Our Cross Keys thread has been leading a double life. We began a discussion there about the chosen location at Heritage Center for a new US Marine Academy that has generated so much discussion that it now requires its own thread. Heritage Center is a small elementary school off Briarcliff Road between Clairmont and Shallowford, within walking distance of Lakeside HS.
Here are some of the statements that have been received via email or posted on the subject thus far -
I'm all for the new Marine Academy High School, however, I think the chosen location is poor. The Heritage Center is currently a special needs school and was originally built as an elementary school. I'm unsure if it even has lockers or a gymnasium. Beyond that - the school is only a half mile from Lakeside, (not exactly near North Druid Hills as described by Dr. Lewis) down a quiet neighborhood side street.
Since the Marine school is a high school, slated to serve 650 students and 50-75 staff at full capacity, it will cause a huge traffic stress on Briarcliff Rd as well as Heritage Street- since everyone will have to either drive or ride a school "hub" bus or MARTA. There's already lots of school congestion due to student drivers, busses and carpools to Lakeside - the roads cannot handle another 100+ cars in the morning.
A better idea is -- use the soon to be empty Open Campus for the Marines and sell the Heritage property to the county - it's next door to a small (school system owned) park that is currently very highly used with little parking space. The county has the money in the bank to buy up land for parks - and so far - there's been virtually none purchased in our district. Then use the proceeds to renovate the Open Campus for the Marines.
There was $490,000 allocated to the Heritage school in the Nov 06 CIP, but I don't see what it's for or if it's been completed. This money could be returned to the general fund along with profit from the sale of the property.
Or - how about the Willam Bradley Bryant Center (WBBC) for the military academy? Aren't they moving the offices from there to the Mt. Industrial Center? WBBC is easily accessible - right off I-285 at Lawrenceville HWY. Plus - they have lots of parking and a large field.
I believe it's time to take a serious inventory of all of the buildings and properties the school system (taxpayers) owns. By assessing realistically, the conditions of buildings vs the market value of the land we could make better plans for the future as far as re-purposing and redistricting goes. It would certainly help the brainstorming process.
Anonymous said... The old Chamblee MS campus was originally an elementary school and "renovated" to temporarily house a middle school. That facility could in no way accomodate a high school. There is not even enough parking spots to handle the number of school buses that are parked there each day.
Anonymous said... Not to hijack this thread, but it is important for the citizens of DeKalb to understand the following about this Institute:
It is being placed in an area with difficult access. North Druid Hill traffic is horrific and transportation will be horrible. The Board needs a public discussion of why this school is being placed into another school as an academy.
The question all taxpayers (remember the Pentagon is picking up the tab for a big part of this program) should be asking is will the most interested students be able to get there.
The principal's position has now been posted. This school will have no more than 200 students yet the principal's salary will be in the same range of every other DCSS principal. Keep in mind, that at this school, there will be a Commandant who handles everything but instruction. We should all watch to see how many assistant principals this school will have.
Ella Smith said... I see the property on North Druid Hills by Adams as a better place for the Military Academy. There will be plenty of room to grow and also the old gym which is now the Jim Cherry Center could be turned back into a gymnasium.
Any other ideas or options for a location for the military school?
220 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 220 of 22016 of these people make over $70,000 a year.
I'm assuming they are ROTC teachers in our high schools? There are 44 people listed as MS teachers - divided by 21 high schools gives us 2 per high school at least. Lakeside has 1 - I'm pretty sure DSA has 0. So where are these people teaching? Do we have schools with several MS teachers? Judging by their travel expenses - they must travel between schools?
Could some of them perhaps staff the Marine Corps Academy?
Say - have they signed the "Memorandum of Understanding"? When will that be available for the public?
When are where can you get an application?
And - Dr. Lewis and Bob Mosely promised that all the questions written on 3x5 cards at the meeting would be answered an posted online - has that happened?
As usual Cere, you are asking some very good questions! I recognized some of those names as HS ROTC teachers. I 'believe' they are still considered 'active duty' however I will defer to anyone else that knows the status of ROTC teachers at any school.
