Comments on: Decatur Superintendent Warns of Possible Staff Layoffs in Coming Year

By: karass

karass — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:00:37 +0000

For a second, I read your kid description as “nutty, happy, MOLDy, silly..” Until I had kids and started volunteering occasionally in classrooms, I did not realize how smelly children are! Thank you teachers for putting up with our children, moody and moldy as they are! And thanks for being great educators too. It is a rare, rare, rare CSD teacher that my children and I don’t love and respect.

I think most parents are trying for a tone of “vocal yet supportive” and assuming “good will”. Obviously from this blog, not all. But blogs and listservs seem to bring out nastiness and all who read them should dial back the rhetoric a bit in their heads. I remember some of the Yahoo groups from 2003-2004 and some of the posts were so nasty I considered private school thinking that children from parents who wrote those kind of posts had to be bad influences or bullies. I later found out who some of the people were behind the pseudonyms and many are wonderful, kind, generous folks–I still don’t understand why they used the language they did. I think some parents feel that they have been attacked or labelled or dismissed by CSD or CSD unconditional supporters when they have naively but sincerely brought up issues. When people feel hurt, it’s hard for them to feel empathy for who they feel are perpetrators.

By: Deanne

Deanne — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:40:32 +0000

“Parents, keep being vocal yet supportive and please assume good will.”

Perfectly put! Thank you!

By: Garrett Goebel

Garrett Goebel — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:48:18 +0000

Thank you. This survey was distributed at the System Charter Leadership Team (SCLT) meeting this past Wednesday.

By: Teach

Teach — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:32:22 +0000

CSD chose to become a charter system. If CSD wanted to avoid SLT influence then they’d have to be pretty short-sighted to choose a charter. Instead, I assume good will. New management systems aren’t perfect right away- most school employees have only (unfortunately) experienced top-down leadership styles. There is a learning curve.

I moved to Decatur in the early 1990′s and I remember the schools. . . ouch. They don’t improve this much on accident. It takes good decisions such as hiring Roaden to reform Renfroe. All evidence I have seen at Westchester indicates that decisions are truly made with the good of the students in mind. Thomas Van Soelen (I hope I spelled that right!) is absolutely amazing- I don’t know how one person can squeeze so many hours into a day.

I am a veteran teacher but began my career at another local district. CSD isn’t perfect but twice today (I swear-once at lunch and once at a faculty meeting) I literally took a deep breath and gave thanks for working at such a sane school system. I know how good I have it here. (God help me if I ever move.) Also, judging from our neighboring systems, electing competant board members is like playing Russian Roulette.

Parents, keep being vocal yet supportive and please assume good will.
I do, everyday, when those nutty, happy, moody, silly kids of yours run through my door.

By: Primadonna mama

Primadonna mama — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:02:29 +0000

Yes — very well said, Decatur Heights Dad.

By: macarolina

macarolina — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:40:22 +0000

Please note that sometimes districts have to put a RIF plan in place due to notice requirements, etc, but then often are able to drastically shorten the RIF list if not eliminate it entirely. It is a terrible environment to be in for the teachers, but some of it is for their benefit, so that the ones on the list have some notice and can maybe try and make alternative plans (easier done in different economy). Just wanted to remind folks that having a RIF plan is not necessarily the same as an actual reduction this fall.

By: karass

karass — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:52:23 +0000

Yea, I wanted to pick the one at each of those 4 levels but I guess that would be a little forward of me, no? But real glad that paraprofessionals, my heroes, are not being cut.

By: TeeRuss

TeeRuss — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:44:14 +0000

Either the buses run to and from the K-3 schools or they don’t. At a total system annual cost of $700k, reducing a few stops while still employing the same number of vehicles, drivers, and miles driven amounts to pocket change.

Eliminating bus service entirely for our neighborhood K-3 schools in Georgia’s Most Walkable City would save $150k or so. I’ve said before that we should press our advantages in terms of our compact geography, but I don’t think the ruckus caused by the removal of the transportation entitlement would be worth suffering through for $150k.