So my brother in law snapped a picture for the site the other day, it was too good not to post and ask for comments - this quote was recently up in front of the Marietta Middle School. Is it just me or does this statement seem way out of line? What are your thoughts? Does it make sense? So just because at 14 someone has incredible ability to play a sport, they are wise? Interesting quote to say the least.

Map to the Marietta Middle School…

Special Thanks to the MDJ for this story!

MARIETTA - More Cobb students are taking advanced placement exams than ever before.

The number of Cobb students who took an AP exam rose from 5,513 in 2005 to 7,595 in 2006, a 38 percent increase.

Scores on exams range from the best, which is a 5, to the worst, which is a 1.

The number of exams where students scored a 3 or higher increased from 3,779 in 2005 to 4,885 in 2006, an increase of 29 percent. Students who earn a 3 or better are eligible to receive college credit for freshman-level courses at most universities and colleges.

Walton High School Principal Dr. Tom Higgins said when it comes to focusing on higher scores on the AP exam or enrolling more students in AP courses, the choice is simple.

“We’re more interested in the kids taking the class because we know it stretches them, and we know there’s a good bit of evidence out there,” he said. “A good bit of research says the more rigorous a curriculum a student takes in high school, the chances increase that they will finish college and finish in four years.”

Walton had the greatest number of students enroll in advanced placement courses last year with 1,805, an 18-percent increase over the previous school year of 1,527.

Higgins said even if students don’t score well on the exam, it’s still important that they take the course. He cited a number of examples where students who scored a “2″ on the exam went on to major in the subject because they were inspired in high school.

“We think it’s the way to prepare for college,” Higgins said.

McEachern High School Principal Rob Benson agrees.

“We’d rather have students take the test and challenge themselves than worry about the pass-rate percentage. It’s a validation for students,” Benson said. “If you don’t earn a three or better, it doesn’t mean you failed.”

It does mean a student will not earn college credit for the course, though.

Dr. Vicki Skywark, supervisor for the school district’s Advanced Learning Programs, said most universities accept a three or higher for college credit, but not all of them.

Harvard, she said, will not accept any AP courses for college credit, but that doesn’t mean students who want to attend there don’t have to take AP classes.

“You don’t have a ghost’s chance of getting in without AP classes,” Dr. Skywark said.

If a student wants his AP class to count for credit at Emory University, he needs to score at least a 4 or 5, said Emory undergraduate staffer Donna White.

The shift to having more students take AP classes has only occurred in the past few years, Dr. Skywark said.

“There used to be a lot of gatekeepers over the courses. There was a lingering perception among teachers - not every teacher - that AP class was for gifted students.”

Another fear was that teachers would be judged on how well students scored on the test, she said.

Cobb’s policy is now to encourage all students to take AP courses.

For the 2005-06 school year 7,595 Cobb students took an AP course.

The district’s average score is 2.99, higher than the state average of 2.78 and the global average of 2.90.

McEachern had the greatest increase in students who took an AP exam from 118 in 2005, to 254 students in 2006, representing a 115-percent increase.

Benson said the increase is, in part, a result of his push to encourage students who are capable of taking academically rigorous courses to do so.

Thanks to the MDJ for the news on the Middle School - any thoughts? Great job everyone!

MARIETTA - Less than a month after Marietta Middle School appealed its status on the federal needs improvement list, the state wiped the slate clean for the nearly 1,000-student school.

School officials said the state made a mistake when it labeled the school as not making “adequate yearly progress,” as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The change means the state will classify Marietta Middle School as having met adequate yearly progress, a measure it achieved last year.

Since the school has now made AYP for two consecutive years, it also will move off the federal needs improvement list. That means only one district school failed to meet AYP and only two schools remain on the needs improvement list. Marietta Sixth Grade Academy did not meet AYP this year, and, along with Marietta High School, which this year did meet AYP, still is on the needs improvement list.

A school’s progress is measured by students’ standardized test scores and attendance rates. The state also divides a school’s population into different groups according to race, learning disability and economic status.

Superintendent Dr. Emily Lembeck said the middle school missed the mark this year because the state attributed one student’s attendance record to the wrong group.

“They know it’s bad public relations for the schools when they don’t make AYP,” Dr. Lembeck said.

