Parent Roundtable Questions and Answers Please note: duplicated questions have been removed. The list will be updated as more answers become available. Can the block schedule be eliminated? Last year, Board Policy was changed so that schools, not Board approval, determine building schedules (i.e., block versus traditional). The new policy notes that schools submit their schedule for the instructional day that is in accordance with Georgia Department of Education requirements to the superintendent for approval. At Tucker High School we are experiencing severe overcrowding -­‐-­‐ our student population this year is over capacity. Classrooms are over-­‐capacity compounded by a shortage of teachers. In particular, the freshman class has many more students than can be explained by the progression from Tucker Middle School. Tucker HS is not alone in this circumstance. Since the beginning of the 2012-­‐2013 school year, two part-­‐time teachers are now full time, three teachers are working on an extended day schedule, two teachers were reassigned to Tucker HS from other schools within the district, and a total of four teachers have been hired. With each notification, the region office will continue to collaborate with Tucker High and Human Resources to eliminate overcrowding. When will class sizes be decreased back to 32? We have too many good teachers going to other counties and school systems to work because of better conditions. Other areas should be cut before we increase classroom sizes like middle school sports, magnet transportation, etc. Class sizes are determined by the State Board of Education (rule 160-­‐5-­‐1-­‐.08) and state law (O.C.G.A. 20-­‐2-­‐182). Funding for class sizes is based on state and local taxes, which determines (FTE) points for each class size. When districts are notified of changes in class sizes, funding is also adjusted to accommodate the changes. (FTE=Full Time Equivalent or the number of students enrolled on a full time basis) Can DCSD stop accepting affidavits as proof of residency? Affidavits are a Board of Education policy decision that will be reviewed for next year. Class size has increased tremendously at Arabia Mountain! My son has indicated that it is extremely difficult in a class of 36 students especially in his AP classes. During curriculum night, teachers also expressed concerns. Curriculum Nights were held during the month of September. Since that time, class sizes were reduced in a majority of our schools. At this time, all class sizes meet district and state class size requirements. Benchmark assessments administered in October and grade distribution reports indicate that students continue to perform at high levels. Has this occurred in schools in North DeKalb County? Class sizes have increased across the district. As a former auxiliary president (2011-­‐2012), a DeKalb tax payer, a DeKalb employee, and most important a parent of Army and Marine soldiers as well as a junior at L.H.S. produced via DeKalb School System my questions are: why spend money for all ready qualified administrators to get a third degree? Why can't they be trained to do their job thru extensive training workshops geared directly towards the success of the race to the top requirements? In other words, why is in-­‐service for that level not good enough? As a parent I think the money should be spent more directly towards the needs of our children on the whole who have obstacles blocking or distracting them from meeting the challenges required of them to satisfy race to the top requirements. Spending grant funds to prepare to do what needs to be done should not be so personalized. None of the children will be directly impacted. If so, please explain how the administrator's degree will impact student obstacles mentioned earlier? The Race To The Top (RT3) grant is focused on great teachers and great leaders. DeKalb’s Strategic Goal 2 is focused on Excellence in Leadership and Personnel. As a result, our district embarked on a journey to invest grant funds in order to develop our teachers and leaders so we can prepare our students to lead and succeed in a rapidly changing world. We value leaders who have the skills and training to lead our schools and district to increased levels of academic performance for all our students. Because of the ever-­‐changing demographics in our schools, leaders must be able to shape a vision for continuous improvement, create a high performance learning culture, cultivate leadership in others, improve instruction, and know how to manage people, data, and processes in an era of accountability. DeKalb’s Leaders must model high expectations for teachers and students, and execute a vision so that these expectations can become the new reality. Leadership is the fundamental element that can drive our organization to phenomenal success. A lack of leadership can anchor it solidly in mediocrity. There is quite a bit of research that validates the effect great leaders have on student success. In fact, the factor most often quoted as improving student success is the effectiveness of the principal as the instructional leader of a school. To be effective, leaders must have knowledge, skills, talent and dispositions that cannot be acquired in college courses alone, and cannot be mastered without opportunities to learn from outstanding leaders in the profession. That is why our district launched its Leadership Development Initiatives this year using the following four Academies as the vehicle for learning: Aspiring Leaders Academy, New Principal Academy, Executive Leadership Academy and Administrator Academy. We want to make sure that we are transforming leaders into extraordinary performers who can deliver positive learning results for all our students. Through each Academy, aspiring and current leaders become students again in a customized leadership development model designed to ensure the district has the caliber of principals and system level leaders needed for the future. Our district must have extraordinary performers if we are to be effective with today’s changing conditions and rising expectations. To ensure we have such leaders in every aspect of our organization, we are committed to devoting the time, resources, and attention necessary to develop learning-­‐centered leaders among our employees. Georgians understand the realities of the 2008 recession, as we have not yet recovered from it. Unemployment remains high, homeowners are still unable to make good on their mortgages and foreclosures are still a reality. The middle class is losing ground due to wage stagnation and price increases. Why would you ask the board to approve pay increases for four administrators when the DeKalb County School System is in dire straits? Teaching and para professional positions have been cut, class sizes have increased and services have decreased. Run the school system more like a business and say we cannot afford to pay payroll increases at this time. Private industry does this all the time, that’s how businesses survive. I am disheartened that the leader of a