Regarding the MoA, Dr. Lewis did say he would make it available to the community for review after it was completed. The district also indicated they would provide answers to the questions submitted by index cards and post them to the website (I recall this being done for the transportation meetings shortly after they occurred). I would suggest sending an email to Bob Moseley and Alice Thompson asking for a status. I'll snoop around in the meantime also.
It would be a bad idea to move the military academy (or anybody) to the former Briarcliff high school location. The building has been condemned for several years, yet it has still been occupied since it was condemned.
GUILLORY,JOSEPH C
Another Guillory? What?
Is he related to overpaid DCSS Transportation Chief David Guillory, who's wife Philandrea, daghetr of former BOE member Frances Edwards? Both David and Philandrea make well over $100,000each per year.
Pretty convenient that son Jamal Edwards, her son, is a Network Liaison Specialist in the DeKalb School System.
Maybe we should take this theme all the way and hire a Military-trained Superintendent --
"12 Military Generals, School District Executives, Entrepreneurs Chosen for National School Superintendent Training Program
LOS ANGELES – Twelve prominent leaders from across the country, including high-ranking
military officers, entrepreneurs and education executives, have been selected to participate in the 2009 Broad Superintendents Academy, The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems announced today.
The Broad (rhymes with “road”) Superintendents Academy is a 10-month executive management training program run by The Broad Center to prepare prominent leaders from education, military, business, nonprofit and government sectors to lead urban public school systems. The Broad Superintendents Academy is the only program in the country that recruits and trains non-traditional superintendent candidates as well as stand-out career educators. To date, graduates of the program have filled 53 superintendent positions and 70 senior school district executive positions."
http://www.broadfoundation.org/asset/1165-090114tba2009class.pdf
Is Joseph C. Guillory related to the head of DCSS trasportation, David Guillory?
When it comes to nepotism (and cronyism) in DCSS hiring, our Board of Education members turn a blind eye.
WABE had a story this morning on military schools in Chicago. Summary of Dana Goldman's report - none of the 6 public military schools in Chicago made AYP last year, but they're thought to be a good thing for struggling students because at them attendance is up, truancy down, and students are on task. Dr. Lewis is quoted as saying that Dekalb's Marine academy will be "a math/science school that will have kids on a preparatory track for college." However, the level of rigor is still unclear. The Marines were pushing for a requirement that students take some college-level classes, but Josie Alexander, a lawyer working for Dekalb on the school contract, said that we "cannot guarantee that each and every student will have the ability to complete college-level classes." [What's a college-level class? Do they mean AP?] At any rate, the schools are not a particularly effective recruitment tool, as less than 5% of the students in Chicago go directly into the military when they graduate from them.
The report is at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wabe/news.newsmain/article/0/1/1507762/Atlanta/DeKalb.Military.School.May.Take.Lessons.From.Chicago
If that URL is too long to see, just go to http://www.pba.org
That's a great link to an excellent public broadcasting report. (I find it interesting that DCSS declined to be interviewed for the program.)
At any rate, the Chicago program admits that their military academies serve troubled students. The thing that they say is most exciting about it is that the program creates a sense of community for these students - which encourages them to at least show up every day. Their test scores are not great, and neither is their graduation rate, but I got the sense that they are very excited to create a shift in perspective for these difficult to reach young people.
They called it a different way to deliver the education product. They quoted Dr. Lewis from his April speech stating that ours would serve college bound students with a math/science curriculum and will deliver college credits in the high school program. Josie Alexander was quoted as already backpedaling on that premise.
I applaud the Chicago school leadership for their honestly and candor in what they've accomplished, and not been able to accomplish in their military academies. It was refreshing to listen to an administrator talking on the level.
From the AJC:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2009/05/29/dekalb_marine_school.html
The DeKalb County school system has canceled its plans to open amilitary academy this fall.
The planned partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps was “not feasible,”said system spokesman Dale Davis in a news release, but he said that the two parties would continue discussions “in hope of reaching a mutual agreement that is in the best interest of both institutions.”
Davis gave no specific reason for the failed negotiations, and didn’t return a call for comment.
The proposed school was controversial.
An opponent of the proposed school said he believes school officials are temporarily bowing to political pressure.
“I think they’re feeling enormous pressure,” said Tim Franzen, of the American Friends Service Committee. “And I think right now they just want all this pressure to go away.”
