tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post7228496236350706725..comments2024-01-08T03:21:35.616-05:00Comments on DeKalb County School Watch: Fun with numbersCerebrationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-39216275174803919032011-01-14T00:13:21.883-05:002011-01-14T00:13:21.883-05:00This fun with numbers would be way more fun if the...This fun with numbers would be way more fun if the numbers weren't fiction. I know they are at least for one school, because of data I got from that very office in the fall. <br />The data in the Res/NonRes table are wrong, the North map is wrong about how many children belong in Elementary school, at least for the one school I know about, and who knows how many more. Even the attendance district is wrong because the office of planning went by a 'narrative' rather than the DCSS database on transportation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-10529233988595221622011-01-12T18:22:09.187-05:002011-01-12T18:22:09.187-05:00that may be the biggest reason of all that we so n...that may be the biggest reason of all that we so need for the Governor and SACS to take the system over and let us start over again. Vouchers would help too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-34178466294442932952011-01-12T11:17:22.864-05:002011-01-12T11:17:22.864-05:00Ms. Tyson will consolidate and redistrict the scho...Ms. Tyson will consolidate and redistrict the schools. Parents will not win that fight.<br /><br />She will not cut Central Office positions or reduce admin and support numbers nor will she eliminate their perks (such as the practice of admin and support personnel - even ones who live outside DeKalb - being able to pick the schools they send their children to).<br /><br />She is short time in this position, and whether she stays in DeKalb or moves on, these admin and support upper level managers are her friends and supporters. How exactly do posters think she got her job - from her vast experience in education (2 years as a teacher in the 80s) or business acumen (4 years as an Educational Consultant at IBM in the 90s) or her Technology expertise when she ran the overstaffed and non-performing MIS Department? <br /><br />Remember Ms. Tyson convinced the BOE to buy eSis and SchoolNet in 2007 for $11,000,000 and promised returns that were never met. Taxpayers STILL owe for systems that do not deliver what she promised yet she received her promotion from Dr. Lewis for finding these systems and convincing the BOE to buy them - it's a strange world.<br /><br />The Educational world is small at the top, and connections are everything. The Georgia DOE is filled with very high ranking administrators who once worked for DeKalb. They in turn have connections with present DeKalb employees and DeKalb personnel wo have moved into the very lucrative Testing and Educational Programs industry. For example, America's Choice has ex-DeKalb employees as well.<br /><br />Career opportunities would argue against Ms. Tyson making moves in DCSS that will adversely affect the present administration and support personnel left over from Crawford Lewis. <br /><br />Posters don't seem to understand that the moves Ms. Tyson needs to make are truly career ending. Can we blame her if she sidesteps those moves?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-37878014133159409362011-01-12T11:08:07.408-05:002011-01-12T11:08:07.408-05:00Ok... I have heard enough.. I want to give you a...Ok... I have heard enough.. I want to give you an example.. Food for thought was we would say.<br /><br />Yes, I teach in DCSS. Before I had children, I would be at school by 7:15 to help my student who could come before school and stay late for the ones that could not come early.<br /><br />Now that I do have a family, I can not do those things anymore. I live less than 1.5 miles from my home elementary school. I drop my kids off at their elementary school every morning by the time I get to my school the bell is about to ring for classes to start. No more early morning tutoring for my students.<br /><br />At the end of the day, I have to rush out to pick my kids up from their after school program that ends at 5. No after school tutoring for my students. Before anybody out there jumps up and states where is the other parent. They work out of town Monday - Friday. They do pick up on Friday afternoon. What student wants to stay late on Friday afternoon for extra help. NONE. I have a tried.<br /><br />I work in North DeKalb, I live in North DeKalb, my kids go to school in North DeKalb. <br /><br />In my cluster the schools work real hard to make sure that things do not overlap. It does happen but we do the best that we can. <br /><br />I can not tell you how many Science Fair Nights, Pizza Night, Movie Nights, I have missed because my school has something planned for the same night. That is not fair to my children.<br /><br />I am just saying, if my kids were in my cluster, I could drop them off and be at my school in 5 - 10 minutes tops. Still early enough to tutor. Also, in the afternoon they could go to an after school program where I did not have to be there until 6. <br /><br />For me it would be a win, win. My students would win and my family would win. <br /><br />But, what is depressing is so many adminstrators in the Palace who send their kids to my school. Adminstators who do not even step foot in a classroom to help students daily.