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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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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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.
“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 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.”
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 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.
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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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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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A student was hit by a school bus at Wheeler High School on Friday afternoon and has been hospitalized, the Cobb County School District said.
A district spokeswoman said the student was a pedestrian and was struck by a bus in “an unfortunate incident.”
The female student was crossing Holt Road when she was hit, but was conscious when first responders arrived.
Her condition has not been released and nobody else was injured.
“We are grateful for the quick actions of first responders,” the spokeswoman said. “Our thoughts are with the student, who we wish a speedy recovery.”
UPDATED, SUNDAY, AUG. 27:
The student’s mother, Brittany King, has begun a GoFundMe campaign to pay for her daughter’s “medical bills, hospital stays, and physical therapy regimens.”
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The Cobb County School District is investigating what it is calling an “inaccurate e-mail” that was sent out Thursday saying that the district will not be participating in a statewide reading contest.
An e-mail was posted Friday morning on at least two Facebook groups dedicated to discussions about Cobb schools that the district would not be taking part in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl for the 2023-24 school year “due to an abundance of caution and in light of recent events.”
That’s a reference to the district’s decision earlier this week to pull two books from 20 middle school and high school libraries because of “sexually explicit” content that the district said violated district policy and a recent state law.
The e-mail, which was entitled “Cobb HRRB Announcement,” reportedly came from the Cobb HRRB co-chairs, Susan Buckert, a media specialist at McEachern High School, and Heather Kindschy, who has a similar position at Dickerson Middle School.
The Cobb HRRB is made up of school library staffers who serve on an all-volunteer basis. The Cobb County Association of Educators has said that the HRRB’s steering committee called off participation in the Reading Bowl, fearful of running afoul of content restrictions.
The message concluded with a quote from performing artist Taylor Swift saying that “Books train your imagination to think big.”
The Cobb school district called an e-mail attributed to the Cobb Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl steering committee “inaccurate.”
A district spokeswoman told East Cobb News that “the District is aware of an inaccurate email which indicated Cobb students would not be participating in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. The specifics of that email are currently being investigated.”
She didn’t say what was inaccurate but further stated that “there is currently no change to Cobb student eligibility” for the competition.
In addition, she said, “all District partners are expected to use books, videos, or other forms of digital content which are in accordance with District policy and the Law.”
East Cobb News has followed up to clarify those comments.
Nothing has been updated on the Cobb HRRB website or Facebook page since the 2023 Reading Bowl earlier this year.
The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl was started in the late 1980s and is named after a former DeKalb County school librarian who wanted to foster a love for reading in her students.
Competing students from grades 4-12 are given booklists at the elementary, middle and high school levels that are from the Georgia Children’s Book Award Top 20 listings.
There are district, regional and state quiz-style competitions based on the contents of the books that take place from January-March.
The Cobb school district spokeswoman also did not respond to a question from East Cobb News if it is evaluating the books that have been selected for the Reading Bowl; the Cobb HRRB website has posted the corresponding reading lists for the 2023-24 competition.
A Libs of TikTok screen grab from Cobb school district official John Floresta about two books pulled from school libraries this week.
The books the district pulled from the school libraries earlier this week contained discussions about sex acts, including oral sex and masturbation, and have been removed from a number of other school districts around the country.
Some Cobb parents denounced the decision on social media, saying the district was unfairly censoring materials related to sexuality and gender identity.
That came after last week’s vote by the Cobb Board of Education to terminate a Due West Elementary School teacher for reading a book to her class about gender identity.
The district did not reveal who reported the books that were removed from the libraries, nor did it explain the process for doing so.
On Thursday, the “Libs of TikTok” a high-profile social media account popular with conservatives, claimed in its newsletter that it reached out to the Cobb school district last Saturday “to ask them for comment on why they were offering pornographic themed books to their students.”
The newsletter contained a screengrab of what it said was its message to the Cobb school district, with the offending passages and images.
On Monday, the newsletter entry said, it received a response from John Floresta, the Cobb school district’s Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer, expressing surprise.
“Frankly, we weren’t aware of the sexually explicit content in these books until your email,” he said. “Any book, video, or lesson which contains sexually-explicit content is entirely unacceptable and have no place in our schools, period. We have removed both books from our schools.”
