19 October 2014
Local School Council Meeting
1
Local School Council Meeting
Monday, 19 October 2014
Members Present:
Chris Murphy, president (senior representative)
Trudye Young, at large representative
Don Grant, vice president (sophomore
Representative
Absent Members
Ebony Martin, secretary (educator)
Stephanie Johnson, principal
Alex Elliott, Teacher (educator)
Virgil Murray, Business Partner
Mrs. Briana Murphy, eleventh grade parent
representative
Motion Approved at 6:26 pm for all members
who are present -- the agenda
*A ninth grade representative must be elected.
Visitors Present
Melissa Gautreaux, Assistant Principal
Principal's Report
Mrs. Johnson brought Ms. Guatreaux in to assist with delivering the principal's report. There was an
altercation at school with parents trespassing to attempt to handle a Mechanicsville altercation.
Everyone responded immediately and the police were called as a precaution to assist with handling the
parents. Advisory was held to ensure that all the halls were clear and everyone was safe. The police
were asked to stay until the end of the school day to ensure safety of the students. Three adults and
eight students were involved.
A student was tased three weeks ago. The mother agreed that the student was refusing to comply, and
the police responded appropriately.
All students have textbooks with the exception of AP US History. They were ordered, but they are not in
the building. Some IB textbooks have been ordered and have not arrived. There are no district math
books at this time. Teachers are not utilizing supplemental materials. Title I money cannot be used to
purchase textbooks. The priority to purchase math textbooks is for 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Although
the district admitted that the textbooks are not equivalent to the new math curriculum, the district
stated that the Math II books can be used as textbooks.
Only ELA has online textbook licenses.
Parents can email the Superintendent Carstarphen about not having math books. A math textbook
adoption will occur. A new math coordinator has been hired at CLL.
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Local School Council Meeting
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Supplemental resources have been utilized to assist students with math. Can we record McIntyre,
Denson, and Anelone teaching in the classroom? A math department meeting occurred with Johnson
about failing students. Can we post these videos on YouTube? Federal funds cannot be used to purchase
textbooks. All math teachers have provided students with a composition book to create interactive
notebooks.
As a local school council, do we need to address the state government about the math curriculum? We
want stability in math.
Since students cannot be held accountable for the Milestones, each district must create an assessment.
Mrs. Johnson and T. Lakes, principal at CSK, are creating an assessment that will count for 20% of the
grade. As of last Thursday, principals have asked the district can their own teachers create their own
assessments. As of today, the Milestones are not written.
Dr. Gaston has stated that in the executive meeting the team decided that a vocational school will not
be implemented in APS. Will vocational programs be implemented next school year?
There needs to be an 8.5 implemented next school year. Since the Milestones will not be counted, we
need to implement an 8.5 to assist struggling students. The district has not guaranteed this.
Positives
Mrs. Johnson is on the district flexibility committee. We will lead how the charter system will be
implemented.
The German students are coming to Jackson. Shirley Franklin has organized this visit. Jackson is the only
high school that has been asked. Alex Elliott is the lead teacher.
We have more Governor's Honors applicants than anyone else in the city.
12 students are semi-finalist for the Posse Scholarship.
We must look at the 90% when discussing the charter school transformation.
A group of teachers have started a mentoring program. They will be working with students individually.
They are requesting assistance from the PTA to not to conflict with each other.
Three tiers--Underclassmen are mentees. (Were excited)
Juniors are mentors.
Seniors are mentors (athletes at GA Tech and Emory).
This past weekend, the group met and hiked Stone Mountain together and completed a digging deeper
activity and a debriefing.
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Local School Council Meeting
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Communities in Schools started yesterday. She is a wonderful employee who is dedicated to the
children. She is focusing on the retained 9th graders. --Performance Learning Center (PLC)-Mr. Silver, the behavior specialist, is working with the first time ninth graders.
Emory is working with upperclassmen.
Mr. Holmes and Ms. Edmonds are in the process of creating a master list of students who are being
services to ensure that overlap is not occurring.
Ask Barbara (Emory), Dr. Bob (GA Tech), Mary Hart (GA State) about securing tickets for guest speakers.
LSC Bylaws
Susan Mitchell and Terry L. Ponder reconstituted the bylaws for the positions when the LSC was
disbanded two years ago.
Should the at-large spot be a three-year term?
Next year, we will have one year, then the positions will be staggered.
Allow for a special election for provisionary one-year terms.
Foreign Exchange
The German students will arrive Friday. Alex Elliott has everything under control. Kyle is handling the
school store. Have Alex complete a written request for the 13 students, 1 administrator, and 1 teacher
to receive a Jackson t-shirt.
Truancy Meetings
Mrs. Johnson was unable to attend. APS is attempting to align its policy with the state and the city
because there is no policy.
No real analysis of why students skip has been completed. McDonald's on Moreland Avenue refused to
not accept students during the school day. SRO's cannot go out into the community to retrieve skipping
students.
Mrs. Johnson had a memorandum written up for a Northside Psychological Services Corporation to deal
with the children and the families. The program is being utilized in the Cobb County Schools System. The
Atlanta Public Schools declined the offer. We are looking for services that are working in other places
and have them in implemented at Jackson High School.
District Model Transformation
We will be moving into the charter model. We will be able to determine what programs we offer. As
long as we receive Title I funds, we can decrease math class sizes. Everything in the model was about
funding. In the charter model, you receive more money for students. The final meeting will be Thursday
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Local School Council Meeting
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after all of the surveys have been disaggregated. Grady and Jackson have been asked to lead the carter
movement.
Funding
Mrs. Johnson said she would write a grant to ensure that we always have IB funding if needed.
We may need the PTSA's assistance with ensuring that we have money for the garden. A neighbor, Matt
Miller, may donate his tiller to assist us with breaking up the groundwork. Students Norullah and
Murphy will lead the project on creating the garden as an IB community service garden. Student
excitement about creating the garden is rampant. A garden club will be implemented. Students may
want to work with the kids at the King garden.
Mr. King and Ms. Rowell are the advisors for the project.
Mr. Murphy motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:19. It was unanimously agreed upon.
Meeting Summary
The Maynard H. Jackson High School local school council met on Monday, 19 October 2014 beginning at
6:21 pm. The council listened to Mrs. Johnson's principal's report, which discussed issues with students
having math books, the new three tier teacher implemented mentorship, Friday's arrival of the German
exchange students, and student truancy and success. The meeting was adjourned at 8: 19pm.