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The Partnership conducts periodic Forums that offer interesting discussion on topical education subjects. They are open to the public.  Reservations are requested.  Contact Alice Ford.  You will find reports on previous meetings here. 

The next meeting will be held in April.  Details will be announced when they are available.  Check the calendar page for details on a variety of education events.

2008-09 Meeting Reports

November 12 - (Video of the meeting available below)  The annual Policy Panel was the featured presentation of this quarterly meeting.  Before the panel took the stage to take an inside look at a variety of issues, Patricia Paterson, Principal Administrator, College Access Initiative, Board of Regents/University System of Georgia, gave a short presentation on Georgia's plan to raise post-secondary enrollment rates and to return students to the classroom who left without earning a degree.  Paterson unveiled two new video public service announcements encouraging students to think college.

The Policy Panel followed and was moderated by Atlanta Journal-Constitution Editorial Editor Andre Jackson.  Jackson was joined by Andrew Broy, Associate Superintendent, Policy and Charter Schools, Georgia Department of Education; Sally FitzGerald, League of Women Voters of Georgia; Cindy Loe, Superintendent, Fulton County School System; Kelly McCutchen, President, Georgia Public Policy Foundation; and Danny Shoy, Jr., Senior Program Officer, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

The panelists offered candid insights into a number of issues then took questions from the audience.  The Georgia Partnership Quarterly meeting is available here for review.  The Partnership thanks Brian Wray and Georgia Public Broadcasting for their production expertise.

May 5  -  Thanks to Georgia Public Broadcasting, this Quarterly meeting is  available here for review.

A large crowd at the Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center in Atlanta heard featured speaker Martin J. Blank, President, Institute for Educational Leadership and Director, Coalition for Community Schools.  Here is Mr. Blank's PowerPoint presentation: "Building Strong Communities With Strong Schools."  During the presentation, Mr. Blank referred to a recent interview with the new U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discussing the topic.   Click here.  

Following this presentation, a panel discussion focused on two community school models in Georgia, Troup County and the East Lake Community in Atlanta.  Panelists from the Troup program included superintendent of schools Ed Smith and Renae Willis, senior vice president, Commercial Bank and Trust.  Representing the East Lake program were Carol Naughton, VP for Communities, New Community Ventures, LLC, and Cynthia Kuhlman, director, Educational Achievement, CF Foundation, Inc.  Mr. Blank also participated.  The panel and subsequent question and answer session was moderated by Georgia Partnership board member, Ruben McDaniel, President and CEO, Jackson Securities, LLC.

February 10 - The meeting held at the Conference Center at DeKalb Technical College,was presented by the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement and featured "Evidence of Impact: Seeing Bottom Line Results."  Partnership Board Chairman Robert Brown opened the meeting and was followed by President Steve Dolinger who reported on the organization's operations since the last meeting.

Deb Page, Senior Executive Director of GLISI, then presented a review of the organization before turning the presentation over to Dr. Wendy Ruona, University of Georgia, who explained "Success Case Methodolgy."  Here is their PowerPoint presentation.

Here is the video presentation of the opening sequence (Brown, Dolinger, Page and Ruona presentations).

Three school systems who have enjoyed success after partcipating in GLISI programs reported on their experiences:

Dade County Schools - Ms. Patty Priest, superintendent - "Dade County's Definition of Leadership." Click here for the video presentation.

Hancock County Schools - Dr. Awanna Leslie, superintendent - "Hancock County's Team-based Improvement of Student Achievement." Video presentation.

Jones County Schools - Dr. Jim LeBrun, superintendent - "Implementing GLISI Initiatives to Increase the Graduation Rate in the Jones County School System."
Video presentation.

Click here for the wrap-up panel discussion and formal conclusion to the Board meeting.

The Georgia Partnership and GLISI would like to thank Georgia Public Broadcasting for their production assistance.  

Here is a photo record of the meeting provided by GLISI communications manager, Dorothy Whisenhunt.

The previous meeting was the subject of a column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (November 17, 2008)

November 11, 2008 - This was the Partnership's annual Policymakers Panel.  The program was taped by Georgia Public Broadcasting and is available here in its entirety.

Panelists featured members of the "Gold Dome Gang,"  representatives from education organizations who daily monitor the actions of the state legislature. Stuart Bennett (Ga. Assn. of Educational Leaders - GAEL), Margaret Ciccarelli (Professional Assn. of Georgia Educators- PAGE), Heather Miner (Ga. Assn. of Educators - GAE), Sally Fitzgerald (League of Women Voters and the Georgia PTA), Herb Garrett (Ga. School Superintendents Assn.), Angela Palm (Ga. School Boards Assn.) and Skip Yow (Metro Regional Educational Service Agency - RESA) presented their candid views on subjects ranging from funding and school choice to vouchers and teacher quality.  

At the conclusion of the meeting, Sylvia Anderson, president AT&T Georgia, presented Partnership Chairman Robert L. Brown, Jr. and President Steve Dolinger with a contribution of $20,000.  Ms. Anderson lauded the Partnership for its work and pledged AT&T's continuing commitment to public education in Georgia.

A special Veterans' Day salute opened the Board meeting.  Members of the Tri-Cities High School Army JROTC unit presented the colors while fellow classmate Galen Williams beautifully sang the National Anthem. 

August 19, 2008 -  The largest audience to attend a Partnership Board meeting, more than 160 people, attended the meeting held at the Georgia Pacific headquarters in downtown Atlanta.  After the short business meeting session, the program - "TENDING TO OUR FUTURE:  The Status of Georgia's Children" - began. 

Georgia Public Broadcasting taped the event.  Click here for that video report.

A panel discussion and question and answer period featuring several presenters as well as Mary Mazarky, Assistant Commissioner, Bright from the Start, ended the meeting. 

Speakers representing four organizations focused on children's issues, discussed recent reports and initiatives they have been involved in.  Here are their PowerPoint presentations:

Dr. Bentley Ponder, Evaluation Specialist, Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.  PowerPoint:  Highlights from the Study of the Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in Georgia.

Andrea Young, Senior Program Officer, Southern Education Foundation. PowerPoint:  Special Report:  Time to Lead Again - The Promise of Georgia Pre-K.

Pat Willis, Executive Director, Voices for Georgia's Children.  PowerPoint:  Improving Child Well Being for Ages 0 to 5.

Taifa Butler, Director of Public Affairs and Policy, Georgia Family Connection Partnership.  PowerPoint:  State of Georgia's Children and Families.

May 6, 2008  -  The Loudermilk Center in downtown Atlanta was the site for the spring quarterly meeting.  More than 100 board members and education stakeholders attended the session that not only covered Partnership Board business but offered a thorough presentation on achievement gap issues.  Ms. Daria Hall, assistant policy analyst, The Education Trust, provided the informative briefing which challenged attendees to adopt an attitude subscribed to by schools that are achieving in spite of the odds they face:  focus on can, not on can't; set high expectations for every student; and leave nothing to chance. 

February 12, 2008  -  The meeting was held at Georgia Public Broadcasting and focused on Early Care and Learning issues.  The event featured presentations by two nationally prominent educators - Greg Duncan, Professor, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern Univ. and Sara Watson, Senior Officer, State Policy Initiatives Div., The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Partnership for America's Economic Success.   To watch the entire Board meeting, click here.  Thank you to Georgia Public Broadcasting for their continuing support.