East Cobb Schools

Cobb school board rejects proposed library book policy

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Cobb school board rejects proposed library book policy
“We don’t need a committee to do the superintendent’s job,” school board member David Chastain said.

By a 5-2 vote, the Cobb Board of Education on Thursday rejected a proposal by one of its members to change school district policy on books and materials in school libraries.

Last month Superintendent Chris Ragsdale ordered that three books with sexually explicit content be removed from several middle- and high school libraries, despite protests from some parents that the district was engaging in book banning.

That was in the wake of the district’s firing of a West Cobb elementary school teacher for reading a book to her class deemed to be in violation of the state’s divisive concepts in education law.

During a work session Thursday afternoon, Democrat Becky Sayler of Post 2 in South Cobb said she wanted to revise a policy last updated in 2012 that governs the evaluation of library books.

Her proposal would have created local media committees to provide feedback for library operations, with the district media committee having the final say.

She said content should be allowed that has won awards and is used in book fairs and other related competitions. Also to be permitted are materials related to major world religions, including the Bible, Torah and Koran.

If a book is recommended to be removed by a media committee, it could not be reconsidered (the agenda item did not include a copy of Sayler’s proposal; we will update it here when we get it).

Sayler said the changes are needed “to ensure that we take intellectual freedom seriously” and because “we don’t want to harm our students by denying their access to quality materials.”

One of the books removed from Cobb schools is “Flamer,” which won a Lambda Literary Award in 2021 in the young adult division. The district said that book was removed because it contains passages about sex acts and masturbation.

Sayler said existing policy, especially given what’s happened in Cobb schools recently, will continue to have a “chill effect” and “diversity in viewpoints would become limited.”

She wanted to have a discussion and a vote next month, but Republican member David Chastain of Post 4 in East Cobb quickly made a motion to reject her proposal.

He said he didn’t want unelected people making those decisions, and said the proposal amounted to “micromanaging the superintendent.”

When Sayler reminded him that Ragsdale is unelected, Chastain replied that “we don’t need a committee to do the superintendent’s job.”

Ragsdale reiterated parts of his lengthy remarks at the September board meeting defending his decision to remove the books, saying that “I have a duty to keep students safe.”

He said that materials deemed to be “vulgar, sexually explicit, lewd, obscene, or pornographic” will continue to be removed.

“If it is deemed to be inappropriate, as these three [books that were removed] are, it has no place in our schools at all.”

Democrat Nichelle Davis of Post 6 in Smyrna asked Ragsdale about the current process for reviewing books and he explained that there is a team of administrators that does the evaluation, with discussion in his executive cabinet.

He said he doesn’t make a decision without that but “the buck stops with me. It’s my decision.”

Davis later said she thought it was important for community stakeholders to have consistency and transparency in being informed about the process.

“It’s impossible to make everybody happy,” she said. “This will not be the last time that we will look at a policy update.”

Ragsdale mentioned that one of the books that was removed—“Me, Earl and the Dying Girl”—contained a depiction of oral sex.

“There is no middle ground,” he said, adding that Sayler’s proposal would not allow for the current review process to continue.

He said he would abide by whatever policy change the board would adopt, but not until then.

Sayler, who is in her first year on the board, said she’s not in favor of pornography, and said the board engaged in micromanagement when it banned the teaching of critical race theory in 2021.

Hutchins wanted to amend the motion to add that the final decision on removing a book should be up to the superintendent or a designee, but Ragsdale said that’s already in state law.

The amendment was withdrawn, and Hutchins voted with the board’s four Republican members against the proposal, with Sayler and Davis voting in favor.

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Cobb school district objects to redistricting suit settlement

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Cobb school district objects to redistricting suit settlement
Ben Mathis

The Cobb County School District issued a strongly-worded public statement Tuesday accusing the the Cobb Board of Elections of colluding with plaintiffs who are seeking new electoral maps for the Cobb Board of Education.

The elections board voted last week along partisan lines to begin settling with parties who filed a suit contending that the school board maps passed by the Georgia legislature in 2022 violated federal voting rights laws and diluted minority voting power.

Those claims were dismissed by a federal judge in Atlanta in July, and she released the Cobb school district as a defendant, leaving only the Cobb Elections Board to defend the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs, who are represented by attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal advocacy group, are attempting to have either the Georgia legislature or a court redraw the maps.

In messages posted to the Cobb school district website (you can read them here and here) and released to the media, Ben Mathis, an attorney for the district, said the district wants to rejoin the lawsuit after a “hasty settlement” with the Cobb elections board “which they worked out in secrecy with their politically allied plaintiffs, [and that] is designed to avoid any legal effort to defend the current map.

“This is not a settlement but a total surrender by the Elections Board,” Mathis said. “This agreement is a complete usurpation of the legislative process.”

The seven-member Cobb school board has a 4-3 Republican majority. The seats of three of those Republicans, including David Banks of Post 5 in East Cobb, will be the 2024 ballot.

Democrats control the Cobb Board of Commissioners and the Cobb legislative delegation, and in his statement, Mathis accused the SPLC of trying “to impose their will over the Legislature, the Governor, and the voters of Cobb County.

“After they discovered they could not change the direction of education in our county at the ballot box, they manufactured this unlawful court case,” Mathis continued.

Cobb elections board chairwoman Tori Silas
Cobb elections board chairwoman Tori Silas

“To justify what they have done, the Elections Board says it is cheaper to give up than to defend the map against the array of liberal activist groups affiliated with Stacy Abrams and the Democratic Party.”

The Cobb elections board has four Democrats and one Republican, and voted 4-1, with GOP member Debbie Fisher opposed, to begin settlement discussions.

The vote came after a lengthy executive session and there was no discussion by elections board members in open session.

Daniel White, the attorney for the Cobb Elections Board, refuted the collusion claim, and a Cobb government spokesman issued a statement Tuesday from Tori Silas, the board chairwoman, saying her body is “not the proper party to defend the challenged redistricting maps.

