Submitted information:
In the first Board meeting since all Cobb students have had the choice to return to face-to-face learning, the Cobb Schools Board of Education voted to approve the following legislative priorities for the 2020-21 school year: educational access, financial sustainability, and accuracy in accountability.
“With all that has happened to public education since COVID-19, these legislative priorities are even more important than normal. During a pandemic when everything will be more complicated than ever, the needs of our students and teachers are how we came to these priorities and are who we will be supporting going into this legislative session,” said Cobb Schools Board Chair Brad Wheeler.
As demonstrated since March, policies, and funding to support educational access for all students, in both remote or face-to-face classrooms, is more important than it ever has been. Steps to ensure educational access for all students include strengthening the teacher pipeline, sustaining the teachers’ retirement system, and maintaining or increasing Title I allocations. Fully funding classrooms for students and teachers by funding the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula is the most important part of keeping Cobb Schools financially sustainable. Although due to COVID-19, instruction has looked different this year, the costs for the buildings, utilities, teachers, and staff are called “fixed costs.” To support these fixed costs, the way schools are funded—which is based on Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)—should be based on counts equal to or greater than those taken in March 2020. The school board also determined that financial sustainability, now and in the future, depends on funds not being diverted from public education. As with the other two legislative priorities, the BOE’s final priority has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has dramatically impacted the way students learn. Accuracy in accountability focuses on reducing the impact of standardized testing, ensuring flexibility around CCRPI, and applying charter waivers to SWSS Systems.
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