Bulletin Board

The City Schools of Decatur BOE meeting recap newsletter is shared after each regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The September Board of Education meeting was held on September 10, 2024.

Meeting Agendas:

Pre-Work Session

Work Session

Board Meeting

The recording, which includes the pre-work session, work session, regular meeting, and public comment, is available here.

CSD was pleased to recognize the Beacon Hill Middle School division of the GENTS mentoring program and the young men who have embraced the values of GENTS, answering the call to be Gentlemen Exceeding with the Necessary Tools for Success.

The GENTS program was preceded by the Young Men of Distinction (YMOD), a mentoring group founded by then-assistant principal Derrick Thomas to address the needs of students feeling disconnected from their school community. This initiative was the first CSD-sponsored mentoring group to enhance student engagement and foster a more inclusive school experience for a targeted group of students.

The GENTS program was founded in 2017 and is now led by Dr. Charlie McAdoo, Jordan Muse, and Dr. Melvin Ratcliff. In partnership with our district’s equity team, the GENTS program creates a supportive and enriching environment for the young men at Beacon Hill Middle School and Decatur High School. GENTS aims to foster a sense of community, encourage positive behavior, promote academic integrity, and nurture character development and integrity.

2024-2025 BHMS GENTS Roster:

Marc Alexander

Evan Dallas

Mason DeGrammont

Braylen Griffin

Jason Elder

Stefan Ferguson

Marlon Haygood

Czar Goodley

Silas Lee

Yahya Mohamed

Jeilani Osman

Orryn Patel

Zachary Philbert

Chase Pirtle

Matthias Ratcliff

Michaiah Ratcliff

Boaz Shelton

Tristan Sims

Knight Smith

Kaden Stephens

Jonathan White

Jayden Young

At the end of the 2023-24 school year, CSD schools honored one Teacher of the Year (TOTY) from each school for motivating and inspiring their students to achieve, lead, and collaborate. These teachers were recognized for their contributions and will serve for the current school year. Decatur Education Foundation Board Executive Director Megan Berardi joined the TOTY recognition to generously provide a check for each winner to support innovation in their classrooms.

Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to DEF for its continuous support of our fantastic educators!

School-Level Teachers of the Year

Asia Sylvest, One-year-old Teacher at College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center

Monica Nelson, Music Teacher at Clairemont Elementary

Susanna Shewan, LINKS Teacher at Glennwood Elementary

Eleanor Ball, Special Education Teacher at Oakhurst Elementary

Jamie Montgomery, First Grade Teacher at Westchester Elementary
Kelly McCool, Kindergarten Teacher at Winnona Park Elementary

Corinne Smith, Media Specialist at Fifth Avenue Elementary

Jessica Young, Fifth Grade Teacher at Talley Street Elementary

Christine Kraemer, Band Director at Beacon Hill Middle School

Dr. Cassy Smith, Science Teacher at Decatur High School

Jessica Young, Fifth Grade Teacher at Talley Street Elementary School

We are thrilled to name Jessica Young the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year! Ms. Young will apply to be the 2025-2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year, named in May.

Below are comments from Ms. Young’s colleagues who shared their experiences of working with Ms. Young.

“Ms. Young’s classroom is special. You see collaboration, talking, dancing, standing on chairs, and most importantly, learning.”

“Ms. Young’s classroom is an excellent example of a place where students feel safe and supported. She celebrates their differences and builds on their individual talents to make her room a loving and engaging place. She is willing to dive into anything if she feels it will help her students and is not afraid to ask for help or collaborate with other staff members.”

“Ms. Young is deeply invested in her students’ success, and the kids feel it. I see them wanting to live up to her high expectations of them. She’s not afraid to communicate her care to them and to say, “I believe in you, and you can do this,” and her belief inspires theirs. All of her students rise to meet her standards. They are orderly, engaged, and they don’t make excuses.”

“She inspires her students to reach for new levels of academic and personal success by holding them to rigorous standards. She provides enriching, experiential learning opportunities to keep kids engaged and invested in their learning. And she creates a sense of connection and community in her classroom and beyond that makes kids excited to be here.”

Congratulations, Ms. Young!

On behalf of the board, I want to join Dr. Whitaker and school districts across our state and nation in standing with the Barrow County School District and Winder community following the terrible tragedy at Apalachee High School. The safety of students and staff is the top priority of every school district. This tragic event serves as a reminder of the critical role we collectively play in the safety of our school community. If you see or hear something suspicious, please report it immediately.

