Like board meetings, FCS committee meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in joining any of FCS's committees, please email the respective committee chair to inquire about membership.
Academics and Curriculum Committee - meets the 4th Monday of every month at 3:45 p.m. at FCS.
Members: Jeanie Smith (Chair), JoAnna Arnold, Leigh Ciani, Rachel Cotton, Nichole Walker
Finance Committee - meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 4:30 p.m. in the FCS Media Center.
Members: Lisa Courtney (Chair), Stephanie Duff, Kevin Mournighan, Crystal Lingefelt, Clay Ayers
Governance Committee - meets the first Thursday of every month at 4:00 p.m. at FCS in the Media Center
Members: Allyson Drinnon (Chair), Stephanie Duff, Elisa Falco, Crystal Lingefelt, Nichole Walker
Resource Development Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee (combined meeting) - meets the 3rd Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. in Furlow's Media Center.
Members: Laura Bauer McConatha, (Chair), Elisa Falco, Nichole Walker, Crystal Lingefelt, JoAnna Arnold, Amber Batchelor, Joseph Comeau
Committee Descriptions
Academics and Curriculum
The FCS Academics and Curriculum Committee exists to pursue the following goals:
o Define academic excellence and support its achievement
o Verify that the school is gathering, sharing, and using academic performance data in a transparent and constructive way
o Monitor school improvement efforts and assess the efficacy of Furlow’s academic policies and programs
o Vet academic programming against contractual objectives
o Evaluate Furlow’s performance against neighboring schools, other charter schools, and other comparison groups
o Deliver on-boarding to new governing board and committee members on issues of academic performance
o Identify annual committee goals, reporting structure, and progress in accordance with the FCS Strategic Plan
o Recruit appropriate faculty and community members with educational expertise to serve on the committee
o Identify academic and curricular policy needs on a month-to-month basis, and recommend relevant policies to the governing board in a timely manner
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The mission of Furlow Charter School’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee is to promote, support and celebrate the diversity of the Furlow family. We meet monthly, working with all stakeholders (parents, students, FCS employees, and the local community) to assure that Furlow is weaving diversity, equity, and inclusion into our values, curriculum, and opportunities. The committee endeavors to ensure that everyone feels valued, supported, and inspired to achieve. We understand that diversity in all of areas of our operations makes us better learners and invaluable to Sumter County as citizens of the world.
Finance Committee
This Committee has the authority/responsibility to provide oversight to the organization's financial activity, which shall be carried out through the following duties: regular audits of financial transactions, annual budget development, and reviewing insurance coverage annually.
Furlow Charter School is committed to responsible financial management. The entire organization, including the Governing Board, administrators, and staff will work together to ensure that all financial matters of the school are addressed with the utmost care and integrity, and in a way that promotes the best interest of FCS.
The policy and procedural guidelines are designed to:
o Protect the assets of the corporation.
o Ensure the maintenance of accurate financial records.
o Provide a framework for operating standards and expected behaviors.
o Ensure compliance with federal, state and local authorities.
Governance
It is the mission of the Governance Committee to support and preserve effective whole-board governance. To that end, the committee is tasked with broad oversight of:
o board training, conflicts of interest, and ethics
o consistent, organized, compliant, and thorough policy development
o review and maintenance of corporation bylaws
o strategic planning and general considerations for whole-board effectiveness in governing
o open meetings and records compliance
o succession planning
o general legal compliance
Resource Development
The FCS Resource Development Committee exists to pursue the following goals:
o Increase stakeholder engagement with Furlow Charter School, with special concern for enhancing student, family, and community engagement
o Enhance local awareness of Furlow’s mission and educational opportunities
o Develop strategic approaches to marketing, branding, and publicity
o Develop effective fundraising strategies based on research and experience
o Use data driven approaches to gauge the effectiveness of marketing and fundraising initiatives
The Committee pursues these goals through regular meetings, delegation of tasks, and policy recommendations to the Governing Board.