Agenda for March Meeting

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

1.     CALL TO ORDER

2.     INSPIRATION – Cheryl Anderson

3.     APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Joli Mauldin

4.     REPORTS

     a. PTA President – Jennifer Hatfield

     b. Evansdale Foundation– Devon Christopher

     c. Principal’s Report – Dan McGuire

          i. Staffing and Allotments

          ii. Enrollment

         

5.     UNFINISHED BUSINESS

a.     Magnet Revision Update  – Gretchen Neigh/Dan McGuire

b.     STEM Certification Update – Gretchen Neigh/Dan McGuire

c.     Additional resources to increase ELL assimilation – Gretchen Neigh

d.     Follow up on EIP – Dan McGuire

         

6.     NEW BUSINESS

a.     Report on Lakeside Cluster Meeting –Veronica Barnes/Joli Mauldin

b.     Foreign Language Offerings – Dan McGuire

c.     2013-2014 School Council Election Planning – Dan McGuire
d.   Tentative new discipline policy - Pamela McCloud

         

7.     DEVELOP AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, April 2^nd, 2013

8.     ADJOURNMENT

DCSD Announcement: Language Immersion Grant

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              CONTACT: DCSD Communications Office

                                                                                     404-486-3710

DeKalb Schools Receive More Than $600,000 in Language Immersion Grants

The grants will fund language immersion programs at Rockbridge, Evansdale and Ashford Park

Feb. 15, 2013 – A 2003 study by the College Board found that students who study a second language for four or more years score higher – by as much as 100 points per section – than their peers on the SATs. Soon students at three DeKalb County School District (DCSD) schools will have the opportunity to take part in dual-immersion programs, thanks to grants from the Georgia Department of Education.

Through the grants, DCSD will have the first German and French immersion programs in the state. Rockbridge Elementary and Evansdale Elementary were awarded the grant for French, and Ashford Park Elementary was awarded a grant for German. DCSD received the most grants of any district in the state.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to bolster learning in DeKalb, and we are incredibly grateful to have been selected,” said Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond. “In addition to the advanced cognitive abilities they’ll develop, these dual-immersion programs will help our children graduate with the kinds of skills that get them noticed by potential employers.”

Students at the three schools will begin their language study in kindergarten using a 50/50 immersion model. Training for teachers and staff will take place for a week in July in Augusta.  The grant is comprised of $15,000 per school for professional development and to offset costs of textbooks and materials and $590,000 of in-kind services for the district.

Will Evansdale become a Title 1 school?

I have been getting the question of when and if we’ll qualify for Title 1 pretty frequently.  In response to this repeated query, I did a little research.  I spoke with Anthony Threat, the State DOE Title 1 representative for our region, and got a little more information to put our chance of Title 1 funding into perspective. 

First of all, you can click here for a website with extensive information on Title 1 funding, if interested. 

Here is an excerpt from the website:

"Title I is a federal program that provides funds to school districts and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children who are disadvantaged to support a variety of services. Its overall purpose is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and assessments. The grant contains provisions for ensuring that children who are disadvantaged enrolled in private schools also benefit from the academic enrichment services funded with Title I, Part A funds."

To summarize my conversation with the regional representative for Title 1,  Evansdale is VERY unlikely to qualify for Title 1 funding anytime in the near future. 

Here are some specifics:

-        We live in a very poor county so there are many schools in our district with 100% of children below the poverty line. 

-        By law any school with 75% or higher kids below the poverty line MUST be served with Title 1 funds.  Any school below 75% poverty is up to the discretion of the specific district whether or not to fund.

-       Title 1 funds are not a per pupil amount.  That is, as the population of the county in poverty increases, the pot of money stays the same and gets cut into smaller and smaller pieces.

-     DCSD has set their service limit at 59.86%.  A school must be above that mark to get money.  Other wealthier counties have lower cut offs – some as low as 20% below poverty line qualify for Title 1.  That is not the case for DCSD.

