Macon Charter Academy’s improvement plan includes five focus areas
The Bibb County School Board heard an update from MCA officials to find out how the school plans to better serve its students and to get off a state-issued probation. The Georgia Department of Education put MCA on probation in September after the Bibb School Board found a number of violations during a visit to the school.
The five areas that will be included in the take-over plan are violence, teacher turn-over, parent withdraws, failing school and renewal turnaround.
The presentation says Macon Charter Academy’s student body is made up of mostly former Bibb County students. It cites violence statistics for Bibb County and claims 13 Bibb Schools are struggling with discipline issues. MCA officials said there was a major decrease in discipline incidents at MCA in October.
MCA officials said 55 new teachers were hired at the beginning of the school year with an ’employment at-will’ contract which means the employee or school may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason. The presentation says 16 teachers left MCA and cited instructional concerns, reduced staffing for enrollment changes, family/medical reasons, student discipline/management, assignment issues and moving to Bibb or other districts with better salary/opportunities as reasons for the teachers leaving.
The presentation includes a graph chart showing a positive correlation between negative articles about MCA and the number of parents leaving the school. MCA officials claimed negative press, expectations, discipline are among the main reasons parents withdrew.
MCA’s presentation claims the Bibb Board of Education could have refocused concerns back to MCA and partnered with the school to help improve it after the September assessment instead of informing the Georgia Department of Education.
MCA officials believe the school needs time, not a take-over and cites Andrew Lewis’, the Executive Vice President of Georgia Charter Schools Association, comments about Drew Charter in Atlanta. The presentation quotes Lewis saying “they need more time. Drew Charter got off to a rocky start in 2000, performing at or below the level of Atlanta Public nearby tradition schools for several years. Then, the performance improved; the school has been scoring in the 80s and 90s on the CCRPI.” MCA claimed under Georgia legislation, a school would be considered failing if they score below 60 on he Georgia Department of Education’s College and Career Performance Index for three years in a row.
MCA gives a timeline for its steps to success:
- Planning & Preparation: August 2015
- Stabilizing: September 2015 – December 2015
- Assessment/Refinement: January 2016
- Advancing & Support: February 2016
MCA proposed hiring an executive school administrative manager who would work with the principal to manage day to day operations which include all non-instructional aspects such as supervising classified personnel, transportation, building maintenance, security, school safety, enrollment, attendance, inventory and budgeting.
MCA closes its presentation asking for support from the Bibb County School District. MCA officials suggest Bibb BOE officially reject any call to bring in a turnaround company, providing more resource assistance as needed and requested and requiring all Bibb County requests for state intervention to including probation to approved by Bibb BOE before any request can be made to State charter officials.
The Bibb County School District said MCA’s probation status remains the same and there is no immediate plan for a checkup at the school at this time.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon Charter Academy will be making a presentation to the Bibb County Board of Education Tuesday night.
A spokesperson for the school board, Stephanie Hartley, said MCA is expected to give an update on the school’s progress since it was placed on probation in September.
Hartley explained the Georgia Department of Education recommended MCA implement a strong turnaround method to help get the school back on track. MCA recently held a board meeting where school leaders decided not to use an agency to help them during this process, according to Hartley.
The Bibb Board of Education heard a presentation from a turnaround agency named Renaissance School Services on November 19. Hartley said the board invited the business to keep board members informed about all the possible options available. The presentation focused on what the agency could do for MCA. There is no agreement between MCA and Renaissance.
Hartley said after MCA’s presentation Tuesday night, board members can ask questions, but no action will be taken. There will also be no public comment at tonight’s meeting.
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