“As the only remaining defendant in the case after the School District was given the dismissal it sought, we were left to make the decision that best served the citizens of Cobb County, which is what we did. The settlement allowed our Board to maintain its position of neutrality in this political dispute and was the fiscally responsible thing to do.”

In September federal judge Eleanor Ross issued an oral order precluding the Cobb school district from continuing as an intervenor in the lawsuit.

In a motion filed Tuesday, the district asked for a preliminary injunction to file an amicus brief and introduce rebuttal experts it says are necessary to respond to plaintiffs’ experts on racial discrimination in electoral maps who otherwise would have no opposition in court.

“Plaintiffs must be held to their strict burden of proof, especially when asking the Court to invade the state legislative process,” the Cobb school district lawyers said in their motion Tuesday.

East Cobb News contacted the SPLC, asking why it sued the Cobb Elections Board over a map drawn by the legislature. This is all that we received from its communications department:

“Voting rights are nonpartisan and rooted in the belief that equal opportunities to vote must be available to all people, regardless of their political affiliations, racial, cultural, or religious background. It is fundamental that every voice is heard and that elections are conducted fairly, and that is what Plaintiffs have consistently sought in this case. Plaintiffs look forward to proving their claims to the Court, as the terms of the settlement require before any changes are made to the map.”

The maps were originally drawn by Mathis’ firm, Freeman Mathis and Gary of Cumberland, and were approved by the school board’s Republican majority.

Among the changes in the map was moving Post 6 (formerly the Walton and Wheeler clusters) entirely into the Cumberland-Vinings-Smyrna area, and leaving East Cobb with only two school board seats, Post 4 and Post 5.

The Democratic-led Cobb legislative delegation proposed maps that wouldn’t have shifted the lines as dramatically, but they were never voted on by the Republican-dominated legislature.

The SPLC and other legal groups, including the ACLU of Georgia, filed its lawsuit, Finn v. Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, last summer.

The plaintiffs include parents and liberal activists and organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb.

The lawsuit seeks substantial redrawing of posts 2,3 and 6 in South Cobb, all of which are currently held by Democrats.

White said in response to the Cobb school district’s claims that “the Cobb County School District made a massive blunder in its litigation strategy that cost it the ability to defend the redistricting maps it created. Rather than owning up to its mistake, counsel for the School District has chosen to deflect attention by making outlandish accusations about the Cobb County Board of Elections that it knows to be false.”

White, whose comments were initially published Friday by The Marietta Daily Journal, said the Cobb Elections Board from the outset had sought to dismiss the suit “on jurisdictional grounds” and that his clients could have been held liable if the plaintiffs proved that the Cobb school board “adopted racially gerrymandered maps.

“The Board of Elections agrees that the District should have been allowed to continue its defense of its maps, and moved the Court to let them back in the case. Now that the Court has made it clear the District will not be given that opportunity, the Board of Elections made the decision it felt was in the best interest of the citizens of Cobb County.”

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New Eastvalley ES ribbon-cutting celebration draws a crowd

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Eastvalley ES Ribbon Cutting
Cobb Superintendent Chris Ragsdale cuts the ribbon at Eastvalley ES, joined by members of the school board and Eastvalley staff. ECN photos.

Several hundred people braved cool, windy weather around lunchtime Monday for a moment many in the Eastvalley Elementary School community have been anticipating for years:

The official christening of a new campus that not only replaces the obsolete 63-year-old facility on Lower Roswell Road, but raises a new bar for an elementary school.

The nearly 150,000-square-foot building across from Wheeler High School on Holt Road has two stories and more than double the number of classrooms—28 to 63.

“And all under one roof,” noted Eastvalley principal Dr. Whitney Spooner, as the crowd cheered, recalling the many aging portable classrooms that have handled massive overcrowding at Eastvalley for several years.

The gym is four times larger, with six basketball goals, the learning commons includes “a top of the line recording studio” as well as a courtyard with two playscapes and is encircled by a pedestrian track.

Spooner’s teachers applauded wildly when she noted that staff restrooms have gone from three in the old building to 14.

At a cost of nearly $37 million, Eastvalley opened to students and staff two weeks ago after the fall break, after supply chain and construction delays pushed the move from the start of the current school year.

Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the delayed opening is “bittersweet—but now it is more sweet than bitter” as the doors have formally opened.

Monday was chosen for the celebration because it was an asynrchronous learning day in the district for staff development reasons.

The Eastvalley Chorus sang the national anthem and many Eastvalley students and their families turned out to tour the new building.

“This is what SPLOST is allowing us to do,” Ragsdale said, referring to the Cobb Education special-purpose local-option sales tax that funds school construction and maintenance projects.

“Y’all deserve the best and this is truly the best.”

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Students began

Banks still considering Cobb school board re-election bid

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David Banks, Cobb school board member
David Banks taking the oath of office for his fourth term in January 2021. Photo: Cobb County School District.

When we spoke with David Banks in April, after a Republican challenger had declared for his seat on the Cobb Board of Education, the four-term Post 5 incumbent told us he was undecided.

That’s still the case, more than six months later, and with a Democratic candidate also having declared for the seat that includes the Pope, Walton and Wheeler high school clusters in East Cobb.

“My wife says no but she said no last time,” Banks told East Cobb News on Monday at the new Eastvalley Elementary School, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place.

He said the the main issue is his health—he’s in his early 80s and is dealing with back, hearing and eyesight issues—and the energy level it takes to serve.

“I’ve got to make a decision soon,” Banks said, indicating he’s hoping that will be by December.

His term ends at the end of 2024, and he’s one of three board Republicans who will be on the ballot next year. Republicans hold a 4-3 majority on a school board that has dealt with a number of contentious issues along partisan lines in recent years.

Banks said that former school board member John Crooks was considering a campaign for Post 5 and that he would have endorsed him and retired. But Crooks decided not to run.

Republican John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge are the only announced candidates thus far, and both were in attendance at the Eastvalley ribbon-cutting event.