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-88704006888068552902011-01-12T10:47:08.707-05:002011-01-12T10:47:08.707-05:00Should administrators who live out of the county g...Should administrators who live out of the county get to send their child to Lakeside or any other school on an Administrative transfer? That's happening now and the DCSS administration approved it. Apparently, that's what Ms. Tyson wants to continue - administrative and support personnel "picking" the schools in DCSS for their children. <br /><br />Ms. Tyson only wants to end the practice of teachers bringing their children with them to the school they teach at - a practice used at every other metro system to keep teaching competitive and attractive. <br /><br />DCSS has got to be the most anti-teacher and anti-classroom and anti-student system in the entire metro system. This is why we are the lowest achieving system - more of our schools failed to make AYP this past year than any other metro system - we are behind APS, Clayton, and all the other systems.<br /><br />I'm retired, live in the Lakeside area, and have no children in the school system, but I know property values cannot hold with practices such as this. I have enough sense to know that property values are tied to the school system.<br /><br />Ms. Tyson's actions are not attracting and retaining the best teachers for DeKalb. She is not redirecting money into the classroom.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-42196099712943390442011-01-12T09:14:21.554-05:002011-01-12T09:14:21.554-05:00And more on the plans for saving $
Comprehensive R...And more on the plans for saving $<br /><a href="http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/budget/comprehensive-restructuring-plan" rel="nofollow">Comprehensive Restructuring Plan</a><br /><br /><i>On November 3, 2008, the Board of Education approved the Comprehensive Restructuring Plan (CRP) recommended by the Superintendent. The CRP includes two phases or levels and a total of sixteen elements that yield, at minimum, $25.7 million in savings. In Phase I of the plan (2008-09 academic year), the elements include a reduction of 217 central office positions through hiring freeze vacancies; elimination of part-time and non-essential positions; staff restructuring; reallocation of positions from general to federal funds and employees taking advantage of the Early Retirement Incentive Option.<br /><br />Additionally, DeKalb County Schools will implement a modified Transportation Efficiency Plan: cut central office equipment, travel, and supplies budget; cut by 2% central office employees making $100,000 and above; rescind the $2.00 per student supplement to principals; and eliminate three programs.<br /><br />In addition to the cost savings generated by the Comprehensive Restructuring Plan (CRP), the Board of Education voted on November 3, 2008 to rescind the step increase, which impacts 65% of the total staff for a cost savings of $7.5 million.<br /><br />In planning for the 2009–2010 fiscal year, phase two of the Comprehensive Restructuring Plan (CRP) includes a one-day furlough on May 25, 2010 (during post planning) for all employees. This one-day furlough accounts for 0.5% of each employee's salary. Also included in the plan is outsourcing grounds keeping staff and a reduction in professional travel by 25%.<br /><br />Though not listed as a cost savings, effective fiscal year 2009 and moving forward, employee attrition will be closely monitored and analyzed as a cost savings measure. Only those positions that are considered as an essential function for the effective operation of the school system will be replaced. Cost savings from attrition will be calculated on a quarterly basis.</i>Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-32990152694650499112011-01-12T09:06:24.574-05:002011-01-12T09:06:24.574-05:00As far as a vision goes - Here is the link to the ...As far as a vision goes - Here is the link to the <br /><a href="http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/strategic-plan" rel="nofollow">Strategic Plan</a><br /><br /><i>Through the direction of the Superintendent [ http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/superintendent ], the strategic plan is reviewed every two years with a complete revision every five to ten years.<br /><br />To assure that the plan is congruent with current and future needs, the 2010 Strategic Planning Update Team composed of parents, teachers, administrators, auxiliary staff, business, and civic leaders, worked diligently to develop the updated strategic plan through a data-driven functional assessment process. The Hudson Strategic Group, Inc. served as external facilitators for the 2010 strategic plan update.<br /><br />For more information please contact Dr. Sonja Alexander [ sonja_l_alexander@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us ], strategic planning chair, who serves as DeKalb County Schools' internal facilitator.<br /><br />Mission Statement<br />The mission of the DeKalb County School System is to form a collaborative effort between home and school that maximizes students' social and academic potential preparing them to compete in a global society.