Floresta thanked “David,” the Libs of TikTok writer, “for bringing this to our attention, you have made our schools better for our students.”
David concluded the newsletter post by saying that “students should not be offered porn in schools and we will keep fighting until we get the porn removed from every school in America.”
Libs of TIkTok did not indicate how it learned of the presence of the books in Cobb school libraries that were removed.
Libs of TikTok has several million followers on its social media accounts, which post unflattering stories, photos and videos of liberals in their own words and actions.
Started by Chaiya Raichick, a former real estate agent in New York, Libs of Tik Tok has been designated as a “hate” group by some liberal advocacy groups for what it claims are anti-LGBTQ+ views.
Raichick recently published her own children’s book, “No More Secrets: The Candy Cavern,” about “the dangers of keeping secrets from your parents,” according to a publisher’s blurb.
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Several schools in the Cobb County School District notified parents Monday that books with “highly inappropriate, sexually explicit content” have been removed from their libraries.
The book’s titles weren’t named, nor were the individual schools, but the messages—which were worded identically and distributed to a number of schools, mostly middle schools and high schools—said that “this is unacceptable, and an investigation is underway.”
In response to a message from East Cobb News, a district spokeswoman said that 20 school libraries contained “Flamer,” about a 14-year-old gay boy struggling with his sexual orientation, and/or “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” a novel about high school boys who befriend a female student who is dying of cancer.
“We removed the books immediately, are in an ongoing investigation, and are committed to ensuring our students are taught with content in line with Georgia standards, Board policy, and the Law,” she said without elaborating.
She did not explain how the books were discovered and did not describe the process for removing them from the shelves.
The district said that’s a violation of 2022 Georgia law banning the teaching of “divisive concepts” in education, although numerous parents and educators spoke in support of Rinderle.
Students were not in person at Cobb schools on Monday, which was an “asynchronous” learning day due to teacher training.
East Cobb News has seen messages regarding the book pulling that were sent out to the Kell High School and Sprayberry High School communities that contained identical language. They reportedly were sent out to Walton, Wheeler and Pope high school communities as well as to parents of students at Hightower Trail Middle School in East Cobb.
The messages, which were distributed around 5 p.m. Monday, called the incident an “oversight” and said that “with thousands of books purchased over the decades, we are making every effort to insure that our library only includes materials that are aligned to Georgia standards, supported by law and CCSD policy, and contain content that is age appropriate for our students.”
Parents are being asked to communicate with teachers, principals and “appropriate school staff whenever you have a concern about what your student is reading, hearing, or learning.”
In its policies regarding media library programs, the Cobb school district said that it “acknowledges the right of parents/guardians and other citizens to be involved in the library media programs of the schools and the use of supplementary materials and to raise questions through established procedures when materials appear inappropriate for public school use.”
Cobb schools limit complaints to parents or legal guardians of students who notify a school principal, with the book being reviewed by a school committee within 45 days.
A number of public school districts in the country have recently been pulling books following parental complaints, particularly along lines of sex and gender identity.
Both of the books pulled in Cobb are among those most frequently removed from school libraries.
“Flamer,” published in 2020 by Mike Curato, a gay author and illustrator, is intended for youths ages 14-18. In the book, the lead character is a boy who is the subject of taunting and verbal abuse from other students for appearing to be gay.
“I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe,” reads a passage from “Flamer.” PEN America, which advocates for the rights of authors and free expression, said it was the most-banned book in its 2022 index of school book bans.
There are also discussions in the book about sex acts and masturbation.
“Flamer” was included in a high-profile restriction of books in school libraries in Florida following the passage of a recent state law touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is vying for the Republican nomination for president.
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews, was published in 2012 and also has been pulled from school libraries in Florida and elsewhere because of complaints about frank discussions of sex and gender identity.
The book also includes passages about oral sex.
In a recent interview, Andrews said that “it’s important to point out that most of the targeted books are about what it is to be not white or straight or cisgender in America, and I want to be really clear that I worry a lot more about the smearing and censoring of those viewpoints than I do my own.”
(“Cisgender” is a term coined by transgender activists to refer to people whose gender identity matches their biological sex.)
