Question:
Will the Charter system change the hours our kids attend school? I have seen where other Charter schools go to 5 and 6pm?

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your question about charter schools. We have no plans to change the hours kids attend school at this time. Operating our school system under charter system status would certainly give us the option to alter our hours but that is something that would be looked at with a tremendous amount of community involvement. Changing hours would impact students, parents, teachers and our entire community. One of the key aspects of charter system that appealed to the community group that recommended we pursue the direction for the future was the addition of local governance at each school and involving the community in school decisions. We call these Local Governance Teams in our application to be a charter system. These teams will be made-up of parents, teachers and community leaders. The application was delivered to the state on Monday for their consideration. If the state approves our application, we would begin operation as a charter school system next school year. We would look at any and all options that would improve our school system for the children we serve. If our charter system application is approved, we will include the Local School Governance Teams in the decision making process. If parents, teachers and the community determine that extending our hours would be academically beneficial for students, we certainly would consider the option. We look forward to working together with our parents, teachers and community under charter system status to provide the best possible education to the children of our community.

Question:
If we do garner charter school status, how will that directly affect teachers? Will our pay grade change? Will we work fewer/more school days? Will we still be required to acquire PLUs? Will it change the curriculum or standards in any way? For something that may go into effect as early as next year, I feel like I know absolutely no specifics about it. This concerns me as a teacher and a parent.

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your questions regarding charter status. You have some very good questions regarding changes that may come with charter system status. One aspect of the change is that the system will be given flexibility to make more decisions regarding the type programs and services we provide to the children of our community here at the local level. Another is that we will develop a process to involve the schools, teachers and community in those decisions. Therefore, how charter system affects teachers and students will be determined by our teachers and parents coming together to make the best decisions possible for our children. The members of the Flexibility Committee made up of teachers, school administrators, parents and business leaders that recommended the school system pursue charter status were excited about the possibility of us making more decisions locally instead of being told how to educate our children from the state level. The common misconception with charter is that we go into the process knowing all the answers. This is a journey we are just beginning. Charter system status just provides us with a new landscape on which to paint the direction we will take for the future. We have not written our charter to include any reference to changing pay grades, working fewer or more school days, or a change in PLU requirements. With charter system status, any change along those lines could only be considered with input from each schools governance team  again involving teachers, administrators, parents and community leaders. Everything considered has to be targeted to the ultimate goal of improving student achievement. The first year under charter system status will involve setting-up and training our local school governance teams as a top priority. Once the governance plan developed by our Flexibility Committee is in place and the people have been selected by teachers and parents to help make those decisions, we can then begin to address how we make changes to the way we structure our education setting to be most beneficial for children in our schools. I hope you see that we have just begun the process to put our community more in charge of developing the answers to the questions you pose. You, the teachers at your school and the parents of the students you teach will all be a part of writing the answers. I am confident that we can provide much better educational opportunities for our children than could be handed down from those creating legislation or policy at the state level. Thank you for your questions and for sharing your concerns.

Question:
If Floyd Country School System is approved as a Charter System, would the system consider going back to a traditional high school math curriculum or would they continue to use the new math program (Math I, Math II, etc)?

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your question regarding charter system and the math curriculum. Floyd County Schools will have flexibility regarding some curriculum issues under charter system status but we will also have some limitations due to federal requirements and the content of state standardized testing. One area that the system will not have flexibility under charter system status is with anything related to federal No Child Left Behind requirements. In Georgia, math is an indicator that determines AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) for a school or school system as a part of No Child Left Behind requirements. I am sure you have heard of the term making or not making AYP. For the last two years, all of our schools in the system have made AYP. Scores from state testing are used to make that determination. Since all of Georgias math testing will be based on the state sequence of Math I, Math II, etc. it would not be possible for our students to be on a totally different math curriculum and be successful on the state testing that will determine our AYP status. While we may have the flexibility to alter the curriculum, it may not be good to do so and have our students tested on different material than they are studying in the classroom. To do so would result in our students not testing well on state math tests and could certainly keep our schools from making AYP.

Question:
Now that we have fully received the charter system status, what kind of changes will take place? What will happen to the number of hours students attend school? How will teachers be affected? Will there be more job positions available in the county system? Will there be a more rigorous curriculum in which the students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge? How will the charter system especially affect the class of 2011? And to what degree will the charter status affect the community?

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your email regarding our charter system status. We are excited about the possibilities available to our school system under this new flexibility option called Charter System. It is important to note that change will be a process and will not take place immediately upon the school system becoming a charter system on July 1. One of the aspects of charter that was attractive to our citizens committee, which proposed we seek charter system status, was that it involved participation from schools, teachers, parents and the community in decisions impacting children and our schools. Our first task is to get the new governance structure in place that will allow these stakeholders to help us set the path for change in our educational program. Each school will have a Local School Governance Team that will consist of the principal, two staff members, four community leaders - including two parents. These groups will help us to make decisions that will best serve the children of Floyd County. The answers to your questions will begin to reshape opportunities for our students in the next few years. The impact on the class of 2011 will certainly not be as great as it may be for the class of 2016. We look forward to working with our Local School Governance Teams to develop: " Student and staff focused leadership academies. " A student focused leadership track with a focus on community " Transition academies at critical grade levels " Flexibility in scheduling based on the differing needs of students " An alternative high school diploma targeted to at-risk middle and high school students to include web-based and face-to-face instruction " Align career pathways with emerging career opportunities in the Rome " Strengthen partnerships with local colleges to provide dual enrollment opportunities and enhance career opportunities " Develop exchange programs with local service agencies, business and industries These and more opportunities will be available as we make decisions regarding what is best for our children and community. We look forward to realizing the potential charter system brings to our school system.

Question:
Recently I read an article in the newspaper about Floyd County Schools becoming a Charter School System. We have a student in Midway Primary and would like to know what this means to us and if we could do anything to help. Thank you Macrena Reader

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your question and for your interest in our becoming a Charter System. There are many pieces to the Charter puzzle and a great deal of information is available on our Web site. To put it in simple terms, Charter means we will have freedom from many state rules and regulations that will allow us to structure our schools in a manner that best fits our community instead of conforming to a one-size-fits-all formula. By focusing on our strengths and needs instead of a state norm we will be able to take our system to new heights in academic performance. Another key element of Charter is the commitment to involving the community in school governance and the quest for academic improvement. That is where you and your family come into the Charter picture. We will have Local School Governance Teams (LSGT) in each school to provide more control and decision making capability at the school level. The LSGT will consist of teachers, parents, community leaders and the school principal. You can certainly consider becoming a candidate for office on the Local School Governance Team or talk with your friends and neighbors about serving in this important capacity. The LSGT will meet on a regular basis and make decisions to influence the education received by your child and those of others in the community. The LSGT will also be working with parents and the community to ensure that the schools are involving those with interest in education in the decision making process. If you have an interest in running for an LSGT position, please contact your school principal. We look forward to the challenges and opportunities under charter status.