Approve the meeting agenda as submitted
By: Jessica Weissinger Seconded by: Tiffany Chen
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
| Name | Status | Arrival Time | Departure Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Baker | not present member | ||
| Hannah Heck | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Ashley Pruitt | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Chris Tuten | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Julius Farrington | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Tiffany Chen | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Jessica Weissinger | present chair | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Katrina Mitchell | present vice-chair | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Erika Williams | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Alyson West | present secretary | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Susan Beckett- Mitchell | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
The meeting will be called to the order.
So that there is agreement between board members on the agenda, and the amount of time spent on the meeting, the board shall vote to approve an agenda for the meeting. To the best of its ability, it will follow that agenda, and allow for the chair to move the board through the agenda as specified.
Approve the meeting agenda as submitted
By: Jessica Weissinger Seconded by: Tiffany Chen
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Approve the November 13, 2025 minutes as submitted
By: Jessica Weissinger Seconded by: Erika Williams
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
The WACS Board would like to welcome students, parents, staff and community members. In order to facilitate an efficient meeting, if you would like to offer comments please limit your remarks to the public comment period of the agenda. We would ask that sign up on the sign up sheet and limit your comments to 3 minutes. Finally, we ask that you not include comments that reference individual students (other than your own). If you need to reference a specific student, you may do so in writing to governance@wacs.us where the board can protect student privacy. We understand that after the public comment period, you may have questions/comments regarding topics that are discussed during the meeting. Please direct those questions to governance@wacs.us. The Board may not address comments/questions after the public comment period. However, we will work with the school administration to provide a prompt response to your email.
If you have a grievance, we would ask that you follow the board policy of starting first with the lowest level of authority as that is almost always the place where change can happen most effectively. Any grievance directed to the attention of the board, should be sent to governance@wacs.us. We thank you for your cooperation. At this time, we would like to open the floor to public comment.
Public comment given by:
Shane Tolbert, parent and volunteer - Mr. Tolbert expressed concern about Westside's level of participation in the the district science fair. The reduction from 11 to 3 students sent to the district fair indicates to him that PBL methods are not yielding expected outcomes or that there's a diminished emphasis on science. He believes the the academic curriculum goals on the website do not match what he sees in practice. He said students were not provided their rubrics to confirm scores and to view feedback. Mr. Tolbert will follow his public comment with a detailed email.
Ebony Tolbert, parent and volunteer, echoed the concerns that the scoring rubric was not followed and that WACS should have communicated scores and feedback to students. Westside missed an opportunity to have wider representation at the district fair.
Tokie Rome Taylor, parent, expressed concerns about grading and how students receive remediation if they're not meeting mastery. She is unclear of how students are getting help and being assessed post-help. She's sent messages to Principal Powe and is awaiting will follow-up. She's had to follow up several times with the teachers she's emailed. She'd like to see better communication from staff and administration.
The meeting will begin by reading the mission statement:
Westside Atlanta Charter School fosters a diverse, tight-knit community of lifelong learners, giving each child an excellent academic experience that builds curiosity, critical thinking, and character.
Community Council Co-Chair Olivia Hollis gave an update.
Principal Powe reported on the status of the school.
Governance Committee co-chair Ashley Pruitt gave monthly report.
Development Committee co-chair Tiffany Chen gave monthly report.
Entering into executive session for purpose of discussing periodic personnel evaluations.
Motion to move into Executive Session
By: Jessica Weissinger Seconded by: Susan Beckett- Mitchell
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to exit Executive Session
By: Jessica Weissinger Seconded by: Tiffany Chen
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:33 am
Motion to adjourn
By: Jessica Weissinger Seconded by: Alyson West
There was no notable discussion on the motion.