<br /><br />Vision Statement<br />"Setting the Standard for Educational Excellence"<br /><br />Strategic Objectives<br />(measuring our success in accomplishing our mission)<br /><br />improve student achievement<br />ensure quality personnel<br />enhance financial stability<br />provide a risk-free learning environment<br />increase effectiveness of educational initiatives<br />Value Propositions<br />(defining what our work produces that is of value to the community with specific Board of Education–identified priorities)<br /><br />competent graduates, prepared for the workforce, college, citizenship<br />a highly motivated staff (teachers and non-teachers)<br />operational excellence<br />consistent, accurate communication<br />exceptional customer service<br />Strategic Planning Teams—Blueprint for Success<br />(organizing the work through a "change management process")<br /><br />leadership<br />data analysis<br />access and equity<br />unity<br />accountability<br />customer service<br />training<br />Strategic Initiatives<br />(major themes for improvement that impact the functionality of our schools and departments)<br /><br />establish two-way communication protocol<br />establish systemic training for all employees<br />establish organized abandonment/adoption criteria<br />implement work-flow analysis to enable cross-functional collaboration</i><br /><br />Successful?Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-17447588038490321032011-01-12T09:02:31.982-05:002011-01-12T09:02:31.982-05:00This entire exercise is showing us that the county...This entire exercise is showing us that the county is just too darn big and not uniform. The "no more school districts" law was implemented back in the early 80s when we had around 70,000 students. <br /><br />Since then - we've added nearly 30,000 students and if you can believe it, the following high schools have ceased to exist as high schools -<br /><br />Briarcliff<br />Henderson<br />Walker<br />Gordon<br />Peachtree<br />Sequoyah<br />ShamrockCerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-46059161910821336802011-01-12T01:19:58.847-05:002011-01-12T01:19:58.847-05:00Kim,you bring up exactly what I and probably sever...Kim,you bring up exactly what I and probably several other parents currently at Dekalb schools not CURRENTLY on the list are wondering. You are so right, I know I would feel so much better if I knew the vision (if one existed) Just because we are not named on a list this time, like you, I believe this redistricting is a multi-phased beast. So while they are for example not talking about closing Miller Grove High School, will they add on or finally open Arabia? Will Clarkston be redistricted to overcrowding and therefore affect other schools in the area (ie. an unexpected significant growth of ESOL students?) I just think it would be good to somehow try to help school communities in every area of the county to understand the dynamics and therefore hopefully not just think this only affects extreme north and south Dekalb, then look up suddenly in a year or two shocked by the impact or keep spending too many of our limited resources in fading areas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-28496466769311973062011-01-10T15:05:28.268-05:002011-01-10T15:05:28.268-05:00Oh - Kim - a "Vision"! I don't even...Oh - Kim - a "Vision"! I don't even see one described in the Vision 2020 Plan!<br /><br />FWIW - the new post on the Dunwoody petition is up.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-78346915620569432752011-01-10T15:00:09.038-05:002011-01-10T15:00:09.038-05:00No one has talked about this but isn't it most...No one has talked about this but isn't it most likely that the MGT recommendations only make sense as phase I of a multi-phased plan? Perhaps their recommendations would make more sense to more people if they could see the end state DCSS has in mind.<br /><br />This has been my complaint from day one about Cross Keys ... I don't care about the intermediate steps - tell me what the desired state is and how you are going there. Seems it will be August or later before that curtain is pulled back.<br /><br />I would hazard a guess that at least, in part, these current recommendations have behind them plans for additional closures. Moving students around now may be simply step one but that's just my speculation.Kim Gokcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11599713243186694545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-82867897403585277552011-01-10T14:45:25.577-05:002011-01-10T14:45:25.577-05:00Cere, can the petition have its own post so we ca...Cere, can the petition have its own post so we can discuss?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-16217475451728800882011-01-10T13:58:20.899-05:002011-01-10T13:58:20.899-05:00This is all starting to get even more messy than I...This is all starting to get even more messy than I had envisioned. Sadly, if we had an administration we could trust, with a proven track record of fiscal responsibility, we would not have such push back. They are reaping what they have sown, IMO.