This is pretty interesting.

The AJC’s Maureen Downey – a Decatur resident – recently posted an extensive analysis by a reader that showed white students ITP actually posted better SAT scores than their white counterparts in the ‘burbs the last two years.  Both Maureen and the reader states that the analysis was done in reaction to numerous comments on the “Get Schooled” blog that…

“Many suburbanites on this blog contend that they would never send their children to city of Atlanta or DeKalb schools and that’s why they now live in Forsyth or Cobb.”

The reader admits that the SAT analysis is not exhaustive. They didn’t check the scores of every school district in the state.  However, they did go through all the urban and suburban districts around Atlanta.  (Also note that Downey states later on in a comment, that the AJC did vet the info before posting)

Here’s what “the reader” found:

In 2008-09 (the most recent data included at the state website), the Georgia system with the highest average SAT scores (math and verbal) for its white students appears to be Decatur City (1203); second is Atlanta City (1165); third is Marietta City (1150); and fourth is DeKalb County (1145).

For 2007-08, the top four appear to have been (1) Atlanta (1174); (2) Decatur (1166); (3) DeKalb (1136); and (4) Fulton County (1108). The statewide SAT average for all white students was 1042 in 2008-09 and 1040 in 2007-08

I know from prior discussions with many white parents (especially those whose children do not attend APS schools) that these results will strike some as unbelievable — that white students in Atlanta, Decatur and DeKalb public schools perform better on SATs than white students in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Fayette, Forsyth and possibly (probably?) every other system in the state of Georgia!

From Dave at Little Shop…

Thanks to all the Decatur businesses and orgs who have brought back this new Decatur tradition for a second year!

The announcement I had previously posted about the East Lake MARTA Station Emergency Response Exercise apparently had the wrong times in it.  The event will actually occur overnight tomorrow, NOT during the day as originally reported.  Here’s the correct info straight from the Decatur Minute…

On November 20th and 21st between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. the Decatur Police and Fire Departments will be assisting MARTA with an emergency preparedness exercise at the East Lake MARTA station. The following streets will be closed during the exercise:

-West Howard Avenue between Adair Street and Ridgecrest Avenue

-Paden Circle between East Lake Drive and West Howard Avenue

Residents along West Howard Avenue will be allowed westbound access, but may travel no further on West Howard Avenue than Chief Matthews Road. If you have any questions, please contact Deputy Police Chief J.K. Lee at (678) 553-6620 or keith.lee@decaturga.com. You can also find out more information by visting MARTA’s website.

From other reports I’ve read, the station will also be closed during these hours as well.

Sug passes along this information Atlanta Police’s Major Dalton, Zone 6 Commander…

On November 17, 2010 at approximately 8:30 p.m., a female was attacked while jogging on Ridgedale at Hillcrest. The victim was grabbed from behind and drug into a wooded area on the northeast side of Ridgedale after she crossed Hillcrest. Due to the time of night and the way in which she was attacked she is unable to provide a detailed description of the suspect.

The Departments Special Victims Unit will be handling the case and would appreciate any information residents in the neighborhood can provide. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or email me directly.

For those who haven’t seen it yet, Creative Loafing created this mock-up of a “Dunwoody Journal-Constitution” for their current issue, which features a lead article by Scott Henry entitled “‘Burbs or Bust”.

Many in-towners – including myself - have cited the paper’s move to Dunwoody and recent articles with a perceived anti-Atlanta bias to state show that “the AJC isn’t Atlanta’s newspaper anymore”.  In his article, Henry speaks of recent editorial changes at the paper including the facts that “… reporters are now forbidden from using the word “sprawl” and other terms that seem to cast judgment on the suburban way of life. The paper has even appointed a “bias editor” to ferret out even the unwitting inclusion of a turn of phrase that might cause offense to Northside readers.”

It’s a cry of a wounded population, compelled to reference Ralph McGill in moments of nostalgia for the newspapers of old.

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