school system of almost 100,000 students cannot say this. Constituents will understand if you speak the hard truth. Many of us have experienced lay-­‐offs, unemployment and no raises for years. These four administrators did not actually receive raises; rather, they applied for and were hired for positions, and those positions, in accordance with the recent human resources salary audit, have defined salary ranges. The board voted in July to accept these personnel recommendations, and with the September 24 vote, the Board kept in line with policy GCA. Where is the list of employees and positions that were eliminated as a result of the reduction in force? This should be public record. There are too many numbers flying around still about how many employees/positions were eliminated, not through attrition. Where is the HR report? The HR report is posted to eBoard on a monthly basis. The following were eliminated from central office as a result of the Restructuring and Reduction in Force: 303 positions total The following were eliminated from schools as a result of the Reduction in Force: 25 Media Specialist positions 200 Paraprofessional Positions 20 Interpreter positions 10 Public Safety positions 58 Bus Monitor Positions 28 Media Clerk positions Are the teachers that are being moved from one grade to a higher grade qualified to be teaching these higher grades? Do they have the educational, and organizational skills or the proper plans for this new responsibility, or is this an "on the job" training experiment. I won't get into specifics, but our children are being cheated out of consistency and structure when the experience and the proper tools are lacking. All certified teachers in the DeKalb County School District are assigned only within the field and grade level associated with the certificate held for each assignment 100% of the school day. This includes any extended learning time (ELT) assignment. Teachers assigned in accordance with certification guidelines are identified as “Highly Qualified.” All principals are expected to assign teachers such that each school has 100% of their teachers identified as “Highly Qualified.” I am a concerned parent that would like to have the following questions answered: 1. Teacher morale 2. Class size (out of control) 3. Mandatory homework 4. Initiative from personnel at High School-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐Unanswered phone and emails 5. Continued violence 6. Lack of respect Principals are expected to foster the success of all students by supporting, managing and overseeing the school’s instructional program and safety goals. In this instance, a meeting with the principal to learn more about the key processes at the school to address each of the concerns outlined may prove to be helpful. If concerns are not addressed, a meeting with the regional superintendent may be helpful. The regional superintendent’s role involves support for principals and schools in meeting the strategic goals of the district, which encompass a majority of the concerns communicated to the facilitator. Have you done a survey to ask teachers what they are missing from their classrooms, books, desks, science tables? We are four weeks into the year now is everything where it's supposed to be? School Readiness reports are opportunities for school principals to identify needs prior to the first day of school. Principals submit requests for resources based upon need throughout the school year. Regional superintendents are responsible for providing support to principals and schools should the principal need assistance with securing resources. Concerns regarding resources should be addressed immediately with school principals. I am one of the parents of a third-­‐grader at Chapel Hill Elementary school. We recently moved here from SC. I understand the issues that this country is facing secondary to the economy. We strive to provide the best for our children, but it is not always so. I am satisfied with the school district's telephone communication to the parents. However, I am not satisfied with the school's communication to the parents from a classroom perspective. The communication is not congruent, the website is not always up-­‐to-­‐date, and some students are given information on the same school events but some handouts vary so much until some of the information is lost. I am requesting a better congruency in communication from home to school/parents. I have met my daughter's teachers and they all seem to be well versed in their roles. However, my daughter has voiced to me that a few of her teachers yell at the students. I did bring this to the attention of the principal and her answer was that the teachers were not using their "calming" voices. Also, on Grandparents' Day, there was a substitute in one of her classrooms, and I observed her yelling at the students as well. Aside from the yelling issue, it is obvious that the staff is very stressed over their jobs. I am not sure what is offered to the teachers to help manage the stress of their jobs, but it would be nice to encounter less strained faces. Principals are expected to fairly and consistently use feedback from parents to improve school culture and climate. Should a stakeholder feel that feedback has not been used for improvement or corrective action, s/he is more than welcome to contact the regional superintendent responsible for supporting the school. I know that recess is not the most important subject in school. My daughter is doing well in school but she has been a bit sad lately because she said that they have only had recess twice since she has been here. I did address this with the principal and she answered my questions. I also had the opportunity to address it with 3 of her teachers during a parent-­‐teacher conference. I am getting a basic message that there is not enough time for recess. So my question is: at what point does outside activity become null and void? Kids today are already sucked into the world of technology. And we are living in a nation in which people are becoming more and more obese. By not having recess time, what message are we sending our children? There goes the message resounding in our heads "healthy kids" but yet my daughter has a classmate that carries a cell phone with pictures of his classmates on it. All elementary schools are required to provide 60 hours of physical education and 30 hours of health education annually. In addition, students are provided 15 minutes of unstructured break time daily that could be offered as an indoor or outdoor activity. Per Board Policy IEDA: The DeKalb County Board of Education supports supervised, unstructured break times as an integral component of a child’s physical, social, and academic development. Schools shall schedule time for all students in kindergarten and grades one through five to have at least 15 minutes of supervised, unstructured break time each school day. The school principal shall determine the timing and location of breaks at each school. How is it that professionals within the DeKalb County School