Moms for Liberty, which has been pushing for book restrictions in school libraries across the country, said it is not in favor of banning books, but advocating for age-appropriate materials in schools.
The organization has four chapters in Georgia, in Fulton, Hall, Oconee and Chattooga counties.
Defenders of the book restrictions have said they’re also necessary to ensure parental rights.
Those were the arguments made by parents on Thursday before the school board regarding the Rinderle termination.
The book she read, “My Shadow is Purple,” is meant to encourage children to move “beyond the gender binary.”
Rinderle hasn’t said whether she will appeal her firing to the state board of education or sue the Cobb school district. But one of her attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center said “this is not the end of this case. This is the beginning.”
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An East Cobb resident who’s running for a seat on the Cobb Board of Education next year said Friday that the Cobb County School District could have employed “a policy for progressive punishment” to discipline a teacher for violating the state divisive concepts in education law instead of firing her.
Laura Judge, a Democrat who’s seeking the Post 5 seat held by current Republican vice chairman David Banks, said that she was “upset that a teacher was dismissed for introducing a book promoting understanding and inclusivity. Right now there is a student in a classroom who wants to be understood. I care about that child and every other child in our school system.”
She was appealing her firing in June for reading a book to her fifth-grade gifted class called “My Shadow Is Purple,” which discusses gender fluidity.
The Cobb school district said that’s not allowed under a 2022 law that prohibits public school teachers from discussing a number of topics, including claims that racism is “systematically” racist, that a group of people is inherently “oppressive” and some issues about sex and gender identity.
The district formally accused Rinderle of insubordination, willful neglect of duties and “other good and sufficient cause,” although a tribunal appointed by Ragsdale this week recommended that Rinderle be reinstated.
The school board discussed the matter in executive session and then voted without comment in a Thursday night public meeting.
Banks, a member of the Republican majority, hasn’t said whether he’ll be seeking a fifth term. He’s one of three GOP board members whose terms expire in 2024.
Judge, a parent in the Walton High School cluster, said in response to a request for comment from East Cobb News about the Rinderle decision that “in our district, we should value the diversity of thought and expression, recognizing that each family and individual comes from a unique background with personal experiences that shape their perspectives.
“While I fully respect and understand that every piece of educational material might not resonate with every member of our community, ensuring that all students feel seen and represented in their learning environment is essential. We must strike a balance between upholding our shared community values and ensuring that every student feels valued and understood.
“While many folks have differing viewpoints on whether or not they would like this book to be read around their children, there is a policy for progressive punishment that the district did not use.
“As they are in their position to hire and/or fire employees and at the tribunal stated the teacher was not ‘coachable,’ I must ask: ‘Where are the points in time when she was written up, suspended, or trained to correct such action?’ “
“It’s because of this, I am concerned about the extreme step to fire an educator and the costs to the taxpayers of this district to defend such an action. Board member constituents are more than just those in one party or who fund a campaign. They are current and former students, parents, administrators, staff, and teachers. Please let’s continue to be the best place to teach, lead, and learn for everyone. Let’s continue to try and work together to achieve the best educational environment for all our children.”
The only other announced candidate for the Post 5 seat, which covers the Walton, Wheeler and Pope clusters, is Republican John Cristadoro. East Cobb News has left a message with him seeking comment.
Judge’s comments are similar to the reaction from other Democrats. State Sen. Jason Esteves, whose District 6 includes part of East Cobb and who is a former chairman of the Atlanta Board of Education, said the firing of Rinderle was a “terrible decision that has implications beyond this case. There was no insubordination, and teachers shouldn’t work in fear.”
Former Democratic legislator and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said that “inclusion is not controversial – it’s essential. Reading is fundamental (and magical). Cobb school board members took an oath to guide children & four broke their promise. And shame on the politicos who gave them the power to do so.”
But in response to her social media posting, the Cobb Republican Party said in a brief post on X (formerly Twitter) that “Yes @staceyabrams It IS fundamental and shouldn’t be used to groom CHILDREN. Let children be children – not targets of your woke agenda!”
The message also tagged Rinderle’s X handle.