-      Schools are served in rank order by law.  Even if we hit 59.86%, there are currently 15 schools ahead of us that are not yet being served with Title 1 funds but have higher poverty rates than us.  Even if we get to 59.86% poverty, the pie many not be able to be cut into enough pieces for Evansdale to get a slice. 

The State DOE Title 1 rep for our region (source of above information) mentioned grants and other funding sources but did not know any specifics – he just knew they existed somewhere.  He suggested that we pursue grants and other opportunities to bridge the gaps in our community. 

In summary, I think we can close the door on the possibility of Title 1 funding and turn our attention to applying for alternate sources.

Evansdale Receives Georgia Dual Immersion Grant

More wonderful news for Evansdale!

Dr. McGuire received notification from Dr. Mike Buck, Chief Academic Officer for Georgia Department of Education, that Evansdale was named one of only twenty schools in Georgia to receive a Georgia Dual Immersion Grant for the 2013-2014 school year. Evansdale was selected for dual immersion of French and English.

As recipients of this grant, Evansdale will will receive $15,000 ($5,000 for dual immersion professional development, and $10,000 to offset some costs for textbooks/materials). 

  

In 2012, State Superintendent Dr. John Barge set a goal for Georgia to have in place twenty dual-immersion programs by the year 2020.  These programs support the goals set forth in the Georgia Workforce Development Initiative (GWI) by providing the means to develop advanced-level speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in world languages deemed vital to the economic development of our state and region.

The program will be implemented starting with kindergarten and will be built upon each year moving forward, pending positive indicators of program efficacy.  Students will receive instruction in core subjects in French for half the day and in English for half the day.

This dual immersion program will complement the current program of French exposure that is available to the Evansdale students.  

Change in Aftercare Payment Options

I've heard that there are some concerns regarding the change in aftercare payment options.  I contacted Dr. McGuire regarding these concerns and have received the following response:

"Please tell parents to contact Mrs. Roth if they have questions concerning money orders. Yes, this is a directive from the county, but there are some ways to lessen the burden on money orders.  Also, I am getting clarification from the county."

As more information becomes available, I will pass it on.

Magnet School Announcement with Q&A

This communication will be available in the couriers this Friday:

Friday, February 8, 2013

Dear Evansdale Parents and Guardians,

As you may remember from last fall, Evansdale was faced with an important decision regarding our Magnet program. In the summer of 2012, the DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD) final budget eliminated all funding for the Evansdale Magnet program, with the exception of transportation for out-of-district students. For this reason, the School Council was tasked with developing a proposal for how our Magnet program could be revised in light of it receiving no funds. 

After drafting a Magnet proposal (see here for condensed proposal), we conducted focus groups, solicited opinions via email, and gave careful consideration of the input collected from the Evansdale community.  In December, we petitioned DeKalb County School District for a conversion of our Magnet program to a Magnet school.  The goal of this revision is to maximize student achievement for all students at Evansdale Elementary.

I am excited to report that we received word this week that beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, Evansdale will be a Magnet school, appropriately named “Evansdale Magnet School.” 

I am looking forward to Evansdale’s next chapter as one of DeKalb County’s premier Magnet schools.  I recognize that this is an extremely important issue that affects all of you in different ways.  I ask you to please keep in mind that we are one school and can accomplish more together than divided. I hope the Q and A found here will help  answer your questions regarding what this means for your child. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions. 

Best Regards,

Daniel J. McGuire, Ed.D.

Principal

Homeroom Counts for February 2013

These data were not available last night at the meeting but were made available today.

Homeroom/Grade Summary

2-5-13

Kindergarten

 17            

 20

 26

 19

 19

 18

119

                         

1^st grade

 22

 21

 25

 18

 17

103                   

2^nd grade

 24

 23

 24

 22 

 93

                

3^rd grade

 23

 23

 24

 22

 23

115                    

4^th grade

 26

 28            

 24

 24

102          

                                      

5^th grade

 34            

 32

 34

 100                   

Pre K

 22

  

Total School Enrollment    654

February Meeting Recap

The meeting was called to order at 5:02 p.m.  One parent representative was absent from the meeting.