District can retire and come back and work as a para-­‐pro or other position, shouldn't that be considered double dipping? The Teachers Retirement System provides a monthly pension for individuals who have vested 10-­‐30 years of service. These individuals receive a monthly supplement based upon their length of service. Individuals who qualify for positions and make application to the DeKalb County School District are eligible for employment. Essentially they are provided a fee for service just as any other employee. This employee would receive pay just as if they worked for Walmart or another company. The pension that they receive from TRS is not apart of the DCSD payroll, therefore it would not be considered double dipping. When is the scheduled IOWA optional test for fourth-­‐graders? According to the Department of Student Services, the scheduled ITBS test date(s) have not been approved at this time. Once the test date(s) have been approved, communication will be sent to the local schools and can also be found on the DeKalb County School website to download the flyer, application, learn about testing date(s) and their location. Is there any way to adjust registration for each school year to earlier in the summer, avoiding the mad dash scramble the schools go through with late registrants and first day walk-­‐ups? It would seem to me that if the deadline to register was a month earlier, the DCSD would have time to adjust for class size fluctuations, staffing requirements, scheduling etc PRIOR to the first day of class, avoiding the significant loss of instructional time and chaos in the first weeks/month of school. I would assume that a vast majority of students are in place and can be accounted for by early July. Those who register late or after the deadline should not be allowed to wreak such havoc on the system for those of us who have planned and taken care of our responsibilities. Each school has designated registration days during the summer, and parents are welcome to register on one of those days. Please contact your local school for further information. Please be aware that Open Houses will still be held prior to the opening of school so that parents can receive additional information provided by the school. What are the plans for gifted testing and education for first grade at Vanderlyn? It is my understanding that it will be the same as last year, with the ITBS/CoGAT administered in October; however, Ms. Donyell Atkinson is awaiting guidance from Department of Education regarding whether we can offer a pilot alongside the process we have used in the past and that they Board wants us to continue to use (ITBS/CoGAT). At this time, we do not believe this is allowable. Teachers are the ones on the front lines making the most impact on the children of DeKalb and yet you and the school board seem to expect them to also make the biggest sacrifices. However, it seems to me that they are not a priority to the administration or the school board. What is your plan for retaining quality teachers in DeKalb? When do you see an end to furloughs, salary freezes and waivers? Research demonstrates that the single most important factor for determining student success is quality their teacher. To retain quality teachers in the DeKalb County School District, the Division of Human Resources will: **Continue to work with the Professional Development Department to provide initial and sustained support through our PRIDE program. **Increase visibility within schools to enhance our service model in an effort to resolve any HR related issues and provide support. **Produce resources that will assist with critical questions regarding key district processes and procedures. **Work collaboratively with all Divisions to improve our organizational effectiveness to enhance and enrich the teaching profession, which will serve as a promising vehicle for continued school improvement and student achievement. Additionally, research has shown that teachers do not simply leave the profession due to the level of pay. Some leave because they do not feel valued and recognized. Thus, it is our goal to develop and align a recognition program with our strategic plan. The board recently voted to cut all funding for interpretive and translation services for our ESOL population, yet retained funding for magnet transportation. Evansdale Elementary lost all of its magnet funding (staff allotments) for the entire magnet program there. Why should taxpayer money fund transportation and not interpreters or the magnet programs themselves? Although Evansdale lost funding for magnet, the Science Lab and French Lab are being funding with FTE points for this school year. A proposal to revise the magnet program for the 2013-­‐2014 school year is currently being developed and will be presented for approval prior to the start of second semester. In 2011, the district experienced redistricting in order, we were told, to right size the populations of the schools and fill seats so that funds could be earned at the state & national level. Evansdale is currently 20% over capacity and the number of students on free/reduced lunch has increased from 20% to 50% in two years. Now, we've lost our magnet funding as well. I cannot understand how any of this has helped the system at all. In fact, it makes me think that everyone has lost sight of what is really important. Essentially one school’s solution has become another school’s problem. I suspect we are not the only instance where this has happened. How do you plan to address this and when will assistance come to schools that need it? Evansdale will be eligible to receive federal funding if/when their free/reduced lunch rate reaches 60%. A proposal to revise the magnet program for the 2013-­‐2014 school year is currently being developed and will be presented for approval prior to the start of second semester. Why did Superintendent Atkinson decide to put a "balanced" 2013-­‐14 school calendar before the Board of Education for a vote when 60% of DeKalb parents responded to her survey stating their preference for the existing school calendar? We also surveyed employees and community members -­‐ not just parents. Among our certified employee (teachers, principals and other licensed educators), 68 percent preferred a balanced calendar. Interestingly, among the students who took the survey, they also preferred the balanced calendar. So while you are correct in that 59.4 percent of parents who responded preferred the traditional calendar, there was further input to consider. I would like to know if there is a plan in place for security at McNair High School? So far, the school doesn't have enough officers to secure the three buildings and outside facility. As we continue to develop the Safe School department in the DeKalb County School District, we are assessing and making plans to provide additional security for several schools, and McNair HS is included that has been included in the assessment. The Safe School department has assisted McNair HS this school year with a Safe School Audit and provided support from the Rapid Response Team in order to enhance security at McNair. Are you still using the CRCT as a marker for going to the next grade? In compliance with the Georgia Promotion, Placement, and Retention law (O.C.G.A.§§ 20-­‐2-­‐282-­‐