The Cobb County Republican Assembly, whose members spoke in favor of parental rights at school board public comment periods Thursday, posted that it was “grateful” to the school board for voting to “protect children from transgenderism!”
Audrey Neu, a member of the assembly, the Cobb GOP’s education liaison and Cristadoro’s campaign manager, said that “Our board members showed tremendous courage tonight. Both the state law and county policy are clear on this issue. Parental rights must be upheld and respected by the teachers and staff. I’m thankful we have a Superintendent and Board willing to stand up and protect the children of Cobb County.”
The 1776 Project PAC, which works to elect school board members opposed to teaching critical race theory and other cultural and social justice issues, said that all Rinderle “had to do to keep her job was not talk about gender ideology with 10-year-olds.”
Rinderle, who was a teacher in Cobb for 10 years, could still appeal her termination to the Georgia Board of Education.
She was represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which said in a statement Friday that “let it be known that this is not the end for this case.
“We knew this was a predetermined outcome dictated by Chris Ragsdale and the Cobb County Board of Education majority,” SPLC senior attorney Mike Tafelski said. “They continue to prioritize discrimination, bigotry and retaliation in Cobb County Schools. And we will continue to hold them accountable for their unlawful conduct. This is not the end of this case. This is the beginning.”
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Along partisan lines, the Cobb Board of Education voted on Thursday to uphold Superintendent Chris Ragsdale’s decision to fire an elementary school teacher for violating Georgia’s “divisive concepts” in education law.
By a 4-3 vote, the Republican majority approved a motion by GOP member David Chastain to reject a tribunal’s recommendation against terminating Katie Rinderle of Due West Elementary School, and support Ragsdale’s recommendation “effective immediately.”
The brief discussion did not identify Rinderle by name, but did reference the decision of the three-member tribunal, which earlier this week issued a report following a public hearing.
The school board took action at a Thursday night meeting following an executive session, and after hearing comments from the public.
The board’s three Democrats voted against the termination; one of them, Post 2 member Becky Sayler, made a substitute motion to table the vote for further discussion.
Her motion failed 3-4 along the same partisan lines.
Rinderle could appeal the decision to the Georgia Board of Education. Her supporters have begun a fundraising effort that has raised more than $10,000 of a targeted $50,000.
Rinderle was represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which issued a statement from her:
“I am disappointed in the district’s decision to terminate me for reading an inclusive and affirming book – one that is representative of diverse student identities,” she said. “The district is sending a harmful message that not all students are worthy of affirmation in being their unapologetic and authentic selves. This decision, based on intentionally vague policies, will result in more teachers self-censoring in fear of not knowing where the invisible line will be drawn. Censorship perpetuates harm and students deserve better.”
In a release issued right after the board meeting, the Cobb County School District didn’t reference Rinderle by name but said only that “the District is pleased that this difficult issue has concluded; we are very serious about keeping our classrooms focused on teaching, learning, and opportunities for success for students. The Board’s decision is reflective of that mission.”
Rinderle was appealing her termination in June for reading a book to her students about gender identity called “My Shadow Is Purple.”
Cobb school administrators determined that violated a a 2022 state law that prohibits public school teachers from discussing a number of topics, including claims that racism is “systematically” racist, that a group of people is inherently “oppressive” and some issues about sex and gender identity.
The district formally accused Rinderle of insubordination, willful neglect of duties and “other good and sufficient cause.”
The tribunal of retired teachers concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to find her guilty of insubordination.
She’s believed to be the first teacher fired in Georgia under the divisive concepts law, and argued in her appeal that she wasn’t provided proper guidance on how to teach about issues relating to gender identity.
The tribunal determined that among the lessons stemming from her reading of the book was the introduction of they/them preferred pronouns.
The panel also said that Rinderle “was knowingly untruthful when she denied understanding that the topic of gender identity or gender fluidity was a sensitive or controversial topic in this community” and that she “exhibited poor judgment when she failed to recognize the book and her lesson on ‘My Shadow is Purple’ addressed the topic of gender identity.”
Citizens, parents and educators spoke on either side of the matter at a board work session and before the vote, but were not allowed to discuss the particulars of Rinderle’s appeal, since it was a personnel matter.
Instead, many of them talked about parental rights, inclusion issues and what to be able to teach in a classroom.
