Welcome to the State Board of Education, 1978

7A :'3<X>.5'7--
MI
,q1tg
wL/
t. ;2.

Georgia Department of Education

'WELCOME

totlLe
~tateCJJoard

" ...o!~:.io-

ofCEducatiort

...
Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964); sex (Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972); or handicap (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973), in educational programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Employees, students and the general public are hereby notified that the Georgia Department of Education does not discriminate in any educational programs or activities or in employment policies. The following individuals have been designated as the employees responsible for coordinating the department's effort to implement this nondiscriminatory policy.
Title VI - Peyton Williams Jr., Associate Superintendent of State Schools and Special Services
Title IX - Evelyn Rowe, Coordinator Section 504 - Jane Lee, Coordinator of Special Education Vocational Equity - Loydia Webber, Coordinator Inquiries concerning the application of Title VI, Title IX or Section 504 to the policies and practices of the department may be addressed to the persons listed above at the Georgia Department of Education, 231 State Office Building, Atlanta 30334; to the Regional Office for Civil Rights, Atlanta 30323 or to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, DC 20201.

WELCOME

--

~

-

-
_ .-

-N

totJte

~tate~

ofCEducatioll

CONTENTS

State Board Members and Meetings

~ . . . . . . . . .. 1

Duties and Functions

3

Members of the State Board of Education. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 6

Profiles

8

Georgia's Publ ic School System

13

The State Board of Education was created by act of the Georgia legislature in 1937, which provided that the board should be composed of one member from each congressional district. Members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate for overlapping seven-year terms. Vacancies on the board which occur when the legislature is not in session are filled by the board members themselves, voting in secret. Upon convening of the next legislative session after the vacancy occurs, the Governor fills the vacancy by appointment.
The law provides that state board members shall be citizens of the state who have lived in Georgia continuously for five years preceding their appointment. Persons who are employed in a professional capacity by a private or public educational institution or by the Georgia Department of Education are not eligible; neither are persons currently or formerly connected with or employed by schoolbook publishing firms~
Meetings
The board is required by law to hold official meetings at the state capitol in the board conference room of the Georgia Department of Education. Committee meetings are sometimes held at schools Qf institutions the Board operates throughout the state. Officers are elected annually in December and consist of a chairman, vice chairman, vice chairman for appeals and parliamentarian. Members are paid $36 per diem plus expenses for each day they serve in their official capacity.

Official meetings are held every second Thursday in the Boa~d Roo.m of the GElorgiC! Dep~rtment of Educatio.n in - Atlanta. On Wednesdays.preceding theO monthly mee'tfngs the board meets as.~ Committee of the Whole to discuss in detail items to be considered by the full board the next day.Additional me~tings may be called as necessary. A quorum of six members is required for the board to take official action, the chairman vot~ng only in the event of a tie,

A majority vote of the board is required for a favorable decision on any item of business.

Each board meeting is recorded on audiotape and retained as a permanent record of board action. In addition, minutes are compiled and published by the State Superintendent of Schools, who retains a complete file in his office. These files are available for public examination, as are the board's policies and executive procedures.

Board members are carefully informed of business they are to consider at each board meeting. Members receive their agendas and related background materials the week preceding the meeting to allow them ample time for study. These materials include such items as reports from the State School Superintendent, staff reports from the Department of Education, financial items, letters received from citizens, and, in the case of appeals, briefs fr0n:' each party involved.

At board meetings, staff members of the Department of Education are on hand to provide reports and explanations of items to the board. Staff members who regularly attend include the Associate Superintendent for Instructional Services, the Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services, the Associate Superintendent for Planning and Development, the
2

Associate Superintendent for Vocational Education and the

Associ~teSu~erinte[ldent for: State Sehools and Special ... '

Services.

."

As a rule, the order of business is as follows.

. 1. Prayer 2. Roll call 3. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting(s) 4. Approval of the agenda 5. Reports from ad hoc committees 6. New business 7. Consideration of recommended personnel action 8. Report from Committee of the Whole 9. Report from executive secretary 10. Appeals 11. Adjournment or recess

~tie(;&
'PUIlPtions
The board adopts and prescribes all rules, regulations and policies required by Georgia statutes and the Constitution as necessary for carrying out the public school education 'program in Georgia. The board establishes and enforces minimum standards for operation of all phases of elementary and secondary education from state to school system level. The board strives to insure equal and\adequate educational programs, curriculum offerings, opportunities and facilities for all Georgia students through efficient, economical administration and operation. _
The board's decisions and activities are guided bythefollowing set of principles, duly adopted and published in its , pol icy manual.
3

Freedom from ignorance insures freedom from

oppr~ssion.---

.

..,

.

-" "'" .

.." ~

Public ed~ation in Georgia and the United States shoulq promote the democratic ideals of our society.