.11), students must achieve "grade level" mastery on the CRCT and criteria established by the local Board of Education. Do all schools in DeKalb County use the same textbooks? All schools are provided copies of the Board approved textbooks. However, schools may purchase additional supplemental resources to use as instructional tools. Dr. Atkinson, you recently stated that your support for the “balanced calendar” would “reduce the amount of time our children are away from our schools.” How do you mesh this statement with high school students that are on the 4x4 Block who may have anywhere from an eight to 12-­‐month time span from a math, science or other academic classes? In April 2010, board policy IE was revised. Per the revised policy, the superintendent is no longer required to take the alternative scheduling requests before the Board of Education. The current policy requires the school to submit an educational plan for the teaching and learning design model as part of the Consolidated School Improvement Plan (CSIP) to the Region Superintendent for approval. The educational plan must include the following: 1. Specific, measurable education objectives to be addressed by the schedule, including increasing overall school effectiveness; 2. The proposed schedule, including evidence of advantages to students; 3. Any change in course offerings or requirements; 4. Plans for professional development and training for teachers; 5. Plans for evaluating the instructional strategies and methods used by teachers; 6. Statement of anticipated financial impact; 7. Plan for addressing student transfers, the AP testing calendar, and the maintenance of instructional continuity; and 8. Timeline for implementation. I would like to know why Kittredge Magnet School was allowed to maintain a 17:1 student/teacher ratio in sixth grade in homogenous classrooms while the rest of us in heterogeneous classrooms are at 32/33:1. The magnet schools are limited in the maximum number of students selected based on space available in the feeder schools. Local High Achievers Magnet Program schools enroll a high number of gifted students. Local schools utilize the Gifted Program student teacher ratio to maximize enrollment earnings. Schools work hard to get head counts. You knew Lakeside numbers before school was out last spring, but have continued to delay approving the proper amount of teachers. Please explain why this delay continues year after year when schools cannot hire without your approval, but you're not approving the school to hire. Lakeside was approved to hire additional positions after the first 10 days of school to balance enrollment with allotments. The art teacher was hired September 10, 2012. The social studies position was filled October 3, 2012, and the science position was filled October 17, 2012. The International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum is gaining popularity in our county. What is your expectation and intention in offering this to more of our students? The DCSD gives careful consideration to the academic needs of students. Therefore, decisions regarding the possibility of seeking IB authorization in additional schools must be made in light of the needs of all students in the district and based on the availability of funding. This year, funding for magnet programs was cut by 2 points per school. (In the case of Evansdale Elementary, all funding was removed for a program that had directly benefited every student at the school.) What are your expectations regarding maintaining, restoring or ending magnet programs? The DeKalb County School District is currently planning to continue to offer parents and students in grades pre-­‐K through 12 the option to enroll in a variety of School Choice Programs during the 2013-­‐14 school year. School Choice Programs Open Enrollment is currently scheduled for January 2013. Services offered may vary based on the local school staff earned and the academic needs and interests of the students. The county no longer has late bus service for students who need to stay after school for tutoring or extracurricular activities, which prevents many children from participating in enrichment programs. Do you have any plan to restore late bus service? Due to budgetary constraints, the county has no plans at this time to restore late bus service. P.E./CV days cannot and should not be held outside during the hot temperatures of summer. What restrictions will put in place to protect children and ensure proper hydration? DSCD Athelics as required by the Georgia High School Association will monitor the schools to comply with the policy. 1. BY-­‐LAW 2.67 – “Practice Policy for Heat and Humidity Schools must follow the statewide policy for conducting practices and voluntary conditioning workouts in all sports during times of extremely high heat and/or humidity that will be signed by each head coach at the beginning of each season and distributed to all players and their parents or guardians. The policy shall follow modified guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine in regard to: 1. The scheduling of practices at various heat/humidity levels 2. The ratio of workout time to time allotted for rest and hydration at various heat/humidity levels 3. The heat/humidity level that will result in practice being terminated A scientifically approved instrument that measures Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) reading must be utilized at each practice to ensure that the written policy is being followed properly. WBGT READING ACTIVITY GUIDELINES & REST BREAK GUIDELINES UNDER 82.0 Normal activities -­‐-­‐ Provide at least three separate rest breaks each hour of minimum duration of 3 minutes each during workout 82.0 -­‐86. Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-­‐risk players carefully; Provide at least three separate rest breaks each hour of a minimum of four minutes duration each. 87.0 – 89. Maximum practice time is two hours. For Football: players restricted to helmet, shoulder pads, and shorts during practice. All protective equipment must be removed for conditioning activities. For all sports: Provide at least four separate rest breaks each hour of a minimum of four minutes each 90.0-­‐-­‐92. Maximum length of practice is one hour, no protective equipment may be worn during practice and there may be no conditioning activities. There must be 20 minutes of rest breaks provided during the hour of practice. OVER 92 No outdoor workouts; Cancel exercise; delay practices until a cooler WBGT reading occurs The county is already dealing with a huge deficit. Has a true and realistic audit been done to show the cost and associated maintenance costs to run air conditioning even further into the hot summer months? And what about the unairconditioned buses that will have to run? We