Mrs. Ramona Tyson
Interim Superintendent
DeKalb County [GA] School System
Mrs. Tyson:
It is unacceptable to further overcrowd Chamblee Charter High School with AYP transfers. Chamblee Charter High School (CCHS) already has more students than it was built to accommodate.
Overcrowding has a proven negative effect on our students’ education. For more than 25 years, we have known, “Probably the greatest single discouragement to better instruction is the overcrowded classroom.”[1] (Karp) Further, this overcrowding at CCHS is a long-term educational problem since the AYP transfers being sent to CCHS are 9th graders and they may stay at CCHS until they graduate.
Overcrowding puts more stress on CCHS’s already-stressed building that is way overdue to be re-built. Portable classrooms create capacity problems inside the bricks-and-mortar school building. CCHS is already approximately 200 students over its original as-built capacity of 1,347. These unnecessary AYP transfers will put more than 1700 students in CCHS, thus being significantly out of compliance with the Georgia Department of Education’s square footage requirements for school library media centers, school cafeterias and toilet facilities.[2] The Georgia Accrediting Commission requires, “a minimum of 20 square feet of floor space per student in each instructional area.”[3] Overcrowding is also unsafe and puts our students at a physical and health risk.
To paraphrase Walter Karp, quoted above, “What makes these conditions [at CCHS and elsewhere in DCSS] appalling is that they are quite unnecessary. The [DeKalb County School System is] top-heavy with administrators and rife with sinecures. Large numbers of teachers scarcely ever set foot in a classroom, being occupied instead as grade advisers, career counselors, coordinators, [coaches] and supervisors.”[4]
You have other choices allowed by No Child Left Behind besides overcrowding and dumbing-down successful schools like Chamblee Charter High School. For example:
1) “A virtual school may be among the schools to which an eligible student may transfer, so long as that school is a public elementary or secondary school (as defined by the SEA) and has not been identified for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. If the “virtual school” is not operated by the LEA, the LEA could enter into a cooperative agreement with the school so that its students can enroll.”[5]
It’s time to get our money’s worth out of the DeKalb Online Academy (DOLA). If that doesn’t suit you, then there is always the Georgia Virtual School – also paid for by our tax dollars.
Further:
2) “The NCLB statute does not address whether non-Title I schools that miss AYP for two or more years may be offered as transfer options. Accordingly, an SEA may adopt a policy governing the use of non-Title I schools that have missed AYP for two or more years as choice options. In doing so, the SEA should bear in mind that the public school choice provisions are designed to offer high-quality options for parents. If an SEA adopts a policy permitting the use of non-Title I schools that have not made AYP for two or more years as transfer options, LEAs offering such schools as transfer options should provide parents with detailed information on the academic achievement of those schools, including information on why they did not make AYP, so that parents can make informed choices.”[6]
What is the Georgia Department of Education’s policy on this? Because Georgia is a mostly rural state with limited school choices in rural school systems, I am betting that Georgia permits the use of non-Title I schools that have not made AYP for two or more years as transfer options,
Finally:
3) Chamblee Charter High School is, in fact, a real charter school – the result of a grassroots community effort. CCHS is a charter school that always has more students wanting to enroll than there are seats. There is always a lottery for available seats at CCHS. This lottery is required by the U.S. Department of Education. “SEAs or LEAs may not require a charter school to alter its admissions process for [the purpose of admitting AYP transfer students]”.[7],[8]
Students who wish to transfer to CCHS should have participated in the lottery for charter school seats. Or they could have applied to the lottery for the CCHS Magnet Program. However, it is too late for either one of those options for the 2010-2011 school year.
In addition to the choices listed above, here are some other U. S. Department of Education-approved options:
4) "Creating new, distinct schools with separate faculty within the physical sites of schools identified for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring;
5) "Encouraging the creation of new charter schools within the LEA;
6) "Reshaping long-range capital construction and renovation plans in order to ensure that schools that are likely to receive new students have additional space; and/or
7) "Easing capacity by initiating inter-district choice programs with neighboring LEAs or by establishing programs through which local private schools can absorb some of the LEA’s students."[9]
Have you seriously considered the above options? If so, please explain in detail why they are not being used in DCSS. I will publish your response to this e-mail, word-for-word.