Eastvalley is among the schools in a Post 5 that was redrawn by the Georgia legislature last year to reduce East Cobb school constituencies to two posts. In Post 4, Republican David Chastain represents the Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry clusters, and Post 6 (formerly Walton and Wheeler) is now in the Cumberland-Vinings-Smyrna area.

“It’s in a state of flux,” Banks said. “There are still a lot of things I’d like to do. But there are a lot of reasons not to do it.”

He said he’s interested in expanding the robotics program at Walton High School and would like to see Wheeler, which has a STEM magnet program, become a “100 percent” STEM school, similar to the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

“The future is technology and AI,” said Banks, a retired technology executive. “People don’t understand what’s coming.”

First elected in 2009, Banks has been a controversial figure for his comments on racial and cultural issues and for using his personal newsletter to send messages against the COVID-19 vaccine.

More recently, he drew fire for social media comments disparaging the Roman Catholic faith.

In 2020, Banks won a three-way GOP primary without a runoff but defeated a Democratic challenger only by 2,639 votes.

Cristadoro and Judge are parents in the Walton cluster who have drawn high-profile support.

Cristadoro is being backed by former Cobb Chamber of Commerce President John Loud and has raised more than $30,000 in a campaign finance effort that could reach six figures.

Judge is a member of Watching the Funds—Cobb, a watchdog group that tracks spending in the Cobb County School District, and formerly served as education chair in the citizens cabinet of Democratic District 2 Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson.

The 2024 primaries will be in May.

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Ribbon-cutting event for new Eastvalley ES campus is Monday

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New Eastvalley ES ribbon cutting
An aerial photo of Eastvalley ES peering south along Holt Road (at far right), with the relocated Wheeler tennis courts and softball field in the background. 

Monday is an asynchronous learning day in the Cobb County School District, meaning students will be instructed remotely as their teachers have staff development sessions.

Cobb County School District officials are using the occasion to formally celebrate the opening of two new school facilities.

One of them is the new Eastvalley Elementary School, which will have a ribbon-cutting event starting at noon on Monday.

The Cobb school district said the festivities include a flag raising by cadets with the Wheeler High School Air Force JROTC.

The Eastvalley chorus will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” and principal Dr. Whitney Spooner and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale will be the featured speakers.

There also will be tours of the 150,844-square-foot, two-story building, which is located on the former campus of East Cobb Middle School (380 Holt Road).

The new Eastvalley opened to students on Oct. 2, following the fall break, at a cost of $36.7 million in Cobb-Education SPLOST V funds.

Eastvalley opened in 1960 on Lower Roswell at Holt Road but has been chronically overcrowded for several years, with more than 700 students enrolled in a facility designed for 400.

Many of them were in aging portable classrooms that were the subject of parental complaints.

The new building includes 61 classrooms with a capacity for 962 students. Car and bus parking areas are separated, and there’s an outdoor classroom in a courtyard.

There are two “playscapes” and a large playfield surrounded by an asphalt walking track.

The other ribbon-cutting is Monday at 10 a.m. at the new Betty Gray Middle School in Mableton.

New Eastvalley ribbon cutting
The new Eastvalley ES campus at right, with Wheeler High School across the street on Holt Road. Photos from Cobb County School District

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Cobb schools teacher of the year honored at Marietta Square

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Cobb schools teacher of the year honored
Dr. Elzabeth Goff with Bells Ferry Elementary School students as she was honored at the Marietta Square Thursday. Photos: Cobb County School District

Bells Ferry Elementary School teacher Dr. Elizabeth Goff left her handprints on the Marietta Square on Thursday.

It’s a tradition for those named the Cobb County School District Teacher of the Year (see our post in August), and the honors continued with the Give Our Schools A Hand celebration at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre and organized by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

Goff has been an educator for 25 years and is a teacher of English as a Second Language.

Inside the theatre, the Bells Ferry chorus serenaded Goff, and some students placed their handprints inside their teacher’s on the wet cement outside.

“They have all kinds of ideas. I support all of those. Occasionally, I will have students that somewhere along the line start changing that idea and they’ll tell you, ‘I would love to be a teacher. I want to be just like you,” she said in a Cobb school district release. “It is the greatest compliment. It’s a wonderful feeling. I feel so much pride.”

Goff and Candance Torrence, the Marietta City Schools teacher of the year, will be honored by the Cobb Chamber on Nov. 13 and will be presented with a free one-year car lease from the Voyles Automotive Group.

It’s part of the Chamber’s monthly Monday Marquee luncheon series and is devoted to the state of education in the county.

Cobb teacher of the year honored

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Wheeler HS leads Cobb schools in 2023 ACT composite scores

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Wheeler name change

Students at Wheeler High School in the Class of 2023 turned in the top composite score for American College Testing (ACT) in the Cobb County School District.

According to figures released by the Cobb school district Wednesday, Wheeler’s composite ACT score is 26.5, up from 23.4 in 2022.

Recently:

Wheeler is one of four Cobb schools with composite scores over 24. The others are also in East Cobb: Walton Walton (25.8), Pope (24.5), and Lassiter (24.4).

The ACT tests students in curriculum-based English, mathematics, reading and science. The maximum score is 36.

The 127 Wheeler students who took the ACT also turned in the highest scores in each of those subject areas in Cobb (see chart below).

Cobb’s overall composite score at 16 traditional high schools is 22.7, above the state and national averages. But that’s the third consecutive year with a slight decrease.

A total of 2,273 students in the Cobb school district took the test in 2023, including 285 at Walton, 220 at Pope and 212 at Lassiter.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment that truly reflects the dedication and hard work of our exceptional students, the support of their involved families, and the continued commitment of our outstanding and dedicated staff,” Wheeler Principal Paul Gillihan said in the Cobb school district release.

“Together, we have shown the power of teamwork which brings excellence in education and life. Go Wildcats!”

Five Cobb students earned perfect scores of 36, and they attended Wheeler, Walton and Allatoona.