<br /><br />No trust. Too much bloat and favoritism at the top. Too much waste and abuse. There is no way people like this can sell a plan to people like the Lakeside, Druid Hills or Dunwoody crowds—especially while leaving Arabia off the table. They won't buy it - and they are all now fighting it very hard. <br /><br />Check out Dunwoody's new petition -<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41902.html" rel="nofollow">Petition For Dunwoody Community Schools</a><br /><br />Ramona - you have a lot of 'splainin' to do before these communities will follow any plan you put before them. Why have there been no changes or cutbacks to the bloated administration? Why are there people earning six figure salaries who also run businesses on the side - impossible if they were really devoted to DCSS. <br /><br />Check out the updates on our post on this subject. How on earth can you expect hard-working parents to go along with painful plans put forth from leadership like we have now? <br /><br /><a href="http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/01/ron-ramsey.html?showComment=1294682838747" rel="nofollow">Ron Ramsey (with updates)</a><br /><br />Ms Tyson and the BOE - you need to back up - cut out all special and administrative transfers (why did you remove this policy update from the last agenda?) assess spending - order another salary audit - cut the bloat from the top down before you dare ask communities to make sacrifices. <br /><br />Sorry - even if your plans make perfect sense, as you can tell from the response, you have lost all credibility to sell it to the communities you serve.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-57064323919220263452011-01-10T00:42:21.866-05:002011-01-10T00:42:21.866-05:00I'm just curious, how will schools such as Red...I'm just curious, how will schools such as Redan HS, Miller Grove MS & HS,& Columbia HS be affected by the redistricting if at all? Will these changes affect the SID programs which are subject to school numbers?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-87223985828236785652011-01-09T16:36:28.539-05:002011-01-09T16:36:28.539-05:00The ugly reality is that the Ferbank and HMS/LHS c...The ugly reality is that the Ferbank and HMS/LHS communities who are being redistricted due to "overcrowding" are not going to "quietly" accept DCSS's decision until they are convinced that the overcrowding situation is actually legitimate. The folks who attend these schools (Oak Grove too) all know with absolute certainty that the overcrowding is a result of transfers being allowed in without any regard for true capacity. The transfers are allowed for No Child Left Behind, even though the law limits transfers based on capacity. The county allows special permission transfers. The county fails to check to see if a child is really homeless or is just claiming to be homeless. The County lets staff at various levels of adminstration (bus drivers, central office, sam moss, etc) choose any school for their children; the county lets faculty in non-AYP making schools transfer their kids under NCLB to a receiving school even if they live out of county and out of that particiluar feeder pattern; and many of the parents at these schools are aware of cheaters,including "noisy" cheaters -- many of whom are alumni who feel entitled to go to the school -- particularly LHS because they went there and have an attachment to the school but don't live in the district. I've left off the politician's children... the list is probably even bigger. There is no checking of residency. A coach has been recruiting at Tucker and Dunwoody and somehow succeeding and obtaining his transfers. Unless and until the populations at the underlying schools are "stabilized" to see what the "home" population is supposed to look like -- the county has no business addressing overcrowding by tinkering with the current feeder patterns and attendance lines -- address undercrowding to bring the schools up to 450 -- yes -- but not overcrowding. You have got to understand what the school is supposed to really look like before you go tinkering with current lines.... this is where the frustration is at HMS/LHS I think -- much more so than any sense that DHHS is an inferior school to LHS (which I'm sure it isn't).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-56335551486943348952011-01-09T16:03:55.416-05:002011-01-09T16:03:55.416-05:00As a member of the Lakeside community the new redi...As a member of the Lakeside community the new redistricting plan sucks to say the least.<br /><br />I do understand that redistricting must be done. However, the first thing they said they looked at according to the ones who designed the plan is how close you are to the school and another thing they said they looked at is keeping the community together.<br /><br />The problem is that Lakeside High School is a community. The old lines before Lakeside consolated with Henderson years ago was a strong community for years and this community has continued its strength by including the Henderson community into the Lakeside community. However, the old Lakeside roots run deep and these are some of the individuals who are being excluding in the redistricting and moved to Druid Hills. <br /><br />This has nothing to do with if Druid Hills is a good school. It has to do with being part of a tradition that in many cases (like at my house) that has been taught to our children about the pride and traditional excellence about Lakeside High School. <br /><br />Like at Fernbank, people buy houses and pay more than they are worth in the Lakeside School district. Now the school district comes along and says you are going to another school. <br /><br />People are worried about their house values. Are they going to remain the same? People are worried about their children not having that traditional pride and excellent high school experience they had and know their children will get at Lakeside.