July 2022 

State Board of Education Meeting

The State Board of Education met for their monthly meeting. Committee meetings were held Wednesday and the Committee of the Whole and the State Board meeting were held on Thursday as per their typical schedule. The State Board committee meetings stuck to a tight schedule with 15 or 30 minutes slated for each committee.

Rules

The 2 transportation rules were up for adoption, if you remember these have been long awaited. The first was a new Rule 160-5-3-.17, Use of Alternative Vehicles for the Transport of Specified Student Groups. Senate Bill 159, from the 2021 Legislative Session, expanded the definition of vehicles that can be used to transport students under certain conditions, which required the State Board to adopt a new rule. The second, was Rule 160-5-3-.02 Contracted Transportation Services. This rule, “updates information from the current rule requested for repeal and grants local educational agencies the opportunity to utilize the services of contracted transportation carriers who may use alternative vehicles to transport a specified student group as allowed under OCGA § 20-2-1076.” 

The next item of interest was initiation of Rule 160-4-2-.39, Dyslexia Identification and Support. This new Rule was created to comply with state law to develop policies for referring students in kindergarten and grades one through three for screening who have been identified through the response-to-intervention process as having characteristics of dyslexia, other disorders, or both. 

The remaining items were added to the consent agenda. 

Budget

All Budget Committee items were added to the consent agenda, with most items either grants or contracts. There was a discussion around the Budget Item for FY23 School Based Health Center Renovation Grant, some State Board members felt there is not sufficient guidance for the grant where the greatest need may be, i.e. mental health. GaDOE is currently writing guidance for those using the grant and for others who may utilize the grant in the future. Item 23, $50,000-$250,000 Contracts, one specific contract was pulled for a separate vote, the Southern Region Educational Board, because a State Board member works at SREB.

District Flexibility & Charter Schools

There were 2 items for Flexibility and Charter. One was for a charter amendment and the other was for a charter renewal. Both items were moved to consent.

Committee of the Whole

The inspiration was provided by Mr. Tom Bailey, a Physical Education Teacher at Briar Vista Elementary School in Dekalb County. He has a compelling story about his life through perseverance and overcoming adversity to achieve his dream of graduating college and ultimately becoming a teacher. 

The committee chairs reported on their meetings so the full State Board meeting agenda could be put together.

State Board Meeting

The consent agenda was approved. The 2023 Georgia Teacher of the Year was introduced and spoke. The Georgia Teacher of the Year, Michael Kobito, has a non-voting seat on the State Board of Education. This is the third Georgia Teacher of the Year since legislation was passed adding this seat. Mr. Kobito is an AP Music Theory teacher high school band director at Woodland High School in the Bartow County School System. 

Each item that was pulled for a separate vote was passed, including both transportation rules. The State Board expressed appreciation for all the work on both transportation rules and indicated that additional guidance will be available.

There was no Superintendents report and no Chair’s report.            

The next meeting will be August 24 & 25, 2022.