Also: Starlight Drive-in shooting trial; taxi driver arrested for dealing marijuana; Brookhaven burglaries, hit-and-run driver indicted on 29 charges; Buckhead armed robberies.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Michael Thurmond spoke to the Tucker Parent Council on Tuesday.
By Kirk Lunde I attended the Tucker Parent Council meeting on Tuesday night and next morning awoke with two thoughts. Interim superintendent Thurmond’s agenda is to fix the problems of the DeKalb County School District. The three previous superintendents had other, personal, agendas. The meeting can be described as an open conversation with stakeholders about the issues and concerns they have. That alone is a change from many of the previous public meetings. At the meeting I heard several things which give me hope for the future of the district. First was that Mr. Thurmond is seeking to gain an understanding the institutional history of DeKalb County Schools. While this may not appear to be a priority during this time of crisis, it …
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Applications to the Educational Scholarship Fund for high schoolers are being accepted.
DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis, in partnership with the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb County School District, has established the DeKalb County Educational Scholarship Fund for high school students. The fund will award multiple scholarships in amounts up to $5,000 to DeKalb County School District high school seniors who have been accepted into a two- or four- year college or vocational training program in Georgia. Scholarships will be awarded to students based on their financial need and merit. Students can apply for the scholarship now through April 19, 2013. The application is available here. Partnering with the School District, Chamber, and generous sponsors demonstrates our collective commitment towards investing in our …
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The 21-member Student Advisory Council will discuss SACS accreditation Thursday.
At 1:30 p.m. today, March 7, 21 members of the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) Student Advisory Council will join Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond for a videoconference with Governor Nathan Deal and two moderators. The students will have the opportunity to discuss all aspects of the district's SACS accreditation process, including the governor's decision to suspend six members of the DeKalb Board of Education. “This is a great opportunity for our students to be involved in the process,” said Thurmond. “This situation revolves around what's in the best interest for our children, and now our children will have the chance to share with the top official in our government how it's affected them. It means a great deal that our …
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Jim McMahan, who represents several Tucker schools, is unaffected by Monday afternoon's announcement.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced Monday that he is signing an executive order that accepts the State Board of Education's recommendation that six DeKalb school board members be removed. Deal made the announcement Monday afternoon during a press conference at the state capitol. Prior to the announcement, Deal huddled with members of the DeKalb legislative delegation for several minutes. Deal has also appointed a nominating committee to recommend new members of the school board, composed of Keith Mason, a current member of the State Board of Education and who will chair the committee; Jim Bostick, a former member of the state board of education; Sadie Denard, a member of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce; Alicia Phillip, president of the Community …
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6:53 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
So Alison do you think there is a chance for a person not of color to replace INTEREM Thurmond ex LABOR comm. more ›
The local elementary school gets a boost from the state.
Three DeKalb County schools will receive more than $600,000 in Language Immersion Grants, and Evansdale Elementary in the Tucker area is one of them. 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, according to a press release. The grants, provided by the Georgia Department of Education, mean that the DeKalb County School District will have the first German and French immersion programs 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…
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4:14 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
Really? Awesome! Now what about giving Language Immersion Grants to Midvale Elementary, Tucker Middle School, and Tucker High School since these schools make up the only tri-IB community in DeKalb County? Our current world language curriculum is a joke. It may be that the IB students in 11th and 12th grades are getting something more, but it is highly doubtful considering the many years I have … more ›
Attendees at a weekend meeting want to focus on children first, accreditation second.
Residents of DeKalb County gathered Saturday at a realty company in Decatur to discuss findings in the report on DeKalb County's School Board issued by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in December. SACS has placed the district on Probation. A panel of community leaders also presented highlights from a Grand Jury investigation into school system finances. Three grand juries have called upon the District Attorney to convene a special panel that would delve further into their concerns. Viola Davis, the event's organizer and a Patch contributor, has established a new group called Restore DeKalb, intended to return the county's school system to one that is focused on the children first, and accreditation second. That …
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Some parents think public comments are being used to convey the wrong message to the school board's new Interim Superintendent.
The DeKalb County Board of Education held its first public meeting on Feb. 11 since reaching a costly separation agreement with former Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Atkinson. It also was the public's first official introduction to a newly-appointed Interim Superintendent, Michael Thurmond, the former state labor commissioner. The school board complex on Mountain Industrial in Stone Mountain was packed, despite what the camera showed to audiences watching the live webcast. The public speaking time slots were filled to capacity as well, which made up for the relatively light business agenda covered by the board. On the agenda for the evening was the approval of AP Tests, more computers for STEM labs and a small increase in capacity for the …
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Interim head of DeKalb's school system will make his first appearance next week.
Michael Thurmond, Interim Superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, will appear at Oak Grove Elementary on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. This will be his first public appearance, aside from school board meetings, since being appointed on Feb. 8. He will make a speech and take questions from parents. "He understands people want to be assured that the board is going in the right direction," Board Vice-Chairman Jim McMahan told Tucker Patch by telephone Friday morning. "I appreciate his willingness to get out there." Related items on Tucker Patch: Jim McMahan Michael Thurmond
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12:47 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
Nine o'clock in the morning. Most parents are working, how many can be there? Single parents would have to take time off from work. This sounds like he is trying to avoid those who have serious questions. more ›
DeKalb school board says there's nothing to confirm or deny.
Twitter is ablaze with rumors that DeKalb Schools Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Atkinson will resign. The DeKalb Board of Education met on Friday to elect a new chair and vice chair, but was unable to do so because it lacked a quorum. Check out what the world of social media is saying about Atkinson's future with DeKalb schools.
Cheryl Miller
12:41 pm on Monday, May 6, 2013
I agree about the stability issue. I just don't think Thurmond can do all of what you suggest needs to be done in under a year and I don't have confidence that a BOE without him would be able to hire another Superintendent to carry on in the same manner. A year only gives us a taste of what our children should have, but not enough time to ensure they actually get it. more ›