. Education can best be served through cooperative efforts . of government: local, state and federal.

It is the responsibility of the State Board of Education to adopt policies that set the framework within which the State Superintendent of Schools, local boards of education, and local superintendents of schools are to function.

The State Board of Education is a policy-making constitutional board and legislative body and has legal status only as a board.

Policies of the.State Board of Education are administered by the State Superintendent of Schools.

The operation andJmanagement of local schools is the responsibility of local boards of education and local superintendents within the framework of law and State Board pol icy.



The state superintendent and his staff are responsible to the board for the administration of public education. The board is required by law to compile and submit annually a budget request for the operation of schools to the Governor and the General Assembly. This budget is developed with the assistance and recommendations of the Department of Education staff under direction of the State Superintendent of Schools.
4

Board decisions are made in accordance with its policies and procedures, compiled and published by staff of the
Department of Education. The board'sits asan~appeals CQU'rt:'
to hear appellants in c()ses involvi'Qg loca~ boards of education .

All State Board of Education meetings are open to the public in accordance with Georgia law. In addition, the board has adopted a public information policy which states:
"The State Board upholds as a matter of principle the public's right to know about the operation and actions of all publicly supported bodies and agencies. The State Board also advocates open communication as an obligation of all public institutions in a democratic system of government. The State Superintendent shall allow the public and the news media freedom of inspection of public records and information excepting those records legally defined as confidential, including records so ordered by a court of this State or by law, personnel records, medical records, client records, information about individual students, or other records the disclosure of which would be an invasion of personal privacy. The State Board may at any time direct the State Superintendent to designate specific records as confidential. Official records may not be removed from the offices of the State Department of Education. The State Superintendent is empowered and encouraged to use all available media in reporting education progress, problems, and needs. The State Superintendent shall promote effective communication from the Department of Education to local school systems, the General Assembly, Federal officials, and college and university officials."

The board welcomes attendance at any of its meetings and invites visitors who wish to address the board to have themselves placed on the agenda 10 days before the meeting by contacting the State Superintendent of Schools in Atlanta.
5

Tom Vann Vice Chairman, Appeals
F A. J. McClung
Saralyn B. Oberdorfer

James Smith

Pat G. Kjorlaug
6

* as they are seated,

Asbury Stembridge Vice Chairman

....

cks Carolyn Huseman

Hollis Q. Lathem

rbet
fle
~oard
:atioll*
s in the board room.

Larry A. Foster
Charles McDaniel Executive Secretary

.ProJilq
Roy-Hendricks Chairman
State Board of Education Chairman Roy Hendricks of Metter represents the First Congressional District. He was appointed to the State Board by Governor Jimmy Carter. Mr. Hendricks served as chairman of the Candler County Board of Education for 20 years and has served as director from the first district of the Georgia School Boards Association. He does extensive farming, especially in the area of ' horticulture. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and has been a principal and classroom teacher. He is active in many business and civic organizations.
c:fi.sburY Stembridge Vice Chairman
Asbury Stembridge was appointed to the State Board in 1973 by Governor Jimmy Carter to fill the unexpired term of James Dewar., He was reappointed in 1974 to a full sevenyear term to represent the Eighth Congressional District. Mr. Stembridge resides in Macon where he is co-owner and executive vice president of Clark Memorials, Inc., and president of the Cordele Marble Co. of Cordele. He is a native of Milledgeville, attended the Georgia Military College and earned an A.B. degree in political science from Mercer University. He is active in several civic and professional organizations, particularly the Lions Club. He is past district governor of Lion International and was selected as Lion of the Year. He is chairman of the Georgia Post Secondary Education Commission, a former member of the State Commission on Compensation and former board member of the Department of Community Development.
8

It: Thomas'Vann .\lice C~.airman,AppEj.CJJs
Thomas K. Vann .tr.,former chairman of the Thomasville City Board of Education, is an attorney with law C1egrees from the Univexsity of Georgia and Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Georgia. A member of the Thomas County Bar Association, the Southern Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and the American Bar Association, Mr. Vann is also a member of the Georgia School Boards Association, a trustee of the Thomasville YMCA, pa~t president of the Thomasville Kiwanis Club and a deacon of the Thomasville First Baptist Church. Appointed in 1976 by Governor George Busbee, Mr. Vann represents the Second Congressional District on the board. His term expires in 1983.
/Saralyn B.Oberdorfer
Mrs. Saralyn B. Oberdorfer of Atlantawas appointed to the ' board in 1976 by Governor George Busbee to represent the Fifth Congressional District. She is a 1953 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an A.B. degree in English and a minor in education. She also received the A.A. degree from Stephens College, Columbia, Mo. Mrs. Oberdorferhas taught in Atlanta public schools and the Temple Sinai Religious School and has been a supply teacher and guest lecturer in Fulton Countyschools. She serves as a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee to the Fulton County School Board. Her child support activities have included being a Girl Scout leader, an elementary PTA president, a high school PTSA president, a president of North Fulton PTA Council and a member of the Georgia PTA State Board of Managers. Currently, Mrs. Oberdorfer serves as a member of the board of directors of the Public Broadcasting Service. Her term expires in 1983.
9

_c/lt-McClung -_

.;..