Wheeler leads Cobb 2023 ACT scores

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Lassiter leads Cobb high schools in 2023 graduation rates

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Lassiter High School graduation rate

Lassiter High School had the highest graduation rate for the Cobb County School District in the Class of 2023.

The district announced in a release Tuesday that 476 of Lassiter’s 484-member senior class graduated in May, for 98.4 percent.

Lassiter was second in the 17-high school Cobb school district last year, and this year is one of nine schools with a graduation rate of 90 percent or better.

Four of those are in East Cobb. Walton is fourth in Cobb at 96.8 percent (595 of 615 seniors graduating). Pope is fifth at 95.6 percent (461 of 482).

“Every day, our staff embrace and support our students to help them reach the finish line,” Lassiter principal Chris Richie said in the Cobb school district release.

“The support our parents and community provide is exceptional, and ultimately, we are thankful that our students come to school each day prepared to engage in the process of learning. It’s that collective collaboration between our faculty, students, parents, and the Lassiter community that allows everyone to embrace our vision of reaching excellence and climbing higher.”

Kell’s graduation rate was 93.8 percent (317 of 333), and Wheeler’s was 90.7 (477 of 526).

Those figures represent increases of 2.5 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, from 2022. third in the district behind Osborne, whose graduation rate of 74.3 percent is up 6.3 percent.

Sprayberry’s graduation rate was 87.5 percent (412 of 471).

That’s right at the Cobb average of 87.7 percent, which is up 0.3 percent from 2022. In major metro Atlanta school districts, Cobb is second behind Fulton County, with a graduation rate of 90.3 percent.

Harrison and Hillgrove tied for second in Cobb with graduation rates of 97 percent.

Across Georgia, the overall graduation rate is 84.4 percent, which also is an increase of 0.3 percent from last year.

Public school districts are required by federal law to publish graduation rates, and must use a formula to calculate those figures by counting students who are enrolled for even a single day over four years.

Cobb schools said in its release that Lassiter would have had a 100 percent graduation rate had the numbers been counted to reflect students there who attended all four years.

What the district terms “real” graduation rates includes nine Cobb schools with graduation rates of 99 percent or better.

The Georgia Department of Education has broken down graduation rate data further, including by racial, ethnic, economically challenged and students with disabilities, even at the school level. You can view that information by clicking here.

Cobb 2023 graduation rate data
For a larger view, click here.

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Kennesaw State launches public phase of $200M fundraiser

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Kennesaw State University has announced its biggest fundraising campaign in school history.KSU logo

The Campaign for Kennesaw State (website) comes after private fundraising efforts that began in 2019 netted nearly $120 million, prompting officials to increase the goal to $200 million.

“The outpouring of support for KSU has been nothing short of incredible, and I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone who has given thus far and to those who plan to give in the future,” Kennesaw State President Kathy Schwaig said in a statement issued Friday.

“This campaign comes at a time when the University is experiencing unprecedented growth, and the support garnered from this effort is critical in furthering KSU’s commitment to its students and the community.”

The statement said that the fundraising campaign “will inspire student success through funding for scholarships and support programs, accelerate discovery by strengthening and enriching the University’s multidisciplinary research initiatives and enhance the community by improving academic and athletic facilities.”

Private fundraising efforts have benefitting KSU academic schools and programs and its athletics department, and the public campaign will include “all 11 colleges, Student Affairs, KSU Athletics and University research initiatives,” said Lance Burchett, KSU vice president for advancement and head of the KSU Foundation.

KSU is the third-largest university in Georgia with nearly 45,000 students at its campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta as well as online programs.

 

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Second-year Wheeler High School band director dies

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Madison Argo, who recently began his second year as the director of Wheeler High School’s band program, has died.Wheeler HS band director dies

A Cobb County School District spokeswoman confirmed the death, but provided no other details.

“We mourn along with the Wheeler High School community following the passing of the school’s band director,” she said in response to a request for information from East Cobb News.

“Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who are grieving. School counselors will continue to be available to support students and staff during this difficult time.”

Cobb schools were out this week for fall break and the Wheeler marching band also has the week off since the Wildcats football team is idle.

Wheeler’s marching band recently was the only local high school to participate in the EAST COBBER parade.

Wheeler’s band program includes the Wildcat Pride marching band, three large ensemble classes, colorguard, drumline, jazz band, and pep band.

According to his official school biography, Argo came to Wheeler after holding a similar position at a high school in Texas. He also was an associate band director at Whitewater High School in Fayetteville.

Argo was a 2014 graduate of Auburn University, where he was the drum major, and earned a master’s in fine arts degree from Ball State University in 2021.

Argo also has performed with the Cobb Wind Symphony and Emory Wind Ensemble and was a member of various music education organizations.

He also on the music staff for the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Wheeler PTSA issued a statement early Friday evening saying that Argo “made a positive impact on the lives of so many students and staff during his time at Wheeler, and he will be deeply missed.”

The Lassiter High School band program expressed condolences on its Facebook page.

“Madison was a diligent educator, passionate musician, and a friend to many,” the Lassiter message stated. “He will be missed dearly.”

The Ball State band program said on its Facebook page that Argo, who earned his master’s degree there in wind conducting while serving as a graduate assistant, was “a dedicated member of the BSU staff and a tremendous asset to the BSU Band program. Madison’s sense of humor and boundless energy was contagious.

“Madison’s spirit will live on through his students, colleagues, and friends.”

Auburn band director Corey Spurlin issued a statement on Instagram, saying “Madison’s integrity was beyond reproach and was one of the most outstanding students I have had the pleasure of working with during my tenure at Auburn. . . . He loved his family, his band students, music, wrestling, and Auburn. He was a truly great Auburn man, and he will be missed.”

The Wheeler Band Booster Club said that “our hearts are broken, and we want to help as well” by setting up a fundraising account for Argo’s funeral expenses.

The proceeds will go to his father and sister.

