The tour brings educators, business people, government and civic leaders from around the state to schools that are excelling in many areas, according to the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, which sponsors the trip.
Dr. Stephen Dolinger, president of the Partnership, said the purpose of the trip is to celebrate improving Georgia schools. Participants, he said, get a first-hand look at the best practices that have been working and that could possibly work in other areas of the state. This year, schools on the tour boast of improving student achievement scores and valuable community partnerships that help in their success.
More than 150 schools were nominated for the honor.
In Northeast Georgia, in addition to Gainesville Elementary, Jack P. Nix Primary School in Cleveland and Lumpkin County High School in Dahlonega are included as stops this year.
Dr. Dolinger said Gainesville Elementary came highly recommended. It was singled out because of an aggressive literacy program target its students and their parents. More than seventy percent of the students at the school are Hispanic. The school provides a Saturday session using data to pinpoint instruction for 125 of the lowest performers. It is also one of only 100 schools nationwide with a NASA science lab.
Approximately 100 participates in the bus trip will visit Gainesville Elementary and the other two schools in Northeast Georgia Sep. 29.
Here is the full schedule for this year's Bus Trip Across Georgia:
South Trip
Sept. 21
Monroe County Board of Education, Forsyth, 8 - 8:30 a.m.
Hubbard Elementary School, Forsyth, 8:40 - 10:30 a.m.
Byron Middle School, Byron, 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Houston County High School, 1:45 - 3:45 p.m.
Sept. 22
Wilkinson County Elementary School, Irwinton, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Crawford Primary School, Tennille, 11:15 a.m.- 1:45 p.m.
Sept. 23
Johnson Magnet School, Augusta, 8 - 10 a.m.
Thomson Elementary School, Thomson, 11 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.
North Trip
Sept. 28
Meadowview Elementary School, Atlanta, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
Monroe Primary School, Monroe, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 29
Gainesville Elementary School, Gainesville, 8 - 10:30 a.m.
Jack P. Nix Primary School, Cleveland, 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Lumpkin County High School, Dahlonega, 1:45 - 3:45 p.m.
Sept. 30
Chattahoochee Technical College, Marietta, 8 - 10 a.m.
Chapel Hill Middle School, Douglasville, 11 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/8/154329