You may have overheard parents talking about it in the carpool line or read about it on a blog or local newspaper. Or you may have caught a clip about it on national news channels CNN and FOX News or noticed it profiled in USA Today.

What is it? It's called "Learn and Earn," a pioneering 15-week study that tests the hypothesis that paying students to attend and participate in tutorial sessions will improve their academic performance. This program has Fulton County Schools in the national spotlight.

School systems across Georgia are concerned about possible legislation that may affect school funding. The Fulton County School System, as well as others in metro Atlanta, has been following the development of these proposed tax reform initiatives and studying their possible negative implications.

Georgia's presidential primary is Tuesday, February 5, and voter turnout is expected to be high. Since many of our schools are polling places, you may experience more traffic than usual or crowded parking situations that day. Keep this in mind as you plan your morning commute -- you might want to leave your home earlier than usual.

The school system is taking extra efforts to make sure facilities are safe and that disruptions to instructional time are minimal. We will have extra security at school polling sites to assist with traffic and crowd control. In some schools, breakfast and lunch routines may be adjusted.

The Fulton County Board of Education approved the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school year calendars at its Dec. 13 meeting. The 2008-09 calendar calls for a starting date of Aug. 11, 2008, and an ending date of May 22, 2009.

The first day of school for the 2009-10 school year is Aug. 10, 2009, and the last day is May 21, 2010. Having this information well in advance will certainly help school system staff plan for special trainings, workshops, vacations and other important activities.

Fulton County School System Superintendent James Wilson announced his plans to re-retire at the end of the current school term. His retirement becomes effective June 1, 2008.

During his tenure, Wilson increased student achievement, brought test scores to all-time highs, and advocated for greater fiscal responsibility and accountability. He championed school construction projects, including the third passage of Fulton County's one-penny education sales tax. The sales tax will build 11 new schools over the next five years.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards recently announced that 10 teachers in the Fulton County School System earned the coveted "National Board Certified" designation. Certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete and measures what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.

For most Fulton County Schools employees, the beginning of Human Capital Management -- or HCM -- went unnoticed. That's because this latest SAP transition launched smoothly in January, even garnering national recognition in trade journals District Administration and Technology & Learning.

The 1,000+ employees currently using SAP receive a weekly "Follow Me to SAP" e-newsletter that details news updates and tips related to SAP use, including how to manage the new HCM functions. Employees who don't use SAP will not notice many immediate changes as HCM implementation continues. However, they may notice that paystubs are formatted a little differently and contain more descriptive information.

The Fulton County School System is home to the brightest and most talented educators in Georgia -- and the nation.

Each month teachers and staff members receive awards or other honors that bring pride and recognition to their schools as well as the school system.

The totals are in, and once again the Fulton County School System has beaten its record for charitable giving. This year, $445,451 was raised during the Fulton School Employees' Charitable Fund's annual campaign, an increase of 6 percent over the previous year.

Fulton County School System employees are encouraged to report allegations of school-related fraud, waste and abuse. Report forms can be obtained and submitted anonymously by phone, fax, web site, e-mail, in-person or U.S. mail.

Due to technical difficulties over the winter break, some web reports may have been inadvertently deleted from the system. If you submitted a report via the web site during the break, please resubmit. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Looking for a discount at one of your favorite restaurants or clothing stores? On your auto, home and life insurance? Maybe on your next car, hotel room or vacation? Who doesn't like to save a little money now and then? Well, here's your chance to save a lot.

ING Unsung Heroes awards grants to K-12 educators utilizing new teaching methods and techniques that improve learning. The funds are provided by ING, an international financial management corporation.

Each year, 100 finalists are selected to receive a $2,000 grant, payable to both the winning teacher and his or her school. At least one grant is awarded in each of the 50 states. Of the 100 finalists, three are selected for additional financial awards: $25,000 for first place; $10,000 for second place; and $5,000 for third place. Do you have what it takes?