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Timber Ridge Elementary School custodian ‘Mr. Jimmy’ dies

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Timber Ridge ES custodian dies
“Mr. Jimmy” Grier, at left, with Timber Ridge ES head custodian Thomas Fleming

A reader shared with us news that was sent out Wednesday to the Timber Ridge Elementary School community that one of its custodians, Jimmy Grier, has died.

Principal Shannon McGill e-mailed parents and staff to say that in his 10 years in the job, “Mr. Jimmy impacted many students and staff during his time at Timber Ridge. The Timber Ridge School community will greatly miss his presence.”

She urged parents to help their students with grieving and to contact school counselors if they desired.

A recent social media posting from the Timber Ridge PTA included a photo of Grier and head custodian Thomas Fleming (above) ahead of National Custodian Appreciation Day next week.

On Thursday, the Timber Ridge PTA posted this notice on its Facebook page:

As many of you know, Monday is national Custodian Appreciation Day, and so many beautiful cards and notes were written for Mr. Jimmy. We plan to send those cards to his family in a few weeks, so that they will know just how much we all loved him. The PTA will also make a memorial to Mr. Jimmy, and we will share that information with you as it becomes available.

Finally, not only do we plan to give Ms Theresa and Mr. Thomas all of the cards and notes you made, along with gift cards the PTA purchased, we would also like to encourage each of you to give them extra love in the days and weeks to come.

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Walton, Wheeler, Lassiter lead 2023 Cobb school SAT scores

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Walton SAT scores
Walton’s overall SAT score of 1,255 was third in Georgia in 2023.

Students at Walton, Wheeler and Lassiter high schools had the highest overall test averages in the Cobb County School District for the Class of 2023, according to numbers released Monday by the Georgia Department of Education.

Walton’s “total mean score” was 1,255—the same as last year—and is the third-highest for a public school in Georgia.

Wheeler was in second at 1,184, but that was down 27 points from a 1,211 score in 2022. Lassiter was third at 1,183, a slight drop from 1,186 last year.

Pope students averaged a score of 1,179, compared to 1,178 last year, according to the state data.

The total mean score for Kell seniors was 1,063 and at Sprayberry it was 1,059.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test is administered every spring for seniors. They are tested on evidence-based reading and writing and math.

The Cobb school district said in a release that its districtwide figure is 1,104 out of a possible 1,600 points, the highest in metro Atlanta. That’s a bit lower than last year’s score of 1,111.

Cobb students posted a reading and writing mean score of 541 and a math mean score of 563, both slightly down from last year.

The release stated that the Walton, Wheeler and Lassiter students “outscored their national peers by 252 points, 181 points, and 180 points, respectively.”

The other Cobb schools with total mean scores above 1,100 are Kennesaw Mountain (1,127) and Harrison (1,121).

Walton’s overall score of 1,255 is the third-highest in Georgia, trailing only the Gwinnett School for Math, Science and Technology (1,393) and Northview High School in North Fulton (1,263).

Georgia’s overall SAT number of 1,045, is 42 points higher than the national average for public-school students of 1003, according to the state education department.

Gwinnett’s mean score is 1,091, Fulton’s is 1,085 and Marietta’s is 1,052.

“Our schools are focused on teaching and learning and helping each individual student succeed. That is why Cobb students continue to outscore their peers around the metro, state, and nation. I am thankful for the hard-working Cobb educators and engaged parents who help our students reach their full potential,” Cobb school board chairman Brad Wheeler said in the district release.

# Taking Test Total Score Mean Reading & Writing Mean Math Mean 2022 Mean
Kell HS 172 1063 548 515 1063
Lassiter HS 366 1183 595 588 1186
Pope HS 342 1179 596 584 1178
Sprayberry HS 242 1059 546 514 1070
Walton HS 474 1255 626 630 1255
Wheeler HS 296 1184 595 589 1211
Cobb 4676 1104 563 541 1111

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Relocated Eastvalley ES campus to open after fall break

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New Eastvalley ES opening after fall break

While Cobb students and teachers will be on fall break next week, some Cobb County School District employees will be busy moving desks, books and the other belongings of Eastvalley Elementary School to its new campus.

Cobb school district officials confirmed this week that the new campus, located on Holt Road, will be open for classes and other activities on Monday, Oct. 2.

A district spokeswoman told East Cobb News that there will be a formal ribbon-cutting on Oct. 16 but offered few other details about the resumption of classes at the new facility.

John Floresta, the district’s chief strategy and accountability officer, told East Cobb News Friday that “the new building is on schedule to begin classes after fall break.”

Eastvalley was to have begun the 2023-24 year at the new campus, but in May the district said that would be delayed due to supply chain issues.

At the start of the school year, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said it was the district’s intent to meet that fall break deadline.

The $36.7 million Eastvalley campus is located across from Wheeler High School, on the former site of East Cobb Middle School.

Construction began in the spring of 2022 on a two-story building with 136,110 square feet and 61 classrooms, with an expected capacity of around 960 K-5 students.

It is replacing a more than 60-year-old facility on Lower Roswell Road that has been overcrowded for years, with more than 700 students occupying a campus designed for 400.

Parents have complained about aging trailers that have been used to handle the overcrowding.

The Eastvalley fall festival, organized by the school’s PTA and volunteer foundation, also is scheduled to take place at the new campus on Oct. 6.

New Eastvalley ES campus opening

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National Merit Scholarship semifinalists named for 2024

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The initial list of candidates for National Merit Scholarships has been named for the Class of 2024, and Walton and Wheeler High Schools in East Cobb are well-represented. East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

They combined for 38 semifinalists–22 at Walton and 16 at Wheeler—out of more than 16,000 high school seniors across the country.

The program will award more than $28 million in scholarship aid to more than 7,000 recipients next spring. The students are chosen from a combination of grade-point averages and test scores, essays and teacher recommendations, as well as community activities.

The finalists will be announced later this fall.

