In August, Marietta City Schools will open as one of the first four school systems in Georgia and one of a few in the nation to become a charter school district, operating outside of many traditional state rules and regulations governing public schools.

Superintendent Emily Lembeck talks about what lies ahead and changes that can be expected.

Q. What will this mean for Marietta's kids, parents and teachers?

A. First, it will mean that parents and teachers will need to be educated about what a charter system is and what our petition offers. It means that Marietta will continue to innovate, now with more flexibility, and work toward our vision of being the system of choice for families.

Q. What changes will be most noticeable for the average student? Will changes such as smaller class sizes be mainly directed at students needing extra help? Would increased learning opportunities outside classroom walls be primarily for International Baccalaureate students?

A. Use of flexibility in class size will be used when needed for instructional or operational reasons. For instance, in schools with high student mobility, a student who enrolls during the school year and who would cause the class to be over maximum class size may be added to the class rather than hiring a new teacher, disrupting existing classes and furnishing a new classroom. Not being concerned with maximum and minimum class size requirements can benefit students of all levels when used for flexible grouping to meet academic levels and needs.

Q. Will departures from state regulations be phased in over time or will they be implemented the first year?

A. Departures from state regulations that have been approved by our school board in the charter petition will be used when appropriate to increase the ability of schools and our system to innovate, meet challenges and utilize existing resources in different, more practical ways.

Q. What will the school system be doing over the summer to get ready for this change?

A. We will be developing the bylaws for the school governance teams and developing a timeline of activities related to training, educating the public and staff, and, in short, starting to make the charter operational by turning words to action.

Q. One criticism by state Board of Education members is that Marietta and other charter district applicants seem reluctant to turn over the reins of local school governance to administrators, parents and teachers in those schools.

A. From the beginning, it was clear that we were a charter system, not a system of charters. All of our elementary schools feed into single secondary-level schools, so there is a need for shared capacity, planning and effective practices. Local school governance can do much to enhance school improvement in academics and environment. To do this well and to sustain the effectiveness over time, it is important that the local governance teams have sufficient training. Appropriate training on many important aspects of school business and on how to work as an effective board is critical to making good decisions and recommendations that can lead to school improvement.

Q. How will charter district status change business as usual?

A. Our business will remain focused on student learning. However, we have added flexibility to innovate and eliminate arbitrary roadblocks.

Q. How are parents and members of the community reacting to this change? Do they have questions, concerns? How will you be addressing them?

A. We anticipate the need for more communication when school opens. We are already planning a timeline for action items and communication with parents, community members and staff. Planning, education and training are key to a successful launch of the charter system.

MARIETTA CITY SCHOOLS

> Start date: Aug. 7

> Students: 7,735

> Schools: 11 (Sawyer Road Elementary and Marietta Charter School operate under their own individual school charters and are not included in the districtwide charter)

> Annual budget: $83.3 million

> Status: Charter district