<br /><br />However, things have changed lately at Lakeside. There is a big problem with stealing at Lakeside in the last year right in classes. The student population is not the same as before. There are those who are also angry they they are paying through the noise for taxes to live where they live and bought their house to go to Lakeside and know they are being told they cannot go to their closest neighborhood high school because it is overcrowded. It is not overcrowded by neighborhood kids and this does bother many as they pay a great deal of money to live in the area they are now being told they will have to bus their children to high school 6 to 7 miles away verses being able to walk or ride a bike. I see the Lakeside communities concerns. But they actually are the same as Fernbanks concerns.<br /><br />The difference is that in the future this change will make a big difference in the population of students at Druid Hills. However, this also may just cause more parents to choice pivate schools or charter schools verse community schools.<br /><br />I live close to Lakeside and I believe I might even be redistricted to North Druid Hills. It is real hard to read those maps online. I am wondering if this is deliberate on someones part.Ella Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16485840445272819682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-49508073252459921162011-01-09T14:35:07.960-05:002011-01-09T14:35:07.960-05:00The term "minority" refers to "not ...The term "minority" refers to "not White".<br /><br />If a single white student were in a high school, he/she would not be termed a "minority".<br /><br />If you peel the layer, you will find that "minority" used to refer to just African-Americans whose ancestors were pre-Civil War slaves. Now because of our 20th century demographic realities ( Hispanics, Asians, and new Africans), the term refers to all non-Whites.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-29936219295955775822011-01-09T14:03:30.197-05:002011-01-09T14:03:30.197-05:00I've been going over stat after stat and I hav...I've been going over stat after stat and I have a question. At Chamblee, in 2009, the "minorities" were 77.1% of the student population. In DCSS, the white population is only 10.7% of the student population.<br /><br />My question, when does the minority become the majority and the majority become the minority?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-81021249743905408362011-01-08T19:03:39.122-05:002011-01-08T19:03:39.122-05:00CK Tech also serves Lakeside HS - left that one of...CK Tech also serves Lakeside HS - left that one off ...Kim Gokcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01855554437157990110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-91770512301073446362011-01-08T19:01:02.487-05:002011-01-08T19:01:02.487-05:00"Career Tech kids"
CK Career Tech (form..."Career Tech kids"<br /><br />CK Career Tech (formerly DeKalb Tech North) serve Dunwoody HS, Chamblee HS, Tucker HS, Cross Keys HS, Druid Hills HS, Clarkston HS, Stone Mountain HS, and perhaps Redan HS (not sure on that one). All the students that come to CK for a tech course are enrolled in their home schools for the purposes of capacity. The CK enrollment does not double count these students.<br /><br />Cere: "... without Kim ..."<br /><br />Thanks for the generous words but I'm just the figurehead - there's a large and growing army of supporters making things happen at CK. And, there are the kids - so amazing! Yesterday, I spoke to Vy Tran, Class of 2011, about her <b>full ride scholarship to Stanford University</b>. When I suggested she should sit with a reporter I know to be profiled she said she thought it more important to talk about CK than herself ...<br /><br />On the subject of lines being drawn around and isolating groups, yes it is the habit of just about every public school district but I try not to focus on it - too frustrating. The Cross Keys Foundation was formed to serve every kid that comes through our seven schools where ever the lines are drawn.<br /><br />On the subject of under-representation of "latinos" in DCSS, to me this is a non-issue at the high school. The faculty and staff are very well equipped to teach the children and the children do not need to be taught in any language other than English at these grade levels. This is part of their story - they overcome the language limitations with flying colors.<br /><br />In the K-5 grades, however, this is perhaps a bigger issue. Even with that said, Vy Tran mentioned above came here in the 4th grade from Vietnam with no English and is now the odds-on favorite for Valedictorian.<br /><br />On the general angst re-districting has and will cause, we should learn from Heraclitus:<br /><br />"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."<br /><br />Once upon a time there were high schools at Sequoyah, Henderson, Shamrock, etc. in DeKalb. Not a single school I attended in Fulton Co. is open today. All things change and that is all we can count upon.Kim Gokcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01855554437157990110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-90573930135423113032011-01-08T18:42:15.663-05:002011-01-08T18:42:15.663-05:00More comments here:
