Another View: Today’s tough times can forge good change

By Kathy Cox

The start of the school year is a time of unbridled optimism and enthusiasm for everyone involved in education, from teachers and school staff to parents and students.

This year, schools open against the backdrop of very difficult economic times, and I know there is a lot of concern across our state. But concerns about the cost of education should not diminish our enthusiasm. In fact, I’m very optimistic because I know our outstanding educators will remain focused on the needs of their students, as they always do.

Last school year could have easily been filled with distractions and excuses as budgets were cut and school districts struggled to make ends meet. But Georgia’s teachers, staff and school leaders stayed focused on their mission and the results were amazing – student achievement went up in just about every grade and every subject.

Certainly I don’t want to underestimate the challenges these economic difficulties present for our schools, inside and outside of the classroom. We are all having to make very difficult decisions, and I will continue to work with the governor and the state legislature to protect education funding as much as possible.

But these tough times also provide us the opportunity – at every level of education – to rethink the way we provide instruction and services to our students. “That’s the way we’ve always done it” is no longer an acceptable answer in districts that are rethinking age-old methods of how they allocate resources and personnel.

Some districts are employing technology in new and different ways, such as using more online resources instead of new textbooks or providing more opportunities for virtual learning. Others are making changes to their policies or school calendars as a way to streamline operations. At the state level, we are working diligently to provide flexibility and support to school districts that allows them to be innovative.

For instance, Cherokee County recently asked for some flexibility for its Polaris Evening School, an alternative night school that is housed inside Woodstock High.

Instead of having a principal for both schools, as state law requires, Cherokee wanted to assign an assistant principal to Polaris, who would report directly to Woodstock’s leader. The State Board enthusiastically endorsed the idea, believing this was a different way to handle personnel that benefited the students and the taxpayers of Cherokee County. This is not only a good idea in bad economic times – it’s simply a good idea.

In the end, we must judge all of our efforts on the impact they have on students because, in education, the bottom line is not dollars and cents, it’s the achievement and success of our children.

I believe that these tough economic times may lead to some real innovation in education that will last well beyond the recession.

Kathy Cox is Georgia superintendent of schools.