2022-2023 | CLASS ACT 35
in middle school Connections
technology classes,
and culminating with
numerous high school
courses, both Career
Pathways and AP offerings,
designed to prepare students
for careers focused
on technology and information
services knowledge
and skills. Last school year,
CCSD added its newest
Career Pathway in cybersecurity
with the opening of
the Cherokee College &
Career Academy. The
cybersecurity program
included a partnership with
CCSD’s Office of Technology
& Information Services,
which hosted field trips at
its headquarters and
provided guest speakers
and other professional
support.
Thousands of CCSD
teachers and support staff
are trained each year by
CCSD’s Office of Technology
& Information Services
on the latest in instructional
technology and instruction
including courses to
achieve Microsoft Innovative
Educator (MIE), MIE
Expert, and Apple Teachers
designations. These courses
develop participants’
abilities to best use technology
devices and software
in their roles, whether
in the classroom or an
office.
Last school year, Indian
Knoll ES was selected by
Microsoft as a 2021-22
Microsoft Showcase School
in honor of its successful
integration of educational
technology in the classroom
to benefit students
and teachers. Only 38
schools were selected as
Showcase Schools, and
Indian Knoll ES is the only
school in Georgia named to
the list. As a Showcase
School, Indian Knoll ES has
access to additional Microsoft
resources and support
and the opportunity to
share innovative best
practices with other top
schools.
Holly Springs ES STEM
Academy, during the
2014-15 school year, became
the world’s first whole
school ever to be MIE
certified, and the following
year was the first CCSD
school selected for the
Showcase. Clark Creek ES
STEM Academy earned the
international Showcase
recognition during the
2018-19 school year.
Twenty-seven CCSD
teachers and staff last
school year were recognized
as MIE Experts, and
one earned a national
fellowship! They were
named to the 2021-22 class
of MIEEs, and CCSD
Instructional Technology
Specialist Merry Hofmeister
additionally was one of
only 32 educators in the
U.S. and three in Georgia
named an Microsoft Innovative
Educator Fellow.
The technology company
annually selects an MIEE
cohort of several hundred
elite educators, support
staff and school leaders
considered to be among the
best in the nation at understanding
how technology
can improve learning. As
Experts, they receive access
to new instructional resources
and can participate
in an exclusive online
group for sharing best
practices.
As the county’s largest
employer, business technology
offers CCSD opportunities
to improve overall
service to students and
operational efficiency to
provide greater return on
New Promethean Interactive Flat Panels will continue
to be installed in all remaining elementary
school buildings this year. This initiative provides
much needed upgrades to classroom audio/visual
content presentation systems. The project began in
February 2022, and crews completed 800 rooms by
mid-June with all work performed after hours and
during school breaks to prevent interruption to instructional
time. The interactive panels allow for up
to 10 simultaneous points of touch. This enables multiple
students to collaborate, problem solve, and
demonstrate lessons with their peers. The 75-inch
display allows for greater visibility over the previous
interactive boards that had approximately 65 to 70
inches of viewable area using a projector. Once the elementary
school phase is completed this fall, the focus
will shift to middle and high schools.
taxpayer investment.
CCSD has implemented
new systems over the past
five years to significantly
improve operations ranging
from a program that
streamlines the request for
business proposals and
contract process to an
annual job evaluation
online tool. Chief Information
Officer Bobby Blount
develops the district’s
five-year technology plan
and, this past school year,
began the development of a
plan specifically addressing
how business technology
could further improve
operations.
While many of the
business systems are used
behind the scenes to increase
efficiency, parents
began using one new
system this past school
year: the ParentSquare
communication system.
The new system is used
to send school messages
such as newsletters, updates
and reminders, to all
parents. Parents also
receive weekly progress
reports for attendance and
grades through ParentSquare
and have the
ability to electronically
report when their child’s
absence is for an excused
reason such as illness or a
doctor’s appointment.