By Mark Woolsey

The Marietta City Schools Board of Education  is tops in the state, according to the Georgia School Boards Association, which ranked it as the number one school governance team.

The agency says the top ranking among 180 state school districts stems from  its embracing of the highest standards of school district leadership, “grounded in strategic decision making, community trust and a clear focus on student outcomes.”

The association praised  the Marietta board for moving forward in a number of ways, including literacy efforts that involved a fundamental change in methodology as it began a transition into more scientific  “structured literacy” efforts five years ago.

Reading facilitators were added to give teachers coaching on how to reteach reading based on scientific conclusions. And nearly 40 specialized reading instructors were put in place the next year as a segment of the program  to directly work with students.

“The number of reading instructors hired was based on the number of students reading below grade level and we have reduced the number according to our improving data since,” said Mary Hannah Gaddis, Director of Science of Reading.

The program began in K-3 classes, then grades four and five were looped in after a couple of years. The same approach has subsequently been expanded to the middle and high school level.

Gaddis says the initiative is supported by more than $7 million in school board-approved investments.

And as indicated above, the data has been improving.

“From the spring of 2022 to now the number of students reading at or above grade level (grades 3-8 on Georgia Milestones) increased by one percent in Georgia, while Marietta City had an 11 percent increase,” she said.

The School Boards Associaton also praised Marietta schools for more than literacy gains.

They noted what they called a proactive approach to student and school safety that included installation of cameras, a healthy level of parent and family engagement, a transparent and accountable budget process, a governance structure stressing shared focus and individual learning and good fiscal accountability.

They thought that the periodic board-superintendent mini-retreats focusing on long-term planning and other concerns were on the right track.

“As a Board, we lead with students at the center of every decision,” said Marietta City Schools Board Chair Jeff DeJarnett. “This recognition reflects the work happening every day across our district.”

“We are honored by this award, and even more excited about the work ahead.”

The board will be engaged in some additional work ahead that stems from their award, working with other school districts around the state this next year to share their best practices in areas such as their governance structure and strategic plans.

The award was not a walk in the park, according to district officials. They say the Marietta city was picked after a detailed written application and documentation review, plus an extensive interview process.