will assess the impact of the balanced calendar and make budget and operational adjustments as necessary to support the school requirements. The principal of my school is not very punctual in responding to email. Sometimes it takes days or not even a response at all. What response time rule do you use in responding to emails and should your Principals follow the same? Principals are expected to provide leadership by fostering the success of students by communicating and collaborating effectively with parents, teachers, community members, and students. The regional superintendents, under the leadership of Ms. Kendra March, Deputy Superintendent, have been charged with supporting the schools in developing a communication plan that is evident of high expectations and demonstrates a focus on a system of exchange among all members of the school community. What is the school district’s plan to address the gap in providing translation and interpretation services to non-­‐English speaking families when it is required to do so as a recipient of federal funding? For example, notifications of school level meetings as well as district-­‐level press releases are only available in English, phone calls to parents who are not native English speakers are conducted in English only, and the lack of interpretation services at the school level and during the intake process is a barrier to parental involvement and student success. DCSD continues providing services to support effective communication with our linguistically diverse community. Translation and interpretation services have been decentralized and are now provided directly by the schools. Schools are responsible for budgeting funds, if needed, to secure these services. They are also in control of making meaningful connections with their communities through the utilization of community and school volunteers to improve communication. How does the school district plan to address complications that have resulted from the decentralization of the registration process for international students? Some examples of the complications that have arisen due to the recent decision to decentralize the international student registration process are: an unacceptable time gap for students to be tested and evaluated in order to begin school; inefficiency in determining correct placement of students in a proper setting based on their English proficiency needs; lack of translation services for transcript evaluation; a lack of knowledge on behalf of the local schools in regards to processing forms that are unique to newly arrived refugee students (such as DFACS’ Refugee Lunch Form has been routinely overlooked and not accepted by local schools handling intake procedures); and a general lengthening of the time it takes to get a newly arrived student enrolled into the school system, which means that school-­‐aged children are simply forced to sit for days in libraries or school cafeterias while local school ELL teachers find time to test, evaluate, and make placement decisions for students, in addition to their normal teaching loads. DCSD is working in addressing any issues that may have resulted from the decentralization of the registration process through the continued support provided by the EL Studies Program staff and on-­‐site registration training for administrators and registration staff. Since the "points" system for magnet schools has been eliminated, how do you plan to restore staff and faculty to levels appropriate for their mission, especially at DeKalb School of the Arts? The DeKalb County School District is currently planning to continue to offer parents and students opportunities to develop their talents and skills in the various areas of the arts. Our offerings per grade level may vary based on the local school staff earned and the academic needs and interests of the students. Is Pre-­‐K going to continue in DeKalb County public schools after the 2012-­‐2013 school year, and if so, for how long? The Board of Education and DCSD staff firmly believe in the importance of early learning experiences and its impact in reducing the need for future academic remediation. Pending receipt of adequate state funding for 2013-­‐2014, the district intends to continue offering the lottery-­‐funded Pre-­‐K program. Regardless of state revenue to support the lottery-­‐funded Pre-­‐K program, the district will continue to support the learning needs of preschool students with disabilities as required by federal regulations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). Parental involvement should not just be coming and cutting out shapes or lamination. There are several parents that have the ability to help the kids academically. Why is there a feeling sometimes that schools do not want parents in the classrooms and are even told that volunteering in the classroom is not allowed? Our administrators hold the belief that inviting parents and community members to the school to volunteer and support students helps everyone. We are actively engaged in improvement plans that will enhance the meaningfulness of parent engagement and volunteerism. We recommend you meet with the school principal to assist with the plan. As parents, we would like to know who gets the money from the football game admission and food concession. Why the home game team does not sponsor the game, instead of, doing fundraisers and dues? All revenues from stadiums go into athletic funds that underwrite 17 varsity and junior varsity sports at 19 high schools for both girls and boys. State laws regulate that in DeKalb County, general funds cannot be used for athletics, so we must rely on revenues from athletic contests. This year, we are providing revenue-­‐sharing for playoffs, so schools who participate in playoffs will receive a portion of the revenue directly to their school. Theme schools are excellent option in our county, which many Gwinnet County residents are taking advantage of, leaving limited or no spots for our DeKalb county residents, the school administrations most of the times request address affidavits only; which many relatives and friends are willing to provide. What is the district doing to prevent this fraudulent situation? Parents are required to provide documentation to register for the Theme Schools Open Enrollment process. Employees who live outside of the DeKalb County School District may enroll their children in the school where they are employed. All other students selected to enroll in a theme school, must provide an affidavit of residence. In the event of co-­‐residency, an affidavit of residence [http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/registration/affidavit-­‐of-­‐
