively demonstrates that – beyond all the benefits colleges and universities offer communities through a more educated society, cultural opportunities and other activities – our campuses have an ongoing and powerful economic impact on communities large and small.”

Tours of Clayton State’s New Student Housing Now Available

Beginning on June 4, the Housing staff of Clayton State University started conducting daily tours on the University’s new student housing.

The tours are given on Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are open to current Clayton State students, incoming students, parents, faculty and staff.

The tours include information about the facility, its amenities and features. The tour will also include the viewing a “model” suite that is identical to the ones where students will reside.

Tours begin at the Information Desk on the first floor of the James M. Baker University Center. Individuals seeking an opportunity to tour are encouraged to make a reservation by calling the Clayton State Housing Office at (678) 466-4663.

Summer Sizzling at Siegel Institute at KSU

The Siegel Institute at KSU has a sizzling line-up of seminars & events for you, your family, friends & associates that will make a difference in your life this summer!

JUNE 12: Journey to the Center of You Seminar
Want to move from a “career” to a “calling”? Discover universal principles that will unlock all that you are meant to be. 6:00 PM light refreshments, 6:30 – 9:00 PM seminar. $35 general admission; discount for KSU faculty, staff and students. More info: http://www.siegelinstitute.org/docs/Journey.flier.pdf
Register: https://epay.kennesaw.edu/C20923_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=13&CATID=247

JUNE 19-20: Professional Development Two-Day Seminar – Challenges of Ethics in the Work Place: Ethical Decision-Making
Dr. Lois Robley, Professor of Ethics, brings you this workshop as an opportunity to stretch your knowledge about the ethical challenges, dilemmas, and ethical decisions that leaders face, including: factors that influence sound judgments and that interfere with decision-making, logical fallacies, case studies, and much more. This two-day seminar includes IACET Continuing Education credits, breakfast, lunch, and materials. For complete information, the two-day agenda, and fees: http://www.siegelinstitute.org/Two-Day%20Seminars.php
Register: https://epay.kennesaw.edu/C20923_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=13&CATID=259

JULY 14: “Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is” by Pat Kern, Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. This is a free workshop to help you take charge and secure your financial future while you are busy achieving your goals. Discuss three steps to financial freedom; explore solutions for every stage of your life; get information about how to put your money where your heart is, and create a plan that’s right for you. Siegel Institute Learning Center, 6:30 – 8:00 PM. http://www.seigelinstitute.org

AUGUST 12: “Navigating Party Politics” – A non-partisan event not to be missed before the upcoming national elections. Speakers will include The White House Project President Marie Wilson, leaders of Georgia and other southeastern U.S. parties, and more. The event will highlight how people overcome obstacles to move into leadership roles in politics and other fields. KSU Center, Room 400. Watch our website for updates on speakers, details, and tickets. www.siegelinstitute.org.

AUGUST 27-28: Professional Development Two-Day Seminar – Developing and Building an Ethical Culture
Dr. Tom Creely, Assistant Professor of Leadership, brings you this workshop as an opportunity to stretch your critical thinking skills about the ethical challenges you face as you lead your organization, including: an understanding of culture with a focus on diverse cultural influences; developing a plan for implementing an ethical culture in your organization, and much more. This two-day seminar includes IACET Continuing Education credits, breakfast, lunch, and materials.
For complete information, two-day agenda, and fees: http://www.siegelinstitute.org/Two-Day%20Seminars.php
Register: https://epay.kennesaw.edu/C20923_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=13&CATID=260

Give us a call for more information about KSU discounts, or for assistance with registration!

THE SIEGEL INSTITUTE TEAM

We also are offering an online 3-Week Module in Ethical Leadership with varying start dates, as well as a 9-week course for certification in Ethical Leadership Professional Development which will begin September 15, 2008. Visit www.siegelinstitute.org for fees and registration information.

Two University of Georgia Students Among Nation’s Top Collegiate Journalists

GE Note: Kudos to these budding stars. We look forward to following your bright future in journalism.

Two University of Georgia students have been named to the inaugural UWIRE 100, a distinction which honors the nation’s top collegiate journalists.

Brian Hughes, a senior newspapers and political science major from Lawrenceville, and Samantha Promisloff, a speech communication major from North Potomac, Md., were selected for the group of 100 students who represent an elite crop of aspiring media professionals.

UWIRE, a free membership organization for college student media, made its selections from more than 500 nominations submitted by students and educators at 132 schools. A UWIRE panel evaluated each candidate based on demonstrated excellence in a field of collegiate journalism.

“This is journalism at its most pure,” said Ben French, vice president and general manager of UWIRE. “The 100 best student journalists in the country—hard workers, big thinkers and gifted storytellers—nominated by their peers and advisers for their potential to shape the media industry in the years ahead. Taken collectively, the 100 tell us something about the state of media today, and show us the faces who will be telling us the news in years to come.”

