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GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT
UNIV OF GA
ATHENS GA 30602-0001 \ Leader For All Your Local News and Sports
11 - t m 1 1 i m 8 ]
Vol. 126 Issue No. 22 504 Peach County's Newspaper Jane 22,2011
Legal Organ For Peach County ; C/fy of Forf Valley and City Of Byron
Former
Teacher
Challenges
Clark on
Numbers
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
A retired Peach County teacher and
frequent critic of school system policies
has challenged numbers recently cited
by Superintendent Dr. Susan Clark in a
recent Leader-Tribune article.
The article quoted an email response
from Clark in response to a letter print¬
ed in the Macon Telegraph that sug¬
gested very few students who marched
in the Peach County High School grad¬
uation ceremony were eligible.
Clark's email said 47 of 230 seniors,
or 20%, were not eligible and did
not march in the graduation ceremon,
including 44 who did not pass one or
more sections of the Georgia High
School Graduation Test. The email
also said the GHSGT would no longer
be given and in the future students
would be required to pass End of
Course Tests, which would count for
25% of their course grade.
Clark's email also said that in 2010,
262 students were graduation candi¬
dates and 16, or 6%. She also wrote
that the school system expected a drop
in graduation numbers because of the
reorganization of the high school.
In articIS^SmSacT to the LT and
summarized here, Henson challenges
Clark on all the above points other
issues.
Citing information available on the
Georgia Department of Education web
site. Henson wrote that the GHSGT
would still be part of graduation
requirements for a few years and that
passing EOCT's alone would not qual¬
ify students for graduation. Henson
further wrote that the Georgia High
School Writing Test would continue as
a graduation requirement until 2017.
Henson wrote that EOCT scores will
count for 15% of a student's course
grade from 2012-2014 and 20% as
of 2015, and at that date passing the
EOCT will not be a graduation require¬
ment by itself.
Henson's article also cites discrepan¬
cies in the graduation numbers cited
in Clark's email and those reported to
the state DOE for the annual Adequate
Yearly Progress report. That report
says PCHS in 2010 graduated 243 of
306 students, or 79.4%, just below the
80% requirement for AYP. The AYP
number is 14.6 percentage points lower
than the 96% number cited by Clark,
Henson wrote.
Continued on page 12
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Serving Peach County For Over 100 Years
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Austin Thomas talks to his mother in between innings during the T-ball
g ame that also served as a fundraiser to help his family with medical
ills brought about by a brain tumor. Photo by Victor Kulkosky
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at BOE Forum
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
A forum sponsored by the Peach
County Board of Education last week
brought out a small but vocal group of
county residents with opinions about
the qualities of the next school super¬
intendent and the state of the schools.
Wilton Walton's comments summa¬
rized the feelings of many long-time
county residents.
“1 have strong feelings for the
schools,” he said. His sisters and him¬
self all went through the Peach County
schools, and his four children also
graduated from those schools.
The next superintendent, Walton
said, should “realize fully how impor¬
tant schools are as a starting point for
a good community.”
Most speakers had something to say
about the next superintendent respect¬
ing teachers and creating the condi¬
tions for recruiting and retaining the
best teachers.
“The teachers are screaming,” said
Jeff Holly. He said his wife taught
in the local schools for 23 years and
ran a highly rated program that was
eliminated without her knowledge. He
asked why the school system had lost
many highly rated teachers. His wife,
for instance, taught for 23 years and
had a five-minute drive to work, and
now commutes for an hour each way.
Holly said the next superintendent
and die school system overall need to
listen to teachers and do more to keep
them.
“They want to be told, 'we want you
back',” Holly said.
Annie Johnson should be, “someone
who would have respect for teachers.
Teachers are being put down and beat
down.”
Speakers had diverse ideas on the
qualifications of the next superinten¬
Pat Watkins offered her “ABC” list
qualities: “Adamant, not aggres¬
sive; bold not bullying; confident, not
she said.
Watkins echoed many speakers in
the importance of listening.
“We need someone who will listen
and answer your question, not just
you by listening,” but not really
Watkins said.
Ernestine Johnson spoke about a
superintendent who would follow state
standards “but also think outside the
box.
Cindy Adams said the next super¬
intendent should be innovative, but
explained what she meant by “innova¬
tive.”
“Not just what's new but also what
was before and still good,” Adams
said. She added the next superinten¬
dent should “not be afraid to make
difficult decisions.”
