Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo has dealt with tumultuous change in his 13 years. First, it was building schools fast enough to keep up with the more than 50 percent population boom. Now, it’s maintaining standards in a time of slashed funding amid cries, from some quarters, for more charter schools.
Last summer, after the Cherokee County Board of Education for the third time rejected funding of the county’s first charter school, the state stepped in with money and Cherokee Charter Academy opened in August.
We caught up with the superintendent and asked him about that, and a few other issues.
Q: What is your vision of charter schools in Cherokee County?
A: My hope is for the school board to one day receive a charter school application that truly sprouts from the grassroots level; is free from critical deficiencies in accountability, governance, liability and transparency; and meets the state requirement for curriculum “unique” to the school district — which unfortunately has not yet occurred. Instead, the school board has received significantly flawed proposals from for-profit, out-of-state corporations seeking to create quasi-private schools and acquire real estate with taxpayer dollars. At the request of school board member Mike Chapman, I recently proposed a plan for increasing “school choice” within the school district. The first phase of the Cherokee Academies initiative will offer science, technology, engineering and mathematics and integrated fine arts programs for elementary school students beginning in August. These programs will be operated under school board oversight, but waivers will be sought, as needed, to give our staff flexibility from state mandates already enjoyed by charter schools.
Q: The Education SPLOST passed. How important was that?
A: Voter renewal of the 2011 Education SPLOST was essential to sustain and improve the school district’s facility and technology infrastructure for all students and staff; so I’m extremely grateful the community continued to support our record of excellent stewardship of these critically needed funds. Renewal allows the continued use of sales tax to fund infrastructure, including two planned replacement middle schools, rather than burdening property owners alone through a millage rate increase.
Q: How tough is it to oversee public schools in tough economic times?
A: Budget planning grows more challenging annually due to significant funding shortfalls at state and local levels (resulting in more than $50 million in cuts over just the past three years) — to the point where we’re now in the most difficult time ever experienced during my 13-year tenure. Approximately 86 percent of our operating budget spending is on our people — and these funding cuts negatively affect them through unpaid furlough days, higher out-of-pocket health care costs, etc. We annually use zero-based “sunset reviews” of major expenditures; and keep administrative costs lower than any other metropolitan Atlanta school system. What makes this situation even more frustrating is the apparent lack of concern by state legislators. None of our local legislators have children in our public schools; and some routinely make public comments and propose legislation that can only lead one to believe their goal is to dismantle public education through draconian state funding cuts, approval of vouchers for private schools, authorization of charter schools managed by for-profits, and by discrediting the hard work of public educators. One even donated $4,000 to the misinformation campaign to defeat the Education SPLOST renewal. That type of state “representation” should cause every educator to lose sleep.
Q: Next year, what would you most like to get done?
A: We’ll begin the first phase of the Cherokee Academies, ramp up our participation in Race To The Top and open two new schools. I also remain optimistic that our state legislators will listen to the community’s wishes, as conveyed through our school board’s Legislative Program. One of the most important of these issues in the coming session is reapportionment. The overwhelming response from the community has been to keep the school board’s governance model as is: a board of seven members who live in specific geographic areas, but are elected countywide, which gives every voter the power to elect the entire board.
Q: How important are public schools system to a community?
A: Our children are our society’s future employees, employers and leaders; and it’s our responsibility to educate them to succeed. Strong public schools also are vital to economic development; and our schools further enhance Cherokee’s positive attributes. As a result, Cherokee not only is a great place to “live, work and play,” but also to teach and to learn.
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