The View 38002 February 2014 | Page 3

38002.com theview theview February 2014 Schools Update Continued from page 1 Board Recognition Month” in Arlington. In his comments to the board, Wissman remarked that “it is gratifying to see the emphasis placed back on the students. This is a very proud moment for Arlington.” “We want the school board to know that we appreciate them,” Wissman added.  A revised Inter-Local Agreement with Lakeland will be presented at a special called meeting at 6:30 pm on Thursday, February 13.  Superintendent Mason reported that she is working with SCS Superintendent Dorsey Hopson on joint student and teacher intent surveys for 2014-2015 projections.  An Open Enrollment Policy will be presented at the February 13 meeting. Current projections show 4,370 students enrolled in ACS schools for next year. Superintendent Mason will receive an updated feasibility study from the consultants on Thursday. M o me n t s l at er , t h e Arlington Community School Board returned the favor, surprising Wissman with a recognition of his own. ACS Chair Dale Viox said that the Board intends to recognize the accomplishments of students and staff at its meetings: “Without the hard work of Wissman, both on the Shelby County School Board and as the Mayor of Arlington the Arlington Community Schools would not have happened.” Notes from the January 28 ACS Board Meeting:  Kay Williams was selected to serve as a liaison with the Lakeland School System Board.  The ACS website: acsk12.org will go live on February 18. Employment applications will be accepted through the website.  The ACS 2014-15 Calendar will wait until the approval of the SCS Calendar, which will likely be the end of February.  The ACS Board approved the first reading of multiple policies. The Corporal Punishment Policy was removed from the consent agenda for further discussion. Arlington Community Schools announces new staff Superintendent Tammy Mason named former S C S Human Resources Director J e f f Mayo as the ACS Chief of Staff, bringing with him 26 years of education experience in the classroom and school administration. ACS Chief Financial Officer Miracle Meeks, CPA, was with SCS for eight years as an accountant before leaving to become the Director of Financial Reporting & Internal Controls for LemoyneOwen College. Arlington High School Secretary Jana Gore joins A C S a s Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent and the Board. Mason reports that two Instructional Supervisors, Todd Goforth and Faye Werner will be joining the ACS staff in midFebruary. Page 3 Lakeland School System Asking Residents for Input Special to The View 38002 The Lakeland School System (LSS) is asking residents to provide input that will shape the new municipal school system. Dr. Ted Horrell, Lakeland S c h o ol S ys t em Superintendent expressed that “One of the most exciting things about a smaller school system is the opportunity to really use community feedback in our decisionmaking process. The school board and I feel like it is important to have both formal and informal ways for Lakeland citizens to give input into the priorities and goals of the Lakeland School System.” The Lakeland School Board has also developed a survey to identify the most crucial concerns beginning with the inaugural 2014 school year. Among the items being surveyed include the educational experience thus far, school uniforms, school hours, building new schools, and what should be the top priorities in starting the LSS (curriculum, leadership, school security, teacher quality, etc.). Horrell emphasized the importance of the Lakeland School Board having input from the community, saying “We understand that we won’t always find unanimous support for the decisions we make, but we can be sure we have made those decisions thoughtfully and with input from the community.” Though the Lakeland School