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Vested staff (dedicated faculty)
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Focus on technology
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Community feeling between staff
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Receptive and open superintendent
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Opportunities for duel enrollment
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Doing well w/ limited funds
•
Strong AP classes (improvements)
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Old fashioned values(support of families)
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Family oriented
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Geographical convenience to UGA / resources
•
Caring and involved teachers
•
Superintendent!
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9th grade academy (Graduation rate has increased from 69% to 80%)
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Central office staff
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Good kids with good hearts
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Few business that are awesome
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Food to kids (bags of food go home w/ kids on weekend)
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New superintendent with new leadership
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School board
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Deeply rooted community
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Parent involvement (K-8)
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Development meaningful relationship
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Academics K-8
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Caring staff
•
Food to Kids
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Instructional inconsistencies (rigor in some classes not consistent w/ other classes – some teachers not as engaging)
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Keeping quality teachers and staff
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Turnover
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Finances (not enough money)
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Dropout rate
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Not meeting needs of all students (vocational)
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Class sizes are large
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Technology
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Literacy challenge
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Lack of uniformity (school colors)
old fashioned values (hard to implement big changes)
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Working with parents from early age
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Communication between departments within district
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Food
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Limited opportunities for kids for apprentices in skilled areas
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No money to create new pathways
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No public transportation
•
superintendent is inexperienced
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school board
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staff turnover
•
past spending funding and money management
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perception of poor district discourages new business
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failing athletic history
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poor coaching staff
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poor external communication
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no effort to improve perceptions
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high school
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lack of grade 9-12 parent involvement
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smaller system means lack of resources
•
outside influences
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lack of feeling of safety for teachers to voice opinions (historically)
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teachers are not listened to
• high school facilities in general and gym in specifics
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Educational and career opportunities that are within the UGA system
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Potential for partnerships
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Future growth of county from Atlanta / Athens area
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Collaborate within the community
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Community Christmas (Low income families)
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Proximity to UGA, Athens Tech, Piedmont
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Capitalize on AG
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Potential economic growth w/ new development
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Volunteer opportunities in Athens
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Collaboration w/ county government
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Create a safety net for kids that may otherwise fall through
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Strategic waiver
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Higher expectations
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Come together as community
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Building partnership with in county government
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Proximity to university / tech school
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Retired community members
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Momentum of businesses seems focused on schools
• Sharing of teaching resources from UGA and other colleges (concerned about being ‘taken’ over by those resources)
• Lack of economic opportunities (nothing exists)
• Size of the county – transportation costs, lack of infrastructure
• ‘Good-Ole-Boy’ mentality within other county departments that could stall the growth of community
• Lack of after school care and programs for age 11-14
• Lack of support for low-income families
• State funding
• Poverty
• Slow economic growth
• School enrolment decrease
• Transient population
• Small minded thinking
• Parents education
• Technology access at home
• Language barriers
• Pay for county employees
• Mental health issues
• Poverty
• Dept. of education mandates that are not funded or fit for system that are required
• Private schools
• Declining population in school system
• Stagnant community growth
• Gangs / drugs
• Breakdown of functional family
• Low tax base
• Politics
• Large land area (geographically)
• Lack of job opportunities
• Lack of collaboration
• Lack of transportation
• Mental illness