Hughes is a reporter at The Red & Black, UGA’s student newspaper, and senior in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Conrad Fink, Grady College professor of journalism, noted in his UWIRE nomination, “Brian Hughes is among the top 10 college journalists in the country, not top 100. I base this on 25 years of doing journalism and 26 teaching it. My awareness of his advanced skills arose after a couple semesters watching his reporting and writing and mentoring him within and outside my demanding courses.”

Ed Morales, adviser for The Red & Black, agreed with Fink’s assessment. “Brian Hughes is one of the better reporters I’ve come across, be it on a college campus or in the newsroom of a professional paper,” he noted. “The key to Brian’s prowess is tenacity. Brian never backs down from asking the tough question or spending hours finding the one document or fact that makes the project worthwhile.”

Promisloff graduated from UGA earlier this month and was a staff music writer and pop culture columnist for The Red & Black’s Variety section. Before graduating, she honed her skills as a correspondent for SPIN magazine’s website, working as the executive assistant at Athens’ renowned 40 Watt Club, and performing freelance publicity work for a range of local and national bands. In 2008, she covered the Coachella Music & Arts Festival for Paste magazine and presented the College Town Tour Guide of Athens via UWIRE and Billboard.

“I definitely caught the rock-writer bug sometime between buying my first issue of Rolling Stone in elementary school, seeing Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous for the first time a little later, and sealing my fate around the wee age of 15 when I scored a post-show interview with John Mayer for a school project completely by myself,” Promisloff said. Her future plans are to hopefully continue in rock journalism in Austin, Los Angeles or New York City.

In his UWIRE nomination, Morales said, “Reading a Sami story is like having a conversation with someone who never feels old or contrived. Breezy writing should be cherished, and Sami is a master at it.” Morales singled out a Promisloff column, which was essentially an obituary for the MTV Video Music Awards, as having just the right tinge of regret and anger—regret because of what it once meant and anger for what it had become.

The announcement of the UWIRE 100 is the culmination of a three month national search for the country’s top 100 collegiate journalists. The selected students have excelled in a particular journalism medium, have a proven commitment to the journalism field and have the potential to help revolutionize their industry. The UWIRE 100 students hail from 66 different schools, ranging from small liberal arts colleges to large state universities.

UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers seven undergraduate majors including advertising, broadcast news, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and telecommunication arts. The college offers two graduate degrees, and is home to the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media. For more information, see www.grady.uga.edu.

By: Sherrie Whaley

Georgia Southern University Freshman Orientation Program Focuses on Transition to College

The transition from high school to college is not always an easy one. As young adults are faced with accepting the challenges of independence, many colleges and universities make that move easier with on-campus programs like SOAR, Georgia Southern University’s Student, Orientation, Advisement, and Registration program.

“We conduct eight two-day SOAR sessions for incoming freshmen,” says Georgia Southern University Admissions Director Susan Davies. “In each session, about 250 students, or about nine percent of the freshman class, come to campus prepared to get a taste of what university life will be like. They stay in a residence hall with other incoming students, meet their advisors, register for the first semester’s courses, and learn about Georgia Southern University’s history and traditions. Not only is the SOAR experience fun, it is, without a doubt, the best way to prepare for a successful freshman year.”

At Georgia Southern, the eight available SOAR sessions fill up fast, according to Davies. Right now, only the July 10-11 and July 14-15 sessions have openings for students who plan to attend Georgia Southern University.

Parents are invited to accompany their student to SOAR and attend sessions in a schedule parallel to that of their students. Each session provides parents with presentations about what their student’s first year will include, both academically and socially. Experienced staff and faculty are available to answer parents’ questions on anything from financial aid, housing, and scholarships to academic programs and personal safety.

“The emphasis on student success doesn’t stop when students come to campus for their first year,” says Chris Caplinger, director of the First-Year Experience Program at Georgia Southern. “At Georgia Southern University we greet students in small groups at “Conversations with Professors,” an academic welcome to their freshman year. We continue with a required freshman seminar that gives students the tools needed to succeed.”

“At Georgia Southern University, our goal is to convert high school graduates to successful freshmen, and those freshmen to successful graduates,” says Davies. “Attending SOAR will get incoming students started on the right track.”

To make a reservation for SOAR, visit http://admissions.georgiasouthern.edu
or call the Georgia Southern University Admissions Office at 912-478-5391.

Save Gas… Live on the Clayton State Campus

Here’s a riddle, one with hopefully a happy ending.

Which will come first… $5 a gallon gas, or the opening of Clayton State University’s new student housing?

Actually, there’s no guarantee that the price of gas will stop at the $5 mark. However, Clayton State’s first on-campus student housing is scheduled to open in August, with the building’s dedication set for Tuesday, Aug. 12 and the first students moving in on Thursday, Aug. 14.

After 39 years, Clayton State has become a residential campus, and just in time to save a bunch of students from burning up the contents of their wallets in their gas tanks. While the University’s student body has always drawn heavily from Clayton, Henry and Fayette counties, it still can take a good (or maybe bad) 30 minutes of driving to get to the Clayton State campus from McDonough. For that matter, it’s still 15 or 20 minutes from parts of Jonesboro and, if you should happen to live in Newnan or Jackson, well, get ready for 45 minutes to an hour on the road. Even at 30 miles per gallon, that’s $50 a week in gas when we hit the $5 standard. (Today, it’s “only” $40 a week.)

