The Fulton County Board of Education reported the following actions from its Jan. 11 meeting:

This month's Spotlight on Achievement featured the sixth grade Expeditionary Learning Team at Crabapple Middle School.

The team encourages and practices academic rigor, problem solving, teamwork and community service.

The Fulton County Board of Education recognized the following individuals, schools and departments for exceptional performance:

• Cheryl Clemons, career technology acting coordinator winner of the Independent Electrical Contractors' Industry Award for efforts to train future electricians through the school system's Youth Apprenticeship Program.

• Dara Jones, Hapeville Elementary principal recipient of the Jo Richardson Award for Excellence from the Principals' Center at Georgia State University.

The award recognizes a principal for exceptional leadership in creating a learning environment that works for all students.

• Bear Creek Middle School The school's Career Planning Program has been named by both the American and Georgia School Counselors associations as the first Georgia Planning for Life model school.

Information and Community Relations Department winner of the National School Public Relations Association's Gold Medallion for internal communications training.

• Board of Education members honored by the Georgia School Boards Association as part of School Board Member Appreciation Week.

• Vincent Ling, Taylor Road Middle eighth grade student selected as one of 40 national finalists in the Discovery Young Scientist Challenge 2000.

• Riverwood High Japan Bowl Team Level one winners in the Georgia Japan Bowl Contest.

• June Bryant, Milton High teacher named to the All U.S.A. Teacher Team by USA Today.

• Denise Jennings, Milton High teacher named by the National Arts Educators Association as the 2000 National Secondary Art Educator of the Year.

INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES

Technology services plan: Charles Sipos, Technology Services executive director, recently updated the board on the 1999-2001 strategic plan for technology.

Of the 12 projects originally included in the plan, eight have been completed and 11 projects have been added. Sipos provided information on the SASI test history module, distance learning, data warehousing, Parent Connect, and other technology-based initiatives.

New math textbooks: Curriculum staff presented for first reading a list of K-12 mathematics textbooks being recommended for adoption. These books will be voted on next month and are on display at the Teacher Center North and the Administrative Center.

Pilot network program: Tri-Cities High School received permission to pilot a Cisco Networking Academy. The four-semester program covers principles and practices of designing, building and maintaining computer networks and is taught both through the Internet and hands-on learning activities.

Naming of facilities: The board tabled until next month action on the naming of the five new schools opening next year. This provides additional time for the community to comment on the recommended school names.

BOARD MATTERS

Election of officers: Fulton County Board of Education policy calls for board members to elect a president to serve a two-year term and to annually elect a board vice president. The election of vice president is conducted each January, with the president's election in odd-numbered years. Linda Bryant and Ron Jackson both were nominated for president. Neither candidate received a majority vote.

By state statute, the current board president, Linda Bryant, will continue to serve in the position until another election can be conducted. In the election for vice president, Ron Jackson and Julia Bernath were both nominated, with neither person receiving a majority vote.

Policies and procedures: The policy and procedure review schedule was presented for information... The board approved a revision to policy and procedure governing immunizations.

Redistricting changes: The board approved a change to the redistricting plan adopted last month concerning 179 students from the Manning Oaks elementary area. The plan adopted in December had these students zoned into the Hembree Road Middle School site.

The revision allows all of the Manning Oaks attendance area to be zoned to Northwestern Middle School. A second revision, involving the Hembree Road Middle School site and Haynes Bridge and Holcomb Bridge middle schools, was tabled until next month. This revision affects 110 students.

Other board items: A list of out-of-state field trips and out-of-system travel for employees received approval. After reviewing current board committe assignments, Julia Bernath was appointed to the Pension Board and Gail Dean was named to the board of the Fulton Employees Charitable Fund.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Personnel actions. The board approved the personnel action report and the superintendent's recommendations for employment, reclassification and separation, including:

New Hire: Teresa Sawyer, assistant principal with Harris County School System to College Park Elementary assistant principal. Vicki Denmark, Georgia State University assistant professor to principal at the Rogers Circle Middle School.

Promotions: Kalpana Raju, Roswell North Elementary assistant principal to principal at Hembree Road Elementary. Martha Zmijewski, New Prospect Elementary assistant principal to Lake Windward Elementary principal. Vivian Bankston, Northwestern Middle assistant principal to principal at Hembree Road Middle.

Transfers: Sherry Heyen, principal on special assignment to the Planning and Research Department to principal at Big Creek Elementary. Dara Jones, Hapeville Elementary principal to principal at Scott Road Elementary.

Retiring: Sadie Etris, Findley Oaks Elementary principal; Cade Gervais, student placement director; Russ Studevan, Independence High principal.

SUPPORT SERVICES

The monthly purchasing report and capital programs board action report received approval, including information on the new high school on Parsons Road and needs assessment items for the schools in the Centennial and Chattahoochee clusters.