East Cobb resident Micheal Garza, who introduced himself with he/him pronouns, said that inclusion is “being kind to everyone” and that’s something he and his wife instill in their daughter every day.
He said that “history will remember this time, when the civil rights of students were under attack by a small minority, and what side you were on in that fight to protect them.”
Kim Carlton, a retired Cobb special education teacher, said her decision to retire last year was sparked in part by how “things changed” about what and how she could teach when the new law went into effect.
Even what constitutes controversial material wasn’t clearly defined, she said.
“I could not find out exactly what that meant. At that point, I realized I could not teach . . . I was not respected or valued.”
But others argued that cultural issues should not be the emphasis in a classroom, and thanked Ragsdale for reinforcing parental rights and family values.
Teachers should not be trained in gender ideology, said Bill Marchione, but “reading, writing and and arithmetic. They shouldn’t deviate.”
Rick Burgess, whose three daughters graduated from Cobb schools, told board members that “your constituents are the students and their parents. Teachers do a wonderful job, but they are not your constituents.”
He asked board members to examine “their heart of hearts and determine what is the best decision for the students, not the teachers, the students.”
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Dr. Elizabeth Goff with some of her students at Bells Ferry ES. Photo: Cobb County School District
Dr. Elizabeth Goff, who teaches English as a Second Language at Bells Ferry Elementary School, was surprised on Wednesday when she was named the Cobb County School District’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.
She was given the news by Superintendent Chris Ragsdale at an assembly at the school and will be honored at a later celebration that will include her handprints being cemented at the Marietta Square.
Goff has been an educator in the Cobb school district for more than two decades, starting out as an elementary school teacher at Hayes Elementary School.
She gravitated toward teaching students whose native language is not English. At Bells Ferry, she works with students who have 29 language backgrounds, and teaches them throughout their elementary school years.
“We have really long-term relationships with students and families and multiple siblings,” Goff said in a release issued by the Cobb school district.
“It’s the best job! Getting a chance to really focus on my instruction with children, developing those relationships over time, and getting a chance to watch them progress is incredible.”
She was inspired to take up teaching while riding a bus at Walt Disney World in Florida. Seated next to her was Mary Anderson, a retired Cobb principal, and her grandson, who also attended Hayes.
Goff is creative in helping students with their language problems.
She had a third grader in a new English Learner class who was struggling with the alphabet. The student was interested in art, so she designed a learning program around art to help the student recognize letters and begin reading in English.
“Build relationships, number one, with your students,” Goff said. “Take time to build relationship relationships with your colleagues, work to get to know one another, share your strengths, and collaborate. All those things are really important for success in your first year and going forward.
“When I think about what I’m trying to do for my students, I hope that the lessons that I teach, they take them and keep them forever.”
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Katie Rinderle said Cobb County School District policies on teaching about gender identity issues are “vague.”
A special tribunal appointed by the Cobb County School District to hear a fifth-grade teacher’s appeal of her termination under Georgia’s “divisive concepts” in education law has voted to reject Superintendent Chris Ragsdale’s recommendation to fire her.
The tribunal issued a decision Monday saying that Due West Elementary School teacher Katherine Rinderle should not lose her job for reading a book to her students about gender identity called “My Shadow Is Purple.”
The firing, which took place in June, formally accused Rinderle of insubordination, willful neglect of duties and “other good and sufficient cause.”
The tribunal’s recommendation is being forwarded to the Cobb Board of Education, which has the final say and is having its August meetings on Thursday.
While stating that Rinderle “disobeyed the instructions of her supervisor to avoid sensitive and controversial topics in the selection of supplemental resources,” the tribunal concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to find her guilty of insubordination.
The tribunal—consisting of retired Cobb principals John Kelly, Cheryl Davis and Linda Kenney—found that there was sufficient evidence to find Rinderle guilty of the other two accusations.
Rinderle was fired for violating a 2022 state law that prohibits public school teachers from discussing a number of topics, including claims that racism is “systematically” racist, that a group of people is inherently “oppressive” and some issues about sex and gender identity.
and a two-day public hearing took place last week at Cobb school district headquarters, with news media and several dozen members of the public in attendance.