residence-­‐(2011-­‐2012).pdf ] must be completed as required by the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and homeowner/lessee and submitted to the school, with all requested documentation attached. It must be submitted before the first day of school or upon moving into the attendance area of the new school. The parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and the owner/lessee must both be present to submit the required documents to the school (no exceptions will be made). The Affidavit of Legal Residence must be updated annually by both the homeowner/leaseholder and the parent or guardian. How are meals supervised to be well cooked and fresh before they are serve to the children and how often are cafeterias inspected? (Middle and high school students quite often complain for mal-­‐cooked meals, rotten products, and limited quantities, and this is where parents are not present to eat meals with them. And I know there are special menus for staff.) The school principal and cafeteria manager have not reported any issues with food services. Please inform them of your concerns to follow up. Central office will provide a quality control review upon the principal's request. What is the school system doing to face the overpopulation on buses and classrooms? (right now class sizes are an average of 32 students and buses have to do double shifts or have many students standing where safety is jeopardized) The district is short bus drivers and has increased its recruitment efforts to fill vacancies. Also, the district expects to receive 49 buses by approximately mid-­‐November. With more drivers and more buses, we expect to reduce overcrowding. Should elementary teachers have to update ESIS with assignments and grades for parents to monitor, not just at progress report time. I would expect that not only at middle and high school level should the teachers be required to keep up with assignments so that parents can monitor their child's grades via ESIS. The expectation is that all teachers, elementary included, keep their gradebooks up to date with assignment grades, not just at the time of progress reports. The only exception to this is KK, as those teachers must keep their assignments in the GaDOE GKIDS application as mandated by DOE. I would like to know if Board of Education Commissioners are required to have, at the least, a Bachelor's Degree. No. Board of Education requirements are outlined by the Georgia Department of Elections, which can be accessed here on page 141 -­‐ http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/elections/candidate_information/qualguide.pdf The SPLOST that was recently passed this year had allotments that would go to Redan High, what specifically is going to be the benefit of these funds to the school, how much was it, and when will we see progress? Please visit the website for a summary of projects and the work schedule. http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/splost-­‐iv What is the future of testing in Dekalb Elementary Schools? I know we have ITBS, COGAT, CRCT, and writing assessments already. I also understand that there is a new test to be given at the beginning and ending of the year by the teacher. The majority of standardized testing in DeKalb is governed by the GA DOE's assessment program and their collaborative work with the Governor's Office of Student Achievement in drafting the Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) as directed by O.C.G.A. § 20-­‐14-­‐26; 20-­‐14-­‐37; 20-­‐
14-­‐38; and 20-­‐14-­‐41. The current Board rule on SSAS (160-­‐7-­‐1-­‐.01) addresses measurements associated with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act rather than the new College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) since the CCRPI is tied to the state's waiver to NCLB. Nonetheless, all of the assessments associated with either accountability measurement are consistent. The GA DOE provides test dates and/or windows in which the various assessments must be given. This would include the CRCT, EOCT, CRCT-­‐M, GAA, all Writing Tests, and so forth. Some of these dates allow for a slight amount of flexibility in when a district may administer an assessment. All of these standardized assessments are developed by a vendor and reviewed by DOE personnel as well as teachers and educators from across the state; however, Georgia is part of a consortium known as PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers). This group of 23 states is working together to develop a common assessment in ELA and mathematics. In the 2014-­‐2015 school year, the PARCC assessments are scheduled to replace many of the state's assessments in the ELA and Mathematics content areas, including the appropriate CRCT and EOCT content tests. These assessments are slated to be "computer-­‐delivered." Two summative PARCC assessments will be required. This year, the district implemented quarterly benchmarks to provide teachers with student data as to how well the students are mastering the taught curriculum, and to assist them in instructional planning and even the Response To Intervention (RTI) process. The benchmark assessments are short "quizzes" (i.e., 20-­‐25 multiple choice questions) that are administered online (although schools may choose to administer the test by paper/pencil and scan answers into the computer), providing instant feedback to the teachers. The district's benchmarks are designed by a vendor with the collaboration of district content coordinators and teachers. By administering the assessments online, results are instantaneous and can provide critical guidance to teachers as to whether or not the taught curriculum has matched the student's learned curriculum. Additionally, the online administration is also preparing our students with the technological skills that will be needed should the PARCC assessments be "computer-­‐
delivered" in 2014-­‐2015. The SLOs are not produced from the GA DOE's assessment division, nor are they produced by a vendor or an element associated with PARCC. These assessments are tied to the Teacher Effectiveness Measures (TEM), which is a requirement of states/districts that have received federal Race To The Top (RT3) funds. The GA DOE's RT3 Division implemented the SLOs by asking districts to draft particular pre and post assessments for specified courses, and these SLOs were then put into a bank for all districts to use. The assessments developed by DCSD staff have not had any problems; however, the district has determined that some of the SLOs developed by other districts are not at the same level of design, and issues have arisen. The district has been in communication with the GA DOE to address these problems and will continue to provide solutions to schools to reduce this new burden put on teachers. The district utilizes teams of teachers to review the SLOs and to recommend changes to mitigate issues from the pre to post assessments. Additionally, we are moving SLOs to an online administration beginning with the post-­‐assessments for 2012-­‐2013 and both pre and post starting in 2013-­‐