Meeting minutes from January were approved (now posted on this blog).

Reports:
Jennifer Hatfield delivered the PTA president's report.  Ms. Hatfield indicated that Science Night was a success.  Upcoming PTA events include the consignment sale, Black History Month presentation, and Spirit Night at Coco Cabana. In addition, the PTA is seeking committee volunteers and nominations for next year's executive board.

Angie Claussen provided the Evansdale Education Foundation report.  The Foundation is accepting nominations for next year's board.  The spring Foundation fundraiser, Red, Hot, & Blue, will occur on March 23rd at the Greater Good BBQ.

Dr. McGuire provided the Principal's report.  He indicated that Ms. Reyes, the parapro from preK, was transferred to another school within DeKalb County to a kindergarten parapro position.  A substitute is currently helping in the preK classroom.  A substitute will remain in the classroom until a new parapro is hired for the position.  Anyone interested is encouraged to apply.  Enrollment and allotment updates were not available but will be emailed when available.

Unfinished Business:
Magnet Proposal - Word was received shortly before today's meeting that the proposal was approved as submitted.  Discussion focused on constructing a question and answer document to accompany the formal letter that Dr. McGuire will distribute on Friday.  The goal is to make the process and implications as transparent as possible for the Evansdale community.

STEM update - The information provided by DCSD regarding support for Evansdale's STEM certification was reviewed.  Nearly $27,000 will be provided by DCSD for technology and curriculum updates.  Additional funds will be provided for professional development for teachers.  The kickoff meeting for the STEM certification process is February 26th and more information will be available following this meeting.

Student Safety - Dr. McGuire reviewed the new security procedures started at the school.

New Business:
Angie Claussen presented on Engagement of International Families.  Obstacles specific to international families were detailed and ideas for better assimilation were explored.

Greta Massetti presented on Parental Involvement.  She recommended a subcommittee undertake identification of specific areas of intervention that could improve involvement.  In addition, issues more specific to international families will also be examined by this subcommittee.

Both Angie and Greta will again speak at the March School Council meeting.

The agenda for the March meeting was drafted.  In addition to standard reports, a STEM update, and additional discussion of parental involvement, discussion of foreign language offerings at Evansdale will be discussed under New Business.

APPROVED.

The proposal sent to the central office of DCSD to change Evansdale from a Magnet Program to a Magnet School has been APPROVED.  Dr. McGuire will send home formal communication in Friday's courier.  The precise wording of the approved proposal can be found in earlier posts on this blog.

Copy of Communication to DCSD Central Office

In response to the continued holding pattern I reported last evening, the following email was sent to DCSD School Choice administration, Evansdale's Regional Superintendent (Cynthia Brictson), and Dr. Jose Boza (who facilitated Evansdale's focus groups).  This email was sent from my personal account and was not an official School Council communication.  I provide this information here to facilitate full disclosure of my interactions with the central office on this matter.

Begin copied communication:

Good evening,

My original email appears below.  I had been assured by Ms. Copeland that an update would be available by today, Monday, February 4, 2013.  As a reminder, the proposal has now been in the central office for 8 weeks, and open enrollment starts in less than one week.  Ms. Copeland called me late this afternoon to indicate that no decision had been reached yet. 

Our School Council meets tomorrow at 5 PM.  I anticipate a very large community turn out at this meeting as they are expecting an answer on this subject.  It will be an embarrassment to both DCSD and Evansdale if a decision has not been reached prior to that meeting.  This decision will have substantial repercussions for our community regardless of the direction of the outcome.  It is extremely disrespectful of the families who currently attend Evansdale, whether in-district or at-large, and those planning for next year, to withhold this decision for such an extended period of time without even an attempt to engage in a dialogue.  The complete disregard DCSD has shown for the families who committed their time and input during the process, Dr. Boza who facilitated, Evansdale teachers who submitted input, and our school Principal who managed and coordinated the focus group event, is a travesty.  We came together as a community to provide a solution, and the process within the central office has been devoid of dialogue, efficiency or transparency. 