She’s believed to be the first teacher fired in Georgia under the divisive concepts law, and argued in her appeal that she wasn’t provided proper guidance on how to teach about issues relating to gender identity.
The tribunal determined that among the lessons stemming from her reading of the book was the introduction of they/them preferred pronouns.
The panel also said that Rinderle “was knowingly untruthful when she denied understanding that the topic of gender identity or gender fluidity was a sensitive or controversial topic in this community” and that she “exhibited poor judgment when she failed to recognize the book and her lesson on ‘My Shadow is Purple’ addressed the topic of gender identity.”
Another issue the tribunal was asked to decide was scratched out completely without a determination, that the content of the book “involves a purpose that should be left for parents to address with their children at home,” per Cobb school district policy.
The tribunal report amended another questions and hand-wrote that Rinderle should have known that reading the book “is not appropriate and [she] should have communicated with local school admin. for approval.”
Rinderle, who was represented by attorneys furnished by the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement that while she appreciated the tribunal’s vote she denies violating any policies.
“That finding remains unjust and punitive,” she said. “The district has never provided adequate guidance on how I am supposed to know what is and what is not allowed in the classroom based on these vague policies. Prioritizing behaviors and attitudes rooted in bigotry and discrimination does not benefit students and undermines the quality of education and the duty of educators.”
The Cobb school board meets for a public work session at 3 p.m. Thursday, followed by an executive session at which personnel matters are to be discussed.
The board can approve, reject or modify the tribunal’s decision.
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The office of District 2 Cobb Commissioner and Kids Care, a local non-profit, are teaming up for a teacher supply drive that continues through the end of August.
Three library branches in the district, including the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road) and the East Cobb Library (4880 Lower Roswell Road) are serving as dropping-off points for the supplies, which Richardson’s office detailed as follows:
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Scoot Henderson, a former basketball standout at Kell High School who will soon begin his NBA career, is sponsoring a back-to-school event with his family in the East Cobb area this weekend.
The event is called O.D.D-CON, which stands for “Overly Determined to Dominate,” and includes sports, technology, entertainment and empowerment segments for youth.
It’s being held Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Next Play 360 basketball training facility (2910 Canton Road), which is run by his parents. The event will also provide school supplies for students in need.
There is no charge to attend O.D.D.-Con, which will feature speakers and panelists who will discuss entrepreneurship, wellness, STEM education, and personal development, along with friendly competition in basketball, volleyball and pickleball, as well as yoga and meditation sessions.
Also on tap are live musical and artistic performances, interactive art installations, workshops led by local artists and musicians and a curated fashion show with local designers and models.
“Overly Determined to Dominate, is a mindset coined by Scoot, a way of thinking, doing, living and attaching your path to the life you want to achieve,” according to a press release announcing the event.
Henderson led the Kell Longhorns to the 2021 Georgia High School Association Class 6A title game, where they lost to Wheeler.
For the last two years he played in the G-League, a developmental basketball circuit, and was recently the third pick in the NBA draft, chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers.
His sister, Crystal Henderson, led the Kell girls team to the 2023 GHSA Class 5A state title and is a freshman at Georgia State University.
There are five other Henderson siblings, all of whom played college basketball.
For information about O.D.D.-Con and to sign up for school supplies, click here.
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As he was planning another back-t0-school extravaganza earlier this summer, D.A. Layne lost his mother.
She was so much more than a parent, as he told friends and participants at his 5th annual In The Layne Backpack-N-Swag event Saturday in East Cobb.
She was his inspiration for so many things beyond the successful basketball career he enjoyed at Wheeler High School and the University of Georgia.
She taught him to give back to the community, and helped him start the event that provides free backpacks and school supplies for students in need at the start of the school year.
“What she wanted for me was what she wanted for all of us,” Layne said as a small group of friends and families honored her memory with a balloon release at the basketball courts at Grace Church Marietta on Holt Road.
Earlier in the afternoon, families turned out to enjoy food, live music, bouncy houses and the backpack giveaways.
While there was plenty of labor and goodies donated—including the box lunches from Zaxby’s—Layne said his foundation pays for the backpacks and school supplies.
Nearly 500 people signed up in advance, and Layne said they had to cut off registration after that.
