New Fulton County Board members

The Fulton County Board of Education welcomes four new members

SYDNEY MULFORD, FEATURES EDITOR DESIGN: EOWYNN MILLER, STAFF WRITER

After four Fulton County Board of Education (FCBOE) members retired at the beginning of this year, four new members started their terms. Lillie Pozatek became the new representative for District 2, Katie Gregory for District 3, Kristin McCabe for District 5, and Dr. Michelle Morancie for District 7.

Pozatek has been a resident of Fulton County for 12 years and has two daughters who have gone through the Fulton County Schools (FCS) system. She has been an avid parent in the county, volunteering throughout the community and schools. Formerly, Pozatek was a special education teacher and decided to run for the District 2 seat because of her love for education.

“This is a perfect opportunity for me to use all of the skills that I’ve learned as a parent, as a teacher, and as a volunteer in the community and have a chance to sit at the board table and help make some decisions,” Pozatek said.

Pozatek is excited to have the chance to look over the current policies and budget. She plans to look over each of the current policies and ensure that they still fit the current day as some are old and outdated. Pozatek also plans to use her business background to help with budget planning. She will prioritize the students, teachers, and taxpayers in order to make sure they are getting what they need.

Like Pozatek, Gregory was also involved with her schools and community before becoming a board member; she was motivated by this to become a part of the FCBOE. She worked on the school governance council at Hapeville Elementary School and helped with the Parent-Teacher Association. Gregory worked with the previous District 3 representative, so, when she decided to retire, Gregory submitted her letter of intent. After a few rounds of interviews, the board appointed her.

“I’m really excited about being a part of the board for the whole county,” Gregory said. “Having four new members, you have a great opportunity to be the voice for your district. Everything happens through the board of seven, so building the relationships and learning the ins and outs of the rest of FCS is very exciting to me.”

Gregory plans to use her new perspective to grow the board. She wants to focus on all the behind-the-scenes jobs in FCS and the teachers. Gregory is also ready to work with the other board members to create the next strategic plan for the county.

“[These] are wonderful women that are leaders and well connected to communities,” Gregory said. “I can’t wait to join forces with

Lillie Pozatek, District 2

them and meet their communities so we can put together a great plan for FCS to continue academic excellence.”

Whereas Gregory has experience with the Hapeville school governance council, McCabe was previously a nurse at Egleston Hospital and Sibley Heart Center. She has children who started at Findley Oaks Elementary School and went on to graduate from the county. McCabe has always been involved with the school system.

“We would go to meetings together, and there would be community meetings for the board members,” Northview principal Martin Neuhaus said. “She would go to represent and ask questions about that particular school.”

As a new board member, McCabe hopes to raise attendance in all districts. With an increase in attendance, she aims to improve test scores as well. She also plans to build the College Technical Agricultural Education Program (CTAE) to advocate for other pathways after high school that do not include the traditional four-year college path. McCabe is excited to talk about the balanced scorecard which goes over how schools are performing.

“I’m really proud of the school system and Dr. Emily Bell and Dr. Ryan Moore, who came together to complete this,” McCabe said. “I’m really impressed with the previous board that took this initiative and the two individuals and their team that came together and made this possible.”

Unlike the other new board members, Morancie is originally from New York but has been involved in education her whole career. She had always been interested in how the process of education works, so, after moving to Georgia in 2014, she became involved with FCS. She aspired for more involvement and eventually wound up in her current position: District 7 Representative.

“I thought it might be interesting to be on the board and see how policies and decisions are made to run the schools,” Morancie said. While she begins to understand how

Michelle Morancie

Right now, the board members are in a learning process: learning the day-to-day requirements, reviewing calendars, and assessing old policies. As they go through this, they will use their diverse perspectives to grow the board.

“It’s going to take a little while, but, as they go through that learning phase, they’re going to be asking questions that we probably haven’t asked,” Zone 6 Superintendent Brian Downey said. “So, bringing a fresh set of eyes into our district, I think it will be very valuable.” the board works, Morancie wants to focus on mental health issues for students. She will also work with the other board members to set goals for the district by considering the students, teachers, and parents during decision-making.

Together the board members have experience in psychology, finance, and construction. They also vary from having children young enough to be in FCS to having children who have already graduated. With all their different backgrounds, they bring new perspectives with them.

“It takes all of those attributes, and those are just a small subset, to make a board effective,” board president Kimberly Dove said.