The Addison Elementary School Foundation (AESF) was created to fund Addison Elementary School Science Lab with Julie Knobbe as instructor.

The current AESF Executive Board informed Julie on April 1st that the AESF would not fund her current salary at the current level for this upcoming school year 2022-23.  Foundation funds raised this year were advertised to support the Science Lab and Julie Knobbe.  Julie has developed K-5 grade curriculum hands on experiences at Addison for the past 12 years.  Julie was instrumental in helping Addison achieve STEM certification from the State of Georgia.  Julie won a grant for the Science Lab from the Georgia Science Teachers Association.  Current and former students speak highly of their hands on experiences with the science lab.  Cobb County Schools will distribute one -to -one laptops for all elementary students this fall (including Addison).  The Foundation announced dollar amounts raised during the past five years at their meeting with parents on April 14, 2022.  The Foundation did not share a full budget to date or elaborate on expenditures. The Foundation plans to replace Mrs. Knobbe with a paraprofessional (only pay the amount for paraprofessional - thus cutting the current salary drastically). One concern shared was that Mrs. Knobbe is NOT a certified teacher in Georgia.  Fact is she has been teaching in the lab for 12 years, helped gain Addison a STEM certification, and was awarded a grant this year by the Georgia Science Teacher's Association.  Earning a Science Teacher Certification by taking up to 30 hours in education curriculum + passing the 6 hour GACE exam will not mean that Addison can hire her as a certified teacher for the Lab.  Addison is an elementary school (our Science Lab has been a bonus via raised Foundation funds).  The state and local funding for teachers does NOT include allotments for full time elementary school science teachers (only middle & high schools).  Elementary teachers have to fit science in at most schools.  With the Addison Science Lab, students have been able to have broader science curriculum exposure and learning.  A new paraprofessional may be a great person, but Mrs. Knobbe has serious sweat equity as she developed the award winning program over time and has continued to expand activities, experiments, and learning K-5 grades.