inDECATUR

Decatur school board expected to vote on budget cuts tonight

Several popular programs in Decatur schools would be saved but there would still be layoffs, according to the latest budget proposal released by city schools Superintendent Phyllis Edward.

Edwards released the budget proposal, including $2 million in cuts, prior to Tuesday’s school board meeting, where members are expected to vote on the measures.

The cuts, coming in the wake of a sour economy and state funding cuts, would take effect July 1.

The 2,800-student system will be the first in metro Atlanta to finalize its budget for the next, recession-hit school year. Among notable points in the proposal, which is the last of several drafts floated by Edwards as she sought public input:

• No cuts to the system’s popular foreign language program for elementary school students. Parents had strongly backed the program.

• Raises fees but does not close the Frasier Center, which was also strongly backed by parents and teachers. Frasier is a child development center located at Decatur High School. It serves children from six weeks to three years and is available to students, staff and the public. Edwards said the fees need to be raised enough to make the center self-supporting.

• Eliminates the jobs of four teacher aides in the fourth and fifth grades, among other job cuts proposed at the system’s middle school, high school and central office.

When considering those job cuts, according to Edwards, “the major emphasis of this proposal is to eliminate positions either by not hiring, by attrition or by eliminating part-time positions which are typically filled by individuals who are retired.”

Edwards also said the proposal does not include a pay raise, although teachers and staff would still qualify for so-called step increases — salary supplements based on an employee’s years of experience.

Tuesday’s meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the system’s central office, 758 Scott Blvd. in Decatur.

KT | AJC | 1/13/2009

The proposed plan includes the following:

1. Add more trailers to 3 schools for next year

2. Then, turn Glenwood into a kindergarten through third grade campus and move fourth and fifth graders to a building expansion at Renfroe Middle School by 2010

MyFox5 has a video report by Justin Gray

Important Decatur School Board meeting Tuesday night

As Decatur Metro has noted, the Agenda for tomorrow nights 6:30PM Decatur School Board meeting is chock full of critical items, and votes could be called for any of them.

Click on each item in the left column to read the details in the center column.

If you don't have the time to do that, see "Foodie's" summary in a comment to the DM post linked above.

If you want to show organizaed opposition to any of these things, you'd best get in gear.

Glennwood Academy’s Great Pumpkin Escapade

The Scots use turnips, the Irish use potatoes, and the Brits use beets, but we Americans use gorgeous, orange pumpkins to make our Jack O’lanterns! And thanks to Glennwood Academy’s annual pumpkin sale, you will have a wide variety of those magnificent fruits to choose from this year. Besides the traditional carving and pie pumpkins, our buyers also hope to bring you Cinderella, pump-ke-mon and jack-be-little pumpkins, as well as a variety of gourds, including elegant swan gourds.

This year’s sale begins Friday, October 17^th on Glennwood’s campus, and continues through October 30^th. The sale will also travel to the College Heights, Clairemont, Oakhurst and Winnona  campuses for sales on Friday, October 17^th and Friday, October 24^th at their release times.

Be glad you live in the land of pumpkins and don’t have to carve a beet (or turnip or potato), and come on out to Glennwood to stock up on pumpkins! All sales will benefit the Academy’s PTO and their many programs.

Thanks to Laura Moore for sending this in.

Since campus is a Latin word, shouldn't the plural by campii?

DHS had highest average SAT scores in AA for 3 years

Decatur High School is one of 32 schools statewide honored by Gov. Sonny Perdue for students’ performance on the SAT.

Students taking the national college entrance exam have made Decatur High the highest scoring school in class AA over the past three years. With the honor comes a $1,000 grant towards SAT preparation resources.

Decatur students this year averaged a score of 1555 on the three-part exam, which is worth a total of 2400. The statewide average was 1466.

Perdue during his tenure has made a point to try to boost scores on the SAT, including the launch of a Web site to give every Georgia high school student free access to online test prep.

He also started the Governor’s Cup, which provides publicity and trophies to schools that show the biggest gains in SAT scores. The honor is sorted for different schools depending in what region they play for the often athletic-related Georgia High School Association.

KT | AJC | 10/21/2008

This has already been reported by "local blogs' but deserves its own post.

DHS alum: see a relatively new alumni website at DHSga.com. Click on "What's New?" tab for the latest updates.

Georgia may allow any school system to go charter

The state Board of Education is considering lifting a cap on how many public school systems can convert to charter districts each year.

A state law adopted in 2007 only allowed five districts to become charters but left it up to the state school board to decide after that. Georgia schools Superintendent Kathy Cox is pushing to throw out the cap because she says it is arbitrary and hamstrings the state.

The state has approved four charter school districts - Warren County, Marietta city, Decatur city and Gainesville city.

Just two other state - Florida and California - allow existing school districts to convert to a charter system. Texas lets groups start a public charter system from scratch.

The Georgia board is expected to vote on the measure Thursday.