What you are doing may meet the letter of the NCLB law, but it does not meet the intent of NCLB. You are overcrowding and taking down successful schools while, at the same time – because you will not address the challenges and correct the problems in schools not making AYP – you are consigning DeKalb County’s students (especially its substantial Title I student population) to a bleak future.
What you are doing with regard to AYP transfers and Chamblee Charter High School may not be legally criminal, but it is morally indefensible.
Sincerely,
Sandy Spruill
http://www.sourcetext.com/grammarian/johnny.html
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/schools/facilities/squareft.pdf
http://www.coe.uga.edu/gac/standards/highschool.html
http://www.sourcetext.com/grammarian/johnny.html
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/schoolchoiceguid.pdf
250 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 250 of 250Thanks for your post Michelle or Felicia. Nice to see you are still up
If Michelle Jones is a great person then she shouldn't have trouble finding a job in the systems that surround DeKalb.
I'm sorry to say this but as long as this same bunch is in place this will go on. There are too many friends and family that have taken advantage of OUR system. It's time to say enough! It's been going on too long. Will me miss opportunities for getting good people? Sure! In this current state, of a very broken system, it's time to make tough decisions. No more friends, no more families, no more sorority sisters and fraternity brothers. There should be an honest, above board hiring policy, NOW! Not 18-24 months from now.
Turk, Tyson, Moseley, Thompson, Mitchell-Mayfield, Ramsey, any Edwards or Guilroy or anyone else who worked under CLew, we must say so long! McChesney said things are getting better? What? As long as the people above are still in place, it will be business as usual at the corrupt DCSS.
Please tell these folks to start looking for other jobs, their services are no longer needed here. Folks, watch both their hands! They might be doing these book gate investigations etc.. with their left hand but it's their right hand that has me worried.
No books for kids at school? What have these people been doing all summer? Enough! It's time for wholesale changes at DCSS. Let's vote a BOE in with some spine and let's start rebuilding NOW! Not next year.
I wish we could all be privy to Ms. Jones' competition. Did she have any? What were the qualifications of the other applicants? I'm sure we're not allowed to know, but it would be quite interesting.
BTW - as far as capacity and it's relevance to learning - I've been told that Lakeside now has over 1800 students - in a building that holds 1350. There are over 20 trailers (with no restrooms) out on the ball fields (not much access to a restroom). It's a travesty - and somehow, they plan to start a major construction project in a few months.
HOW MANY TIMES DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO READ THIS AND SAY THIS BEFORE IT BECOMES REALITY?
Turk, Tyson, Moseley, Thompson, Mitchell-Mayfield, Ramsey, any Edwards or Guilroy or anyone else who worked under CLew, MUST GO. As long as the people above are still in place, it will be business as usual at the corrupt DCSS.
THIS IS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR THINGS GETTING BETTER.
Anon. 6:05... I couldn't agree more! When I hear BOE members talking about how things are changing now etc..... It scares me!
The folks mentioned above, allowed Clew and Pope get away with criminal actions! Please don't tell me that none of them knew what was happening. Turk knew, Moseley had to know and the rest, well they had an idea. Tyson and BOE members talk about perception, trust and gaining the taxpayers respect back. Well, until I see the resignations of the folks mentioned above, all of them, DCSS will have a huge perception problem. I swear they think we're not watching. Come BOE grow a spine and start asking for resignations. I want to think that things are getting better and the only way to do that is get rid of the current leadership.
Will there be a power vacuum for a few weeks? Sure! But it's time we begin the rebuilding of DCSS and if these folks remain in place, I just don't see that happening.
My preference is for the new superintendent to replace these folks, not Ms. Tyson. (See Beasley for further reference.)
Obviously, some of these positions will need replacing, but some won't. I would love to see a new superintendent who brings in the very best. If we hire now, even from the outside, because of the interim situation, we won't get high quality replacements.
Cere: Sorry to hear about Lakeside figures. I went to Chamblee Charter High School curriculum night and this is the report:
1) Every teacher reported that these are the largest classes they have had in their teaching career and most have been teaching for 10 to 19 years.
2) My child's advanced American Lit class has 45 students and no books. This is the end of the second week and only one or two students have been moved. The teacher was very frank and said he will not have the time to grade this many papers;
3) AP courses have up to 34 students in them. There will be no oppotunity for meaningful labs in the lab courses;
4) Advanced Magnet U.S. History has 34 students in it;
5) AP Calculus has no books. The vendor is out of them and they are on back order. These students were all scheduled for this course last April. Why is there NEVER any planning at DCSS?;
6) There will be no Air Conditioning in Chamblee High at all today. None. Nada. Zilch. They "hope" to have it fixed by Monday.
Hopefully some of the positions will be eliminated instead of just replaced with a new superintendent, as the problem that I see is that we have too many indians and not enough chiefs.
Anon 7:56,
I totally agree with you. At the end of the day, we need fewer positions. We also need a system wide discussion on Title 1, though I think
I am hearing that high school classes are large across the state. It is my understanding that DCSS is trying to get the AYP transfer kids into their new placements and then they will start moving teachers around.
Not saying it's the best situation, but my daughter at LHS has two trailer classes this year and she has not, so far, had any problems with the restroom. They have at least one trailer restroom that you would find at a sporting event. She says its 'ok'. They have also added time between 2 or 3 class periods to give more time for the kids to come in and use the facilities (as yucky as they are) inside.
Now I am really angry! DCSS circumvents the CCHS charter and the conditions there are no better than a third world country. What in the heck did the DCSS leadership do this summer? It seems to me these people must go NOW! It's time for the state to come in, we'll have to pay dearly for a while, but as we sit here and languish in our crowded, dirty, hot and humid classrooms, the leadership sit in their $2000 chairs at the $30 million dollar air conditioned Palace. That money should have gone into improving our schools. I know the old offices were crowded, but the only reason they were is that our POOR leadership kept hiring their friends and family. We have too many chiefs and not enough indians doing the work of educating our children.
If what Anon said earlier about CCHS curriculum night is true, there is no reason except to fire the people responsible. Do I need to mention the names? They are listed all over this blog, things are NOT getting better, they are only getting worse by the hour. ENOUGH! DCPC should be very interesting on Sept 1st.
Redovian, where are you?
Parents can call the governor's office and the Georgia DOE when you know your child's class sizes are over the legal limit, they don't have textbooks, and/or (see below) children don't have the legal number of toilets per students or square footage per child (i.e. are not in compliance with Ga DOE building codes). Make appointments with these elected state officials if necessary.
Years ago, Fernbank ES parents measured the overcrowded classrooms and calculated the square footage per child. They compared the square footage per child in other schools with their children's situation. This information was shared in a parent meeting with the principal's supervisor. The DCSS website says the Terry Segovis is Chamblee and Lakeside's Regional Superintendent.
His DCSS published email address:
TERRY_M_SEGOVIS@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us
His DCSS published phone number is:
678-676-1079
Here is a re-posted link to access new AND EXISTING schools Georgia Department of Education Building Codes.
Here is the link to the Georgia DOE Document:
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/schools/facilities/squareft.pdf
For example, in this document, there is a limit on the number of children per toilets. Toilets must be conveniently located as well.
BTW there are studies on the decline in student achievement in overcrowded schools. That information could be sent via email to every BOE member, to Ms. Tyson and Dr. Beasley. Dr. Beasley is in charge of curriculum and instruction, and ultimately he is responsible for every child's academic progress. The address published on the DCSS website for Dr. Beasely is:
MORCEASE_J_BEASLEY@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us
Wow! DCSS has done a great job at doing nothing to help the students while at the same time pitting north against south, majority against minority, upper income against lower income, working mothers/parents against stay-at-home parents, and the list could go on and on. The parents signing up for AYP transfers were told that there were only 49 slots at CCHS, fully anticipating that the majority of those selecting CHSS would be declined and prepared to accept or make alternative arrangements for their children's education. DCSS knew that there was no way CHSS could accomodate another 200 kids. So why would DCSS even make the parents think that this was a viable option? DCSS knew that there would be a glut of children seeking transfers, as it has been for the past several years.
Please remember also that not all children seeking transfers are title I. Some are in the high achievers classes as well. Some play in the band or orchestra, and some are interested in team sports. Let's hope that the options for accomodating these displaced "no man's land" students will take into account that these students are seeking a quality and well-rounded education.
Parents, please stop being so bitter. DCSS is a terrible system that has done injustice to everyone. Please band together to help expose and displace those that need to be removed. Petty and hurtful comments made between parents do nothing to help us get what we all want, which is a quality education for our children to prepare them to be productive members of society.
That construction requirement document is fascinating, Anon. According to it, these are some requirements BY LAW for Lakeside, with a current population of just over 1800 students -
Instrumental (Band) 1,800-2,400 SF
Choral 1,500-1,800 SF
Combination Instrumental & Choral 1,800-2,400 SF
Laboratory & Classroom Combination 1,000-1,200 SF
Media Center - 6525 SF (Existing media centers are approvable with up to a 500 square foot reduction from requirements.)
Kitchen and all support areas for food service: 4,000 SF (If a space for assembly is included in cafeteria, the formula is total FTE multiplied by five (5) square feet. at 1800 students, this equates to a 9000 SF "Cafetorium")
The maximum number of students of either sex to be served by a single battery toilet, shall be 210 students. (This equates to a total of 8.5 sets of toilet rooms for the building.)
For high schools and middle schools, student toilet rooms shall be sized at 25 students
per instructional unit. (This equates to 72 toilets.)
INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT ALLOCATIONS - for a population of 1788-1812, you must have 94 instructional units)
An aside -- for those who advocate for very small schools, know this rule: [Elementary Schools below base size (450 FTE) are ineligible for music, art, & PE units]
Great information again Cerebration but when you said,
An aside -- for those who advocate for very small schools, know this rule: [Elementary Schools below base size (450 FTE) are ineligible for music, art, & PE units]
I think you mean those classes in schools with less the 450 FTE are funded with local vs. state dollars hence the additional expense to DeKalb taxpayers. Can anyone validate that?
Come BOE grow a spine and start asking for resignations. I want to think that things are getting better and the only way to do that is get rid of the current leadership.
Though the frustration throughout the community is understandable, this could cause great problems with SACs. The ONLY person the BOE can request a resignation from is the superintendent as that is the only person that they hire. If they ask the superintendent to request resignations from any other school system employee, this would be considered improper and meddling with the day to day operation of the school system. In other words, the only way to legally and ethically make changes to the superintendents cabinet is to hire some from the outside that has not ties to DeKalb. It would be that persons sole decision who to keep and who stays.
9:59 Anon. How's that chair you are sitting in at the palace? If we had a Superintendent, who knew what she was doing, it would be different. However, she was on the inside to begin with.
I heard, from an insider at DCSS, that there was a plan for the NCLB transfers. When Beasley came on board, Moseley and Beasley got together and informed Audria Berry to give everyone, their first choice school on their list. The plans that had been put in place by Tyson were tabled. Now we have schools that are overcrowded, no books, no air conditioning, lack of bathrooms etc..
Seems to me if I was Super, and two people, who worked for me, Moseley and Beasley, usurped my plans and directives, I would ask them to have their resignations on my desk by the end of the day.
My exit question is this. Who is really running DCSS? Is it Tyson? Moseley? Beasley? Who? It seems to me Tyson was selected because CLew knew that others, most likely had things on her and she would have to placate them or be exposed. This is why when Clew was fired, we needed to hire an interim Super, from the outside immeditaely to clean house! As the BOE searched for a new Super.
I've lost all faith in SACS. A group of us DCSS stakeholders tried to talk with Elgart about DCSS. We had facts about the corruption, behind closed door meetings, nepotism, cronyism etc.. We had proof! We had the documents in hand, since we had spent hours at DCSS copying documents under the Freedom of Information Act. SACS rebuffed us, never set up a meeting. Leaving us to wonder why SACS was even in place, if stakeholders could not present a case to them. Why does SACS even exist?
Bob Moseley is the ultimate insider, and a HUGE part of the incestuous, devious, conniving mess of a Central Office. It is well past time he was given the boot. And when you are Bob, no consultant gig for ya either.
Conversion charter schools don't get extra money to keep class size down. In fact, in GA, the law is that charters can be treated no differently than traditional public schools.
Second, as I read it, the state has essentially removed all limits on class size by allowing for averaging again. Averaging was in place before Roy Barnes was elected and allows for systems to average their class sizes to be in compliance with state law.
Since the state wouldn't put up any moer money, systems have been given total flexibilty in many areas including class size and even number of school days!
Sounds to me like perhaps Moseley is trying to make Tyson look bad (sour grapes that he wasn't chosen?)
and yes, 9:52 AM - those are the state guidelines - schools under 450 - if the local system chooses to provide any extras, must pay for them with local dollars - the state offers ZERO, nada, nothing.
Cere, knowing the ego that Bob Moseley has he was most definitely upset he was not given the job. However, this man is so loathed by so many I did not find it surprising that he was not chosen for the interim job.
Robert Moseley and his "background noise" his words, should be guven the boot along with the rest of the former Supers "cabinet".
Question: What's bigger?
Bob Mosley's ego and disdain for parents
or
that chuck of granite at Stone Mountain (1,686 ft x 825 ft)
Tough call
Don't worry Bob. Most parents consider you and the Central Office to be background noise too.
Tough Call indeed!
Moseley is the reason my wife will not let me watch the BOE meetings on PDS 24. Whenever Bob shows up on camera our dog freaks out and goes Number 2 on our carpet.
Did you all catch Anon 8/19, 7:22 p.m.'s comment? Apparently the administration is opening a Chamblee "nnex at Eliz. Andrews (the alternative high school near the Mtn. Industrial Palace) to accept the NCLB transfer students. The annex students will be Chamblee students (in name only, for all practical purposes), with Ms. Lowerey as principal, and whose scores will be included in Chamblees.
If I were the parent of a student accepted for transfer to Chamnblee, I'd be FURIOUS!
Just as I was furious, as a parent of a Chamblee student, when I learned that over-capacity school had to accept more than 200 additional students.
Bait and Switch! Moseley is famous for this. Geez, when will this end? I hear that Tyson had a plan but Moseley and Dr. Measley Beasley, went against the plan and offered the first choice of all transfers creating this problem. Seems to me no one wins in this plan! Way to go DCSS! What's next?
@ Cerebration 9:40
Thanks. Parents have a right to know the number of toilets and measurement of classrooms in the schools that serve their children. If any DCSS school should be out of compliance, the proper avenue is to go to the principal, the Regional Superintendent and finally Mrs. Tyson. If the county does not rectify this, then they can start with the DOE, and failing that their elected representatives and the governor.
As examples, articles on overcrowding of schools and negative student achievement are found at these links:
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/5sw56439?display=all#page-6
http://www2.ed.gov/offices/OESE/archives/inits/construction/impact2.html
Our DeKalb school used an attorney to work with the state and discovered that existing schools aren't held to the same standards as new construction for schools. Believe me we tried.
Constant tweaking of attendance zones is part of the solution, but that isn't something that is easy to do in even school systems were all schools are equally strong. Given the huge dicrepency in our schools in DeKalb it is a real challenge.
While I don't doubt the research on overcrowding and student achievement, metro Atlanta is full of examples that contradict this, including many high performing schools in E. Cobb and N. Fulton.
@ Anonymous 2:52
"Existing schools aren't required to meet the current standards. "
Yes. I'm aware of that fact, however the DOE document does have existing school guidelines as well as new building construction guidelines. There are standards for existing schools. See quote from Georgia standards below:
"CLASSROOM
1. Existing instructional units (including labs, but excluding medias) are approvable
up to a ten percent reduction in the square footage required."
For example, do all of CCHS and Lakeside HS science labs have the following measurements (square footage) in their labs (minus 10% variance since the are existing and not new structures)?
"SCIENCE
1. High School
Laboratory 900
Laboratory & Classroom Combination 1,000-1,200"
Reading the posts on this blog leads to the conclusion that CCHS and Lakeside have never been this overcrowded. It might be a good idea to take a look at school building codes for existing schools and compare that to the current situation.
Did you just go to DCSS or did you also go to the DOE, your state representatives, the governor??
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/schools/facilities/squareft.pdf
The name of this document is:
"SQUARE FOOTAGE REQUIREMENTS
FOR USE IN DEVELOPING
THE LOCAL FACILITIES PLANS
AND STATE CAPITAL OUTLAY APPLICATIONS
FOR FUNDING"
Furious? FURIOUS?! FURIOUS!!!
Here's who should be really furious: the parents and students who followed the rules, decided in time that they really wanted to go to Chamblee Charter High School, applied appropriately and, because of demand, ended up on a waiting list. As I understand it, the AYP 9th grade transfers are now permanent CCHS students and they have leap-frogged over all those who played by the rules. So, they will take up all of the empty seats that will be available next year. Without ever being in the lottery or being on a waiting list.
We haven't given up yet.
Meanwhile, if I was a parent of a waiting list student who was thrown under the bus by DCSS, I believe I would be heading to the Palace with torches and pitchforks in hand -- hot tar and feathers standing by.
Yes, we went to DOE. As I understood it back then, your school had to meet the standards for when it was built! It was a few years ago, but basically we discovered that we couldn't use state requirements to leverage more restrooms.
When our school was built, there were 40 plus kids in a classroom, almost all whom walked to school and many who went home for lunch.
Serious overcrowding? No textbooks?
What in the blankety blank do all of
those Central Office administrators, instructional coaches, managers and staff do over the summer?????
The BOE should be furious, but they will again enable this Central Office to remain mediocre and delusionally self-satisfied.
@ Anonymous 4:13 pm
" Yes, we went to DOE. As I understood it back then, your school had to meet the standards for when it was built! It was a few years ago, but basically we discovered that we couldn't use state requirements to leverage more restrooms.
When our school was built, there were 40 plus kids in a classroom, almost all whom walked to school and many who went home for lunch. "
I've read the document, and I didn't read anything about school space standards reverting to the era in which the school was built. Perhaps you talked to a DOE person who did not understand the document and/or didn't want to get involved. That's entirely possible. Maybe you've noticed in the recent trials and tribulations in DeKalb County Schools that administrative expediency and lack of understanding and experience on their part can produce misinformation. I'm not trying to be snide here - but the GA DOE has a disproportionate amount of retired DCSS administrators in high level positions.
Did you continue to escalate this until it reached the State Superintendent (Brad Bryant should be interested) or contact State BOE members, your state legislators, and the governor?
In these days of MRSA and antibiotic resistant tuberculosis, etc., overcrowding of students is more of an issue than in the past.
However, parents can't pursue this avenue unless they know that DCSS is out of compliance on any of these standards:
1. Number of restroom facilities per student FTE enrollment
2. Distance restroom facilities are for every student at any point in time
3. Measurement of a classroom that you think may not meet state space standards
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/schools/facilities/squareft.pdf
It was not a former DeKalb employee, back then there weren't that many. It was the department that oversees facilities, if I recall correctly. At the time, we had something like 16 to few bathrooms for the number of students, based on the current standards for new construction.
SQUARE FOOTAGE REQUIREMENTS
FOR USE IN DEVELOPING
THE LOCAL FACILITIES PLANS
AND STATE CAPITAL OUTLAY APPLICATIONS
FOR FUNDING
This is the document that outlines what is required to receive state monies for construction. As I suspected,this is relevant to new construction, and at that only projects seeking state funds.
It is a fabulous guide to use when and if schools are going to be renovated.
Don't exactly know where to post this, but DCSS has just amended the agenda for Monday's Instruction and Curriculum meeting to include a new Pre_K policy. Anyone know what that is about?
A. CALL TO ORDER
By: Dr. Pamela Speaks, Committee Chair
B. DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Purchasing Policy, Descriptor Code DJE
Presented by: Mr. Marcus Turk, Chief Financial Officer
2. PreK Policy (new policy)
Presented by: Dr. Morcease Beasely, Deputy Superintendent, Teaching & Learning
3. Professional Learning Policy, Descriptor GAD
Presented by: Dr. Morcease Beasely, Deputy Superintendent, Teaching & Learning
4. Proposed New Policies
Presented by: Alexander & Associates
a. Ethics Policy for Employees
b. Whistleblower Policy
c. Conflict of Interest
5. SACS Response Timeline
6. Next Steps
Listen up parents of the South DeKalb NCLB with Grade 9 students who are attending Chamblee High School. Do you really know where DCSS is sending your child to the new Annex location? It will be at "Open Campus," under the new name of Elizabeth Andrews High School. Do you realize that your 14 year old baby girl will be attending school with grown men ages 20-27 years old, with arrest records. Men who are smoking, and have tatoos all over their necks, arms, etc. Open Campus is an alternative school where students chose to fail numerous times at their home school. Now they are at their last chance, and still not serious. A lot of the girls are pregnant. Open your eyes, DCSS does not want the NCLB to succeed. They are merely complying with the law of House Bill 581(?) Are you not familiar with what happened last school year? DCSS put the Redan 9th Grade Academy at the old Drivers Education building. Within 2 weeks, those kids were sent back to their home schools for lack of students to justify the pay for extra teachers. Dr. Carmichael, OB/GYN do not let your babygirl go to the Annex. Demand a decent, drama-free location for your intelligent children to learn. Your child will get caught up with wanting to be like those students because it looks cool.