However, that will all be a thing of the past come Aug. 14 as 450 beds in the new student housing facility will become available to Clayton State students. Along with the also-soon-to-be-completed student activities center, the student housing is funded by a bond project with the Development Authority of Clayton County the issuing agency. The cost of the entire bond project for student housing and the student activities center is approximately $42 million, with $38 million of hard cost -- $21 million for the student housing and $17 million for the student activities center. The buildings are owned by Clayton State University Foundation Real Estate I LLC, and leased to the University System with the lease payments coming from housing rental for the student housing facility and student activities fees for the student activities center.

The student housing is the largest building on campus, with 451 beds in 108 units on four floors. Included in the building’s amenities are gigabit ethernet service (making this the only gigaplex residence hall in the state, as befitting Georgia’s first “Notebook University”), Wi-Fi service throughout the building, VOIP telephone service, a café, lounge areas, a game room with a large screen HD TV, HD capable cable TV service in the suites, card entry into both the building and individual suites, a 24/7 Community Desk in the lobby, and 60 security cameras. The individual suites are fully-furnished and consist of four bedroom (every bedroom will have a hard-wired internet port as well), two bath suites with kitchenettes.

Tighter Residency Procedures Net Savings for Taxpayers

Only students who live in the county can attend Fayette County Schools. As a result of stricter student residency procedures to reinforce this rule, taxpayers have saved nearly $2 million over the last two years.

System-wide residency checks, prosecution of parents taking out false affidavits and centralized registration at the school system’s Welcome Center are measures the school system put into place last year to help thwart students attending county schools illegally.

The tougher system is working. After announcing the new procedures last year, the school system identified and withdrew 68 students who were living outside the county. This year, an additional 156 students have been removed since March 31 for not meeting residency requirements. At a cost of $8,317.86 per year to educate one child, the savings to taxpayers is $1,863,200.64.

“Our students are our number one priority and we want to assure the taxpayers of Fayette County that their tax revenues are being invested in those students who are legal residents of the county,” says Sam Sweat, assistant superintendent of school operations.

A total of 633 residency checks have been conducted for the 2007-2008 school year. Many residency checks are a result of teachers and principals reporting suspicions of students who might be living outside the county. Parents are vigilant as well about reporting possible out-of-county students to the Welcome Center. Often they will report seeing out-of-county car tags and will call the Welcome Center with tag numbers. However, it is not legal for law enforcement officials to run tag numbers when requested by the school system unless they have a cause as provided by law.

Since January 2007, all new students enrolling in the school system have been required to register at the Welcome Center located inside the LaFayette Educational Center. Streamlining the registration process has resulted in closer scrutiny of the required documents needed for registration. In order to prove residency, parents/guardians must provide a tax statement (a closing statement for new homeowners) or original signed lease agreement and a current gas or electric bill. All documents must contain the name and address of the parent/guardian. A complete listing of required documents can be reviewed online at www.fcboe.org.

Although there are some out of-county residents with Fayette addresses, the trained staff at the Welcome Center is aware of these areas and is able to redirect parents to the appropriate school system to register their children.

“I estimate that we turn down about 100 people over the course of a year with Fayette addresses who live in other counties,” says Jamie Karol of the Welcome Center.

The center uses a computerized system called Edulog that is updated regularly with current Fayette County addresses. If an address is not in the system, then the Welcome Center does not register the student. A total of 4,752 new students have been enrolled at the Welcome Center from January 2007-March 2008.

In cases where appropriate residency documents cannot be produced, such as someone moving in with a resident in the county, an affidavit must be signed by both the parent/guardian of the student and the person with whom they are living. An affidavit is a sworn document and knowingly falsifying information on it is a felony. The board of education, in conjunction with Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard, seeks prosecution of individuals who provide false statements on affidavits. Approximately 20 cases of affidavit violations are now pending in the court system.

Education Policy Forum Planned Wednesday For Area School Board, State Legislative Candidates

WHAT/WHY: The Education Policy Forums are offered every election year for school board and state legislative candidates. The half-day session is a primer on education in Georgia. Presented by experts in several fields, the Forum is designed to give candidates a strong foundation on which to build their candidacy and, if elected, on which to make sound education decisions. Topics include: choices in education; early learning; education finance; governance and policymaking; school leadership; standards, assessments and accountability; student achievement; and teacher workforce. The information provided is based upon non-partisan research and is compiled in a Primer that covers each topic in-depth. All participants receive one of the resource books. This is the second of 12 sessions to be presented around Georgia in June.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 4, 12:30 – 4:45 p.m.

WHERE: Clayton State University, 2000 Clayton State Blvd., Technology Bldg., Room 222.

WHO: The sessions are sponsored and presented by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and the Georgia School Boards Assn. They are open to local school board and state legislative candidates as well as other candidates for office who feel the session would be beneficial to them in addressing education issues. Currently, there are 32 registrants (seven are Clayton County School Board candidates).