AP

Decatur school teachers can telecommute for planning meetings

This is old news to readers of the Decatur blogs, since Andrea forwarded the letter from the Superintendent to us some days ago.

Here’s the latest twist to the gas crunch: Decatur city school officials are asking teachers to telecommute for an in-service day this month and they’re floating the idea of asking neighborhood gas stations to send school employees to the front of the pump during dry spells.

The thinking is outlined in a memo issued this week by Decatur schools Superintendent Phyllis Edwards.

 

The recent gas shortage, Edwards said, had led school officials to “examine the possibility of working with neighborhood gas stations” to set up a schedule for school employees to gas up.

The memo included several other conservation ideas for the small school system —- six schools within the 4-square-mile city —- to minimize disruption from gas shortages.

“We have determined that over half of [city school] staff members live outside our ZIP code area,” Edwards said, adding that the system planned to start a “car-pooling list” for teachers who wanted to share a ride.

Columbus Day already is a day off for everyone.

KT | AJC | 10/4/20008

The next day, Oct. 14, teachers won’t drive to campus but will review assignments and turn in grades from home.

Edwards said support staff will be given that day off —- and campuses closed for the four-day weekend —-“to conserve fuel and energy needed to maintain our buildings.”

Help needed for DHS homecoming floats & dance

Six parents are needed to work shifts as chaperones at the dance Saturday 8-11PM.

Help is needed to build the floats this week.

Some food and supplies are needed.

See continuation for details and contacts.

Homecoming week at Decatur High

Lauri McKain-Fernandez, the principal, writes:

Thanks to each and every person that came out to our grand opening of the stadium on Friday. We have home games for the next three Friday nights so I hope to see you again!

It is hard to believe that next week is homecoming in Decatur! We announced this year's theme today, which is "Back to the Future." The student government thought this theme allowed us to celebrate the past as we build the future, which is in line with our new facilities opening. Each theme day will also be a celebration of past accomplishments at DHS:
Monday: 50s/60s
Tuesday: 70s
Wednesday: 80s
Thursday: Future
Friday: Blue and Gold

The homecoming parade will start at 4:30 Friday, followed by a game at 7:30. The Bulldogs play at home for the next three weeks.

ICS Kindergarden teacher writes for NY Times

"I am a 7th-year kindergarten teacher at the International Community School (I.C.S.), in Decatur, Ga. It is a DeKalb County charter school founded in 2002 with about 100 students; it now serves over 400, from kindergarten through sixth grade. Our school is unique in its mission to educate and integrate American-born and refugee children from countries all over the world — including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kurdistan, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Burundi and Burma.

When I first learned that I would be writing for Lesson Plans, I was excited about the opportunity, but I was hesitant, too. What would I write about? How could I do justice to the hundreds of students I’ve taught since I came to the I.C.S. in 2002? To get some clarity, I decided to climb Stone Mountain. Located outside Atlanta, it is the world’s largest piece of exposed granite, with a circumference of five miles and a summit higher than 1600 feet above sea level; it is a place many Atlantans go to for prayer, solace, spiritual rejuvenation, or simply for exercise. For me, it is an oasis of peace. I needed some grounding so I took the 1.3-mile trek to the top with my notebook and pen in hand. It was a typical Georgia morning, hot, humid and very sunny.

At the top of Stone Mountain, I meditated on my path as a teacher and how I came to be here at this point in time. As a Palestinian-American, navigating my own cultural identity has been a life-long process. My experiences led me to want to help children develop and express their unique identities — and the way I chose was through creativity. Soon the story of a young boy who came to my class from Sudan last year entered my mind."

Christina Shunnarah | NYT | 9/15/2008

Technically, ICS is in DeKalb County, and not in incorporated Decatur. It's on the north side of Covington Highway just outside Avondale.

The NYT loves ICS. It had a story about it earlier this year.

 

Play in the Homecoming Alumni Band at DHS on 9/19

It is an exciting year for Decatur High especially with our new stadium.  The Alumni Committee is hoping to see you all there on September 19th.   After the opening game comes Homecoming on October 4th.  Will Henderson, our DHS Band Director, is hoping to turn Homecoming in to an Alumni event as well as a great time for the students. 

With that in mind, in addition to all the Alumni we hope will attend the game, Will would love to have an Alumni Band for the Homecoming Game and start a tradition in the coming years.  There is now a Decatur Band website which includes a link to an Alumni Band page as well.  The Alumni Band page will have a place for you to register as well as a place for you to download your music.  If you are interested in participating, please following the link, http://www.decaturband.org/index.php/alumni/13-alumniband/15-alumni-band-2008-sign-up, and register.  We will follow up in the next few weeks to let you know when you can download your music and provide more information about your participation.  If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail Melinda Mobley at mmobley596@comcast.net or call her at (404) 354-1421.  We look forward to seeing you all.

To e-mail this to a friend
http://www.dhsaa.org/signup.shtml?__cmd=sendToFriend&__recipientId=686479&__messageId=31974
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source: email from Melinda Mobley