Comments

• On the article Letter to the Editor: 'No' Vote Recommended for Smyrna Academy of Excellence

  Jill Rowland Meiser

  9:16 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012

  My neighborhood's public middle school did not make AYP four of the last six years. My neighborhood's public high school did not make AYP four of the last six years. We are districted to the high school with the highest 4-year graduation rate of the four in SAE's enrollment area, but it is a shameful 65%. Given those statistics, it is unthinkable to me for anyone NOT to approve of, support, and even CHAMPION the development of a school with the mission of raising that bar. Smyrna-Vinings-Mableton-Austell community: Now is the time to make yourselves heard. Thursday night is your last chance. Don't sit on your hands and let this opportunity be taken away from our community and our famiies. Show the Board that they need to vote YES.

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• On the article Letter to the Editor: Parent Supports Smyrna Academy of Excellence

  Jill Rowland Meiser

  9:05 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012

  It is gratifying to see such passion and interest in our schools, as indicated by the comments left here regarding my letter to the Cobb County School Board. Parental and community involvement and passion is what we desperately need - keep it up!

  All the focus and energy here so far has been about Elementary schools. Let no one lose sight of the massive problems we have in our middle and high schools. SAE's primary focus is a Culture of 100%, where nothing less than a 100% graduation rate is acceptable. Of the four high schools in the SAE primary attendance zone, the lowest 4-year graduation rate is 42%, and the highest is 65%. At best, 4 in 10 of our high school students are not successfully graduating, and at worst, 6 in 10 are not. SAE's founders believe that even one child not crossing the finish line is one too many, let alone the numbers that are tolerated at Campbell, South Cobb, Osborne and Pebblebrook.

  SAE received a letter today from the Governer's Office of Student Achievement, recognizing SAE as the first and only applicant to receive both a charter school planning grant and an invitation to apply for implementation funding through the Governor's Innovation Fund. GOSA cited the support demonstrated by the school's partners and the community as "impressive and unlike any other application received by GOSA so far".

  This school will raise the bar in our community, and competition breeds improvement. Thank you to all who have lent their support.

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• On the article Win Tickets to the Musical Blast!

  Jill Rowland Meiser

  12:02 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012

  I've been reading ever since my friend Leigh Champion said, "You gotta follow Hunt, he's awesome!" So pretty much from the beginning. I love Patch for the hyper-local news, because I love my Smyrna community.

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