2014. What is the status of the revised Wellness Policy/regulation? The policy is still under legal review. During the September 28, 2012 Dunwoody Chamblee Parents' Council (DCPC) public question and answer time, Ms. March said that DCSD would get back to Dunwoody Elementary School (DES) after the October 2, 2012 FTE count date to discuss the situation where DES lost their second assistant principal due to budget cuts and being "educationally empowered," even though DES has earned two assistant principals in the STAR Staffing Formula Based on Enrollment (DES has 956 students in ESIS). DES's only assistant principal will be out soon on FMLA. DES needs the support of two APs to meet the challenges of over 900 students, over 13 acres, two floor levels, a diverse student body with over 50 students involved with Section 504 plans for life-­‐threatening allergies and other disabilities, 54 certified employees requiring evaluation be the Teacher Keys evaluation system which equates to 324 required formal and informal observations between September and March, and improving student achievement. This school year, the financial economic status of the DeKalb County School District has been widely publicized. With that administrative leaders were charged with devising a strategy to eliminate costs, thereby making some difficult choices. One of those strategies involved assessing administrative support per school. For the 2012-­‐13 school year, schools were divided by achievement level based on the following levels: Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, and Performance Empowered. As a result, it was determined that for the 2012-­‐13 school year, schools considered Performance Empowered could handle less administrative support due to strong teacher leadership within the school. While the Region Office is aware of the upcoming absence of a DES assistant principal, effective parameters have been put in place to ensure a seamless transition in leadership. A replacement assistant principal will be assigned in January for the duration of the absence. In addition, central office staff will support Principal Sanders with evaluations using the TKES system. Lastly, continued support will be provided by the Region I Office. Ultimately, we are extremely hopeful that assistant principals for Performance Empowered schools will be reinstated for the next school year. However, we are confident that the strategies that have been put in place will ensure continued academic success for Dunwoody Elementary School. Have any of the DSCS vacant properties been sold or leased to relieve some of the budget issues? What is the plan for selling vacant properties and reducing the maintenance expenses that could go to educating students? None of the DSCS vacant properties have been sold or leased to relieve some of the budget issues. The School Board approved to name three properties as surplus in November, thus opening up the potential to place the properties on the market. Because Georgia has been excused from the NCLB regulations this year, does DCSS have an opportunity to make sweeping changes without fearing the loss of federal funding? DCSD is still held to high standards, including student achievement, gains and closing existing achievement gaps related to mathematics scores for all students and all subgroups. DCSD is committed to student learning and does not support pressuring teachers to manipulate grades in any way shape or form, nor for any reasons. We are focused on enhancing teaching and learning and welcome her support as a partner in our efforts. My children have been going to DeKalb County schools since second grade and kindergarten. Some of the most important figures in their education are the librarians who read stories, direct their individual readings, help them with school projects, run extra-­‐curricular activities, and manage the school websites. Can you assure the parents that you will continue to support the librarians as you make budget cuts and find ways to incorporate them into the curriculum as the emphasis changes to new standards? The DeKalb County School District recognizes the teacher-­‐librarian's (TLs) multidimensional position as a leader, an instructional partner, an information specialist, a teacher and a program administrator as a critical role for teaching and learning in our schools. Our goal is for our teacher-­‐librarians, specialists in building 21st century skills, to collaborate with classroom teachers, subject area specialists, to design engaging learning tasks that integrate key critical thinking, technology and information literacy skills with core content. In addition, teacher-­‐
librarians provide a library program that contains multiple instructional avenues and resources in various formats for the authentic application of information literacy skills; they are adept at finding the best resources, whatever the subject matter or reading ability of the student. Teacher-­‐librarians can support the implementation of Common Core Standards in five key areas: creating sound persuasive arguments with evidence, reading comprehension strategies, effectively using primary and secondary sources, reading and analyzing complex texts and reading and comprehending informational texts in all content areas. The six-­‐step research process developed by the DeKalb teacher-­‐librarians is part of the curriculum resources in IDMS available to teachers as they develop Common Core unit plans and lessons. To ensure that a CCGPS foundational framework is available for teacher-­‐librarians to utilize in their practice, the following professional learning opportunities have been collaboratively developed by the DeKalb Teacher-­‐Librarian Advisory Council (DTLAC), the CCGPS TL Redelivery team, Educational Media administrators, and Curriculum and Instruction leaders for the 2012-­‐13 school year: September 18 – 27, 2012 -­‐ Cluster Meetings and Professional Learning (by grade level) Falling Into the Common Core Trends, Issues and the CCGPS. Discussion includes how to use the text complexity rubric, extend text rationale and modify writing assignments. October 25, 2012 GALILEO and the CCGPS Learn how GALILEO resources support the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. Review GALILEO resources, including grade level informational text, primary sources, multimedia, curriculum tools, citing sources and more! November 12-­‐16, 2012 Regional Cluster Meetings The CCGPS and Britannica Online Database Presentation December 11, 2012 Common Core: Conversations and Reflections Part I Professional Learning update on CIAPL work and implementation of CCGPS and DCSD Curriculum. CCGPS Redelivery team will facilitate a presentation and breakout sessions on What is my role in Common Core: Five Key areas of support (Instruction, resources, collaboration, purchasing materials and program administration February 19-­‐28, 2013 -­‐ Cluster Meetings and Professional Learning (by grade level) Springing Into the Common Core Trends, Issues and the CCGPS April 16, 2013 Common Core: Conversations and Reflections Part II April 22-­‐26, 2013 Regional Cluster Meetings The CCGPS and ProQuest Spring Semester Review of K-­‐12 Unit Plans Teacher-­‐Librarians will review the K-­‐12 unit plans for ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Electives (World Languages, Music, Art, Dance, Theatre, and Health/PE) and identify district resources available