A. J. McClung; Columbus. Mayor Pro Tem, is a former high school teacher and coach. He recently retired as executive director ot the Brookhaven Branch YMCA in Columbus. He hofds a B.S. degree from Tuskegee Institute and has done graduate studies at Columbia University and George Williams College. Mr. McClung is a member of the executive board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Civilian Military Council of Columbus, the Columbus Mental Retardation Association and the Columbus NAACP Program Committee. He is chairman of the Board of Stewards of the St. James AME Church in Columbus. In 1973, Mr. McClung received the community service award of the Columbus NAACP. He previously has been honored as Columbus Man ,of the Year by the Young Men's Progressive Club and was recipient of the distinguished service award of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Appointed in 1976 by Governor George Busbee, Mr. McClung represents the Third Congressional District. His term expires in 1983.

LarryA. Foster
Larry A. Foster was appointed to the State Board 'Of Education in April 1978 by Governor George Busbee. He represents the Sixth Congressional District. Histerm will-expire in 1985. Mr. Foster, a resident of Jonesboro, is a partner in the law firm of Watson, Brown, Foster; & Mur;phy. A native of Atlanta, he attended public schools in Fulton and Clayton Counties. He earned a B.S. degree in English from Troy State University and a law degree from Emory University. He is a former lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Cor;p. Active in a num~ ber of civic and professional organizations, he is vice president olthe Tara Kiwanis Club and works with the YMCA and Boy Scouts of America. He is former president of the Clayton County Bar Association and is a member of the Clayton County, Georgia, Florida and American Bar Associations.
10

~qtG. Kjorlaug _- _
Mrs. Pat G. Kjorla~_g was appointed to the State Board in April 1978 by Governor George Busbee to represent the Fourth Congressional District. A resident of Decatur, Mrs. Kjorlaug served- on the City of Decatur Board of Education for seven years and as secretary-treasurer of that board for four years. She holds a B.S. degree in home economics and merchandising from the University of Alabama and has worked as an assistant buyer for Davison's Department Store. Mrs. Kjorlaug has been active in thePTA at the local and district levels, the Junior League of DeKaib County, the .Georgia School Boards Association, the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority at the local and national levels and the Decatur Presbyterian Church. She served on the Board of Directors of the Trinity Day Care Center for six years and was named one of 25 Leading Ladiesof Atlanta in 1977.
Hollis Q. Lathem
Hollis Q. Lathem of Canton represents the Ninth Congressional District on the State Board of Education. He was appointed by Governor George Busbee in June 1977 to fill the unexpired term of Richard Neville. He was reappointed in January 1978 for a full seven-year term. Mr. Lathem is executive vice president and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank in Ball Ground. He is also vice chairman of the Cherokee County Water Authority, a member of the Cherokee County Development Authority and a member of the Ball Ground Lions Club. He attended Middle Georgia College and received an LL.B. from the University of Georgia. His term expires in 1985.
11

]amesFSmith .;-Seventh Congr.essional Di~trict representative James F.
Smith, a native of Cart~rsville, was educated in Cartersville public schoois. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1965 from the University of Georgia. He is vice president of R.C.A. Truck Lines, Inc., a director of the First National Bank of Cartersville and a director of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association. Mr. Smith, a Rotarian, is a deacon and treasurer of the Rowland Springs Baptist Church. He was appointed to the board in 1976 by Governor George Busbee. His term expires in 1983.
Carolyn Huseman
Representing the Tenth Congressional District is Mrs. Carolyn Huseman of Athens. She was appointed to the State Board in 1971 by Governor Jimmy Carter and was reappointed in 1978 by Governor George Busbee. Her term will expire in 1985. Mrs. Huseman is an active member of the St. James Methodist Church in Athens. In 1971 she was elected as a member of "Outstanding Young Women in America." .
12

Georgia's Public School System
GEORGIA VOTERS

Governor

State . Superintend~nt

Georgia Senate

I- __ S2,.n-firm-s - -

Georgia Board of
Education

Office of State Schools and
Special Services

~"O~len

I I - Georgia Department of Education

Office of

Office of

Office of

Administrative

Planning and

Instructional

Services

Development

Services

~

Public Schools of
Georgia


Co
2.
::J
~.
c;:
\~.

Georgia Department of Education Publications and Information Services Office of Administrative Services Charles McDaniel, State Superintendent of Schools 1978

8"$715 Q....n ..1 2500