We continue to appreciate the community for supporting our students and staff, celebrating our schools, and recognizing this month’s observances. In addition to those mentioned by Dr. Whitaker, next week marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month. The theme for 2024 is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” Beginning September 15 and lasting through October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

During today’s pre-work session, the board updated our communications norms to reflect the addition of our new student board representative, and we continued our book study on “The Governance Core: School Boards, Superintendents, and Schools Working Together.” We then heard the administration’s recommendations for financial policies and the proposed FY26 budget calendar for consideration.

We saw four presentations during the work session. The first presentation was on the soft launch of a new process called ResolveCSD. The board was excited to learn about the administrative plans for more timely and thorough responses to issues and concerns from us. As a reminder, Constituent Services or Resolve CSD is a process, not a person. We want to ensure that all CSD community stakeholders feel seen and heard.

We were also pleased to learn that plans are underway for a framework for social-emotional learning, or SEL, which is long overdue. This was followed by an overview of the strategic project of our Harvard Graduate Resident, Pascale Thompson, will complete during her ten months with CSD. The final presentation was the district’s Capital Plan, which included recommended priorities for the next three years, including facilities, safety, IT, textbooks, and a new early childhood learning center.

As I close, the board would like to salute the student members of the Beacon Hill GENTS on their achievements and all of this year’s Teachers of the Year! There are countless amazing things happening around the district. I often almost pause when I try to mention them out of fear that I'm going to leave something out. But after the tragedy of last week, for me personally, it was so amazing to see many smiling faces at the Battle of the Bands at Legacy Park. Congratulations to Glennwood Elementary for their win, and thank you to DEF for organizing the event. From my daughters, I have been hearing about the undefeated middle school girls' volleyball team, and so many more that we should be celebrating and praising for what they do and represent in our community. The plans for Spirit Week at Beacon Hill and Tally are impacting my family, and my daughter's choice of which hat to wear is the most important thing in her world right now. There is so much to celebrate around here.

I want to remind the public and personally invite you to the board’s upcoming fall community meeting on Wednesday, September 18, at 6:30 pm. The board community meetings provide opportunities for the public to ask questions directly to the board and receive immediate feedback. We will also delve into the plans for the new constituent services process, ResolveCSD, provide details on how we develop policies, seek your input on the policies we should explore, and discuss possible topics for a future Parent University.

At the end of the chair’s comments, Board Member Hans Utz addressed CSD’s plans to build a new early learning center on the Electric Avenue property, which is available in the meeting recording starting at 3:19:26.

I would be remiss if I did not begin by again providing condolences to the Barrow County School System, specifically Apalachee High School, and the entire Winder community. Our thoughts are with the students, staff, and families as they cope with their grief and the trauma of this recent tragedy. I must also express my support for my colleague, first-year Barrow County superintendent Dr. Dallas LeDuff, as he joins his school community in their grief while determining the difficult path forward.

During these unsettling times, we all must join together to navigate the uncertainty ahead. Students, families, and staff are encouraged to utilize district resources like those offered through the Decatur Student Center. The National Association of School Psychologists, also known as NASP, has additional resources on its website to assist families and educators in speaking with children about violence.

The Georgia Department of Education, in partnership with Acentra Health, the provider of GaDOE's Employee Assistance Program, is also providing school employees access to a series of support webinars. They began yesterday, Monday, September 9 and will continue through Friday, September 13, 2024. One of Acentra Health’s clinicians experienced in conducting Critical Incident Responses will help normalize trauma responses, lead attendees through what to expect following a critical incident, and provide support to help you navigate this very trying time.

I want to remind our CSD community of how critical it is to remain vigilant to maintain safety in and around our school community. If you see something, please say something immediately. We are listening.

As CSD strives to ensure the safety of all students and staff, I want to mention that September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and this week is National Suicide Prevention Week. CSD is responding to the national call to promote awareness of this mental health crisis and to share resources to assist with prevention.

Mrs. Karen Newton Scott, Deputy Superintendent, and Mrs. Jennifer Burton, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, shared the results of our universal screening data, the STAR assessment. Their presentation can be viewed in the meeting recording starting at 2:50:25.

In this same vein, September is also National Attendance Awareness Month and National Literacy Month. CSD’s 2024 theme for Attendance Awareness Month is “All In – Every Day Counts!” Posters will be placed in every school to reinforce the importance of students being present every day and ready to learn, as well as the value of regular attendance to student achievement.

During National Literacy Month, CSD invites families to support us in emphasizing the importance of literacy by encouraging the students in your life to pick up a book! Reading provides many lifelong benefits for students, and the earlier they start, the better. We also invite our entire school community to join us for our Decatur Reads Week, September 30 through October 8. CSD is fortunate to have a wonderful group of parents who will volunteer to be mystery readers during Decatur Reads Week. I will also be a reader, along with the Honorable Stacey Abrams and former UGA and NFL football champion Malcolm Mitchell. Be sure to check your school newsletters in the new CSD Weekly Newsletter for a complete listing of events.

Speaking of literacy, I spent my first year as superintendent listening and learning about CSD, Decatur, and its history. I may not be able to address every concern. Still, I am working diligently to address those that have historically created barriers for all students to participate in the many offerings of our school district and the decisions and conditions that have disproportionately impacted our most marginalized and vulnerable students.

While environmental equity is important, I am mindful that the core focus – in fact, the sole focus of my role and responsibilities as superintendent of the City Schools of Decatur – is providing educational equity for all. I am equally aware of my charge to be fiscally responsible for current district assets, including ensuring they are used for their intended purposes.

Seven years ago, when CSD purchased the land adjacent to this building from the Decatur Housing Authority, DHA stipulated in the deed that the land be used explicitly for educational purposes.

In addition to being aware of this stipulation, as an educator, first and foremost, I have read the research and seen proof of the link between early learning experiences and school achievement, emotional and social well-being, and later adult productivity. Early learning from ages 0-3 the a way to provide educational equity in CSD for all students.

I am dedicated to following through on the board’s plans to make good on our commitment to using the adjacent property to build an early learning center that will close the achievement gap for our students who need it most. I look forward to hearing innovative ideas and input from the community on how we can best use our current property to make an early-learning educational facility a reality. An early learning educational facility will provide environmental equity while upholding the wishes outlined in the deed by the previous owners, ensuring that we no longer graduate seniors in the City of Decatur with a 35% proficiency rate in reading.

Finally, in our continuing efforts to execute the All In Decatur strategic plan goal of building and sustaining an engaging and inclusive culture, I am pleased to announce that six of our schools have been recognized by the Georgia Department of Education for supporting a positive school climate through the implementation of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework during the 2023-24 school year. Four of which are achieving this status for the first time!!!

Congratulations to Clairemont Elementary and Oakhurst Elementary for maintaining operational status. We also celebrate Beacon Hill Middle and Glennwood, Westchester, and Winnona Park Elementary schools for achieving this status for the first time.

Thank you to ALL schools for your hard work! We are confident every one of you can achieve operational status this year. Let’s GOOOO!

Chair Herndon, that completes my report.

The board unanimously approved the following consent items:

• July School Nutrition Fund Report

• July Financial Reports

• August Personnel Report

• Overnight/Out-of-State Student Travel

The board unanimously approved the following policies:

• Policy GARHB - Paid Parental Leave

• Policy EDC - Transportation Safety

• Policy GCRA(1) - Drug Screening of Bus Drivers

• Policy JGCD - Medication

Next Regular Board Meeting: The next regular board meeting will be on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

Other Upcoming Meetings:

• Board Community Meeting: Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 p.m. at Oakhurst Elementary

Link to Join Board Meeting Virtually: https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/95614159391

Board Agenda(s): Go to Simbli to access the CSD Board of Education meeting agenda(s), supporting documents, and meeting minutes.

Public Comments: Click here for information on signing up to speak at a CSD Board meeting.

Contacting Board Members: Email the entire board at board@csdecatur.net. Click here to view board member bios and contact information.

The board values hearing from members of our community. Each board member reviews and reads all emails sent by our stakeholders.

Georgia law governs school boards, and they cannot intervene in the day-to-day administrative operations of the school district, including direct staff and personnel matters. If you write to us with a concern about district operations, your message will be forwarded to the school or district administrator, who can best address your concern.

The board has also adopted a set of norms that govern our local communication protocols. These include:

1. Emails to individual board members are shared with the entire board.

2. Issues and concerns received by the board and or individual members will be referred to the Superintendent.

3. Board members will follow the chain of command and will educate, instruct, and encourage others to do the same.

4. The board chair will reply to emails from constituents sent to all board members. That reply will include the Superintendent and other board members on the thread and inform the constituent that the Superintendent or their designee will respond to the inquiry/request.

5. Direct all stakeholders’ questions, input, or discussion to the Superintendent, who will communicate them as needed to the board.

Email: board@csdecatur.net
Website: csdecatur.net
Location: 125 Electric Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: (404) 371-3601