State superintendent OKs Gwinnett school plan

Gwinnett Schools’ plan to improve student achievement by liberating itself from state education mandates was endorsed Wednesday by Georgia Superintendent Kathy Cox.

Cox called Gwinnett Schools a “pioneer” for being the first to apply for a contract giving it greater freedom, during a review of its plan before the state Board of Education.

Gwinnett Schools is seeking the authority under the state’s Investing in Educational Excellence or IE2 legislation, which allows districts to get creative to close the achievement gap. Districts who enter into flexibility contracts can bypass state education laws including those governing class sizes and teachers pay if they promise to boost test scores and be more accountable for student success.

Granting Gwinnett an opportunity to have more independence over public education is both an “exciting” and “incredibly scary” endeavor, said Cox, adding that Gwinnett is in a position to teach districts nationwide how to achieve results with large, diverse populations, when principals call the shots.

“It’s exciting that Gwinnett County is the first to do IE2 because Gwinnett County is the biggest district,” Cox said. “This is a big deal because it’s a new policy. It’s a big deal because we are impacting 157,800 students. I think there is going to be a lot of learning that takes place for everyone.”

Gwinnett’ flexibility proposal was recommended for approval by state staff members who have been working with the district for six months crafting it.

The state Board of Education agreed to vote on the contract during their business meeting Thursday.

Gwinnett Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks told the state school board the flexibility contract would allow Gwinnett to bypass mandates that hinder learning and give local schools the power to set the agenda for helping students.

“We believe this is an opportunity to really let the professionals decide what are the best programs to offer and how they should be offered,” Wilbanks said. ” You don’t tell us what to do and how to go about doing it.”

Gwinnett’s flexibility contract, submitted in December, was modified in negotiation. Gwinnett is no longer seeking a blanket coverage of flexibility for all schools. The system’s alternative schools, charter schools and a special education facility were removed from the application.

Gwinnett Schools’ contract promises that it will produce results beyond federal mandates required by the No Child Left Behind Act. In addition to meeting adequate yearly progress goals, Gwinnett has also promised to increase the number of mainstream students who exceed state standards in math, reading and Language Arts. The contract also vows to improve student achievement in science and maintain the level of English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities who meet standards on state exams even as new students enroll and are challenged by rigor in the curriculum.

Schools who fail to meet their objectives within the five-year contract would be converted to charter schools as punishment.