MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org;
September 26, 2014 -- State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge today named 36 parents from all over Georgia to serve on his 2014-15 Parent Advisory Council (PAC).
As members of the council, these parents will meet three times this year with the Superintendent to discuss education issues in Georgia. Their primary focus will be increasing parent and family engagement to ensure student success, particularly in Georgia’s Title I schools.
"I am looking forward to getting to know these parent advisors and discussing how our policies affect their children on a daily basis," Superintendent Barge said. "Increasing parent engagement is critical to ensuring student success, and hearing directly from parents is the best way to ensure their children get what they need to be successful after high school.”
The meetings will allow parents to provide feedback and input on new policies, projects, and materials that influence students and their families. The Superintendent's PAC will share the information they learn with community members, other families and schools. They will also serve as advisors and ambassadors in their respective communities.
Parents are nominated to serve on the PAC by their local school districts at the beginning of each school year. Members are chosen by a committee of Georgia Department of Education representatives based on the applicant’s response to questions. Each member serves a two-year term on the council.
Six members of the council are winners of Georgia Parent Leadership Awards, and all winners of that award are honorary members of the Parent Advisory Council. The council also includes six members from educational organizations in the state, including Georgia PTA, Communities in Schools of Georgia, Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Parent to Parent of Georgia, United Way of Greater Atlanta and Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.
The first meeting, on October 20th, will have the PAC members joining the State School Superintendent, First Lady Sandra Deal and other state organizational leaders for a Parent Engagement Month Kick-Off Celebration at the State Capitol.
| 2015 Superintendent's Parent Advisory Council Members |
| Title |
First Name |
Last Name |
School District |
| Ms. |
Loli |
Anderson |
Burke County Schools |
| Ms. |
Terrilyn |
Ball |
Valdosta City Schools |
| Ms. |
Amy |
Barrington Bryant |
Crisp County Schools |
| Ms. |
Patricia |
Chisholm |
Savannah-Chatham County Schools |
| Ms. |
Shikera |
Cook |
Marietta City Schools |
| Ms. |
LaTonja |
Dotson |
Terrell County Schools |
| Ms. |
Allyson |
Dozier |
Fulton County Schools |
| Ms. |
Amber |
Gibson |
Stewart County Schools |
| Ms. |
Kelly |
Golden |
Tift County Schools |
| Ms. |
Cassandra Leah |
Hazlewood |
Cherokee County Schools |
| Mr. |
Joseph |
Hennesy, III |
Coffee County Schools |
| Ms. |
Theresa |
Holzknecht |
Miller County Schools |
| Ms. |
Susie |
Howard |
Randolph County Schools |
| Mr. |
Rafael |
Huerta |
Dalton City Schools |
| Ms. |
Muna |
Jama |
DeKalb County Schools |
| Ms. |
Ann |
Malkoc |
Gwinnett County Schools |
| Ms. |
Katie |
Olson |
Bulloch County Schools |
| Ms. |
Kathy |
Peaden |
Griffin-Spaulding County Schools |
| Ms. |
Jenny |
Poitevint |
Pelham City Schools |
| Ms. |
Janet |
Porter |
Atlanta Area School for the Deaf |
| Ms. |
Deborah |
Rogers |
Coweta County Schools |
| Ms. |
Tynesha |
Rowland |
Greene County Schools |
| Ms. |
Leah |
Smith |
Thomas County Schools |
| Mr. |
B. J. |
Starling |
Floyd County Schools |
| Ms. |
Kelly |
Strickland Raney |
Butts County Schools |
| Ms. |
Sheila R. |
Thomas |
Dougherty County Schools |
| Ms. |
Jeneverlyn |
Tookes |
Macon County Schools |
| Ms. |
Wendy |
Underwood |
Liberty County Schools |
| Ms. |
Brigitte Y. |
Willis |
Columbia County Schools |
| Ms. |
Nancy |
Zetmeir |
Charlton County Schools |
| Georgia Parent Leadership Award Winners |
| Ms. |
Gail |
Bouie |
Decatur County Schools |
| Ms. |
Kimberly |
Fisher |
Cherokee County Schools |
| Ms. |
Mariana |
Hernandez -Goodwin |
Gwinnett County Schools |
| Ms. |
Karen |
Preble |
Camden County Schools |
| Mr. |
Edward |
Richardson |
Cobb County Schools |
| Ms. |
Laura |
Shyman |
Cobb County Schools |
| State Organizational Members |
| Ms. |
Michelle |
Gearhart |
Parent to Parent of Georgia |
| Ms. |
Carol |
Lewis |
Communities in Schools of Georgia |
| Ms. |
Angel |
Little |
Georgia PTA |
| Ms. |
Laura |
Miller |
United Way of Greater Atlanta |
| Ms. |
Rachael |
Oliver |
Georgia Family Connection Partnership |
| Ms. |
Stacey |
Schaff |
Bright From the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning |
