DCSS ignores its own rules and transfer students
By Tom Doolittle
Supercluster meeting to be held Tuesday, January 25 at Oak Grove United Methodist Church at 7:00.
What started as DeKalb School System’s (DCSS) attempt last year to close and consolidate twenty-three (23) underutilized schools (most south of US 78) has morphed into a plan to identify overcrowded schools and change several schools’ neighborhood boundaries (county-wide “redistricting”).
The Lakeside High School zone is not overcrowded according to community school advocates and no schools are being closed; but traditional neighborhoods are slated to be removed from four elementary schools for the first time since the last school was built 40 years ago. (Neighborhoods were added to other schools when Heritage Elementary was closed as a feeder in the mid-1980s.) Lakeside area advocates want to know why DCSS is trying to “fix something that isn’t broken”. Not only that, but they say DCSS “can have its cake and eat it too”, by continuing to serve students from outside of the school zone.
After the DCSS plan was published in the first week of this month, Lakeside PTA president Barbara Haan immediately contacted representatives from feeder schools. Emphasizing that providing feedback and information to the community and DCSS regarding the school zone proposals is not a PTA effort Haan said, “We have never seen the Lakeside community more together on a scholastic issue.” Four elementary schools and Henderson Middle School had representatives at the meeting on a moments notice on Friday before the big snow storm. Meanwhile, the Leafmore, Diamond Head and Sagamore neighborhood associations called meetings to generate support. Also, the Lakeside Foundation’s role in the “Valhalla Project” $1.5 million capital campaign was put on hold to consider the impact on the community’s giving.
Depending upon which plan DCSS chooses, a so-called “centralized” or “decentralized” plan, Lakeside would lose neighborhoods with at least 231 current students, 84 from Oak Grove, 63 from Evansdale and the rest from Sagamore. Sagamore is being moved in total (“redistricted”) to the Druid Hills High School zone, despite the fact that many Sagamore students have walked to Lakeside since it was built in 1965.
As Things Stand Now
A Lakeside communiqué to parents establishes a primary goal of having no “split-feeder” schools, whereby students who attend schools together are separated moving onto the next level. Summarizing the plan’s impact to the community, “the current plan splits neighborhoods at the primary and secondary level and sends children far outside the natural boundaries of a school's community. This negatively impacts our children's socialization and the neighborhood's identity.” (City of Dunwoody advocates have raised similar objections regarding city areas being redistricted from schools in Dunwoody.)
The position paper also says DCSS actually defies its own stated priorities: (1) preserving geographic proximity (primary criterion); (2) safe and efficient traffic patterns; (3) preserving and supporting intact neighborhoods (secondary criterion); (4) minimizing disruption of long-standing feeder patterns.
The source of the problem is DCSS’ contention that some Lakeside feeder schools are overcrowded and therefore the high school zone should change. However, Lakeside united group says the high school itself is not overcrowded and the feeder zones should be handled within the highly regarded school’s current boundaries.
“…the plan significantly understates the student capacity of Lakeside High School...” which will be increased from 1314 to 1789 once the current 25 classroom renovation is complete during the next school year.
Transfer Students
As there is no school within the Lakeside zone being proposed for closure; Sagamore is currently not overcrowded; and Lakeside has 450 seats being added to its campus; many advocates are mystified that the sometime controversial school zone is being reformulated. The Lakeside communiqué points out that DCSS also does not account for “increased/decreased enrollment due to non-resident transfers from sending and receiving schools under No Child Left Behind (NCLB).”
This is what Lakeside’s Haan refers to as the “AYP bubble” which she claims will not be relevant soon because no schools will ultimately be able to meet its 100% success mandate and remain a transfer school. “If you remove the AYP bubble, there’s no need to restructure—and the middle school and some elementary schools can be rebalanced (within the zone), she contends.
Next Step—The Supercluster Meetings
Haan, Lakeside feeder school representatives and the various communities that started their own efforts, about 50 people; met Sunday to establish a comprehensive position and solutions to rebalancing the feeders. Some changes to feeder boundaries are suggested, DCSS figures are contested and school populations are creatively managed in the proposal that “makes more sense and impacts as few as possible” and “does no harm to any other group”, presumably a reference to the Druid Hills cluster.
The Supercluster effort continues for the general public on Tuesday, January 25 at Oak Grove United Methodist Church at 7:00.
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Writer Tom Doolittle is a 17-year Northlake area resident, founding trustee of Northlake Community Alliance, Inc., founder Northlake Business Forum and writes the www.NorthlakeStation.blogspot.com
103 comments:
Why does the tone of this annoy me? Many points Tom makes are valid - but there is this sense that Lakesiders somehow think others must defer to them because they are LAKESIDE. No, kids who walk to school should not have to suddenly hop on buses for 45 minute (if their lucky) commutes. Wrong, wrong, wrong for so many reasons. But they shouldn't stay at Lakeside simply because of this bizarre notion that the lines have been that way for 50 years! When you acknowledge the lines are that old, you support the arguments of those who say it's time redraw the boundaries! When you call these 60's era subdivisions "historic neighborhoods" I dissolve into giggles.It's not like they have any historic significance- that they were the power center of the fight to desegregate or something. On the contrary: they're just old houses.
My only hope is that my neighbors in the Lakeside/Sagamore/Leafmore area will realize that a split-feeder situation is already in play. For the small group this affects (who attend Sagamore ES but split to Druid Hills), we've tried for several years to get anyone else in the district to help back our efforts in closing this small geographical loop. Nothing. To be honest, I don't really have any reason to help out in the 'cause' if the goal is to keep the defacto arrangements which will still cause my children to be split off from their core group of friends come 6th grade. Keep a promise made of having ALL kids progress through together and you'll find a group of fiercely dedicated parents ready to help work towards that goal.
" Keep a promise made of having ALL kids progress through together and you'll find a group of fiercely dedicated parents ready to help work towards that goal."
This is purely for the comfort of parents.
Guess what? The kids don't care. They're still frinds with their friends. They play sports and take dance class with their old classmates. They actually like making new friends.
This whole notion of having the same kids attend the same school from kindergarten through 12th grade has no data to prove it helps academics.
It's purely because parents get comfortable with knowing the same other parents, and gossiping about them is a HUGE part of it. Parents don't want to have to occassionally work with new parents. It is incredibly selfish, and again, the kids really don't care.
Seriously, how many of your teenage children are still close friends with their early elementary classmates???
What is there not to get? Lakeside community is not a district in and of itself. While it may not be overcrowded, there are other schools in the area that are either over-crowded or underfilled. These different districts are looking at themselves as isolated areas inside a county that has communities that are linked, and the school district serves students inside and outside these areas.
I don't get the constant egocentric focus of the different programs.....it is a domino effect, there is movement across the areas to address needs that may be outside of the bubble that you are looking at. Instead of looking at these areas as circles whose edges never meet, these people need to understand that they are more like balloons next to one another....as one area over fills, it is going to affect the balloon next to it, as the air goes out of one balloon, the others scoot over to fill the space.
Seriously, what is not to get???
The problem with your arguement is that virtually no new students are being moved into the Lakeside district (I think 20 from Tucker is all- not completely sure). This says that the plan really is about Lakeside being overcrowded - which it currently is. However when the construction that is currently being done is finished- Lakeside will actually have room for more than just those in the district.
I do think that the geographic proximity is the main support for not changing these lines. But DCSS stated keeping neighborhoods intact is a goal.
Finally - while my child has increased the number of friends, his main friends are the ones he started with in kindergarten. So, while the split feeder is not the end of the world, I do think it matters. It takes a village and when you take away half of the village , everyone loses.
Finally, please keep in mind that the Lakeside community is far from elite. We want to keep all of our students. The diversity in the student population is a major benefit of Lakeside.
I think this is all about filling empty seats at Clarkston.
This whole notion of having the same kids attend the same school from kindergarten through 12th grade has no data to prove it helps academics.
However, isn't this exactly the argument used to change the name of Shamrock to Druid Hills MS? I think that committee had research to back the claim that the middle to high school feeders improved academics. Anyone have that data?
I think that the name change was about the perceived reputation issues...
I understand that any child moving from anywhere into Clarkston, which has not made AYP in about 8 years, has an automatic ticket out under NCLB to another school.... you can't just 'fix' a school by re-districting -- you've got to "solve" the underlying issues that are resulting in the kids leaving in the first place and enforce the underlying districting that is currently there -- the frustration at LHS/HMS is that we who are there, know absolutely that there is no enforcing going on of current districting -- no motivating to keep AYPs at their home schools and there are transfers allowed and "foregiven" by people constantly looking the other way for hundreds of kids by a complete failure of the county to check and enforce current districting -- no sense that there is any enforcement or honoring of current districting or efforts that have ever been made to fix the problems at the non-AYP schools -- just "right to transfer" cards given to get to the Lakesides and Hendersons of the world so now they can claim "overcrowded" and redistrict the neighborhood -- that's were the lack of trust is coming from and the frustration... fix the underlying problems first -- including enforcing the districting that is currently in place, including a "no transfer" policy except when absolutely necessary (including following Gwinnett's lead in how to handle AYP transfers -- including travel reimbursements).
"We want to keep all of our students. The diversity in the student population is a major benefit of Lakeside."
Anon 10:11, thank you for your positive and healing statement.
My daughter, a Lakeside student, has good friends from Pleasantdale, Evansdale, and from various apartment complexes. She has friends who came as children of staff at Lakeside feeders, and another friend who came from far away on an administrative transfer. She also has friends from Sagamore and Diamond Head. As far as the kids are concerned, all of them are members of the Lakeside family.
A Nancy Creek parent posting in another thread said "Kids don't see color, they see kids!" To which someone else made a snide remark about the popularity of Nancy Creek.
I'm embarrassed by the parochial attitude many adults are displaying with respect to redistricting. Maybe we should stop acting our age and start acting like children.
Seriously??? Your child's main friends are those he made in Kindergarten? I hope this means he's only in 1st or 2nd grade. Otherwise, it describes an awfully insular and perhaps impermeable community when it comes to all those kids who move here in middle school or later. Your perspective that the "main friends" are those he made way back doesn't create a picture of a vibrant school community that welcomes new things, new blood or new ideas. I agree with anon 8:23: there's something weird about that attitude. Yes, it takes a village. But how are you defining the villagers - the room moms from elementary school? I doubt your villagers are the parents of those diverse kids you claim to embrace.
Well, reading the comments here and especially on the AJC blog, the solution is obvious:
Close Clarkston High and send all the kids there either back to the refugee camps or straight to prison. Whatever you do, don't let them near my kid.
Or, maybe we could think of our community as extending beyond the edge of our subdivision.
one of the most beautiful things about Briarlake (only about 25% white when we were there)was that my kids never saw color -- they saw children and adults. When they were in HS, they never identified by color. There were "racial tensions" at Lakeside while we were there -- for those of us from the north, we could clearly tell it was adult based and not child based. The kids really don't seem to see color only their friends (some of whom my older teens have known since pre-school and kindergarten -- which I value alot, having moved around a lot as a child -- the stability they have had from the neighborhood has been amazing).
for those of you trying to negate the "village" aspects of the "community" from k-12 -- I encourage to learn about Judge Hatchett's childhood story -- she tells the most remarkable stories about how her community prodded her and protected her and encouraged her. She grew up in the segregated Atlanta projects -- in absolutely horrid conditions -- no supplies -- classic seggregation story in a sense -- but she had a very strong family-- both her mom and her dad were present and encouraged her to make do with what she had and to get her education and to move forward -- she had a present and constant community available for support who she knew loved her and were going to care if she went astray... she succeeded despite deplorable conditions and treatment in the segregated comminity that existed. She got her bachelors from a "7 sisters" school and went to Emory law and became a judge and now has tv show... she succeeded despite all the hardship. I think this is primariy because early on she had her family and community ever present and supporting her. I think (my theory) this is the key, critical component that is so despearately missing from things today -- the kids need to know that everyone knows them and knows that if they "go wrong" they can be reported on to their parents (who willr eally care and not let them just get away with it or blame the reporter) and that there are eyes behind everyone's heads... If we lose the elementary feeder pattern allignment ... you lose the ability as parents to watch over each other's children in this fashion.. you lose the community... you lose the village... this is really key. This is one of the reasons transfering cross county doesn't really work for academic success ... the village on that end has been lost. There are other similar stories--watch the GPB program on the president of Morehouse...there are many examples of how the community watching out for each other makes a difference.
@ anonymous 11:44
"one of the most beautiful things about Briarlake (only about 25% white when we were there)was that my kids never saw color -- they saw children and adults."
What a bizarre statement. Briarlake has about 20% Black students, 10% Asian and 70% White students. They have around 15% Students with Disabilities. Many of those students have severe disabilities since Briarlake houses a number of Hearing Impaired students who are mainstreamed into classes like PE, etc. Most Briarlake students learn the rudiments of sign language so they can communicate with the Hearing Impaired students. Briarlake has some diversity, especially in the area of Students with Disabilities, but I wouldn't say it was hugely diverse.
Your child must have gone to another Briarlake than the one that's one street down from me.
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=103&SchoolId=23026&T=1&FY=2010
The streets in my neighborhood that can walk to Briarlake have been bused to Henderson Mill Elementary for as long as I've been here (27 years). They can easily walk to Briarlake, but kids have been getting on the bus to go to Henderson Mill. And the bus has to travel over Briarcliff Road and Henderson Mill Rd. so it's not like it's that easy of a commute.
No parent has ever said anything about the neighborhood/subdivision being split up, and the kids are okay with it. I think it's wasteful from a transportation aspect.
Why is it okay for decades to split up Greenwood Acres subdivision between schools, but now everyone is screaming that neighborhoods should not be split up? There are neighborhoods all over Central DeKalb that are split up. Willivee is one street over from Medlock (3 minute walk to Medlock). If you live on the side of Willivee nearest Medlock, you walk to Medlock. If you live on the other side of Willivee (3 minute walk to Medlock) you get bused to Fernbank (easily a 20 to 30 minute bus ride). It's been this way for over 30 years and no one has ever complained that the neighborhood was split up.
The point is that neighborhoods all over Central DeKalb have been split up for years and no one has ever said anything - until now. What's changed?
Anon 9:48, you said it perfectly! Lakeside is acting like they are a district unto themselves! There are moving parts outside the Lakeside area - wake up, people. Why are single feeders a holy grail? It makes no sense to me. This is a MASSIVE school system. If you want a perfect single feeder, move out into the country.
Anon 12:19 -
What "changed" is that now this involves Lakeside High! And as for the Briarlake parent who's children attended a school that was a quarter white while everyone else reports it was 75% white: Yes, we all love the diversity of the brilliant Asian violinist who sits first chair in the orchestra and the Indian son of two PhDs who blows everyone away at the state science fair or on Hi Q. Fine. Let's all call this "diversity" when you and I both know what we're really talking about: we're talking about urban kids who have been shortchanged in DeKalb schools from the time they entered 1st grade - who now wear jeans around their knees in an effort to create some kind of meaningful identity. They are the ones who needed meaningful mentors in elementary school - but unlike our Judge Hatchett - they did not have the families to provide what they needed. Their parents were "educated" in DeKalb schools - and I use the term in only its most general sense - and their own educations may have not equipped them with the resources to change what needs changing in their kids' schools. If I hear one more Lakeside person say "we're diverse" ... Do all these kids come to your house for parties? Hmm? Swim on the swim team? I didn't think so....
anon 12:19
I am very happy to say that - absolutely - kids from all walks of life come to my house and to my children's parties. What a nasty comment to someone you do not know.
Having said that - the county has asked for suggestions on how to solve the problem with less disruption. Kudos to these parents for working to a solution that will do that rather than just complaining.
sorry - that was mant to be anon 1:47 addressed in the last posting.
Here is my suggestion:
Let's start from scratch with a new superintendent. Fire everyone from the teachers to the Dr. Beasley and everyone in between. Let everyone reapply for their jobs and pick the best of the best. Let those that aren't up to snuff out of the new system.Make the schools sized so that the county receives maximum state funding. Give every school a new name. All schools teach the same curriculum and have the same resources, so that all students are on an even playing field.
The problem that I have is that until the people hired by Lewis to run schools and the district are gone, we will have the same old same old with some children receiving a good education and other children barely being able to fill out a job application.
another article on meeting tonight
http://northdruidhills.patch.com/articles/lakeside-community-group-to-propose-new-redistricting-plans-tonight
Speaking as an Asian , whose children are not, indeed invited to many events planned by many mothers, I have to say the writer earlier posed a fair question about what is truly happened amongst our children and their peers socially in our community of Lakeside High School. I do not see it as a mean comment but a fair one.
Am I the only one experiencing cognitive dissonance when reading 'diversity is heavenly' and 'Clarkston is hell' concurrently?
Interesting!
http://northdruidhills.patch.com/articles/lawmaker-pursues-big-changes-on-dekalb-school-board
Have any of you that are complaining that this group has come up with a plan looked at the DCSS proposals? If so, you know their plan MAKES NO SENSE. The county school system failed in their attempt to come up with a logical plan to begin to fix their numerous problems. It took community volunteers to do it. And, community volunteers only have so much information and so much time to get it done. Of course they just focused on Lakeside - they didn't have the time or the information (or the half million dollars) to fix the whole county. Perhaps all of you ought to give it a try and see how far you can get to fix it?
@ 3:06. I laughed when I read that, because, yes, socially, there is definitely dissonance. However, on a serious note, I think that the issue with Clarkston is that they are proposing students move from a school that is succeeding to one that has NEVER met AYP since analyses were started under this program. SO, while I agree with your response socially, and believe that something MUST be done to improve student outcomes at this school (in other words, address the needs of the kids at this school), as a parent (not of a child at this age), I do understand being unwilling to take a risk on my own kid's education. That may seem elitist and unfair, but I understand it. I want the best for all kids in the system. The question is whether it is fair, in this particular circumstance, to transfer kids into a setting where systemic failure is the nature of the course. Why add to the problem before the situation is solved?
I am concerned that at the district level, some may feel that moving successful kids into the school will raise scores and make it successful. Really, though, there is something wrong with this approach. Fix instruction and outcomes first. The district knows that there's a problem here.
Again, the problem here is that they are redistricting for money WITHOUT EVER DEALING WITH INSTRUCTIONAL ISSUES, and for parents and the kids in the system today, the latter is what is important. I get the need to save costs, but at what expense to the kids. Both issues should be approached simultaneously. The fact that Tyson and the Board, and Beasley have never addressed this as a problem is what is wrong with the system and the entire consolidation process.
Anon. 12:19. Nothing has changed but wouldn't you rather neighborhoods NOT be split if they didn't really have to be? Does it not make more logical sense to use some more natural boundaries? Change is supposed to make things better not create more problems.
Anon. 3:39 : I have not heard this proposal yet but I, for one, am glad that someone is taking their time to try to make this better. Thank you to everyone who is working to make our schools better in DeKalb - it is long overdue. This should be about the education of our children and not all this other garbage.
I hear that this plan involves two 6th grade academies one of which would be at the closed Livsey and moves more of Tucker's attendance zone into Lakeside.
@ anonymous 4:15
"Nothing has changed but wouldn't you rather neighborhoods NOT be split if they didn't really have to be? "
No. Not really. I'm retired and have paid close to $100,000 in property taxes since I've lived here and had only one child go through the school system. My taxes now run $5,000 a year, and I expect them to keep increasing.
I don't begrudge paying taxes in excess of my child's education, but I do want the money used efficiently. When my child was young, she had friends all over this Greenwood Acres neighborhood who could have walked to Briarlake but were zoned and bused to Henderson Mill. It didn't bother me or the parents of those children. My only concern at that time was that it seemed expensive and time consuming for tax payer dollars to be used to bus children so far away.
When the students in my neighborhood were first zoned to Henderson Mill (built in 1965) from Briarlake (built in 1958), no doubt Briarlake was overcrowded and Henderson Mill in a less populated section of the Northlake area, needed to pick up students from Briarlake and other schools (kind of like Briar Vista needs to now from Fernbank and Druid Hills needs to from some of the Oak Grove area). But it was cost efficient at that time, and so it made economic sense. The problem is that redistricting never occurred after that and expansions to Briarlake's buildings and physical plant did not occur until recently.
It's like DCSS is frozen in time - all the way back to Jim Cherry, DCSS superintendent from 1947 to 1972, who took the most affluent county in Georgia and built the small community schools concept and Fernbank Science Center (built in 1967 bringing in busloads of children for science instruction - when unemployment was 3.8% and gas was 33 cents a gallon).
DeKalb County is no longer the most affluent county in Georgia, we have a high unemployment rate, we have high taxes on a small tax base, and the diesel gas that runs the buses is $3.50 and rising exponentially. We should be redistricting every 5 years or so like the other metro counties. Children adjust and make new friends.
just fyi -- when we were at Briarlake, there were still M to M kids there -- it was much less white than described above. When my child graduated high school some of his closest friends were from different backgrounds -- many from his elementary school.
@ 7:44 pm
"just fyi -- when we were at Briarlake, there were still M to M kids there -- it was much less white than described above.'
Just fyi - when MY child was there, M to M was in place, and it was not the Black - White ratio you described above.
How could it be? M to M meant that you could transfer to a school that held a minority of your race if there was a seat available. Once a school became 49% Black, no White students could transfer to that school under M to M. Once it became 49% White, no Black students could transfer to your school under M to M.
Minority (less than 50%) to Majority (more than 50%) - get it?
So how could Briarlake be 25% White and still be accepting Black M to M students?
Your reasoning does not make sense in terms of M to M.
Briarlake is like many of the schools in Central DeKalb - they generally have the diversity that mimics the national average of people who identify themselves as one racial makeup or another.
I didn't go to Briarlake but I can tell you when M to M was implemented my sister's 8th grade class at Lakeside was 80% black so I can believe some classes at Briarlake had a similar ratio. The standard was for the whole school to get to no more than 50% of any race which allowed for certain graduation years to have a huge number of transfers. And as far as the County sticking to the requirements of not allowing transfers past a certain number, we all see how that's worked out - transfers still coming but no more room at the school.
It's not just black and white. There are all sorts of "others" that make the population not 50% white. "Minority" isn't just "Black. There are Hispanics and Asians -- people from other parts of the world.
"So how could Briarlake be 25% white and still be accepting Black M to M students?"
Here's how: many administrators, most notably at Midvale, earned brownie points for finding space for additional students, usually the siblings of those officially accepted into M to M. By the mid-90's as the school system was approaching unitary status, the rules ceased to be followed and the practice of school system employees hand picking schools for their own children became widespread. Located in majority white neighborhoods, by the late 90's, few schools in the Northlake area had majority white populations, even though the M to M program had officially ended, and students who had come in through the program should have, by this point, aged out of the elementary schools.
SCORE meeting tonight was informative. Laid out an "alternative plan" affecting Supers 2 and 5.
It will be pushed as a third plan among the "centralized and "decentralized".
Focused on Lakeside's travails because quite frankly, their zone is the most impacted as a high school zone, except possibly Dunwoody. However, offers some constructive possibilities for Druid Hill and Clarkston...and sticks to DCSS stated priorities--including "minimizing split feeders where they aren't necessary".
Can you elaborate on the Clarkston solution that they offered? (I'm quite curious.) And what was their conclusion about the drawing of elementary schools (specifically of Livsey) and the impact on Henderson Middle?
Sorry, I did't know about the meeting and am very interested in what is happening in Central Dekalb.
The Vahalla Project was put on hold because they aren't making any money. Raising $1.5 million? They haven't even made it to $20,000!
I met a LHS band parent who was very upset because they found out that the band boosters gave $3000 to the Valhalla project out of the money parents donated for band!
@ Anonymous 9:57
I taught at Briarlake in the late 90s, and it was not 25% White. It was more diverse than it is now, but the makeup is not that different.
Unless the plan changed over the weekend, I think the group is suggesting closing Livsey and making it a 6th grade academy.
Does the Lakeside group have a website? Are they posting their "3rd Option" plan? What does SCORE stand for?
S.C.O.R.e
Super
Cluster
Optimized
Redistricting
e
You can send an email to:
2011redistricting@gmail.com
to be added to the email list.
Please ask for a copy of the talking points and alternative solution. This should give you a better idea of what they are proposing. They had a meeting at Oak Grove United Methodist Church last night that explained every proposed student alternative movement. Their plan reduced the number of affect children by over 1200!
They said they were going to present this to DCSS tomorrow afternoon. I think they will present to BOE also. I think, it was not stated.
To stay informed of changes to the plan and other meetings please send an email to:
2011redistricting@gmail.com
Did the SCORE plan include the two 6 grade academies. How do they plan to pay for them?
If I remember correctly, it would be one Academy and that is only if DCSS doesn't want more trailers at Henderson MS.
That's correct about the 6th grade academy. There aren't any cost estimates--but if DeKalb doesn't go for it, they simply stay at Henderson in the same acommodations they have now. That has been the source of the official capacity figures to date--we do it until NCLB becomes irrelevent--an assumption that is correct--no school in DeKalb will be 100% passing by the deadline.
I have a hard time imagining a worse idea than a "6th grade Academy." Instead of making one transition into middle school, children would make two - doubling the chances of falling through the cracks. Parents with multiple children could find themselves with kids at 4 different schools - minimizing their ability to be involved at any of the schools. An "academy" with only a single grade means that by the time students and parents get to know the staff and understand the school, it is time to start all over at a new school. A single grade "academy" means you never have older students to act as role models or student leaders. A sixth grade academy winds up disconnecting students from both the elementary and middle school resources without providing any educational advantage. What is the point?
Many of you won't like what I have to say, but here goes.
The problem is, Lakeside is not a school district. Lakeside is part of a very large school district called DeKalb County Schools. You can't just put on thick glasses and look around at your own neighborhoods - you have to look countywide. If you wanted a school system consisting of one high school and it's feeders, you should have lived in Decatur. DeKalb is not Decatur.
The document at the link below tells the story. This document clearly shows that the "decentralized" option still leaves many schools over-crowded as compared to the centralized plan.
School Enrollment, by Option
The linchpin in this entire effort is Wadsworth. If we don't consolidate Kittredge and Wadsworth - or send them both into regular schools as a program within a school - so that we can close tiny little Wadsworth, then we can't move forward and close ALL of the other tiny little schools (lawsuit!) If we don't close Wadsworth (153 students), we can't close Medlock (300), Livsey (343), Rock Chapel (412), Bob Mathis (370), Sky Haven (274), Glen Haven (454), Gresham Park (246), Toney (454), Peachcrest (337), or Atherton (394). How can we justify keeping DSA going at barely around 300 in a school covering 8-12th grades, yet close sweet Medlock?!
What is the point of doing this if we aren't going to do what really needs to be done? The seats are in the south end of the county. The state counts those seats as available - regardless of how far away they are from your school. The north end schools need to be pushed southward - it's just that simple, I'm sorry to say. Yes, perhaps we can tweak a bit here or there, but for the most part, in order to operate as fiscally efficiently as possible this long overdue redistricting plan must take place. Not a watered-down version that ends up costing more money - the version that will save us the most.
And I would encourage you all to partake of your newly assigned schools just as joyfully that you do your current one. It really will be alright. You all have the drive and the talent to make it so.
Thank you Cere.
That's the whole point really.
None of us have children that attend Lakeside or MLK or Clarkston. Our kids go to DeKalb County Schools. The "village" should not end where our realtor told us it ends, it should end at those signs that say 'entering Rockdale' or 'entering Gwinnett'.
In some parts of the US you don't have County schools--every town in a county has its own schools, usually 1-5 elementary schools, one 'intermediate' school, and one high school, for towns from less than 5,000 to maybe 40,000. Maybe that's a better model. It is not, however, our model here.
We have a county school system and we need to have county solutions, at least until every little neighborhood puts up walls to keep out (and be honest, those walls are more for keeping out than in) every other neighborhood.
Al
Please tell the Dunwoodiers that Dunwoody is not a seperate school district. You may actually have to attend a school inside the perimeter.
Show me attendance lines for a Nancy Creek neighborhood school that MAKE SENSE, and I wouldn't mind going over 285. But to gerrymander a district--cutting out part of the former NC attendance zone to do it--and then pull in folks from further north AND further south...that makes NO sense.
As far as the elementary schools, yes, some need to close due to low attendance. Pushing kids south into schools will not work as those kids will just request transfers north again. The REALITY is, if DeKalb County had done what was mandated, only allow transfers where room was available in a school, this would not be an issue. If those kids that lived south went to their local schools and the parents worked to improve them instead of abandoning those local schools, none of this would be necessary. Some HS in the south part of the county have 400 kids transferring out - what does that do to the attendance numbers there? This is a problem that redistricting will not solve. The entire educational experience needs to be improved instead of just moving kids around to look like they are doing something. I have looked at the numbers and the plans and it is ridiculous they way they drew the lines for some of these schools. And the McLendon people are really getting screwed. Another issue is that I do not wish for my children to be subjected to 4X4 block scheduling and chose a school that was the traditional model. Now, they wish to move them into a school that has exactly what I want to avoid.
A brief note from the desk of Jim and Ben:
When home owners close on their homes in a particular area, they pay at closing, monies to the county covering certain legal items. The county has received "consideration" as part of the home sale contract.
Some homeowners make their purchase on the basis of the school district their property is located.
Here is the question we put to the blogosphere...
By the county accepting money aka
"consideration" in the contractual sale of house and title recording, identifying a specific location, part and parcel, is there a breach of contract if they later try to
make unilateral changes (ie) redistricting??
Just some more thoughts.
Ben Dover Jim Bohica
Cere - have you seen any numbers? Of course not because they haven't been crunched yet. The County cannot even show any cost savings in this upheaval. Not only that, they have 11k open seats and this plan only gets that number down to 6k by disrupting 6k kids. What is wrong with doing it in such a way that the County accomplishes its goals yet only disrupts 1200 or so kids. Is this better or worse? I maintain that the attendance numbers are impossible to predict as long as the transfers are allowed to keep coming and filling up the north seats to overcapacity. Is the answer to keep pushing the kids in local public schools south so they can transfer out too? Maybe its all just a big ploy to try to get a large number of people to head to private school so that they can waste more dollars per student in the public system. I disagree with your belief that these plans are reasonable or necessary - or will solve what's really the problem.
If the BOE wants to achieve middle schools of 1200 students, the Lakeside SCORe won't work, even when AYP students (less than 200) leave. About 1475 now, then 1275 plus the students from the areas SCORe proposes to bring in to fill LHS seats after redistricting...
Where would this 6th grade academy (or 2) be located? Are there any buildings in the LHS area that can hold 500 6th graders from the feeders?
Heritage is currently vacant, owned by the County and could handle 6th graders, if necessary. Other schools have "annexes" so I don't know why this would be a problem.
I completely agree that the administrative transfers need to be greatly reduced. I pointed that out in my first post on this subject. I've also written about how DCSS shot themselves in the foot so to speak, by allowing the proliferation of charter and theme schools in and around south DeKalb - creating an option for people in that area to flee their home schools for the new "choice" schools. (Arabia could be counted as one - the Leadership Prep also).
That said, the maps show the numbers of students living in the north and the growth projected in the north if far greater than the south (exactly the opposite of what is was 10 years ago). The push and pull, however, now that we have so many available seats, has to be countywide - it can't be a north end and a south end. (Unless you'd like to lobby the state to allow the system to break into two separate systems -- which I do think is a possibility.)
Heritage is a tiny school with something like 18 classrooms and 40 parking spaces. No gym. Small cafetorium. Must be retro-fitted from a special needs set up to regular full size restrooms, etc.
The SCORe may is reasonable. However, I do think the problem is that no one making plans has seen the 2020 Vision of exact plan intended for the future. If indeed the intent is to have such an increase of students at each level then the SCORe Plan may not work. However, a great deal of effort has went into this plan and it is a good plan for the citizens in Area 2. A great deal of thought has went into this plan and I give all the individuals who have worked on this plan props.
I was not able to attend the Lakeside meeting last night. But my understanding from this blog and other sources is that the Lakeside proposal is based on the premise that once the reconstruction is complete, Lakeside will have adequate space for over 1800 students, and thus no one needs to move. Do I have this right, and does anyone know if this premise is really correct?
Also, my understanding is that the Lakeside proposal discusses the possibility of a 6th grade academy, but if that doesn’t/can’t happen, they state that over-crowding at Henderson Middle is OK temporarily (with trailers filling the gap) and that eventually SPLOST money could be provided to expand the school. I might have this completely wrong, and if so, am happy to be corrected.
But, if this is correct, it concerns me. My children will soon attend Henderson Middle School and then Lakeside. I don’t agree that we should accept such over-crowding now in the hopes that down the road Henderson will get money for an expansion. Is this really the position of most parents in the Henderson/Lakeside district? If we have a chance to reduce over-crowding now (and it seems like the consultant proposals would both do that) why wouldn’t we want to support that? I understand the idea of unity and of everyone sticking together and supporting those families who would be re-districted out of the Henderson-Lakeside district. And I sympathize, and have to acknowledge, we aren’t in the affected areas. But, does everyone really want to keep the attendance area intact even if it means over-crowding and more likelihood of trailers in middle school? Can we really count on future $$ for renovation? And how soon is that likely to happen?
For the record: Briarlake yearbook - 1996
7th grade: 13 African Americans out of 40 students
6th grade: 14 out of 49
5th grade: 5 out of 35
4th grade: 16 out of 47
3rd grade: 11 out of 58
2nd grade: 5 out of 43
1st grade: 9 out of 40
Kindergarten: 7 out of 47
Several students of Asian/Indian decent in each grade level as well.
"The REALITY is, if DeKalb County had done what was mandated, only allow transfers where room was available in a school, this would not be an issue. If those kids that lived south went to their local schools and the parents worked to improve them instead of abandoning those local schools, none of this would be necessary."
I think that many of the parents that have gotten transfers for their students are the type of parents who would have fought for change/improvements for their school(s). But because the system would prefer to do transfers (and have made it relatively easy to get)rather than fix the problems at the schools, parents have opted to go this route.
If going forward (whatever the outcome of redistricting), the system limited the number of transfers, and were more strict regarding the conditions where transfers will be given, I think we would see more parents stepping up and making noise. The option to transfer is no longer there, and we could probably assume that very few parents would move (especially in this economy) or have the resources to send their children to private schools.
Could not agree more 7:38.
I'd also like to look at this statement: "If those kids that lived south went to their local schools and the parents worked to improve them"
Was your local school a good school when you moved there? If so, then maybe you weren't the 'parent who worked to IMPROVE it" much as you might be able to give time and effort to maintain it now.
Don't be so ready to fault parents who economic situations you might not understand for not achieving what it just may be SOMEOENE ELSE achieved in the district into which you could afford to buy (and they could not).
It's amazing reading this and the AJC blog the past couple of weeks. You'd all make Neal "I've got mine screw you" Boortz very, very proud.
It's really simple peoples. The white schools do better. The solution is get more white kids in the black schools. Perhaps half of Lakeside can be sent to south Dekalb, boom, test scores rise for the schools. It really is that easy.
I do not live in the area, but I would hardly call Druid Hills a failing school, or an undesirable cluster. Of all the redistricting, this seems the most logical educationally.
However, Leroy from Lithonia, Lakeside is not a white school. Lakeside is a very diverse school and has been for years. Lakeside is extremely diversed.
The reason why Lakeside academically is so strong is its parents and the community it is in. Parents in this area push their children to achieve and do not accept poor performance from their children. Teachers have very high standards at Lakeside because they can and the failure rate for freshmans is also fairly high because it is acceptable for teachers to fail students unlike many other high schools.
Druid Hills is a very good high school. This is not why the parents at Lakeside are fighting to stay where they are. They do not want to be that far from their high school and have to deal with the traffic over around the Emory area. The traffic is a major problem in that area.
Druid Hills is not a bad school but is hardly logical educationally to those of us completely opposed to the 4X4 block schedule. Block scheduling is less successful than the traditional 7-period school day. Kids retain less and score lower on knowledge-based tests than their standard school day counterparts. I specifically do not want my children in this type of learning environment so it is a big deal.
There is $30 million in SPLOST III that has not been allocated. It is reasonable to ask, even demand, that this money be used to renovate Henderson Middle. There is already a renovation plan, and it has not yet been funded. Henderson Middle is the largest middle school in the county (by enrollment) that has not had a renovation. It is not at all unreasonable to expect the county to complete this renovation in the immediate future. With that in place, there is room for everyone in the Lakeside feeder pattern.
The SCORe proposal does not ask for a 6th grade annex (it was never called an academy). The annex was proposed as a possible temporary alternative to trailers until appropriate construction was completed at Henderson.
The SCORe proposal addresses the county's goals and disrupts far fewer children.
I do not like a total block schedule either. However, I teach on a partial block type schedule where we have block days 2 days a week and it really is not that bad. It does give teachers 1 long period a week to do labs/etc.
This is actually something the county needs to address as we really cannot afford to have our high schools on block schedules in the economy crisis currently. The data of achievement is also higher in traditional type high schools or partial block schedules.
Henderson Middle School needs new construction and could use the money. Does Henderson fall into a school up for renovations or is there a problem because of the NCLB student transfers?
I will be shocked if the money comes to Henderson. We all know the need is there. However, there are many needs throughout the county and school board members want a share of that money to go to their district politically.
I really hope that the school district does not spend too much time looking at these hand drawn options. A couple of Vanderlyn moms came up with their own options and presented them to the public yesterday. They are to be presented to Dan Drake tomorrow...this just does not give the public anytime to review. Why the closed meeting to give the county new options?
(1) I think it's fair to request that DCSS really evaluate the block versus traditional day at all high schools pretty immdiately. Cere has brought up this point before -- why offer and staff and teach 32 credit hours for graduation when the state requires only 23 or 24 ... the 6 (or 7) period day makes much more sense on so many levels... and it should be much more cost effective and in this financial crisis, it is imperative that we revisit this issue for the next school year.
(2) Henderson Middle has been gyped on funding. It is only one of 3 (I think) middle schools that was not built from "scratch" (all other middle schools were built (or have been re-built) from the ground up and were "stocked" with things needed and required for a 21st century middle school. Henderson (along with Shamrock and 1 or 2 others) were converted from old high schools into middle schools. Henderson was "raided" by the high school at the time for "supplies" such as band and orchestra equipment (not sure what school "borrowed" what when but HMS was left with little) -- there were no new things brought in as there would have been had it been a new school. The science labs are not really labs at all. The band, chorus and orchestra do amazing things at festivals and a large portion of a large, "artificially" overcrowded school participates in most of it and they perform in the gym (used to be cafeteria but that got out of hand). It's really long over due for the SPLOST funds' renovation and classrooms (have you seen what drop off and pick up look like?) (on that front have you seen the non-DeKalb tags pulling in and out to drop off and pick up?).
I think that one approach could be steps: (1) close the dozen or so schools in SC5 that need to be closed ppurely based on numbers of kids and schools now and going forward and offer some "carrots" for "optional" "voluntary" redistricting to a "new and improved Dunwoody Elementary -- that is set up in Kittredge fashion (this could work for other schools, such as Briar Vista that need to be "bubbled up") (2) get the finances transparent and under control with massive cost cuts at the central office -- zero based budgetting, new and improved staffing at schools and design an academic program to be implemented that evens the acadmic offerings out so that all schools can be like Kittredge, Vanderlyn, Oak Grove and Fernbank -- and Lakeside for that matter. (3) Do the cost/benefit analysis on the magnets and make them cost effective and make decisions with regard to them; (4) let each Super Cluster come up with a proposal to have each elementary school at x number of kids; each middle at x number of kids and each high school at x number of kids by some date certain and respect the plan (Make sure the committee is truly representation of the cluster and not just vocal members of the cluster); (5) implement any left over redisricting decisions that are necessary once offereings have been evened out, staffing has been evaluated and "cleaned up (why is everyone leaving certain schools?);" voluntary moves have been made and tranfers have been unwound and folks are back in home schools to begin with and a decision is made to honor and respect districting (otherwise this whole thing is for naught).
Paul Womack and Don McChesney want some of the unallocated money for Coralwood (already been renovated, serves 90 special needs kids, 119 regular ed lottery kids ages 3 - 5,total of 209 students). They each asked Ms. Colman to look into it at the August called meeting when she presented the surplus, unallocated funds info to the BOE. Bet they'll get it too.. (Don't forget Womack's quote in the Champion about how he got Lakeside its funding with "politics" and thanked his fellow board members). Neither have Henderson on their radar even though most of their constituents go there. SACS, are you watching???
Anon 9:30 1/26
Isn't the $30 million for a new Chamblee HS?
I bet Henderson will hit Womack's radar soon since his granddaughter will go there.
Apparently, that extra SPLOST III money has already been promised to certain communities. Just read about it in this email from a Google group forwarded to us by a blogger.
A few points I will add:
2) In terms of space at Coralwood, it might be tricky, but there might be away even for next year. And, as soon as the Coralwood addition is done ($12Million of SPLOST 3 leftover funds have been awarded to Coralwood for addition), the school might be able to house our sister ES' PreK classes as well, thus becoming a center.
Personally - I don't EVER recall the board approving $12 million for Coralwood.
Geeesh.
Anon 9:54:
Every year about this time, Bob Moseley presents the proposed schedule to the BOE for each high school for the following year. For the past 5 years, he has requested the BOE approve all schools for the block schedule except Lakeside, Chamblee (who choose the 7 period day), Arabia and maybe 1 or 2 others last year who decided to change back. Each year the BOE asks about the effectiveness and cost of block scheduling. The first year after schools went on block, he said there wasn't enough data to make a decision (because it was only mid year of the first year - that is reasonable enough - a full year is appropriate). He requested to allow it to continue for a second year, promising to collect data for the following year. Every year since then, he says the same thing in January/Feb...."It's too late to change now...we wouldn't be able to convert to a 7 period day by August...we need time to figure out what happens to those students and their credits so they aren't hurt, we need time to order books, the master schedules are already being built, etc, etc...every year, same excuses! This comes around every year this time...it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, data should be available to support whatever decision is presented and it should be done on a timeline that allows the system to make a change for the coming year but not in Dekalb! It doesn't take 6 years to figure this out. We are heading into the budget process this week - 1st public budget input meeting is next Thursday night folks! - and no one is talking about block vs. 7 period day yet..not from an academic achievement point of view, not from a finance point of view....any guess how this might turn out??
From the Coralwood Foundation pages (obviously there's been a plan for them to get this money)Something is rotten in Denmark:
"To-date we have created completed a detailed needs analysis for Coralwood School. Additionally, we have secured funding and built an outdoor nature trail used by teachers and students for outdoor learning, and we have completed designs for a “tree house” to be added to the trail. With the support of Dr. Crawford Lewis, the Superintendent of DeKalb County Schools, we have engaged R.L Brown architectural firm and now have draft architectural documents for the new facilities.
In 2009-2010, we will be focused on:
•Completing the outdoor trail
•Working with DeKalb county and the selected architectural firm to complete architectural drawings for the new building
•Working with the PR committee and the county superintendent to secure funds for the new building".
209 students and getting another $12 million when they have already received a renovation in SPLOST but the county keeps telling everyone there are $1.5 billion in needs throughout the county...and the BOE is going to place this as a top priority over basic educational adequacy for all students? HMS has 13 trailers, 1500 students, 1960s science labs and tvs(us alums know it looks just like it did when we graduated!), parents and students painted their own halls, and parking lots with major chuck holes that were supposed to be paved in SPLOST I are still waiting for asphalt...Don't think so!! Everyone should be outraged this is going forward.
Anon 10:01
Womack's granddaughter go to Henderson? Think private school.
Here's the point: After renovations, Lakeside will not be overcrowded. There is no need to "relieve" the school from overcrowding. There is no need to create additional split feeders to relieve perceived overcrowding when there are other options. Henderson needs to be expanded. Period. Regardless of what happens with redistricting. Regarding choosing a particular plan, the Lakeside plan is neutral. It only is assuming Livsey is closed and therefor the building is accessible. it is not advocating it. The parents actually would prefer the children to stay in trailers at Henderson than go to Livsey.
Anon 9:54 PM
I wonder if you are joking or just really uninformed:
"1) close the dozen or so schools in SC5 that need to be closed ppurely based on numbers of kids and schools now and going forward and offer some "carrots" for "optional" "voluntary" redistricting to a "new and improved Dunwoody Elementary -- that is set up in Kittredge fashion (this could work for other schools, such as Briar Vista that need to be "bubbled up" "
If we simply move students around, we won't accomplish much. We need far fewer schools -- and there is no way that 1000s families are going to opt for change for change's sake in N. DeKalb.
"(2) get the finances transparent and under control with massive cost cuts at the central office -- zero based budgetting, new and improved staffing at schools and design an academic program to be implemented that evens the acadmic offerings out so that all schools can be like Kittredge, Vanderlyn, Oak Grove and Fernbank -- and Lakeside for that matter. "
You are right about the finances, wrong about the academics.
What makes those schools work that you list has everything to do with population. Very little to do with anything else. Sorry -- the way it is. Switch Vanderlyn students to and school in the McNair cluster -- all you change -- watch the McNair area's scores sore, the Vanderlyn's scores drop like a rock.
"let each Super Cluster come up with a proposal to have each elementary school at x number of kids; each middle at x number of kids and each high school at x number of kids by some date certain and respect the plan (Make sure the committee is truly representation of the cluster and not just vocal members of the cluster); "
Super clusters were a bad idea thought up by the consultants.
DeKalb is one school system for better or worse. All voices will never he heard, that is why it is up to the staff to do the right thing for all children, not just a few.
"I do not live in the area, but I would hardly call Druid Hills a failing school, or an undesirable cluster. "
Druid Hills has 34 kids who have advanced to state level competetion for the Governor's Honors Program this year? Do any of the other high schools even come close?
The IB program at Druid Hills is the most rigorous course of study offered by DeKalb County SS.
I a plan is being presented on behalf of a super cluster, it is important to have all parties in the super cluster engaged in the process, not just Lakeside (and its elementary schools) plus Fernbank ES.
To: January 27, 2011 7:20 AM -- "Evening Academic offerings" also includes things like all kids having access to art, music, foreign language, pe, AP classes and gifted and IEP instruction (if eligible). It includes having teachers trained to do what they are doing and principals with experience. Of course, genetics and parent involvement make a difference but if you watch Hobart Shakespereans you will see that the offerings and the teachers can make a difference too and right now each school has vastly different offerings and that needs to be leveled out before the county shifts kids from one school that "offers" to one that doesn't. This is one of the big items that makes parents (particularly those of gifted kids) who apply for the Kittridge lottery and don't get in, resentful of the Kittridge program which offers so much that isn't offered at the home school with Kittridge's extra points based on low qualifying score. Each child is entitled to certain "basics" -- this is how Fulton does it and it is how DeKalb must do it.
For those who have long said, "that blog doesn't know what they're talking about" (many board members have said this) - I now say, "I told you." I don't enjoy saying "I told you", but I did.
We at this blog have spent the last nearly two years highlighting the enormous inequity across this system - the favoritism - the corruption - the lack of standards - but many of you wouldn't fight to even it out because you were comfortable in your own situation. .
Well, now what? This is a PUBLIC school system. One, big, giant public system - not small enclaves to be controlled by parent groups. We need professional leadership from the top and quality staff in our schools - everywhere.
Just think how much less stressful redistricting would be if we had spent the last two years working to even out the system as we bloggers tried to demand. Oh Well.
It's unlikely the Lakeside group has contacted Livsey, Medlock, Clarkston, etc who will be impacted by their plan to get buy-in. Can't imagine Livsey being ok with Lakeside creating an "option 3" that assumes Livsey is closing when Livsey is fighting to stay open (although many Livsey 6th graders move to Henderson by special permission instead of going to Tucker.) Livsey would choose to stay open and then align with HMS and LHS even though Tucker High is walking distance.
Druid Hills High School and Middle Schools are not part of this alternative plan, either.
Anon 10:13
What do DHHS and DHMS think of the Lakeside alternative plan?
But what does the plan do to Druid Hills? I know part of it calls for the McLendon kids inside 285 to stay at Druid Hills MS and HS so keeping current students there. That's about all I know though. It may call for leaving those districted to Clarkston in Druid Hills as well. There is no point in sending those kids to Clarkston when they will all immediately ask for transfers somewhere else anyway.
"What do DHHS and DHMS think of the Lakeside alternative plan?"
I don't think any of PTA leadership at these schools have even seen the plan. My impression is only Fernbank ES folks have been involved, and they do not represent the middle and high schools as most of these Fernbank ES leaders have no intention of sending their kids to DHMS or DHHS.
I think another aspect was to keep Avondale from being a three-way split feeder and having all kids feed into Druid Hills MS/HS instead. The recommendation from the consultants is three-way split feeder when one of the goals is to eliminate split feeders at all? Really?
Face it people. The small schools (Livsey) in north DeKalb will have to be led to sacrifice at the feet of the Sarah Copelin-Wood God.
Like it or not. Cost effective or not. If she doesn't get fed at least one small north DeKalb school ain't no small schools closing nowhere.
So for the good of the whole county -- Livsey may have to go to the alter.
I don't like it any more than the rest of you. But, the criteria does not (at this time) seem to factor in successful versus unsuccessful schools.
The problem with the "SCORe" plan is that it purports to represent all of Supercluster 2 when it really just represents part of the Lakeside district...
And none of the PTA leadership at DHSS, DHMS, or elem feeders (other than Fernbank ES) has any input into SCORE. Apparently Fernbank had input but they didn't include any of their peers at the other schools. Fernbank ES DOES NOT represent the interests of the DHHS feeder.
To clarify, the SCORe plan addresses Lakeside feeders only. Any other suggestions to schools outside of the Lakeside feeder pattern are noted as recommendations to attempt to fix the problems these consultants have caused. I am not aware that anyone said this was a Cluster 2 plan. It was clear to me that it dealt with only the schools the people developing the plan had time to contact and address. From what I heard at the meeting this week, they are concerned parents who have spent lots of time trying to correct something "professionals" were paid a half million to mess up.
If the plan does not represent the entire cluster then why is is named as such (SCORe)?
Anon. 11:25. Which part of SCORe makes you think it applies to all of Super Cluster 2? Can't tell that from the name.
The cost analysis is out! According to AJC at Get Schooled Blog, Centralized Plan Option 1 saves 150 million dollars the next 10 years. But get this, DECENTRALIZED OPTION 2 SAVES 160 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
A million dollars more in savings to keep the magnets in place. Interesting they come out with this AFTER the Public Workshops on the plan.
"And none of the PTA leadership at DHSS, DHMS, or elem feeders (other than Fernbank ES) has any input into SCORE. Apparently Fernbank had input but they didn't include any of their peers at the other schools. Fernbank ES DOES NOT represent the interests of the DHHS feeder."
That's how Amy P. rolls. Fernbank first, its feeders a distant second.
Anon 9:47 & 9:07, Fernbank had no input into the Lakeside proposal and choosing who did or did not have input was not Fernbank's call. Get over it.
So why isn't the plan just called "Lakeside Feeder Plan"? Why imply that includes input from the entire cluster?
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