Schools offer 'magnets' to hold students

reporter@thefranklinpress.com

Gary Shields, principal at Franklin High School, gave the Macon County Board of Education a student support update at their meeting Monday night and told them about some of the "magnets" being used to increase attendance and graduation rates.

Shields started off by saying that he recently read a headline that said, "Schools need an attendance policy" and added that the school board has an attendance policy for the school system and that FHS has an attendance policy.

"Nothing's perfect, but we have one," he said. "For this policy to have value it has to be activated by some type of energy. As the principal of FHS it is not about an attendance policy but about programs. My challenge and your challenge is to develop programs that will cause students to come to school.

"I cannot pay students to come to school but we can provide students with programs that we hope are magnets in keeping them in school," he continued. "If you think the 'whipping stick' of the parent or law enforcement is a motivator for students to come to school and learn, it is not true."

Some of the solutions Shields shared that he said have been invested in to enhance learning and attendance are highly qualified teachers, career technical education, technology, arts program, athletics, exceptional children's program and driver's education, to name a few.

Shields also highlighted the major support programs that are offered including Fastrak 21, Fastrak 24, PLATO, Study Island, Virtual High School, CTE, Learn and Earn, dual enrollment, leaning center, Macon Early College and Union Academy.

"All these programs are being offered as 'magnets' to enhance our attendance and graduation rates," Shields said.

Fastrak 21 is a diploma program recognized by the state that has a group of core courses that has to be achieved and includes fewer electives.

"It's not something that's been watered down," Shields said.

Lew Teter discussed PLATO and Study Island.

"The purpose of the PLATO lab started off as remediation," he said.

Teter went on to explain that PLATO is used to keep students from falling behind in their school work, such as if a student has to be out of school with a long term illness. It helps students stay current with their work and it also benefits ESL students, Teter said.

"The program gives them immediate feedback," he added.

Study Island is a program that helps students review for the EOC test.

"The students especially like that," Teter said.

Gary Buchanan discussed Learn and Earn and dual enrollment. Learn and Earn is an online setting and college professors teach the classes. The program gives students the opportunity to take college-level courses during the day. Students can earn both college and high school credits.

"The beauty of it is they don't have to pay for tuition or books," Buchanan said.

Dual enrollment offers face-to-face instruction with the professor. Dual Enrollment allows students to enroll in regularly scheduled courses taught at a Southwestern campus site or online, and credit is earned at SCC (or other post-secondary schools based on transferability). The courses are tuition-free.

"It offers students a chance to get high school and college credit," Buchanan said.

Joan Willis talked about the Leaning Center, which she said she has watched evolve over the years. The Learning Center allows students to get extra help, such as if they are absent. Willis also said that tutoring, Saturday school, summer school and a recovery program are available to students.

"I just think we have lots of programs available for extra help," she said.

Principal Todd Gibbs talked about Macon Early College, which he said has 140 students.

"It is very family oriented," he said about the school. "I think for many of them it's a safe haven."

Macon Early College offers students a smaller school setting compared to FHS and allows them to earn college credit while still in high school. The program is in partnership with Southwestern Community College. The school provides high school students, who enroll in the ninth grade, the opportunity to earn both their high school diploma and an associate's degree (or two years of college credit) within their five years of enrollment in Early College High School. The program is tuition free.

And last, but not least, principal Kris Reis talked about Union Academy.

"We have great kids," he said. "We're a school of individuals."

Union Academy is a school that offers students smaller classroom sizes to learn in and has a middle and high school program and an exceptional children focus room.

"Sometimes just changing settings helps a kid succeed," Reis said. "We don't water it down for the kids."

"In summary, all these programs are being offered as 'magnets' to enhance our attendance and graduation rates," Shields said. "Take our mission, vision, belief statements and the five goals and you can see our educational system is focused on trying to do the right thing in providing a menu of opportunities for our youth."

At the end of the presentation, school board member Thomas Baldwin praised Shields for the number of programs available at the high school.

"You do a wonderful job," he said. "I appreciate you reaching out."

Field trips approved at the Board of Education meeting

Jay Brooks and Rick Blanton, on behalf of Franklin High School's women's tennis, to accompany six students to Morganton, Oct. 23-24 to compete in the Regional Tennis Tournament. (Board was previously polled on this trip)

Tracy Hagan, Macon Middle, to accompany 42 students to the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia Oct. 30 to study state and national visual art standards as well as 8th grade North Carolina social studies standards

Saul Olvera, Macon Middle, to accompany 38 students to the BMW manufacturing plant, Greer, S.C., Nov. 9 to explore supply and demand in the auto industry

Daniel Alich, Macon Early College, to accompany 40 students to the BMW manufacturing plant, Greer, S.C. Nov. 13, to experience a world known vehicle assembly plant.

Dina and Dwain Picou, FHS, to accompany 15-20 students to the College of Charleston math meet, Feb. 19-20, to compete in a math and physics competition.

Buddy Huckabee and Robert Jessup, FHS band and chorus, to accompany about 112 students or less to Disney World, Orlando, Fla., March 25-28 for a performance and judging on national standards.

Jay Brooks and Rick Blanton, on behalf of Franklin High School's women's tennis, to accompany two students to Burlington Oct. 29-30 for a state tennis tournament.