“We want to reach everybody we can,” he said, adding that those turning out come from beyond the East Cobb community to include other parts of metro Atlanta. “Thousands even.”
He began In the Layne Hoops to help children through basketball, but his community work has gone beyond the court.
During the Christmas holiday season, he works with sponsors to hold a toy drive for children who otherwise wouldn’t get gifts.
It’s part of what he said his mother stressed to him from a very young age, and it’s an influence he hopes to continue spreading.
“We’re still grieving here,” he said. “But we have to keep it going.”
Layne and his family observe a moment of silence for his mother before a balloon release in her honor.
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95 percent of Mt. Bethel ES third-graders were reading above grade levels in the 2022-23 academic year.
For the second year in a row, students at some East Cobb schools turned in some of the best results in the Georgia Milestones testing for the 2022-23 school year.
And students at other schools in East Cobb continued to struggle, reflecting slightly changed results overall from 2022, according to Georgia Department of Education data released Friday.
Georgia Milestones test students in grades 3-8 in English Language Arts and math, in grades 5-8 in those subjects plus science, and those areas plus social studies in grade 8. High school students are tested in American Literature, algebra, biology and U.S. history.
Students are categorized in one of four levels, based on those test scores: Level 1 is Beginning Learner, Level 2 is a Developing Learner, Level 3 is a Proficient Learner and Level 4 is Distinguished Learner.
Educators across the state and in Cobb County have been emphasizing ways to address learning loss due to COVID-19 disruptions, especially in third-grade reading, a key benchmark of early literacy.
Across the state, ELA Milestones scores among third-graders in 2023 rose three percentage points and the percentage of third-graders reading at or above grade-level was up slightly, from 64 to 66 percent.
In ELA, 78.9 percent of Cobb students were rated as developing learners or above, and 78.7 percent met the same threshold in all subjects.
The Cobb County School District said in a release Friday that those scores were among those that led metro Atlanta.
Across the board, 73.8 percent of Cobb students were reading at or above grade level, trailing only Fulton County.
In several East Cobb schools, third-grade reading achievements were high, with Timber Ridge (96.7 percent), Mt. Bethel (95), Tritt (94.9), Shallowford Falls (93.1), Murdock (92.2), Mountain View (91.6) and Sope Creek (90.1) leading the way with students at or above grade-level.
In the ELA results, 50.7 percent of Tritt third-graders (138 students testing) were distinguished learners.
Conversely, students at other East Cobb elementary schools struggled, with those scores under 70 percent among third-graders at the following schools: Keheley (67.9), Powers Ferry (67.2), Bells Ferry (62.7) and Brumby (55.1).
More than half of the 158 third-grade students who tested at Brumby (51.3) were considered only beginning learners in ELA.
Four East Cobb elementary schools were among the Top 10 in Georgia fifth-graders reading at or above grade level: Timber Ridge (98.8 percent), Mt. Bethel (97,4) and Rocky Mount and Sope Creek (94.6).
Several East Cobb middle schools turned in high marks for percentage of proficient learners.
In ELA, those schools were Dickerson (82.6), Dodgen (76.5), Hightower Trail (76.0), Mabry (74,4) and Simpson (71.2). In eighth-grade math, Dickerson (87.8), Dodgen (80.7) and Hightower Trail (80.2) also led Cobb schools.
At the high school level, full-year End of Course test results were similar to 2022. The Cobb school district percentage of students at or above grade-level in reading was 77.3.
Grade-level or above reading status was tops at Lassiter (96.1), Pope (94.4), Walton (92.6), followed by Kell (81.9), Sprayberry (75.6) and Wheeler (73.8).
Walton students had the highest full-year EOC percentages of proficiency learners or above in Cobb in all four testing areas: American Literature (84,3), Algebra I (69.8), Biology (89.2) and U.S. History (83.2).
Lassiter and Pope students weren’t far behind in those categories, while Wheeler students had the lowest proficiency or above learners across the board, including 36.1 percent in Algebra I and 47.7 percent in U.S. History.
Here’s more of a breakdown on the Milestones assessments from the Georgia DOE, including state, school system and school level scores from both last winter semester and the past spring semester.
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