Teach for America, South Cobb STEM School on Cobb BOE Agenda

South Cobb issues abound on Wednesday’s Cobb Board of Education agenda. The board will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the board meeting room for a work session at 514 Glover St. in Marietta.

Board member Kathleen Angelucci, whose Post 4 serves north Cobb, has requested several times to have Teach for America and a proposed South Cobb STEM charter school discussed, and at Wednesday’s board work session, she will get her wish.

Because no other board members supported her previous requests, Cobb BOE Chairman Scott Sweeney explained that the issues could not be added to the agenda for the March board meeting.

Since then, Angelucci has received the required support from at least one other board member.

Cobb Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa before board members had a chance to discuss the item.

Hinojosa said the item will return in the future, but he did not want to push the proposal through when

The . Hinojosa and Board Vice Chairman David Morgan said private funders would front the additional $4,000 fee–$400,000 total– necessary for each of the teachers to receive intensive, continuing training during their two-year commitment.

According to documents obtained from an Open Records request by the Marietta Daily Journal, Hinojosa had been working at least since August 2011 to bring the TFA teachers to CCSD. His signature was on a contract with TFA to bring in “up to 20 teachers.”

The STEM Inventors Academy . However, when CCSD backed out as the lead partner for the charter, the . Other partners, Southern Polytechnic State University and Kennesaw State University, also refused being named as leading partner for the school.

Despite having help from CCSD officials completing the school’s grant application since the summer of 2011, Angelucci said the only notice board members received about the school was a mention of the school in a September board newsletter.

Should the Cobb Board of Education discuss Teach for America and the STEM Inventors Academy or drop the issues? Tell us your thoughts below in the comments.

Also on the board's agenda:

• transportation services for students who chose to attend a school that met AYP because their zoned school had consistently remained in "needs improvement" status. Now that Georgia's No Child Left Behind waiver has been approved, the school choice option is no longer available. Chief Academic Officer Dr. Judi Jones will discuss transportation options with the board.
• the district's new Human Resources director will discuss his reorganization structure.
• SPLOST needs.
• evaluation process of the superintendent.
• renovation and modification construction contracts for Riverside Intermediate, Russell Elementary and other schools.