The annual event to honor Teachers of the Year and School/Support Professionals of the Year – affectionately known as ‘The Main Event’ – is Friday, December 1. This gala celebration recognizes our award-winning employees and outstanding business partners. The 2006 theme is "Heroes."

Nathifa Williams Carmichael from North Springs High School is Fulton County’s Overall Teacher of the Year. First named the system’s High School Teacher of the Year, she was then selected as the district winner from among two other Fulton County finalists: Karen Jones from Hembree Springs Elementary, who is the system’s Elementary School Teacher of the Year, and Deborah Polk from Taylor Road Middle, who is the Middle School Teacher of the Year. Suresh Srinivasan, a technology specialist from Barnwell Elementary School, is the School Professional of the Year, and Michael Graham, lead supply person in the school system’s Warehouse, is the Support Professional of the Year. Click here for a list of all Teachers of the Year and School/Support Professionals of the Year being honored.

Roswell North Elementary School is one of 96 Georgia schools recently highlighted by Standard & Poor’s for narrowing the achievement gap.

SchoolMatters, a service of Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services, recognized Roswell North for significantly reducing the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. Schools selected were identified as having reduced the gap in at least one of three categories: Black and White student achievement, Hispanic and White student achievement, and Economically Disadvantaged and Non-Disadvantaged student achievement.

As an oversight, Rapport Online neglected last month to recognize 32 Fulton County schools that received awards from the Georgia Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. These schools received Single Statewide Accountability System awards for either (1) Greatest Gains in meeting and exceeding academic standards, or (2) Highest Percentage of students meeting and exceeding academic standards.

The SSAS award structure combines criteria for making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), a cornerstone of the No Child Left Behind act, with criteria that identifies schools making the greatest gains in achievement and/or the highest percentage in the state for meeting and exceeding academic standards. There are four levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

The 2007-08 school year calendar has been approved, with a starting date of Monday, August 13, and an ending date of Friday, May 23. Of special note are the five “Early Release” days which have been expanded to all schools in the county.

On Early Release days, students attend school for half a day. After students leave, teachers spend the afternoon in schoolwide professional development, which allows teachers to receive the additional training they desire without having to leave their local school or give up personal time. Teachers from the Alpharetta and Milton clusters, where it was piloted, have reported overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Early Release days already held this school year.

In education circles, acronyms are as common as a student forgetting his lunch money. In Fulton, a new set of acronyms is on the horizon – SAP and ERP – only this time, they deal with our business software systems.

Last month, Fulton County Schools officially kicked off the “A+ Project,” a major initiative that will eventually replace and integrate the ADPICS, FAMIS, FIPPS business systems into one up-to-date, user- friendly system. Find out what this means to you.

In recognition of Veterans Day observed earlier this month, the Fulton County School System salutes those who not only have served our country, but now are serving our students as teachers, administrators, bus drivers, resource officers, and as other staff members.

Five Fulton County employees currently are on military leave – Monteray Frazier, teacher from Camp Creek Middle School, John MacDonald, teacher from Riverwood High School, Joel Sloss, teacher from Ocee Elementary School, Karen Ossorio-James, school resource officer, and Anthony Hardy, South Transportation supervisor. We keep them in our hearts and minds as we await their safe return.

The Fulton County School System welcomes new District 5 Board Member, Ashley Widener, and bids farewell to Liz Hausmann, who is now serving on the Johns Creek City Council. We thank Mrs. Hausmann for her years of service to Fulton County schoolchildren and welcome Mrs. Widener to the School Board.

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.

As an employee of one of the county's largest employers, you may benefit from discounts offered by certain local and national merchants. These programs are approved by the school system's Contracting Department and/or the Partners & Volunteers Office.