Some speakers made the case for
the next superintendent coming from
within the community.
“I plead with you to listen and look
carefully,” at local candidates, said Jo
Ann Dankel.
She said she had hear a speaker at
the Kiwanis Club whom she thought
would make a great superintendent and
asked to apply for the job. The woman
told Dankel she didn't want the job
because she has young children.
“I said. Til be your babysitter,'”
Dankel said.
Annie Johnson said a local superin¬
tendent could be good or bad, but “we
need someone who has loyalty, respect
love for the community, whether from
Peach County or not.”
Keisha Redding also addressed the
insider/outsider issue.
“Inside, outside - the main concern
is the children,” she said.
The salary of the next superinten¬
dent was also a top concern at the
forum. Many county residents have
been critical of $I86 j 070 salary and
benefits package Dr. Clark received.
Ira Hicks said the benchmark for the
next superintendent's salary should not
be nearby systems that are much larger
but other school systems similar in size
to Peach County. He pointed out the
34 candidates who have applied for the
superintendent position.
“There are a lot of people who want
this job,” Hicks said. “You have a lot
of opportunity to appoint someone
who wants the job,” for a salary in¬
line with the school system's budget,
he said.
Speakers also addressed the four
day week and the handheld computers
issued to PCHS students.
Continued to page 11
f Peach Publishing Co. \ewspaper
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Lee Brown, President of the
to Christina Smith, Austin's mother.
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
It was a good day for 6-year-old
Austin Thomas. Despite intermittent
rain, his T-ball team took the field. He
whacked a solid single to bring some
base runners around.
A few months ago, Austin faced
the possibility he wouldn't be able to
carry out such common activities as
hitting a ball and running. It began a
few months back when Austin started
complaining to his mother about bad
5 that persisted for days. His
mother, Christina Smith, took him to
the family doctor, who said there was
nothing serious.
But Austin continued to complain of
headaches.
“He wasn’t one to whine about hurt¬
ing, so 1 took him to the eye doctor,”
Christina said.
That doctor, too, said there was
nothing to worry about, but the head¬
aches didn't stop.
The next stop was pediatrician.
“I said I’m not gonna take 'nothing'
for an answer,” Christina said.
The fourth doctor, a neurologist,
ordered an MRI, which revealed the
source of the headaches: a mass on
Austin’s brain.
“Being a mother of four, I didn't
want to hear it,” Christina said.
The eventual diagnosis was cranio¬
pharyngioma, a usually benign brain
FAME Has Best Year Ever
► |i
*
Cell o lOi layer Jaris Tobler is engrossed in the music as he participates
in the FAME Orchestra performance. Other students in the group
included Tamirra Glover, first violin; Will Jones, viola and first violin,
and MaKayla Pulsifer, second violin. (See more photos on page 3)
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
“Extraordinary” and “unbelievable”
were two words Bobby Dickey used
to describe this year’s Fine Art and
Media Experience at Fort Valley State
Lions Club, presents a $100 check
Photo by Victor Kulkosky
tumor typically found either in children
or males in their 50's and 60's. Such
tumors typically subside, but they can
behave aggressively* and cause brain
damage before going away. For now,
doctors give Austin a CT scan every
two weeks. The tumor has recently
shrunk a little. Doctors are consider¬
ing radiation and chemotherapy if the
tumor persists.
The CT scans cost money (Christina
says she doesn't even ask; her doctor
is working with her), and the possible 4
treatment would cost a lot more. That's
where T-ball comes in. Recently, the i
Byron Lion's Club, which sponsors
Austin's T-Bail team, decided to hold
a fundraiser to help Austin's family
handle some of his mounting medi¬
cal costs. Team parents took pledges
for each run the team scored that day.
(Luckily, T-Ball scores can get pretty
high.) Other teams that play in the
same league took up collections on the
evening. The Byron Lion's Club also
wrote a $100 check.
According to April Randall, a team
parent participating in the fundraiser.
$1365 had come in as of Monday,
with a little more expected to come
in. Plans are to present Christina with
a check this coming Thursday at the
team party.
Christina advises other parents to be
assertive if their children have medical
problems that aren't typical for them.
University.
“It was by far the most success¬
ful.” said Dickey, Project Director
and Chairman of the Department
of Fine Arts, Humanities and Mass
Communication. This was due not
Continued to page 3