Monday, January 10, 2011

The latest community push-back: Check out Dunwoody's petition

As the Fernbank, Druid Hills and Lakeside crowds were organizing their own community ad hocs designed to fight the redistricting plans for DCSS, Dunwoody remained relatively quiet.  Now, they have come to the table with a petition of their own (a petition I would say that even Dunwoody residents probably do not agree upon completely).  All of this powerful resistance to redistricting plans tells us one thing: Communities have absolutely no faith or trust in our school system leadership and will not blindly follow any recommendation they attempt to put forth.

The school system has held some very sacred cards close to their chest in this game. One, Arabia is completely off the table. Not even discussed. Not even offered up to relieve over-crowding in that area—even though that is the stated reason the school was originally built. (Read our report on it here.) Two, the school communities currently resisting redistricting are convinced that their schools are over-crowded largely due to the enormous numbers of transfers—legal ones like AYP and special ones like Administrative Letters. It is patently unfair to deem a school "over-crowded" when the crowding may be due to outsiders, and then make neighborhood children attend school elsewhere. Ramona Tyson quietly removed the board policy that was up for change on this subject at the last meeting—Why? Three, there are too many issues tangled up in this plan to make it workable. For instance, the magnet programs need to be addressed and attended to as a subject all their own—not simply part of this plan. And really, what good does it do to redistrict students into failing schools? It won't stick, as these students will now qualify for AYP transfers. And last, there was an audit conducted in 2004 by Ernst & Young that showed DCSS was spending an estimated $15 million annually on inflated salaries in administration. That report was mysteriously buried and no new report was ever ordered. Interestingly, from our estimates, this entire painful redistricting plan will not save the system as much as implementing the salary audit recommendations. What a tangled mess!

AT any rate, check out the petition by clicking here.

Target: DeKalb County, Georgia School Board & Superintendent
Web site: http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/redistricting
Background (Preamble):
This is a petition to inform the DeKalb County School System where Dunwoody stands on the Redistricting and Consolidation Plan, that will take effect August 2011. DeKalb County has made two preliminary redistricting proposals that affect Dunwoody schools.

The Superintendent is accepting public input and will make her final recommendation on redistricting to the School Board on January 31, 2011. Please sign the petition to show your support.
Petition:

PETITION FOR DUNWOODY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

1. We do not support the County’s Decentralized Plan as is.

2. The County Decentralized Plan has the following problems:

•Dunwoody Elementary School (DES) cannot accommodate 1,132 students. The cafeteria and gym are comparable in size to Vanderlyn’s. Children will be moved from modular classrooms at Vanderlyn to trailers at DES.

•There is no access to Austin or Vanderlyn for students who live in rental complexes.

•The percentage of renters at DES would be over 60% compared with 0% at Vanderlyn and 0% at Austin.

3. We believe the 4/5 school is an excellent educational model, and one of several plausible solutions. We believe the 4th and 5th graders from Kingsley should attend DES.

4. We believe that limiting access to Vanderlyn and Austin to only homeowners is not acceptable.

5. We believe Dunwoody homeowners should be able to send their children to Dunwoody schools.

6. Modular classrooms are a better learning environment than trailers.

7. The location of the magnet program should not influence fair drawing of school lines in Dunwoody.

8. We believe it is irresponsible to decide to keep magnets where they are before knowing whether it is more cost effective for the County to centralize them.

230 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 230 of 230
Anonymous said...

12:24,
We don't need new standards. We have perfectly good ones provided by the state. It's just another example of the ridiculous job-creating bloat. Why pay someone to do a job that doesn't need doing? (rhetorical question) Yet (per the dept of instruction or whatever Beasley's folks are called) we spent days coming up with new standards by which to guide our instruction! WHY??

And to be honest, what the heck does a reworded "Standard" do for a teacher? I know what my kids need to know. I don't need to attach a label to it and then--as many teachers are expected to do--tell students at the beginning of class which standards we are covering that day.

An aside (just be ready for this answer) The state considers time spent testing "instructional time."

Anonymous said...

Anon. 12:07. In regards to your student teacher making sure her peers know NOT to apply or interview with DCSS, this is exactly what this current corrupt leadership wants!

As long as the smart, new teachers are not applying for DCSS jobs, there are more positions available for their, friends, family, church members, frat brothers and sorority sisters.

I do not trust this or any plan as long as Berry, Beasley, Moseley, Thompson, Mitchell-Mayfield, Turk, Ramsey, Tucker, Turner, Guilroys, Edwards and the rest are shown the door. The 2004 audit should be made public and a new audit called for. Ms. Tyson we continue to wait for you to sweep out the old palace guard and disinfect the palace before the new super comes to town.

Anonymous said...

