Bibb superintendent chosen to serve on state advisory council

Bibb County school Superintendent Curtis Jones has been selected for the state superintendents’ advisory council.

“I think it’s an honor for our school system for the state to select me as one of the representatives from Middle Georgia,” Jones said. “It shows that they are aware what we’re doing and the efforts that we’re putting in place.”

The council was created so state Superintendent Richard Woods could receive insight from local superintendents to help inform his state-level decisions.

“My parent, student, and teacher advisory councils have been invaluable in my decision making,” Woods said. “But there was no central way to gather the opinions of local superintendents, who frequently deal with the impact of state policies. The group is a cross-section of the state of Georgia and will add another facet to our efforts to know what’s happening on the ground level of education, and make decisions accordingly.”

Jones and 18 other superintendents across the state had their first meeting with Woods in July and will continue to meet regularly to discuss concerns with Woods.

The way the advisory council works, Jones said, is that Woods shares his concerns or items he’s interested in, and the council provides advice to him.

For example, “The idea of testing,” Jones said. “There is a general feeling that there’s too much testing going on. Mr. Woods feels that way as well. So he’s looking at different ways of trying to adjust what we do in that area.”

Also, Jones added, “The idea that teachers would not be compensated in regards to their experience and their levels of education is one that has a lot of people concerned.”

Ultimately, Jones said he thinks this council -- combined with the others -- benefits both local school districts and the state.

To contact writer David Schick, call 744-4382 or find him on Twitter @davidcschick.

This story was originally published August 11, 2015 at 10:43 PM.