Actually, the students were sent to Redan, because there were to few of them.
For years, DCSS operated an "annex" at the now gone N. DeKalb school of technology. I think that they actually graduated a few students.
A slight correction regarding the textbook situation at CCHS. The school has sufficient textbooks for the students to use in the classroom. But several courses do not have sufficent textbooks to assign one to each student therefore none of the students are allowed to take them home. Some of these are Advanced Placement courses that move at a terrific rate of speed. The students need textbooks in these courses.
Remember this @ Anonymous 4:13p.m - Oh please with regards to all of those measurements. Does anyone not remember when in 1996 Stephenson High School, a brand new school located on the south end of DeKalb opened up. The halls were so crowded that no child could not get to his locker before the tardy bell rang. Do you not remember that those students had to share lockers. Do you not remember that there were not enough desk and chairs in the classroom. Those kids had to stand up the entire period. Please tell me how quick do we tend to forget when overcrowding happens on the south end of the school district. They hired all new Adminstrators for a brand new school. They allowed people do bring in all of those false affidavits stating they leaved in the district. Therefore, you had students coming from everywhere attending Stephenson. OMG! No one measured any hallways or bathrooms per pupil.
This week on the Young and the Restless of DCSS, better known as the BOE meeting.
Mr. Rev. Dr. Measley Beasley is changing the PreK policies? Parents you better be watching the meeting to find out exactly what your 4 year olds are going to be learning under the wonderful, interim (thank God!), Asst. Super of learning Mr. Rev. Dr. Measley Beasley! Plus, Dr. B is presenting the Professional (Amateur) Learning Policy. I can't wait!
But wait there's more!
We get to hear from Mr. Turk? I wonder how many dollars he lost this week?
If all that is not enough we have lawyers presenting the new whistleblower policy. I'm looking forward to that one.
It will be LIVE on PDS24 Produced by Philandrea Guilroy, daughter of our former BOE member Francis Edwards the Palace. We won't have to drive to the Palace, which is closer to more Gwinnett residents then DeKalb residents.
Color me a skeptic, this bunch doesn't get it. When can we rid ourselves of these amateurs running our school system. I bet Robert Moseley's ego is bummed he is not on the agenda. Hey Bob, let's check those capacity numbers in your little black book.
The Pre-K program is not part of DCSS - it is run and operated under the auspices of the state BOE.
Then I ask why Dr. B is on the agenda to talk about the PreK program. Do not trust anything this man says. He is a snake oil salesman and should not be trusted with our children's education. Moseley and Beasley are up to something no good!
Watch them closely since our BOE refuses to. Ms. Tyson I think you are being played by your Asst. Supers. Do OUR system a favor and fire them, if not you will never have control of our out of control system.
Pre-K is not under the state BOE or Department of Education. Pre-K oversight is done by a separate state agency Bright From the Start.
The Pre-K policy is being done due to Zepora Roberts complaints about the curriculum policies that were passed at the August meeting.
Pre-K doesn't need a new curriculum. The Pre-K content standards are found here: http://www.decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf Pre-K needs what ALL DeKalb teachers need - the ability to hold students accountable to high expectations.
I teach Kindergarten and had a very interesting conversation with a parent this week. She shared that her son started Pre-K in Gwinnett and they later moved to DeKalb. She said the expectations were night and day. In Gwinnett, her child was expected to LEARN in pre-K, she described Pre-K in DeKalb as a lot of play.
Since I've been asked at least once a day by one of my students when they will get to "play with toys", I have to trust that this parent's perception is the reality of Pre-K in DeKalb.
Pre-K in Gwinnett is not provided in the schools, but through private daycare.
Georgia Pre-K (funded by the lottery) is under Bright From the Start. The location doesn't matter.
The Pre-K content standards provided by Bright From the Start are clear and if taught correctly, students will be ready for Kindergarten.
I just received this from a parent at Chamblee Charter High School.
There will be a Community Meeting at Chamblee Charter High School TOMORROW night, Tuesday, August 24, at 6:00 pm to discuss the situation regarding student transfers.
We have been told that Bob Moseley, the Deputy Chief Superintendant, and other DCSS officials will be there.
Apparently CCHS was just notified of this meeting this morning and are relying on parents to get the word out.
Please come and show your support for Chamblee Charter High School!
The meeting at CCHS tomorrow with Moseley has been canceled. We wonder why? Stay tuned!
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