As drafted by a Lake Claire resident and circulated on the Candler Park Parents email list:
Jan 9 Meeting Summary (Key Points Relevant for SRT -3)
· Meeting started with a review of the redistricting project – what has been accomplished to date and next steps. Refer to the timeline later in this note for details on next steps and timing.
· The final 2 – 3 options will be presented at the end of January followed by more community meetings (refer to the get involved section for more detail).
· Morningside voiced their perspectives and presented a 1000+ signature petition. They want to keep Morningside Elementary in the Inman Middle/Grady feeder path (versus going to the proposed new middle and high school to be constructed).
· SPARK voiced their perspectives and also presented a 1000+ signature petition. They are very much opposed to the split academy proposal with Hope-Hill and want $ to continue to expand SPARK. Key concern of these parents is that their children were recently moved from Morningside to SPARK, and a split academy proposal would be yet another move for their children.
· Kirkwood residents made the case to expand either Toomer or Coan to be a K-8 school and rezone the neighborhoods to the north (i.e. 30307) to this school. Stated it would be fiscally irresponsible for APS to build a new middle school when an under enrolled facility (Toomer/Coan) could be used instead, and brought to capacity by rezoning neighborhoods to the north to it. (Kirkwood APS rep supports this and recommended the board consider this proposal)
· Consistent comments from many parents about the lack of transparency in the process, data inaccuracies, opposition to split primary school academies, the positives of having children attend schools that are walkable/bike-able, APS needs to improve the quality of all schools in the system, etc.
Key Takeaways
· The final 2 (maybe 3) proposals will look very different than the four options presented back in December. The original options were created to drive community feedback, and the final options take into account the community feedback (as stated by APS). So while the original proposals kept 30307 in the Inman Middle/Grady cluster, we should not assume we will remain in the final proposals
· While there were many requests for a more inclusive and transparent process, the timeline (see below) will not change (per APS). That means we as a community will need to be prepared to act quickly when the final options are presented late January.
· The final rezoning proposals are meant to last 10 years are longer – it is important that the final option is one that works for our community.
Redistricting Project Timeline
· January 2012 Demographers will develop the final 2 – 3 rezoning proposals based on ABOE and community input.
· January 30 – Feb 2 2012: Final 2- 3 options are presented, community meetings held.
· February 2012 – Demographers will collect and evaluate community response to the options and debrief the ABOE. Final report delivered.
· March 2012: Superintendent Erroll Davis will take ownership of the process through the following phases: Superintendent Evaluation, Superintendent's Public Hearings, and Superintendent's Report and Recommendations
· April 2012: Final Superintendent Recommendations to the ABOE
· Fall of 2012-13 School Year: Implementation
Get Involved
(1) Reach out to Our Representatives
It was clearly stated at the Jan 9 ABOE meeting that the demographers are still open to public feedback and are also taking into account guidance provided to them by APS Board Reps based on the community feedback they receive. The Demographers are drafting the final options, the Superintendent will recommend one to the Board, and the Board will make the final decision.
· Superintendent Erroll Davis: ebdavis@atlanta.k12.ga.us
· Brenda Muhammad: bjmuhammad@atlantapublicschools.us
· Reuben McDaniel: rrmcdaniel@atlanta.k12.ga.us
· Cecily Harsch-Kinnane: chkinnane@atlantapublicschools.us (CP/LC rep)
· Courtney English: cenglish@atlanta.k12.ga.us
· Nancy Meister: nmeister@atlanta.k12.ga.us
· LaChandra Butler-Burks: lbburks@atlantapublicschools.us
· Yolanda Johnson: yjohnson@atlantapublicschools.us
· Emmett Johnson: edjohnson@atlantapublicschools.us
· Demographers: APSdemographicstudy@atlantapublicschools.us
(2) Attend Key Meetings
Mark your calendars to attend these important meetings – strong attendance from our community is important to ensure our opinions are heard and that we are viewed as a cohesive, active group.
January 30th – SRT3 Community Meeting (Final 2 – 3 rezoning options will be presented and discussed)
- 6:30 p.m.
- Location: Jackson High
- 801 Glenwood Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30316
February 6th – Next APS Board Meeting
- 2:00 p.m. – Board Committee Meeting (no public comments)
- 6:00 p.m. – Community Meeting (public comments)
- ***It is critical that you arrive by 5:30 to get your name on the list to speak****
- Location: APS – The Center for Learning and Leadership Auditorium
- At 130 Trinity Avenue SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Where to Get More Information
Informational source organized by parents to support the Grady High School cluster of schools and help improve them where possible.
www.bigtent.com/groups/apsrezoning
Online discussion forum – very interesting to hear point of views from parents/residents of other neighborhoods (e.g. Morningside, Kirkwood, etc.).
http://eastatlanta.patch.com/search/articles?cat=1998198827
Community news site that regularly publishes articles and points of view of the redistricting, and also has a repository of all the neighborhood positioning statements.
Council of Intown Neighborhoods and Schools, represents a cluster of eleven schools, all located within Atlanta in town neighborhoods. CINS mission is to work with Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to foster the development of safe, quality education, in the Grady cluster of schools.
http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/Page/413
Atlanta Public Schools Redistricting Page
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