Previous post, I didn't proof read it well enough. I do not trust this or any plan as long as the list, of six figure palace employees, mentioned above remain employed by DCSS.

Anonymous said...

@ 9:37 PM 1/11
What is the latest on th search for the new super? Atlanta and Fulton also seeking new supers puts DCSS at a disadvantage. Looking much better for Mr Beasely to take over. Now the BOE has a more valid reason to give him the job, as was always planned.

Anonymous said...

Your'e right. It's rigged. I know a lot people who have applied for jobs at PATS and never even got a response.

Anonymous said...

If ever a department needed to be outsourced, it's the Security Department. Ms. Tyson proposed outsourcing this department (it's in her budget proposal last spring, 2010, but has anyone heard a word about this?

Look at this latest posting on PATS (and remember the extra benefits will cost $5,000 to $6,000 a year.

Campus Supervisor:
"...A Campus Supervisor is a part of the school security team who guards school property against fire, theft, vandalism, and illegal entry, assists administrators and the School Resource Officer (SRO). "

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: High school diploma or GED equivalent required.


KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:
Knowledge of rules and regulations pertaining to the protection of building and grounds belonging to the DeKalb County School System (DCSS);...

$35,303.10 to $48,032.90

DCSS employs 217 Security Officers at a cost of $12,500 in salary and benefits.

APS employs 219 Security Officers at a cost of $3,000,000+ in salary and benefits.

Anonymous said...

DCSS Schools Security Personnel Salaries by:
A. Salary Category
B. Number of Personnel
C. Percentage of Personnel in Salary Category

$90,000 to $100,000 1 0.5%
$80,000 to $90,000 3 1%
$70,000 to $80,000 9 4%
$60,000 to $70,000 22 10%
$50,000 to $60,000 50 23%
$40,000 to $50,000 27 12%
$30,000 to $40,000 87 40%
$20,000 to $30,000 8 4%
$10,000 to $20,000 3 1%
$5,000 to $10,000 3 1%
$500 to $5,000 4 2%


APS Schools Security Personnel Salaries by:
A. Salary Category
B. Number of Personnel
C. Percentage of Personnel in Salary Category
$100.000 to $113,000 2 1%
$90,000 to $100,000 0 0%
$80,000 to $90,000 1 1%
$70,000 to $80,000 0 0%
$60,000 to $70,000 1 1%
$50,000 to $60,000 5 2%
$40,000 to $50,000 5 2%
$30,000 to $40,000 10 5%
$20,000 to $30,000 39 18%
$10,000 to $20,000 59 27%
$5,000 to $10,000 47 21%
$500 to $5,000 52 24%

Anonymous said...

Eugene Walker will not be in favor of outsourcing the Security Department. His son is a Security Resource Offer making as much as a DCSS teacher with 15 years of experience.

From the AJC:
Eugene Walker:
Relatives working for system: Son is a resource officer; daughter-in-law is a secretary; granddaughter is a secretary; several relatives are also longtime employees of the school district.

sources:
AJC:
http://www.ajc.com/news/school-board-report-card-669675.html

state Salary and Travel audit:
http://www.open.georgia.gov/

DCSS teacher salary schedule:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/administration/humanresources/salaryschedules.html

Anonymous said...

I just looked on PATS to see the Security position and I saw something very odd. Does DCSS have a middle school named Druid Hills Middle School? It's certainly not listed on the DCSS website. Has anyone ever heard of this school?
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/schools/middle/


See PATS posting:
Druid Hills Middle School is seeking a highly motivated individual to teach Health and Physical Education. The ideal candidate should have excellent instructional delivery and classroom management skills. Additionally, the candidate should have excellent written and verbal communications skills.

Position Title Teacher, Health and Phys. Ed. Qualifying Certification Areas(s):
Health & Physical Education (P-12) (761/)
Location / Responsibility Centers Number DRUID HILLS MIDDLE / 573

Anonymous said...

DCSS has been advertising for 8 math teachers since the first of the year. How competitive does anyone think we are for the top math teachers? What is DCSS doing to attract and retain these sought after teachers? I continue to notice that math and science teachers are ALWAYS advertised on PATS? Are they just leaving DCSS in greater numbers than other teachers?

Dekalbparent said...

Yes - Druid Hills Middle School is e new name for Shamrock.

Anonymous said...

@ dekalb parent

When are they changing it?
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/shamrock/

Anonymous said...