Dr. Lembeck said she learned about the change in status about 10 minutes before the start of Tuesday night’s scheduled school board meeting.

Board Chairman Tom Smith said the accomplishment was more significant given the more difficult testing standards and other mandates the state implemented this year.

“We’re really proud,” Smith said.

In other news, the board approved a resolution for the Hickory Hills Park deal to send to the City Council for approval.

If both parties approve the plan, it would add Hickory Hills to the city’s 23 existing parks, and the Polk Street firehouse would become school district property.

In addition, the city would pay the school board $450,000 over nine years, install sidewalks on the western side of Polk Street near West Side Elementary School, spend $100,000 on sidewalk improvements near Park Street School and put a five-year freeze on a percentage of tax collection costs charged to the school board.

Smith said the groups have set a deadline of Oct. 15 for an agreement.

In a recent article in the AJC, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is brought into the spotlight. Here are some exerpts from the article:

For years, cross country teams across metro Atlanta have had free run of the popular trails at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. There, runners could get in their miles in sylvan surroundings.

But the days of unrestricted access for high school and college athletes may be coming to an end. Too many running teams, and the vehicles that bring them to Kennesaw, have strained the capacity of trails and parking lots, a top official said. The crush is particularly bad after work on weekdays and on weekends.

“We are simply at a point where the volume of usage at the park with organized athletic groups is in conflict with other park users,” said park superintendent Dan Brown. “I have gotten complaints from park visitors.”

They have complained, he said, that the teams essentially use what is a memorial site as a staging area to take off sweats, warm up and discard water bottles.

Large running squads can cause some individual visitors to “feel forced off the trail,” he said, as they sweep by in fast-moving packs.

Park officials plan to meet with area coaches today in an effort to find a solution. One prospect, Brown said, is to schedule days and times when each team is permitted to run. Some time blocks would be prohibited.

“We’re certainly going to ask for their input,” Brown said, “but there are some things we’ll definitely have to take a position on.”

What is your opinion about the situation? Have you found the athletic teams to be a problem or do you think they have every right to continue using the area for practices? SHARE YOUR OPINION!

Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry will bring a dash of glamour to a serious topic, “Building Intolerance to Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking,” Thursday at 11 a.m. in a talk in the seminar room of Marietta High School, 1171 Whitlock Ave.

The event is free and open to the public. Parents with teenagers and young drivers are encouraged to come. Home to the largest driver education program in Georgia, Marietta High is Berry’s first stop in the Atlanta metro area as part of her 20,000 mile a month, yearlong tour to raise awarnesses of the dangers of drinking and driving.

The Marietta/Cobb Drivers Education is a joint program of the Marietta City and Cobb County school systems. More than 2,600 teens each year go through the driver’s education program that has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Driving as a model for programs across the state.

Update: Parents can call West Side Elementary School with any questions. 770 429 3172

Along with school uniforms, West Side Elementary is introducing the “School Enrichment Model” this Fall to all students. The SEM evolved from the work of Joseph Renzouli over 20 years ago - it is used as the basis for most gifted programs. It is a program that will be offered in addition to the core subjects (Reading, Language Arts, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies) taught in homeroom classes.

Enrichment classes will be offered to all West Side students four days per week for one hour. Students will choose a class from one of the four clusters. Each cluster course is 9 weeks in duration. The courses will be taught by teachers, professionals in the community and volunteers. The clusters from which the children choose are:

Math, Science & Technology Cluster
Keyboarding, Health, Cooking, Robotics, Web Design, Astronomy, Chemistry, Lego Construction, Economic Stock Exchange

Performing Arts Cluster
Skits, Puppetry, Dance, Reader’s Theater, Fashion Show, Poetry Reading, One-Act Plays, Story Telling, Public Speaking, and more

Arts, Cultures, and Media Cluster
Greek Mythology, Pottery, Chess, Manners and Etiquette, Wood Working, Debate, Cake Design, Weaving, and more

Environmental Cluster
Geography Bee, Rocks and Minerals, Weather, Horticulture, Outdoor Garden/Classroom

Benefits of the SEM
Promotes both challenging and enjoyable “high-end learning” across the full range of school types, levels, and demographic differences.