Lassiter High School

  • Andrew Best; Andrew Griffis, Eileen Grouchnikov

Pope High School

  • Cristane Goodwin; Hayden Menezes; Clara Murray; Jay Natu; Simon O’Conno; Michael Soule; Paul Trotti

Walton High School

  • Pranaya Balaji; Hunter Buchheit; Sheling Cai; Nikita Chacko; Sarah Clark; James Davis; Andrew Fang; Mirabelle Havette; Evan Hsu; Daniel Huang; Zhikai Huang; Omer Inan; Ethan Ju; Daniel Lin; Shria Manikkoth; Benjamin Priest; William Sasadu; Vansh Shah; Samrita Shetty; Emma Webb; Lydia Zeng; Stephen Zhu.

Wheeler High School

  • Katherine Carter; Nathan DeLuryea; Param Desai; Oreoluwabomi Fakiyesi; Sophie Fang; Diya Garrepally; Vaishnavi Gogineni; Venya Gunjal; Richard Kang; Bradley McGhee; Kyan Nguyen; Christian Phanhthourath; Bryce Pyburn; Asmita Saraswat; Zachary Tong; Akshaj Yenumala.

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Ragsdale: ‘Sexualization of children can never be defended’

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After hearing from those in favor of and against his recent decisions over controversial issues involving school library books and gender identity topics, Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale responded in dramatic fashion Thursday night.

During a Cobb Board of Education meeting, Ragsdale read from lengthy, prepared remarks—running around 20 minutes—about a number of controversies over school library books and the firing of a teacher for reading a book to her class about gender identity.

He defiantly defended his decision to fire Katie Rinderle, who is appealing that decision to the Georgia Board of Education, and for pulling two books from middle- and high school libraries that contained sexually explicit materials.

He also denied that teachers, media specialists and other personnel have been threatened with their jobs, nor have district policies and processes for vetting books been ignored.

His critics have complained that the Cobb school district succumbed to conservative activists in removing the books, which contain language and graphics depicting sex acts.

They held a rally before the meeting wearing red “Replace Ragsdale” shirts and called for his ouster, and echoed those sentiments during a public comment period.

But at the end of his remarks (you can read them in full here), Ragsdale was emphatic that the district acted properly in removing “vulgar, sexually explicit, lewd, obscene, or pornographic” materials and that it would continue to be vigilant in doing so,

“This situation is about right and wrong, good and evil. This sexualization of children can never be defended nor allowed in any context, but especially in education,” he said to applause.

Gabriel Sanchez

“There is no middle ground in this situation. There is no room to flip-flop on where you stand–you are either in favor of providing inappropriate material to children or you are against it. I assure you–I am against it, and I will not be moved.”

He said the district has a responsibility to the 109,000 students enrolled in the district and their parents to keep them safe, including from sexually explicit materials.

At a school board work session Thursday afternoon, Ragsdale supporters turned out in force, stressing parental rights and protecting children from adult themes they may not understand.

But for the evening session, most of the speakers spoke in heated opposition to the book restrictions and Rinderle’s termination.

They accused Ragsdale and the district of censoring books and limiting the education of students, especially on LGBTQ+ matters and other issues over cultural identity.

Gabriel Sanchez, a Walton High School graduate, was one of them.

“There is indoctrination in the school district,” he said, “and it’s coming from extremist, right-wing ideology from politicians and the elites who want to ruin our education, privatize it, and make sure that only what right-wingers approve of is taught in our schools.”

He said when he was a Walton student, he was taught that the Civil War was prompted by states-rights instead of slavery, “that is objectively false, that is right-wing ideology.”

Sanchez also said that “trans kids and non-binary kids also exist, and they need affirmation,” which prompted cheers in the room.

Jeff Hubbard, president of the Cobb County Association of Educators, said his pleas with the district to clarify policies on book restrictions and vetting have been ignored.

Two of the co-leaders of the Cobb Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, both district media specialists, resigned their volunteer positions after Rinderle’s termination, concerned that there might be books that would violate district policy and state law.

“Please do not scare the heck out of staff when taking books without notice and investigating media specialists,” he said. “This is about creating and following policies correctly.”

Ragsdale responded to that point by saying that the Reading Bowl has not been called off, nor has any staff member been threatened with being fired.

Those spreading such “inaccurate” information, he added, are “doing nothing more than engaging in fear-mongering. . . .

“We are not enforcing radical new policies and practices. We are not going rogue and refusing to follow our own policies. We are following well-established federal and state law and policies and practices of the District that have been with us for years, if not decades. We are not usurping the rights of parents to make key decisions regarding the upbringing and education of their children.”

He said the Cobb school district provides an ample diversity of perspectives in its curriculum and related materials, along cultural, historical and viewpoint lines.

But the “ ‘radical new idea’ is not that schools have an obligation to protect students, but the radical new idea is that all children should somehow be forced to encounter sexually explicit language and instruction while at school,” he said.

He specified what was objectionable about the two books—”Flamer” and “Me, Earl and the Dying Girl” and noted that the sexually explicit content wasn’t incidental but “central themes of the books,” with multiple instances of profane language and even illustrations of nude children.

Ragsdale added that parents have the right to expose their children to such material at home, but “anyone working in education who knowingly provided students with access to sexually explicit, obscene, or pornographic materials should not be in a position of educating other parents’ children.”

A Cobb school student, George Moore, who identified as gay and non-binary, said “Flamer” and books like it can help people like him feel safer to be in school.

Removals of such books, Moore said, “does not make me feel safer. It makes me feel as if I should not be there. If a book about that cannot be there, can I?”

East Cobb resident Micheal Garza, one of the organizers of the rally and frequent Ragsdale critic, said in a social media posting Friday that Ragsdale’s comments were a “tirade” and that neither he nor others like him advocates for pornographic materials.

“The district tried to divide us and intimidate us last night. And they failed,” Garza said. “We are more resolved than ever to continue to work. We will continue to organize and strategize with a common goal of the removal of Chris Ragsdale and having a Board of Education that reflects the quality of our educators in this district and the diverse community that is Cobb.”

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Cobb citizens voice strong support for school superintendent

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Before critics of Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale held a rally Thursday afternoon, several citizens turned out at a Cobb Board of Education work session to support him.

