2008-03-13 MILTON HERALD
New Fulton school superintendent chosen
by Candy Waylock	write the author
Loe (click for larger version) March 17, 2008 FULTON COUNTY -- A relatively low-key search for Fulton County's next school superintendent ended just a few miles away, with the announcement of Cindy Loe from Gwinnett County as the finalist for the top position. 'Dr. Loe is a perfect fit for Fulton County schools – and just the person our students, parents, staff and community need. As a long-time resident of Fulton County, Dr. Loe understands the district.' JULIA BERNATH School board president Loe currently serves as associate superintendent of teaching and learning for Gwinnett County Public Schools, the state's largest school district with over 155,000 students. Fulton Schools, with just under 90,000 students, is Georgia's fourth largest school system. As associate superintendent, Loe's responsibilities include supervising all district principals and schools, as well as curriculum, special education and continuous improvement. After the formality of a 14-day public comment period, the Fulton Board of Education expects to formally offer the position to Loe who will begin on April 1. Loe will replace current superintendent James Wilson, who steps down after three years in the top position in Fulton Schools. Wilson is still expected to remain on board with Fulton Schools until June 1 to allow for a two-month transition period for Loe. Although a salary for Loe has not been announced, Wilson currently draws an annual salary of $193,000, with additional benefits added to that total. Loe becomes the fifth superintendent for Fulton Schools since long-serving superintendent Stephen Dolinger retired in 2002 after a seven-year tenure. Loe will be a familiar face to some Fulton staff and students, especially in Roswell. Her first public school teaching assignments were in Fulton County at Mountain Park and Esther Jackson elementary schools and later at Holcomb Bridge Middle School. She has been a Fulton resident since 1991 and has two children who graduated from Fulton County schools. "Dr. Loe is a perfect fit for Fulton County schools -- and just the person our students, parents, staff and community need," said Julia Bernath, president of the Fulton County Board of Education. "As a long-time resident of Fulton County, Dr. Loe understands the district. Her strong skill-set and willingness to be part of the team ensures our continued educational excellence." Gwinnett Superintendent Alvin J. Wilbanks lauded Fulton's choice of Loe to be the system's next superintendent. "The Fulton County Board of Education has made an excellent choice in naming Dr. Loe as the sole finalist for superintendent," said Wilbanks. "I have worked directly with Dr. Loe for over a decade and know her to be an effective leader, both instructionally and operationally. She has done all the things one needs to do to be well-prepared for the superintendency. Dr. Loe will do a great job for the students of Fulton County as she has done for the students in Gwinnett." - www.northfulton.com
Loe's track record bodes well for Fulton During her career in Gwinnett, Cindy Loe, Fulton County's next superintendent of schools, led the district in the development of its standards-based curriculum, instructional programming, testing and assessment processes, English for Speakers of Other Languages, gifted education, forecasting and planning and research and development. She is credited with raising student achievement across multiple measures, including the highest scores on the Georgia CRCT, the SAT and the ACT. When she joined Gwinnett in 1996, she helped establish the district's Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum, which has helped Gwinnett raise student achievement to an all-time high while narrowing the achievement gap between the highest and lowest performers. In addition to administration, Loe has been a teacher, assistant principal and middle school principal over her 26 years of public education experience. Her experience in serving a very diverse student population in Gwinnett will help her in Fulton County, which also has a rising number of non-native students. Loe has shared her expertise throughout the United States and internationally, including a presentation at the International Economic Round Table at Oxford University on the topic, "Best Practices for Increasing Student Achievement Among Diverse Student Populations: Funding, Programming and Community Involvement." Loe was among 20 participants selected in 2004 to participate in the Eli Broad Foundation's Urban Superintendent's Academy, which is designed to prepare participants for leadership positions at large urban school districts across the country. Loe received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Georgia State University. She received her master's degree in middle grade and gifted education from Armstrong State College in Savannah and her doctorate in educational leadership from Georgia State University.
Chronology of Superintendents in Fulton County Stephen Dolinger – July 20,1995 – Sept. 1, 2002 Michael Payne (interim) – Sept. 1, 2002 - June 1, 2003 John Haro – June 1, 2003 - Oct. 24, 2003 Michael Vanairsdale* – Oct. 25, 2003 – Feb. 10, James Wilson* – Feb. 10, 2005 – June 1, 2008 Cindy Loe – April 1, 2008 - *Served in interim capacity for period of time before formal hiring

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