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-scho...More comments here:<br /><br />http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/01/07/central-dekalb-parents-prepare-for-war-is-battle-worth-it/<br /><br />Mo Downey was nice not to call Fernbank parents insane as they are.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-21866604738624945542011-01-08T18:39:46.135-05:002011-01-08T18:39:46.135-05:00to Anon 4:15 and others with similar thoughts: if...to Anon 4:15 and others with similar thoughts: if you have hard evidence of how things in DCSS is or has been run a set forth in the your post, please go ahead and contact Sally Yates and/or the public fraud division of the FBI and launch a complaint. Believe it or not, this approach with the DeKalb DA did really make a difference a year ago -- let's try it again with the feds.... Thanks. Please make sure you have hard, real evidence and hard, real complaints but each person has a small piece of a large puzzle that an investigator would need to piece it all together and each person needs to bring their small piece of the puzzle to the surface to make a difference.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-16682852528127594522011-01-08T18:32:46.242-05:002011-01-08T18:32:46.242-05:00I agree with the last post -- I just think that th...I agree with the last post -- I just think that they really should not split the underlying elementary feeder school -- go ahead and adjust the homes feeding into the elementary -- choose a middle school and let the elmeentary feed into one middle school. Then let that elementary population stay together for high school. On the other hand, I don't have a problem splitting the middle school -- I think it would be okay to go back to split feeders into DHHS, Tucker and LHS so that each elementary feeds into the closest middle school and again re-feeds into the closest high school to save on busing and fuel and to facilitate walkers and new drivers. I think it is important not to split the underlying elemetary feeding in at the middle and high school level because it is critical that the parents really know each other for many reasons-- not the least of which is the "eyes in the back of your head" syndrome whereby my kids never knew how I knew so much. It is so important that the parents have the network to get information on what's going on with the kids -- both pro and con. From the "what grade did your kid get on the assignment or test" to the "when is the project due" to the party scene. We have kids doing things that they shouldn't be doing -- alcohol and drugs and the parents need to know one another so the kids can be watched. If you split the elementaries, then it is much more likely that the parents won't be able to have those eyes watching out back. (In case you're unaware, 2 years ago, a sophomore at LHS overdosed on heroine and was Dead on Arrival at the hospital-- last year about 4 freshman were sent to ER from drinking too much -- it's a problem -- we need to really know one another and confront the issues to begin to do something about it -- the private schools actually confront these issues head on). This is one of my really big issues with the transfers coming in from all over -- it's not the problems that they may be bringing it's that in order to really watch what is going on and to patrol, you really need to know one another and to know the kids and that's really hard to do with very high turn over and long travel distances. That, to me, is one of the most important aspects of the neighborhood school (the problems I've mentioned were all with neighborhood kids).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-47818949084159959912011-01-08T18:12:14.696-05:002011-01-08T18:12:14.696-05:00I'm a resident of DeKalb County for 57 years. ...I'm a resident of DeKalb County for 57 years. As a baby boomer and being a student in DCSS in the 50'd & 60's, they changed our schools in elementary and again in high school. My children went to DCSS schools in the 80's & 90's, and their schools were changed twice. I have also taught in the school system for 30+ years, being transferred, having my school moved, and dealing with students who's school assignments were changed. The end result......we all have done fine. No major issues. For that matter, children always adjust wonderfully, unless their parents have tainted their attitudes with negativism. It's time for DCSS to look at serious changes with long term vision. Work at being a part of the solution, and not part of the problem, and try to be positive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-39933011339964576102011-01-08T17:43:33.253-05:002011-01-08T17:43:33.253-05:00It is not illegal to specifically address the Hisp...It is not illegal to specifically address the Hispanic population for recruting purposes, i.e. job fairs, outreach to colleges with significan Hispanic students, etc.<br /><br />However it is illegal to either have a quota for hiring or to consider ethniciy when hiring. Hiring must be on merit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com