to support the content/themes of each unit. This work is continuous throughout the second semester. Resources will be organized and published in IDMS. Lastly, the Educational Media & Instructional Materials administrative team attends and participates in all CIAPL meetings and work sessions. This ensures that the library media program is relevant and supports the implementation of the new curriculum and CCGPS. The IB program at Fernbank and Druid HIlls as well the magnet program at Chamblee have made a huge difference in the quality of work that students do at those schools. I realize that we need to have standards and tests. However, will you continue to support programs and efforts such as the IB and the magnet program, music, visual arts, the Fernbank Science Center, and introduce new programs that try to go beyond the test and standards and offer opportunities to really connect with the students by providing work that is meaningful to them? Assessment-­‐based learning simply does not offer some of the same opportunities to be creative as do these programs that are not based on testing standards. The DCSD gives careful consideration to the academic needs of students. Therefore, decisions regarding the possibility of continuing or extending programs such as IB and magnet programs are made in light of the needs of all students in the district and based on the availability of funding. We would like to hear from the Superintendent regarding the expectations for teachers to be engaged in actively teaching students as opposed to passively teaching students by something like showing a recorded video. How often would the Superintendent expect a middle school teacher to use a recorded video as opposed to another teaching method? How often should a teacher of a core subject use hands on teaching methods such as science experiments? It is recommended that a teacher use a variety of resource options to provide appropriate instruction until students demonstrate an independent understanding of the concept or skill that is being taught. Resources to deliver learning experiences can be vast and can include, but not be limited to, digital, hard copy, virtual science experiments as well as direct hands-­‐on science experiences. What is most important is that the teachers have several methods of teaching so that all learners have access to the content that is expected. Only the teacher can determined which resource is best to use for a particular skill that needs to be taught and learned. This type of decision is made in the classroom and should be based on the instructional needs of students as determined by pre-­‐assessment(s) or on-­‐going observation(s) by the teacher as she or he works with students. If there is a specific concern, you should ask to meet with your child's teacher directly. How is DeKalb preparing middle school students for careers in STEM? We see improved emphasis on math, but the curriculum appears to be an inch deep and a mile wide. Can you address that? Middle schools focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in two primary ways. Approximately 11 middle schools offer engineering/technology courses. Secondly, these schools also have active lego/robotics teams. The principals have made a commitment to offer these options to students. How did the county decide to continue with the current math curriculum? How was teacher's input used? How do you motivate the best teachers and encourage the weaker teachers to strengthen their skill set or move on? The district has not continued with the math curriculum that was provided to teachers in 2011-­‐
2012 because the state of Georgia mandated that the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) in grades kindergarten through 12 be taught in 2012-­‐2013. Because of this state-­‐required change, the district's curriculum is new and reflects the CCGPS. All teachers are expected to access and use the new curriculum. It is uploaded and available on the computers in teachers' classrooms. Yes, teachers were involved in the development of the district's new curriculum and they served on curriculum writing teams by content area and grade level expertise. Principals supervise teachers directly and have the final decision regarding how best to support teachers who demonstrate a need for more assistance in the art and craft of teaching. Why did the county keep the match curriculum when given the chance to change? How did money for textbooks come into play? The Board of Education's adopted and purchased textbook resources and support materials were identified and written into the new CCGPS curriculum as resource options whenever possible. Additionally, other public domain and digital resources were identified as options for teachers to use when teaching particular skills and concepts. If we are truly serving our children, why are we still serving them in old ways? Colleges now request that transcripts are sent online as well as counselor reports, teacher recommendations and the student’s application. The students and teachers comply, but our counselors are unable to do so due to "student confidentiality." There is a disconnect with our schools system and others, as other schools, districts and States do not seem to have the problem Dekalb does with this request. We are holding out students back by not moving to online transcripts. Can you change this IMMEDIATELY? We send all of the data required for counselors to send electronic transcripts through the GaCollege411 application. The data is also available for students to send their own transcripts through this secure website. I do believe that some schools are using this functionality. DeKalb County does not utilize class rankings. Parents have been told by Ivy League colleges that this hurts our students' acceptances. What is stopping us from getting this done? If we truly wish to make our students "marketable" to colleges, we need to be able to give them all the information they request. If we want our students to succeed, we need to make sure policies AND software are in place that allow us to become part of the 21st Century. If ESIS doesn't "allow" this, then we have the wrong system. The statement is correct. DCSD does not compute class rankings. Staff shared that this has been the case as long as they can remember. I can certainly share this individual's interest in making a change to include class ranks with Ms. March and Dr. Atkinson for consideration and I will include it as a point of discussion/consideration within the Division of C&I as we review/revise existing Instruction Policies and Regulations. This question is about funds spent on teachers, in schools (as opposed to county administrative costs, etc.) What is your expectation for next year's total in-­‐school teaching budget line, per child, compared to this year's -­‐-­‐ better, worse, or the same? Based on the early revenue projections we are planning on keeping the funding to schools the same as the current year. That is subject to change however, if the projected revenue changes get better or worse.