Politics & Government

Cobb Schools May Cut 350 Teaching Jobs to Reduce 2013 Deficit

Northeast Cobb school news you can use.

The Cobb County School District's FY2013 deficit continues to be forthcoming after Chief Financial Officer Mike Addison reported to the school board Wednesday that the $73 million deficit he told them about in October has been reduced to $62.4 million.

But in looking at the deficit, the district could lay off as many as 350 employees, tag on more furlough days and increase class sizes according to a story in Wednesday’s Marietta Daily Journal.

According to the paper, in an effort to help the budget continue to decrease when the board approves the budget this summer, Addison suggested several cost-cutting measures. Among those, increasing class sizes by two; adding three more furlough days for a total of five; delaying a salary step increase; eliminating 50 media professional jobs and more.

Find out what's happening in Northeast Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The budget report can be viewed here and see the MDJ story for full coverage of Wednesday’s meeting, including an unsuccessful vote to place the calendar issue back on the agenda for a vote at the next board meeting later this month.

What do feel about a possible cut in teaching jobs? Share your opinions in the comment box below.

Find out what's happening in Northeast Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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Gov. Nathan Deal announced this week that 370 Georgia public schools are being recognized for improvement and achievement during the 2010-2011 school year. The schools are being recognized under Georgia's Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS), developed by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, to award schools based on their performance on state curriculum exams and Adequate Yearly Progress status.

The schools are awarded on four levels -- Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze -- in two categories:
* Greatest gains: 111 schools are being recognized for demonstrating significant improvement on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) or the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT).
* Highest performance: 259 schools are being recognized for high achievement on the CRCT or GHSGT.

Sprayberry High School was the only Northeast Cobb school recognized. It received a platinum rating

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The Atlanta Hawks announced this week the launch of the 2012 Poetry Slam Contest for high school students in grades 9-12 who attend school within 75 miles of Philips Arena. Through February 24, students can submit either a written poem, consisting of 200 words or less, or a DVD recording, which cannot exceed 90 seconds, of their poem that captures the “I Was Born This Way” theme. Participants are encouraged to convey what makes them personally, and their generation as a whole, unique.

To enter, students can visit www.hawks.com/community and submit a written piece or DVD recording entry, mail entries directly to the Atlanta Hawks Attn: Andrea K. Carter, 101 Marietta Street, Suite 1900, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 or fax submissions to 404-878-3480. 

Each entry will be judged on Connection to the Topic “I Was Born This Way,” Overall Message and Originality/Creativity. The judging panel will include a representative from the Georgia Department of Education, a local media personality and an Atlanta Hawks representative.

After review of all entries by the judging panel, the top 15 finalists will be announced on March 9. All finalists will participate in a two-hour poetry workshop in mid-March and perform their poetry pieces for final judging on March 29. The contest will award a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner with prizes for each to include Atlanta Hawks signed merchandise, electronics such as a laptop and TV, and tickets to a Hawks game. For a complete list of rules and submission details, please visit www.hawks.com/community.

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Cobb Alcohol Taskforce and Cobb County School District Prevention Intervention Center are co-sponsoring a contest to showcase student’s creative media talents and to increase the use of effective messaging to prevent underage drinking and promote youth sources of strength. Students in grades 6 through 12 who represent a school or community group based in Cobb County are eligible to submit student-produced video public service announcements.

PSAs must to be 30, 60, or 90 seconds and address 1 of 2 topics: 1) the problem of adults providing alcohol to youth under 21 or 2) how youth can use sources of strength to change attitudes about youth using alcohol. Contest rules and entry forms can be found at www.cobbat.org. Deadline for submitting entries is March 30.

Video entries will be judged by a panel of media experts on originality, creativity, communication of message and overall appeal. Judges will select 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. There will also be a viewer’s choice award. Cash prizes will be awarded; $300 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, $100 for 3rd place and $300 for viewer’s choice. Funding for prizes has been made available through the Cobb County Commission on Children and Youth.

This is great way for youth organizations to raise funds while creatively sharing their voice and vision and spreading important messages for preventing underage drinking. Winning videos will be posted on various websites and air on local broadcast TV channels, Cobb Government TV23 and CobbEd TV24 during April, which is National Alcohol Awareness Month. Contest winners will also be recognized at a public celebration event in April 2012; date and location to be announced. For more information, visit www.cobbat.org; contest flyer with rules and entry form is posted on the homepage.

The Cobb Alcohol Taskforce is an alliance of individuals and organizations which mobilizes and challenges Cobb County adults to reduce underage drinking and youth binge drinking, by advancing strategic enforcement, policy and education goals. To learn more, visit www.cobbat.org or call 770-861-5758.

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Go back to school in March with The Lovett School’s adult Evening Education Series. Open to the Lovett family and the entire metro Atlanta community, the program features eight diverse offerings, from ceramics to art history and cooking with herbs to Abraham Lincoln.  

“The Evening Education series is a great opportunity to showcase our facilities and faculty to the community, from prospective families interested in exploring Lovett to alumni and parents of alumni looking for a new way to connect with the school,” said Cynthia Coleman, director of Evening Education.

This year, favorites including headmaster Billy Peebles, upper school art history teacher Jordan Clark, and studio artist and visual arts coordinator Tom Zwierlein return to participate in the Evening Education Series. For the first time, retired American history teacher and Civil War expert Dick Hall also will teach a course, “Atlanta and America’s Civil War.”

New this year, one Evening Education class showcases speakers from outside of the Lovett community. “All-Access Pass” features insight, analysis and war stories from seven-time Georgia Sportscaster of the Year Wes Durham, the radio play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Falcons and the “Voice of the Yellow Jackets, and Emmy Award-winner Bob Neal, who called NBA games on TNT and TBS for more than 20 years, as well as Lovett’s varsity football coach Mike Muschamp and varsity lacrosse coach Jim Buczek.

Entering its third year, the Evening Education Series started in 2009. Net proceeds of Evening Education benefit need-based financial aid for Lovett students, and courses range in price from $60 to $95. Courses begin on Monday, March 12.

To learn more about Lovett's Evening Education classes, schedules, and registration, visit: http://www.lovett.org/who-we-are/evening-education-2012/index.aspx.

Julia Harris and Kiri Walton contributed to this report.


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