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Superintendent: district devices incompatible with ACT; staff who 'celebrated' campus murder placed on leave, two no longer with district
Summary
Superintendent Ragsdale told the board the district's issued devices are incompatible with the digital ACT and said information will be posted online; he also said employees who publicly celebrated a recent university campus murder were put on administrative leave and two employees are no longer with the district.
Superintendent Mr. Ragsdale used the board meeting to offer condolences, give a technical update about college testing, and to condemn social-media posts by district employees praising a recent campus murder.
Ragsdale said miscommunication about which devices would work with the digital SAT/ACT had caused confusion. He told the board that students with district-provided devices "will not be able to utilize that device to take the ACT," saying a conflict exists between the exam software and some district-issued hardware. The superintendent said the district will post additional information and a link on its website so families know how to proceed.
Separately, Ragsdale addressed a recent university-campus murder and said some individuals—including, he said, "a handful of Cobb educators"—had celebrated or condoned the killing on social media. He said those reactions drew community outrage and that "we have placed those who celebrated or condoned the school shooting on administrative leave." He added that "2 employees are no longer with the district." Ragsdale described the conduct as "outright evil" and said the district would not tolerate celebrations of violence.
The superintendent also introduced a 9/11 remembrance video and praised ROTC cadet programs for their tribute to first responders.
Ragsdale's remarks were delivered as part of routine board recognitions and updates; the board did not take additional formal action on the testing-technology or personnel-discipline matters during the public meeting. The superintendent said he would follow up online with more detailed guidance about testing-device compatibility.