It is so interesting that Crawford stopped the opening of the USMC Academy....one has to wonder if it was on the South side of town would the project get pushed off for another year while he considers things. Probably not....he would have said too bad like he's done on countless other issues that have risen and fallen on the southside of town.....
Apparently, politics within the Marines are the reason this school has been backburnered. The Marines couldn't get their act together.
Something is fishy in the state of Denmark.
how un-"marine-like" -- are they really that unorganized? Or perhaps they didn't like some of the terms in the contract? Or maybe it was going to cost more than they had imagined? Who knows?
I don't think it's a matter of bureaucracy or "getting their act together" - it most likely is an apprehension about the way the plan was going.
Hopefully, this will get worked out more slowly and deliberately and they will open something larger and more marine-like (ie: a high school building) in the summer of 2010.
I think there is a growing concern in DCSS about overall enrollment and then about specific enrollment at certain high schools. If you continue to offer a zillion stand alone options, you run the risk of rendering some high schools unable to open and be sustainable.
I suspect the problem was a multi-part one, but probably hinged on a long term plan for housing the program. DCSS almost lost a bunch of Bill Gates money a few years ago, because they couldn't find an appropriate home for DECA. When donors (or in this case the Marines) give a lot of money, they get to attach strings...
So - does anyone know what's up with this agenda item for Monday's Board meeting at Lakeside?
17. Amendment to the Application to the Department of Education for Funding New High School "B"
Presented by: Ms. Patricia A. Pope, Chief Operations Officer
(You may recall that "new high school A" was Arabia HS.)
I suppose everyone has seen the article in today's AJC "Military school in DeKalb put on hold." The article says that the Military has run into problems coming up with the money that they committed to the school. The article says that the delay is temporary but the school will not open this fall.
I would suggest that you all read the article at Atlanta Progressive News regarding the Academy. It's good reporting -
http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0466.html
Thought I'd post the official press release --
For Immediate Release Contact: Dale A. Davis
June 2, 2009 DeKalb County Schools
678-676-0787
DeKalb County School System postpones the opening of the first
DeKalb Marine Institute (DMI)
In March 2009, DeKalb County School System (DCSS) and the DeKalb Board of Education announced plans that the United States Marine Corps would assist the school district in offering the community a military academy that would provide quality education while instilling discipline to those students who chose to enroll. Both DeKalb County School System and the Marine Corps were actively moving forward with the intent to open the academy in August of 2009. However, the memorandum of agreement, which has been developed by both the school system attorneys as well as the attorneys from the Marine Corps (which identifies the responsibilities of each party), has not been signed at this time by the Marine Corps. This agreement is crucial to both parties and ensures that all variables are agreed upon and all expectations by both parties are confirmed. Thus, the DeKalb Board of Education and DeKalb County School System’s administration will continue to communicate with the Marine Corps with hopes of finalizing an agreement. If accomplished, the school system will move forward with plans to open the school in August of 2010. There is no confirmation, however, that DeKalb County School System will in fact do so. DCSS’ legal counsel will continue to work with legal counsel for the U.S. Marine Corps to monitor and revisit those items which are needed to complete the process. Such items include, but are not limited to, building selection and modification, the application process for students and the curriculum modification and other important points of the school’s administration. DCSS will keep the public informed of its progress concerning this matter.
Food for thought -- here is a link to a new article posted today comparing the Chicago military schools with DeKalb's initiative and speculating that Arne Duncan has a plan to expand this as a school "choice" nationwide.
http://blacklistednews.com/?news_id=4703
AN EXCERPT
The Choice Argument
Military academies are promoted as an option within the public school system for parents. We heard it from Arne Duncan (ex-CEO of CPS and current secretary of education) and we hear it from Dale Davis, public information officer for the Dekalb County School System, who calls the military school "an addition" for parents to consider. Compare that with what Colonel Mills said in December 2007 in the Online News Hour: "The purpose of the military academy programs is to offer our cadets and parents an educational choice among many choices in Chicago Public Schools and to provide an educational experience that has a college prep curriculum, combined with a military curriculum."
We must dissect what kind of "choice" parents are given. If one's only choices are a school in desperate need of repair or a shiny new military academy, parents will often "choose" the "better" school.
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