Are we getting an adequately educated population by any objective measure? My children’s schools were filthy on their best day. Employees may request ADA documentation from Employee Relations or bookkeepers. I’m still unclear if Jan. 4th is a teaching day. Yes, there are sanitizer stations, but half of the time, they are empty. 20+ years teaching, but I think it’s time to move on. If the COVID-19 cases in DeKalb County continue declining, DeKalb County School District officials anticipate starting the phased reopening of schools by … We can’t punish these kids for not being able to go to school. in … Lisa Baker, a parent of two students at DeKalb County schools and one of the organizers of Coalition for a Safe DCSD Return said, “We started organizing in October because the county started talking about sending teachers back and even when they had a reasonable metric that they wouldn’t have any in person learning until the cases were below 100 in 100,000, even then we were concerned about that being safe for teachers. Could you please post a link for teachers to find the necessary forms for taking a leave of absence, using FMLA, or resignation? If the settlement checks are “wages,” and if DCSD doesn’t pay into Social Security, then why is Social Security being deducted from the settlement amount?  2019-2020 Calendar We aren’t being given a choice. We have enshrined in Article VIII, Section I: Wednesdays will be reserved for small group instruction, tutoring, appointments for student conferencing, parent conferencing, services, professional learning, collaborative planning and instructional planning.”. Our principal disputes these dates being posted here. This all seems to be happening very fast. DeKalb County Schools release reopening plan for August. Knowing that, special areas will end up being the super spreaders as they move from one class to another. Thank you. Hallelujah! Update Nov. 7: Dekalb County School Board hosted a Town Hall for parents on Nov. 5. Help us provide you with free, quality local news. @ConcernedToo, If you decide to move on, what are you looking for? Education’s Future: School nurse shortage and teacher shortage. Most parents that agreed to hybrid did it under the original guidance. You mean the doctors and nurses that are at work F2F in close proximity with people who are all sick? Suck it teachers. Students and Families. DeKalb Schools has announced they will begin its re-opening process on a staggered schedule Jan. 4, 2021 with staff returning to school buildings. You can move anon. @disappointed-absolutley. Mrs. Watson-Harris was not honest. Superintendent, board members discuss DeKalb County schools’ … Please explain the logic? DeKalb Schools has announced they will begin its re-opening process on a staggered schedule Jan. 4, 2021 with staff returning to school buildings. We feel strongly that we should have the option for him to be face to face, so we are very happy with this announcement! Thank you for always keeping us up to date with DCSD decisions. The logistical challenges of the hybrid model are impossible to surmount. 01/16/2016 – Redistricting the Cross Keys Cluster And don’t forget about your virtual students! You WANT everything! @Dekalb Parent, The district has been using the Georgia DPH daily report for positivity rates. This is ridiculous! Is the two days per week transitional only, and if so, how long before they can go four days per week? • Most importantly, our youngest learners and our most vulnerable students must have the structure of learning within the school building to receive targeted support from educators needed to achieve academic success. It’s not just Dekalb, it’s everywhere. So the numbers are on the rise yet we are going back to the building. There may also be parents like myself that were not comfortable with the disruption of going back and forth between virtual and in person that would be comfortable with full time face to face. She knew what they were planning. That is all. Does that mean staying at home rather than going into the building? As parents, only we can decide what is best for our children. Everyone knows. News Release – DCSD Announces Re-Opening Plan. What if the positivity rate increases during any of these phases? This is how teachers are always treated. They see you as defiant if you stick up for yourself and your wellbeing. Although the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing, DCSD’s leadership, with guidance from the COVID-19 Task Force, CDC, and DeKalb County Board of Health, agrees that we must be vigilant and focus on the mitigation strategies to reduce transmission and prepare for re-opening schools in January 2021. A teacher holds a sign in front of the DeKalb County School District offices in Stone Mountain Dec. 29, during a protest against the return to in person schooling in January. Can you provide a link where to reference the Dekalb county positivity rate they are using? Gwen, a DeKalb County School District teacher holds a sign along Mountain Industrial Boulevard in front of the DeKalb County School District offices during a protest Dec. 29 against the return to in person schooling in January.  