“Imagine International Academy of Mableton is rallying to save the school, since its charter renewal is being considered by the Cobb Board of Education.
Students, parents and other supporters of Imagine International Academy of Mableton packed the meeting room during the Cobb Board of Education’s June 8 work session.
Cobb Schools Superintendent Fred Sanderson recommended rejection of the IIAM’s charter renewal.
However, the school was granted a 30-day delay in consideration of its renewal, and the school’s renewal is, therefore, not on tonight’s meeting agenda.
Many parents of IIAM students believe the board members votes will hinge on the vote of Board of Education member David Morgan, who represents IIAM and other South Cobb schools.
Morgan said the school has had financial and curriculum challenges and has not lived up to the standards set forth when its initial charter was granted five years ago.
Supporters of the school are gathering again for today’s school board meeting for a “Save Our School” pep rally at the
school from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The school is also providing transportation after the rally to the school board meeting which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the CCSD Central Office at 538 Glover St. S.E. in Marietta.
Every participant in the rally will receive an IIAM t-shirt and can be entered to win a $50 gas card.
Below is the letter that was emailed to parents of IIAM students on Wednesday from Dr. Marcus Barber, IIAM principal:
Dear Parents,
On behalf of Imagine International Academy of Mableton, I would like to thank you for your commitment and interest in the future of Imagine International Academy at Mableton (IIAM). With the end of the 2010-2011 school year, we are well underway in planning for the next school year. We are excited about the educational and character initiatives planned for our campus. We look forward to having your student as part of our school family.
Currently, IIAM is operating based on a five-year charter granted by the Cobb County school district. This coming school year is our fifth year under that charter, and we are proceeding with all the planning needed to make 2011-2012 a successful year for our students.
The IIAM governing board and school leaders have worked diligently for months on a two-year charter renewal application. We are currently waiting for an official decision in regard to our charter renewal from the Cobb County school board. This decision will come later in the 2011 calendar year, due to a requested extension of the vote on our proposed charter.
All charter schools that want to continue educating students face similar processes in working with the authorizer (the school district in this case), to identify how to further improve the performance of the school and the education of children in the community. Though this accountability system places the district in a position of evaluating a competitor, we are confident that the school board will listen to parents who support IIAM and take note of the academic gains and successes achieved by the individual students.
When charters are granted, parents are empowered to make the best educational choices for their children. We hope that you will contact the Cobb County school board in the coming weeks, to express your support for renewing Imagine Mableton’s charter. You may speak during the public comment portion of the board meeting on June 23,at 7p.m. If you would like to speak, please arrive early to sign in by 6:30 p.m. Alternatively, you can e-mail the school board members to share your opinions and desire to keep school choice alive for your students. Their e-mail addresses are attached.
We are committed to the students in this community, and we look forward to providing a well-rounded, content-rich academic and character program to them for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Dr. Marcus A. Barber,
Principal”
Article published on June 23, 2011 by the South Cobb Patch