After four years of review, the accreditation agency Cognia has affirmed the Clarke County School District’s accredited status, citing improved relations among school board members and between the board and the superintendent.
A Cognia report released by CCSD on Tuesday said that an accreditation review team found that the district has made significant progress toward the goal of “adher[ing] to a code of ethics and functions within defined roles and responsibilities,” the last of four issues Cognia—then known as AdvancEd—found during its initial 2019 review.
“We’ve endured some of the most significant challenges in the recent past. Yet, the board’s ability to work effectively through difficult experiences while strengthening our effectiveness as a team is commendable,” LaKeisha Gantt, the school board president, said in a news release. “The vast majority of our most vulnerable constituents are unable to vote, but they depend on a strong governance team—which I’m proud to say we are. We remain committed to continuing our progress and sharpening our focus on improving outcomes for our children.”
The Cognia team visited Athens in late August to interview board members, administrators and other stakeholders, and reviewed months’ worth of meetings. The report noted that, after training and retreats, the board now has a “civility pledge” and 10 “board norms” for behavior, and that discussions around sensitive issues have been largely collegial as of late.
The report by Cognia regional accreditation evaluator Cynthia Anderson said the board was able to have courteous conversations about topics like devoting future tax revenue to a Georgia Square Mall redevelopment project and renaming two elementary schools for groundbreaking Black teachers, despite differing opinions. However, the school renaming process was rushed and allowed limited opportunity for public input, the report said.
The report also lauded Superintendent Robbie Hooker for engaging the board and the community, and putting a renewed emphasis on strategic planning, reading and math curriculum, and partnerships with the University of Georgia. Parents and school leaders told the accreditation team that board members seem more prepared under Hooker, whereas previously meetings were viewed as entertainment. In terms of the board’s overall demeanor, prior to Hooker stakeholders rated it as a three on a scale of one to 10; now it’s between a six and a nine.
“The Board of Education has done the necessary work of building a productive, professional and visionary body with whom I am proud to partner,“ Hooker said. “I commend them for their commitment to working together to close out this chapter so that we can focus on the important work that needs to be done to support our students, faculty, and staff.”
During a drama-filled period for local education, then-superintendent Demond Means, who was feuding with several board members at the time, invited AdvancED to investigate in 2019 after anonymous individuals filed a complaint with the agency. Cognia placed CCSD on probation a year later. Means would go on to threaten resignation, backtrack, and eventually reach a settlement to leave the district, but Cognia’s review continued under his successor Xernona Thomas and then Hooker, who was hired last fall upon Thomas’ retirement. Cognia’s reinstatement finally closes the book on that tumultuous chapter.
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