2021-2022 Approved Calendar 3) Ensure you and your child follow guidelines. English and Language Arts teacher Adam Beerman protests the January return to in person schooling with other DeKalb County School District teachers and parents in front of the district’s offices in Stone Mountain Dec. 29. That’s when I decided to permanently move on from teaching. Now there are dates. Local schools will collaborate with families to align the schedules of siblings. We will get good medical care if admitted to the ICU and sympathy. and this couldn’t be discussed. All politically motivated decisions. Small group is also done via Zoom. (Some high school classes may still have to be hybrid.). Illiteracy in our schools is so chronic and so epidemic that evaluation and reporting has been squelched over the last decade as if even looking would be like a nausea inducing glance at fresh vomit. It’s sick time/FMLA/or be fired. Stan, will school be returning to 5 days a week? Any plans for webcams or audio? Also many teachers are far from prepared to return and yet we are only given a week (not enough time ) to go back to school and prepare to receive students. I am not clear on how we can have a return date and meet the two weeks under 10% positivity rate. They are also the students who are most adversely impacted educationally and behaviorally with virtual school. I’d love to have their safety precautions, like students having to have a negative test to attend class each day (Germany). If an employee believes he/she has a medical condition that qualifies for an ADA accommodation, he/she must complete an ADA application and provide supporting medical certification to begin the process. And for the record, my wife is a pre-K teacher who has been in the classroom all fall, and my mother was a teacher for 35 years who just was forced to fully retire this fall when her half-time position was cut out of her school’s budget. The people I’ve spoken to are not as far along as you are though. Some of us will finish out the year, but not sign on for next year. But now they just throw the metrics out the window. I promise the Dekalb County School System that I will sue if my wife catches Covid just because you want to send the students back to school without even considering how the teaches feel about it. @ SHERRI E PAGE , are you a teacher? I’ve also contacted DCSD HR. The District will follow the guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health, DeKalb Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Email Board and Superintendent, 03/08/2016 – Approved Cross Keys Redistricting Plan Are these dates going to be pushed back if the under 10% positivity rate in the chart presented last night isn’t met by those dates? While I’m thrilled DCSD is finally coming around to the importance of in-school learning, I have some questions/comments that nobody has been able to answer: 1. Please see below. I’ve created a lovely home studio to teach virtually. I really, really hope I can see my kids in a classroom in January. To advertise with Decaturish, click here or email advertise@decaturish.com. You are not stuck in this profession! We’ve asked this question multiple times, and the county has refused to answer. HR refers me back to the information on the postcard. We often do not get straight forward answers from the district, and you’ve definitely proven to be the much needed intermediary between the staff and the ones in charge. *If you are not familiar with MS Teams, you’ll have to teach yourself as DeKalb is incapable of providing effective professional development on anything. If this is the case, principals shouldb able to decide how teachers will deliver instruction based on the needs of their school. Will virtual still be an option for those with an immune system issue? Copyright © 2019 Decaturish - Locally sourced news. To your point, how many people test positive using the rapid test, assume they are positive and don’t ever get a lab test. I really thought you’d make it to 2022. Will all special needs students return f2f with the first group of grade based typical students? Website Design by. DeKalb County School District (DCSD) announced Wednesday that it will begin its re-opening process on a staggered schedule on Jan. 4, with … Don’t spend too much time looking because you won’t find the part where “adequate” is defined but you will find much about delegating this “primary obligation” to local yokels and you’ll even find a millage cap handily exceeded by the DeKalb School System. DCSD Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris and her team presented the district's updated reopening plan during a virtual town hall meeting Dec. 14. #walkaway teachers! Any response on this yet? The administration tells me this is how students will be organized, “Schools will organize all classes into two cohorts based on alpha order to adhere to social/physical distancing requirements and safety guidance. Here is the link to the DCSD Town Hall presentation from last night. Your email address will not be published. Everyone I know is miserable and fed up and looking. The matrix says 3 days in person 2 days remote for staff, 5 days remote for students. When you meet someone and they tell you they could never be a teacher, it’s because they KNOW how badly we are treated. Move far far away. Reopening Framework. Are we jumping the gun? DeKalb County School District (DCSD) announced Wednesday that it will begin its re-opening process on a staggered schedule on Jan. 4, with staff returning to school buildings. Also, does the county have any information on when teachers will be offered the vaccine? Any thoughts? ”, https://theotherdunwoody.blogspot.com/2020/12/merely-adequate.html, I know that my room is nasty…still trash in wastebaskets and nothing clean…Let the sickness spreading begin…unbelieveable. I obviously am very interested in this as well. These students also must have parents sit side by side with them to provide assistance at all times during zoom “classes”. Mass exodus from education is probably likely. Tuesday’s protest drew a slightly larger number of people than last week’s protest, which saw approximately 250 people in attendance. It’s an elementary school, so that may be the reason. • 2 Days of face to face instruction per week Our school doesn’t have the capacity for all teachers to have their own teaching rooms so this is an issue that affects many “floating” teachers. Teachers and Students Are Coming Back To