Check out these qualifications for DCSS superintendent found on this web site: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?job_did=J8B7256DCSTKZVP4YR4

Superintendent of Schools
DeKalb County School District Location: Atlanta, GA 30083
Base Pay: $275,000 /Year
Other Pay: Comprehensive and competitive benefits package
Employee Type: Full-Time
Industry: Education - Teaching - Administration
Manages Others: Yes
Job Type: Education; Admin - Clerical
Education: 4 Year Degree
Experience: At least 5 year(s)Post Date: 1/4/2011
Contact: Ray & Associates Phone: 319-393-3115 Fax: 319-393-4931
Description
DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
SUPERINTENDENT

DeKalb County School District, a metropolitan Atlanta public school system, located in Stone Mountain, Georgia, seeks an individual with visionary leadership and strong administrative skills to lead a district of 99,000 students. We seek highly qualified individuals with a proven record in leadership and innovation, with the highest ethical standards and strong consensus-building and management abilities


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. Our goals are to:

Narrow the achievement gap and improve the graduation rate by creating a high performance learning culture in all schools and sites.
Increase rigor and academic achievement in Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies in Pre K-12.
Ensure quality personnel in all positions.
Ensure fiscal responsibility in order to maintain safe and healthy learning environments that support academic programs, resources and services.
Requirements
The candidate must have or be qualified to obtain superintendent credentials issued

by the Georgia Department of Education (GDOE). For more information, visit the GDOE website: www.doe.k12.ga.us. Questions about certification should be directed to GDOE.

Possesses the leadership skills required to respond to the challenges presented by an ethnically and culturally diverse community.

Inspires trust, has high levels of self-confidence and optimism, and models high standards of integrity and personal performance.

Is a strong communicator: speaking, listening and writing.

Is able to delegate authority appropriately while maintaining accountability.

Is strongly committed to a “student first" philosophy in all decisions.

Has successful experience in sound management practices, including appropriate participation of others in planning and decision-making.

Is willing to listen to input, but is a decision maker.

Possesses ability to enhance student performance, especially in identifying and closing or narrowing the gaps in student achievement.

Is able to identify and select building and central office administrators who are capable of advancing the district vision.

Has demonstrated strong leadership skills in previous positions.

Has experience in the management of district resources and knowledge of sound fiscal procedures.

Is an experienced educator or non-traditional candidate with background in the military or business community.

Anonymous said...

RE: Math teachers, it's not a Dekalb thing. Folks who are skilled at math are in great demand in other industries. When they are laid off or ready to leave the corporate world, some decide to use their skills to teach, but for the reasons of which we are painfully aware (in this case, salary being a huge factor), DCSS is not their first choice.

We do get some who are just gung ho about teaching, and bless them--I have seen some incredible math teachers who do it just for the love of it.

Those with degrees in their field can go through a very quick and easy certification program, BUT the flip side is that many end up not being successful in the classroom. I'll never forget the day that a colleague--a former Emory professor--asked me, "What do you do if you are teaching and they just get up and walk out?" I had no answer. He lasted one year.

Anonymous said...

If you were an engineer making $80K a year and got laid off, you would be sought after as a science teacher.

SO--where to go? Almost eveyone coming out of industry has a graduate degree and can make $10K more in APS or Fulton. If you were laid off and had a family to feed--or just a good dose of common sense--where would you apply?

And NO I am not suggesting that math/science teachers be paid more than other subjects. English, history, art, and other teachers are educated professionals who perform the same service to our kids. But we need to be competitive with what industry---and other school systems--pay for people with advanced degrees! Until very recently, we were. It's that simple.

Anonymous said...

"And NO I am not suggesting that math/science teachers be paid more than other subjects.'

I am. If you have a harder time getting math and science teachers, then why wouldn't you pay more for them?

Anonymous said...

"I'll never forget the day that a colleague--a former Emory professor--asked me, "What do you do if you are teaching and they just get up and walk out?" I had no answer. He lasted one year."

My child's chemistry teacher in the Chamblee magnet program had a PhD in
Chemistry, but had a very difficult time teaching the subject. She continually told them she could make so much more in private industry. My child made A in her class, but then she could learn the material on her own. Imagine my shock when I recently saw this teacher who had such a hard time in the classroom is now the coordinator for the magnet/gifted program in DCSS. I guess she found a job she liked.

Anonymous said...

It is sad to see so much emphasis being put on where school house employees children attend school. This profession is one where there are few "perks". Allowing my child to attend the school in which I am employed is a small perk. I do not use the bus...his lunch is paid for by me....etc...so I am not economically impacting the school system. I am a dekalb resisdent so I am not stealing funds.....choose something else to whine about. And I love gwinnetts option...its very fair and since it seems that education is leaning towards running like big corps...then give its employees some perks like that are comparative to corporate america.

Anonymous said...

6:52,

Of course, if you don't know how to teach, being a coach or coodinator who oversees teachers is the perfect job for you. Come to think of it, she should probably be the new super. Wow. Just one more shining example. How many do we need? When is enough enough?