Cobb citizens support school superintendent
“We’re talking about teaching the wrong things to small children,” East Cobb resident Helen Allen said.

A public comment session was dominated by speakers who applauded his decision to fire a Due West Elementary School teacher for reading a book to her class about gender identity.

That’s triggered a wave of criticism, following last month’s vote by the school board to uphold the termination of Katie Rinderle, and a decision by the district to pull two books from 20 middle- and high school libraries for being sexually explicit.

Rinderle announced Thursday that she’s appealing her firing to the Georgia Board of Education, and some parents scheduled a “Replace Ragsdale” rally between board meetings.

They’ve complained it’s part of a larger trend in some parts of the country to impose book bans in schools at the behest of conservative activists.

Cobb fired Rinderle for what district officials said was a violation of a recent state law banning the teaching of “divisive concepts” which could include sexual and gender themes.

Rinderle said through the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is representing her, that the Cobb school board’s decision “to fire me undermines students’ freedom to learn. I am appealing this decision because I oppose censorship, discrimination and harm to students in any form. I’m committed to creating inclusive, diverse and empowering environments that center students in their learning journey.”

But Ragsdale’s defenders applauded him for refusing to allow the Cobb school district to distribute materials and allow instruction that they say is indoctrinating children.

“It’s not a Republican thing, it’s not a Democratic thing, it’s just about the kids,” said East Cobb resident Helen Allen, who has two children in Cobb schools.

“I don’t care if anyone’s gay, I don’t care if anyone’s straight, that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about teaching the wrong things to small children. . . . We just need common sense and you guys have it.”

John McLean said he was grateful for the Cobb school district for not allowing the teaching of “twisted ideology to my kids and grandkids.

“To those of you who consider this a book ban, led me remind you that you can read whatever you want to another adult. But today the traditional family is under attack and I for one am going to fight back.”

McLean added that he said that if he stayed for the rally, “it would probably make me sick.”

Judy Sardin of East Cobb said that “as the school district goes, so goes the community. Thank you for protecting children and following the law.”

Chris Spears said those critical of Ragsdale are in a small minority. “You have a lot of residents in Cobb County that are supporting your recent decision. They simply wanted to say thank you for standing firm.’

Marietta resident Leroy Emkin, a retired engineering professor at Georgia Tech who was in the education field for 45 years, told Ragsdale that “we want to see you here and nowhere else. . . . I think I know what I’m talking about when I’m making a judgment about your performance.”

There were no speakers during the work session who spoke in opposition to Ragsdale.

More public commenters were expected to speak on the subject at the board’s evening meeting.

A student group called the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition also was holding a press conference on Thursday, critical of what it says is active censorship in Cobb schools.

“We are the students being affected by content taught in schools. We are the ones most negatively affected by the censorship being discussed in this school board meeting,” the group said in a media advisory. “Georgia students like us deserve smaller classroom sizes and robust counseling services that can meet our needs, not unnecessary censorship and fear mongering. We will not be overlooked in our own education system, and we will continue to fight for a robust and well funded future for Georgia’s youth.”

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Walton HS graduate named to Stamps Scholars Program

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Walton High School graduate Chaitana Sri Yetukuri, who will attend Georgia Tech, sends along word that she’s been named a Stamps Scholar, which includes 272 students nationwide who “are passionate about using their talents to make a positive impact on their communities, locally and globally.”Walton HS graduate Stamps Presidential Scholars Program

 Yetukuri, who graduated from Walton this year and was a National Merit Scholar, plans to study Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.

Here’s more of what she sent to us about the Stamps program, which was founded in 2006:

“Stamps Scholars are chosen for their academic excellence, leadership experience, dedication to service, and exceptional character. The approximate value of Stamps Scholarships for the new class over their time in school is worth up to $47.5 million. 

“At most partner universities, the Stamps Scholarship covers up to the total estimated cost of attendance for four years of undergraduate study and also includes enrichment funds that Scholars can use for academic and professional development, such as study abroad, internships, and independent research. In recent years, Stamps Scholars have used their funds to simulate a space mission in Utah, explore their creative writing interests while living in an English castle, attend a medical Spanish program in Ecuador, and study international business in Spain. Stamps Scholarships are also awarded to select rising juniors at several colleges and universities, including the US Air Force Academy, the US Military Academy, the US Naval Academy, the University of Chicago, Dartmouth College, the University of Georgia, and the University of Michigan.

“Perhaps the most special benefit of the Stamps Scholarship is the opportunity for Scholars to network with an international community of peers and alumni – from regional conferences hosted by partner institutions to informal meet-ups to the biennial Stamps Scholars National Convention. In April 2023, nearly 700 Stamps Scholars gathered for the seventh Stamps Scholars National Convention at the Georgia Institute of Technology. During this event, Scholars had the opportunity to meet and connect with one another, gain awareness of important issues facing society, and engage with national leaders.

“Stamps Scholars are also among the recipients of prestigious awards including Fulbright, Gates Cambridge, Goldwater, Marshall, Rhodes, Truman, and Schwarzman Scholarships. Stamps alumni work with top companies and organizations such as Google, Goldman Sachs, and NASA and are pursuing graduate degrees at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and the University of Cambridge.”

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Cobb superintendent critics to hold ‘Replace Ragsdale’ rally

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Replace Ragsdale rally
Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale at a teacher of the year event at Lassiter High School in August. ECN photo

A group of citizens who are regularly critical of Cobb County School District Chris Ragsdale have scheduled a rally Thursday to call for his ouster.

The “Replace Ragsdale” rally will start at 3:30 Thursday at the Cobb school district’s headquarters (514 Glover St., Marietta), as the Cobb Board of Education is holding its September meetings.

A work session starts at 2 p.m., followed by an executive session and a 7 p.m. voting meeting.

Ragsdale has come under fire by some critics for terminating a Due West Elementary School teacher after she read a book about gender identity to her students, and after the Cobb school district pulled two books from 20 middle- and high school shelves that were deemed sexually explicit and in violation of a new state “divisive concepts” in education law.”

