Cobb Schools To Undergo Special Review By Accrediting Agency
The Cobb County School Board met on Thursday, Sept. 24.
Martha Dalton (screen shot) / WABE
The Cobb County School District says it will undergo a special review from its accrediting agency, Cognia. Three board members requested the review in January.
Charisse Davis, Dr. Jaha Howard and LeRoy “Tré” Hutchins said the four other board members and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale ignored their requests to discuss topics like early literacy, employee support and board training.
Cognia, formerly AdvancEd, told the district it received complaints from groups and individuals alleging the school board violated accreditation standards.
CCSD says Cognia notified the school system in February that it received complaints about the school board’s behavior. The district provided a response, addressing the concerns. However, district officials say Cognia told them early last week it planned to conduct a special review.
“We are a strong district with a history of academic excellence, student success, and sound fiscal stewardship,” Ragsdale said in a statement. “This unscheduled review is unusual for several reasons, including Cognia’s recent extension of our accreditation term only 14 months ago. In 2019 and 2020, Cognia’s leadership expressed sufficient confidence in the District to extend our accreditation through 2024 – the maximum length we could have been given.”
Ragsdale said the district is taking the review seriously and will fully cooperate. The review is unscheduled, meaning the district doesn’t know when it will take place.
Related
Top Stories
