The Fulton County Board of Education met on Thursday, June 15, 2023, for its regularly-scheduled Board meeting at the South Learning Center. Following are highlights of some of the more highly discussed topics, with the full agenda available online. Other topics discussed or approved are available via BoardDocs . Summaries of Board actions can be found here  and Board policy updates can be found here. Meetings are streamed live on the Fulton County Schools (FCS) district homepage. Recordings will be available within 48 hours.

Superintendent's Report
Dr. Mike Looney first recognized and thanked staff members attending the meeting, including zone superintendents, administrators, deputy chiefs, and the new district-level Athletic Director Lamarr Glenn. After thanking the Board for their support and funding of Fulton County Schools (FCS) police department, Dr. Looney shared that this week, the Police Athletic and Activities League (PAL) kicked off its inaugural mini flag football camp. This program provides a valuable opportunity for volunteer officers who coached at the camp to continue working in a mentorship capacity with participating students in the upcoming school year.

Bridge to Success Update
Montreal Bell, director of Federal Programs - CARES/ARP, provided an update on the FCS Bridge to Success plan in which she discussed numerous accomplishments for 2022-2023, which include the Summer Learning program and finishing the plans to open five In-School Academies in South Fulton. The 2022-2023 school year also welcomed the return to in-person field trips through the Cultural Kaleidoscope program and kicked off the continued work with high dosage/small group tutoring. FCS also welcomed and celebrated the opening of three Student and Family Engagement (S.A.F.E.) Centers and the arrival of two bus simulators for driver training and accuracy. In addition to having every major priority started and on schedule, FCS continues to be proud of the ongoing professional development investments in staff through Literacy Training, Leadership Development, Virtual Learning Certification, and CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) training. Click here to see the full presentation.

FCS Middle College Renamed Promise Career Institute
Deputy Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Gyimah Whitaker announced The Promise Career Institute (PCI) has been chosen by a naming committee as the official name of what had been called Middle College. PCI will be housed on the former McClarin Success Academy campus and will be centered on the Accelerated Career Diploma. This diploma provides students with the opportunity to take a reduced core academic course load, nine credits, while simultaneously taking college credit. At PCI and in partnership with Atlanta Technical College, this college credit will include technical college certifications in the areas of Welding, Logistics, Cybersecurity, Digital and Media Production, Computer Networking, Early Childhood Education, Avionics Technology, Automotive, and Diesel Technology. PCI will provide students with specifically tailored experiences that will allow them to be career ready upon graduation.

PCI Principal, Dr. Jason Stamper then joined members of the naming committee who explained how they arrived at the name, noting the committee started with more than 30 names before changing the name from McClarin High School to Promise Career Institute. Frank McClarin served as the principal of the now defunct East Point-South Fulton High School when Fulton County Schools was segregated. He was principal from 1933-1970. Dr. Stamper will find ways to honor McClarin’s legacy as we move forward at the behest of Board members. 

Math Textbook Adoption
The Teacher Math Textbook Review Committee met earlier this year to review instructional resources from multiple publishers. The long list of resources the committee determined was best aligned with students’ needs was then put forth for public and teacher review and the committee made textbook recommendations. Click here to see the list of textbooks that were adopted by the Board.

Course Proposals for CTAE
As part of the district's work to ensure students are ready for college and career, the Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) department requested permission to add new courses to the offerings in both elementary and high schools. These new courses have been selected to better engage elementary students in cutting-edge, grade-appropriate career exploration as well as strengthen the career pathways for our high school students. During the meeting, the Board voted to add fourteen new courses. Click here to see the proposed courses.

Middle Years Programme Authorized for Westlake High School
Westlake has offered 11th and 12th grade students the option to participate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization’s Diploma Programme since 2016. The Board approved their request to include the Diploma Programme's companion piece, the Middle Years Programme, with their offerings. The Middle Years Programme (MYP) prepares teachers to deliver the IB inquiry-based learning practices and ensures students are prepared to successfully take rigorous academic classes such as the Diploma Programme or Advanced Placement.

New Hires and Promotions
The following individual was approved for a new position at the June 15 meeting:

• Dr. Opie Blackwell | Principal, Centennial High School