Focuses on applying the know-how of gifted education to a systematic plan for total school improvement.
All staff and students are able to “show off” their untapped strengths, talents and knowledge.
More engaged learners with students taking ownership of their learning through choice.
All students are exposed to knowledge that will continue to be useful throughout life.

The Marietta School Board passed the school councils request to implement a uniform dress code at West Side Elementary and MSGA last night. West Side’s uniform dress code consists of a polo-style shirt in navy or yellow with West Side Elementary and the school’s mascot on the left side. Students can also choose to wear their West Side T-shirts. Bottoms would include khaki pants, shorts, or skirts. Fridays will be designated as “Spirit Day”. MSGA unified dress code consists of a polo-style shirt in navy or light blue with white MSGA logo embroidery. Students can also wear their MSGA T-shirt. Choice of bottoms include khakis or jeans. All must be belted/affixed at the waist with shirt tucked in. Both schools have secured funding from outside sources.

The board will work to complete a uniform policy this Summer. Any school can then adopt a uniform policy for their school. The board will hold two public forums to comment on different uniform proposals and offer public input to the board.

Central office address: 250 Howard Street

May 19th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm
May 22nd from 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Today, the Marietta School board will have a special session at 11:30 am to review several proposals regarding uniforms in the following Marietta City Schools: Westside Elementary, Marietta Sixth Grade Academy and Woods Wilkins Center.

The MDJ is reporting:

School board member Jill Mutimer said the three proposals, if approved, would not set a precedent for the rest of the school system.

“The three proposals each have been submitted separately,” she said. “Uniforms are not a board policy.”

School spokesman Thomas Algarin said the discussion is in its second phase after the schools made requests for uniforms at a May 9 board meeting.

Ms. Mutimer said if approved, the uniform plans call for parents to purchase the necessary clothing. She did not say how much each uniform would cost parents. The district would advertise a request for proposals to solicit a vendor for the uniforms.

She added the schools have plans to raise money outside its budget for scholarship money to help families who cannot afford the uniforms.

Ms. Mutimer said the schools are examining a uniform requirement for several reasons.

“They have said they feel it will help them enforce the dress code more effectively,” she said. “They said it would help with discipline.”

She said the theory is that uniforms would allow students to focus on academics rather than their clothes.

What do you all think? Are uniforms in the Marietta School system a good thing? Share your opinion below!

For those of our readers in west Cobb, we’re sure you’ve at least heard mention of the new Allatoona High School, which is planned to open in late 2008. In a Marietta Daily Journal article from today’s paper, it’s reported that the new school might run as much as $6 million overbudget.

Salmon [an executive from The Facility Group, which handles construction projects for the Cobb school district] said a number of factors have contributed to the projected overrun, including global economic factors, Hurricane Katrina and rising oil prices. The events of the Sept.. 11 2001, terror attacks, combined with Katrina, have hit insurance companies hard, he said.

He cited the wholesale cost of asphalt, which in March 2004 was $24 a ton, but in March 2006 was $33.50 a ton, and diesel fuel, which in 2004 was $1.09 a gallon but now is $2.25 a gallon.

Fortunately, superintendent Fred Sanderson reports that the district is under budget in some other areas, which creates a surplus to work with.

What is your opinion on the costs of schools these days? Do you believe your tax dollars are being used to their greatest potential? With the cost of construction projects rising, do you think our school districts can afford to keep up with the demand for more educational facilities? Share your opinion!

Thanks to Jon Gillooly for the MDJ article.

We were honored to have a meeting this past Tuesday with MHS principal and longtime Marietta resident, Leigh Colburn. Leigh took us on a tour of the facility, which was more than impressive. We encountered several teachers who were passionate about their subjects, their classrooms, and the school in general. WhitlockAvenue.com is excited, as we are in the works with MHS to create a subsection of the site devoted to all things Marietta High School. We will spotlight happenings related to the school, including student academic achievements and special events. We also hope to enlist some of MHS’ top journalists to write content for the site.

This is an exciting venture that we will have online soon. As we continue to join forces with our community, our hope is to keep everyone more informed than before and, by involving those who have a passion for Marietta, to bring us a full portrait of our city on a daily basis.

Where is the Marietta High School?