I look forward and hope for a response tomorrow, but given past history, admit I am not optimistic that anything beyond another delay will be shared with the Evansdale community.  The speculation among the families in our community has been that DCSD will simply ignore our request until it is too late to act, and it appears that this may be precisely the case.  In fact, many were reluctant to engage in the extensive process last fall because of the absence of faith in the central office of DCSD.  I did not share this opinion and trusted in the process.  I  believed that with the extensive course of action we undertook to design and vet the proposal, that surely DCSD central office would recognize our efforts and act in the best interests of our school.  I am shocked and dismayed to see that the distrust that runs rampant among DCSD constituents is founded in reality.  I had expected much more from DCSD despite all evidence to the contrary.  I truly hope that you will choose to engage our administration in a dialogue prior to the School Council meeting at 5 PM tomorrow.  For the past five months we have been asking for the DCSD central office to work with us to a resolution of this very important challenge to our school.  I hope that our efforts have not been completely in vain.  I remain available to discuss our proposed changes, or the underlying issues, with any member of the DCSD central office or Board of Education.

Best Regards,

Gretchen Neigh

Magnet Proposal Update - Continued Holding Pattern

I last updated the community on Thursday, January 31st, 2013, and indicated that Pat Copeland assured me that we would have an answer by today, Monday, February 4th, 2013.

I called the School Choice Office this morning and left a message for Ms. Copeland at approximately 10 AM.  I received a return phone call at approximately 4:30 PM today.

Ms. Copeland indicated that although our proposal has been reviewed and discussed, no decision is available at this time.

I asked when a decision could be expected and she was uncertain but felt that by 2 PM, tomorrow, February 5th, 2013, that a decision would be available.  I indicated that our School Council meeting is scheduled for 5 PM tomorrow and if a decision will not be available by that time that an additional meeting would need to be scheduled.  I also reiterated that open enrollment now begins in less than one week and our community is very uneasy with the lack of responsiveness and absence of transparency from DCSD.

I asked if any additional information or discussion from Evansdale administration or School Council would be helpful.  She indicated that all necessary information was available to them.  This indicates the School Choice office has been in possession of all information necessary for the decision making process since December 4th, 2012, but has not yet been able to come to a decision.  They do not want any additional information to assist in the process so it is unclear to me what the additional time is necessary to facilitate.

I will make additional phone calls to the School Choice office tomorrow and will also send email communication to DCSD central office staff to continue to try to push this issue forward.

While I felt that the request to wait until today was reasonable given the upheaval in the central office last week, I believe the time for patience is slipping away.

I will update the community as soon as I have any information to share.  We will have our meeting tomorrow at 5 PM regardless of whether or not DCSD provides a decision by that point.

New STEM logo for Evansdale!

To go along with our recent monetary and training support from DCSD for our STEM efforts, we also have an awesome new logo.  Thank you Lucy Foley for donating your time and talent to design this logo for Evansdale's STEM efforts!

Evansdale Receives District-Level Support for STEM

Dr. McGuire received the following notification today!  This is very exciting news for our school!  

More details will follow in the coming weeks.  

The below is quoted from DCSD communications to Dr. McGuire:  

Congratulations!  Because of your past participation in STEM activities, your school is being invited to become an initial site to begin district-wide STEM implementation.  Schools that commit to STEM implementation will receive the following district-level support:

  • Professional Learning for School Staff

  • Supplies and Materials for Teachers to Teach STEM Strategies to Students

  • STEM Lab Equipment

The end goal of this commitment would be to enhance elementary school STEM curriculum to aid in attainment of STEM program, or STEM school certification as defined by Georgia Department of Education.

The following elementary schools have been identified as schools that are included in the initial district-wide implementation of STEM: Cary Reynolds, Hightower, Vanderlyn, Henderson Mill, Smoke Rise, Evansdale, Redan, Browns Mill, Clifton, Camby Lane, Wadsworth, Chapel Hill, Narvie Harris, Princeton, Hamrick (15 Elementary Schools 3 from each region)