It’s the latest in a long line of complaints that a group of parents and educators have been making about Ragsdale in recent years. Some of them have publicly expressed their concerns at public comment periods at school board meetings, but they have said they rarely get a response.

The Cobb school board has a 4-3 Republican majority, with those GOP members routinely backing Ragsdale. In late 2021, the Republicans voted to revise Ragsdale’s contract as the district was undergoing a special review by its accrediting agency.

The organizers of Thursday’s rally call themselves the Cobb Community Care Coalition and include Micheal Garza, an East Cobb resident who ran as a Democrat for the Georgia legislature in 2020 and Jennifer Susko, a former Mableton Elementary School counselor who resigned in protest when the Cobb school board banned the teaching of Critical Race Theory in 2021.

“Chris Ragsdale’s decision making is the reason for everything occurring in Cobb Schools that has been embarrassing us in the national news over the last several years,” said the rally organizers. “We are showing up as a community to resist and demonstrate that we will not remain silent while he and his leadership staff abuse their power.”

The group says that Ragsdale is responsible for “firing and disparaging teachers,” removing books against the district’s policy, “creating a hostile work environment where educators fear for their jobs,” “fostering school climates that are harmful to LGBTQ+ and Black and brown students, families and educators,” “banning programming that helps protect marginalized students and prevent identity based bullying” and “disrespecting a teacher who died of COVID.”

The Cobb Republican Party is urging its members to attend to thank and show support for Ragsdale.

Party chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs said that “we need to have 50-60 people on our side” for the 7 p.m. meeting, which “is the one the left will show up to.”

Susko, who was a temporary special assistant to Democratic Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, responded that the Cobb MOB has seen our efforts and responded frantically and irrationally as usual. Thank him for WHAT exactly? .  .  . Salleigh, you CAN HAVE CHRIS RAGSDALE! He wants to work for the GOP anyway. Take him.”

The work session agenda includes a discussion of recent Georgia Milestones test scores in Cobb and metro Atlanta school districts, while the evening meeting will include a request to purchase 38 new school buses and recognition of state champion athletes, include track and field and tennis participants at Walton High School.

Agendas for both meetings can be found by clicking here.

The school board’s public meetings Thursday will be live-streamed on the Cobb County School District’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

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East Cobb MS students design cars for students with mobility needs

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East Cobb MS students design cars for students in need

Students from the East Cobb Middle School “Go Baby Go Club” recently designed and gave away customized, motorized vehicles for students with mobility needs.

The five modified vehicles, designed to assist youngsters with phyical disabilities to engage in a variety of school activities, were recently demonstrated in the ECMS parking lot.

According to a Cobb County School District release, “Go Baby Go” is “a national, community-based research, design, and outreach program that provides modified ride-on cars” for children who need help getting around.

“Kids with physical disabilities often experience play differently due to access issues,” said Dr. Jennifer Tumlin Garrett, a Cobb Schools Orthopedic Impairments Itinerant teacher.

“This impacts their ability to participate in activities with their peers and friends. Modifying these cars for each kid’s specific needs allows them to have a fun toy they can use in their neighborhood with other kids, whereas before, they just had to sit on the sidelines and watch. They can now be ACTIVE participants instead of passive participants.”

ECMS began the club after teachers Shannon Ventresca and Danielle Crabbe and a former school employee pitched the idea during Cobb Tank, an annual grant competition supporting innovation in Cobb Schools.

They received $5,000 to start the club and deliver at least six cars, but they’ve already raised enough to produce eight over the past two years. On Aug. 5, they delivered the first five vehicles to students who attend Murdock and Tritt elementary schools in East Cobb, along with the South Cobb Early Learning Center, Vaughn ES and Kemp ES.

The ECMS students added switches, joysticks, safety harnesses, and extra supports using PVC pipes and pool noodles on the new rides.

Team members include includes Abdul-Aziz Abaza, Shainne Balabuch, Sadie Culberson, Miguel Garcia, Sofia Letts, Brooklyn King, and Isaac Trzecieski, aided by ECMS ISS paraprofessional Anthony Ventresca.

“The reason I chose to join Go Baby Go is because we are helping people, and they work hard to make people’s lives better. Go Baby Go is also a family, and I want to be a part of that family,” said Balabuch, a 7th grader.

The ECMs Go Baby Go Club has an account at the school to accept donations, as well as a Walmart registry.

“We want to keep this program going forward to bring as many kids with limited mobility a Go Baby Go set of wheels and the freedom that comes with it,” said Shannon Ventresca.

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Cobb County School District to hold dual enrollment summit

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Submitted info:Cobb Schools Dual Enrollment Summit

Why should students participate in dual enrollment? What colleges participate in the Cobb Schools Dual Enrollment Program? Who pays the tuition? How do students enroll in the program? What are the qualifications? Who helps students coordinate college classes with high school requirements?

All those questions and more will be answered at the Cobb Schools Dual Enrollment Summit scheduled for 6:00–8:00 PM on August 31 at the Cobb Civic Center. 

The Dual Enrollment program offers Georgia high school students an opportunity to simultaneously receive high school and college credit when attending and passing approved college classes. The state pays for the courses and are at no cost to the student when college eligibility requirements are met. Dual enrollment is available online or on the college campus, depending on the student’s choice.

Dual enrollment offers a diversity of opportunities for students. High-demand trade skills such as welding, auto mechanics, and digital technology (to name a few) are readily available for those seeking to be career-ready while still in high school. 

Other students interested in accelerated courses, such as multivariable calculus, that may not be available at their high schools will gain an edge on college readiness. A large variety of academic-based classes are available.

The purpose of the Summit is to provide a venue for interested high school students and parents to learn more about eligibility, the application process, and the many diverse opportunities available to Cobb students.

Students will learn how the dual enrollment program can earn them free tuition, books, and college credit. Cobb school counselors and representatives from Chattahoochee Technical College, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, and Georgia Highlands College will be on-site to chat with families at the summit. 

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