Anonymous said...

6:48--the job requirements and training are the same. Now, I might argue that someone with a Master's or Doctorate in his/her teaching field should be paid more. That might attract a large number of math/science people, as many have math/science rather than teaching degrees. I just don't know that it's fair to limit it to math/science. If I have a PhD in History, I have far more depth of knowledge than my peers and should get paid more. Instead, the barely literate person who gets his pals to write his papers earns an online EdD in "leadership" and makes 10,000 more than I do.

Anonymous said...

@ 7:15

No one poster on the blog has suggested schoolhouse employees who live in DeKalb County should not bring their children to the school they teach in. EVERY post has said that admin and support personnel (including those who live in another county) should not be "picking" the schools their children attend in DCSS.

Ms. Tyson wrote a policy that made parents/taxpayers think she was addressing this concern with transfers as if teachers were the main concern. This was a "red herring" to distract taxpayers from the real problem of hundreds and hundreds of admin and support transfers taking spaces in schools that are now going to have to experience redistrictong.

Anonymous said...

@1:33, My response would be that it is NOT instructional time (regardless of their definitions). Instructional time promotes LEARNING, not regurgitation. Too many tests, not enough time (or motivation) for creative approaches to hands on learning in the classroom. I agree with you about the standards, am sure they are there, but don't think that 20 days of testing allow the students to actually reach their full potential.

Anonymous said...

It's my observation that each poster has an issue that they are passionate about..so these are mine
1. the Dunwoody parents are divided..Vanderlyn parents have their best interest at heart in staying "pure and lily white"..keep the apt kids out..etc...
2. PATS is rigged...it is so hard for equally qualified employees to get an interview because by the time the job is posted they have already handpicked their candidate...a byproduct of the family and friends division of the Palace
3. Allow schoolhouse children to enroll in their parents school and FOLLOW the feeder path...that is fair and realistic....publish the numbers if you must but it cant have that big of an impact on redistricting I think this is being used a smoke screen of sorts...choose a more worthwhile battle
4. F&RL program....a lot of you want to have your hands in everything...we all pay taxes....thats not a "I have the right to approve everything" card...this is a federal program....get over yourselves...I can drive a mercedes today and my child still can qualify for the program....my parents may have gifted me that car and pay for the maintenance and still work a low paying job...some of you are too much! You are your own worst enemy.

Anonymous said...

WTF is this? What is rental access?

Access? Enough of this mess already.

Chesnut parent said...


... This is not about race, it is about access. There should be rental access available at all of the schools. NOONE said anything about fairness.
Why is this a problem to anyone.

January 10, 2011 4:15 PM

Anonymous said...

Did they change the name and not tell anyone? Do they think they can just keep using the name and eventually it will just be accepted? Guess So. I hate this slick #$%&. (see below) IT'S CALLED SHAMROCK MIDDLE SCHOOL STILL.

See PATS posting:
Druid Hills Middle School is seeking a highly motivated individual to teach Health and Physical Education

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:32.

Slick?
This will make you SICK.

DCSS spent $1,500,000 in changing the name, fresh paint and new lockers.

They went from the Shamrock Dragons to the Druid Hills Devils.

$1,500,000 gone! Gooooo Devils!

And yes, it is still Shamrock until the end of the school year.

Anonymous said...

"Slick?
This will make you SICK.

DCSS spent $1,500,000 in changing the name, fresh paint and new lockers."

This is absolutely wrong. The $1.5M in upgrades are ADA compatibility upgrades and have been scheduled for a couple of years. The reason the name was changed at this time was in order coincide with the already scheduled refurbishing. But I'm guessing you don't really care what the truth is.

Cerebration said...

ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to numerous calendar disruptions, the ELPC meeting addressing upcoming legislation pertaining to education and providing an overview of state education funding, originally scheduled for next Wednesday 19th at Hawthorne Elementary, will be rescheduled for later in January.

Once we have confirmed the new date with our speakers, we will contact you. Stay warm.

Please note on Tuesday January 18at 1:00pm the Senate and House Education Committees will host a joint hearing at the Capitol on the upcoming K-12 budget.

Cerebration said...

ps - the name change from Shamrock to Druid Hills Elementary was discussed at board meetings and on this blog. The change was approved a couple of months ago at a board meeting. Something about studies that show how matching middle and high school names make for better school performance(?) Not sure, really. But there was an enormous committee, and the change was endorsed by Don McChesney.

Anonymous said...

Lakeside HS could go to Henderson HS to really confuse folks and make the redistrciting unnecessary because maybe there would be less transfers attending... they're going through construction now. Just mess folks up....throw a curve ball out there and allign the middle and high school.

«Oldest ‹Older   201 – 230 of 230   Newer› Newest»