School, https://countyindicatororeport.s3.amazonaws.com/county_indicator_report_20201214.html#laboratory-tests, https://dcsd.sharepoint.com/hr/Pages/Forms.aspx, Giving Grace Network – Hardships For Children, DeKalb Schools 2018 and 2019 Independent Auditor’s Reports, Sept Survey Results – Updated Input on Returning to School, Football Spectators – Billboards – Teacher Town Hall, DeKalb Schools Is Returning to Face to Face Learning, DeKalb Schools Approved 2020-2021 School Calendar, Micro-Schools – Students & Teachers Coming Together, DeKalb Schools New 2020-2021 School Calendar, Survey Results – DES 4/5 Academy Site Name, DeKalb Schools – FY2021 Budget Considerations, Meeting 2 – Naming Committee – DES 4/5 Academy, Cheryl Watson-Harris – DeKalb Schools Superintendent – Sole Finalist, Meeting 1 – Naming Committee – DES 4/5 Academy, Virtual Classrooms – The Future of DeKalb Schools, Superintendent Search & Anna Hill, CPA, For Board of Education, FY2020 Metro Atlanta Teacher Salary Comparison, Superintendent Crew – Positive Public Feedback, Rudy Crew – DeKalb Schools Superintendent – Sole Finalist, 2020 Graduation Ceremonies – Superintendent Student Advisory Council, DeKalb Schools – End Of Year Guide For Students And Families, DeKalb Schools Closing – Coronavirus (COVID-19), Fall 2020 Redistricting Elementary Schools, Nancy Creek Elementary – Immediate Relief For Dunwoody & Chamblee Clusters, Dunwoody Elementary School Redistricting & Utilization, Correcting Operations Austin Redistricting Guidance, 2019 – 7 Year Enrollment Forecasts – Dunwoody Elementary Schools, 2019 Enrollment Forecasts For Chamblee & Cross Keys Elementary Schools, Dunwoody – Elementary School – Growth Projections, DeKalb Schools 2020-2021 Approved Calendar, Tomorrow Vote Yes-Robert Miller And NO-Revised Ethics Act, Austin Elementary School Redistricting – Round 2, DeKalb Schools E-SPLOST Project Recommendations, Public Feedback Results – GO Bond & E-SPLOST Projects, Redistricting First Round Summary – Austin and Doraville United, Meeting Tonight – Redistricting Dunwoody Cluster Elementary Schools, Redistricting – Geographic Proximity – Austin And Doraville United, Air Conditioning at Chamblee Charter High School, Redistricting Dunwoody Cluster Elementary Schools, Chamblee Charter HS – 2019 Milestones Results, Approved 2020-2021 School Calendar Dec 21 - Jan 1:…, DeKalb Teachers Get a 2.5% Raise And Start Stepping, 03/08/2016 – Approved Cross Keys Redistricting Plan, 02/14/2016 – Cross Keys Over Crowding – The Plan, 01/16/2016 – Redistricting the Cross Keys Cluster. I’m trying to get hold of both presentations yesterday. Full disclosure: my window doesn’t open, the HVAC at my school breaks down every other day, and you will need to bring your own PPE and sanitizing equipment (my “two month supply” of 2 cans of Clorox wipes will probably have already been used). DeKalb specifically hasn’t had a 7-day average of 2 deaths or more per day since August, and has operated for most of the fall under 1 death per day on average. What evidence do they have that test positivity rate is going to drop by January? Nor will they put their own families at risk. Visit Facebook Framework for Safe, Efficient and Equitable Return to School Chart . I can foresee technical difficulties the first week or so as teachers adjust to working from the schools and will not be surprised if this affects the testing schedules for high schoolers. Selected grade levels will begin in-person learning on Jan. 19, 2021. This is ridiculous! That staff meeting was misleading. William Hodge, 12, a seventh grader at Druid Hills Middle School and his mother Emily Klimkiewicz came out to support DeKalb County School District teachers Dec. 29, during a protest against the return to in person schooling in January. Teachers, the police have left Atlanta due to lack of respect. Is almost one in four NOT graduating adequate? Both their children’s schools have closed because of COVID numbers. The concurrent learning environment will support students based on their families’ choice to either attend school in-person or continue with distance/remote learning. If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. Not sure why you’re being so aggressive…. Not only because we are having to find out on your blog, but because we are NOT ready. Students in grades Pre-K, 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 9th grade will have the option to begin in-person learning [...] @anonymous-doctors/nurses will have sympathy for teachers because it’s work f2f or be fired for us. The metrics have changed, at first the county said it’s safe to go back to work when we have cases per 100,000 under 100. It’s not fair that I’ve got to give up what I love and risk dying. Thanks for sharing this Stan – have you seen any mention of the self-contained special Ed students? Will Dekalb go after teaching licenses if the teachers decide to quit? I attended a meeting today that outlines our “return-plan”, and I have major concerns. Local schools will collaborate with families to align the schedules of siblings. https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report. FYI parents- I know someone just diagnosed with Covid. • Neighboring districts have successfully returned with few incidents. I understand that being the prevailing sentiment early on in the pandemic, but to still feel that way now just boggles my mind. https://countyindicatororeport.s3.amazonaws.com/county_indicator_report_20201214.html#laboratory-tests, It looks like our superintendent has already backed away from communicating directly with staff and being transparent. Schools will organize all classes into two cohorts based on alpha order to adhere to social/physical distancing requirements and safety guidance. They also sent me this explanation for going back even though the number of infections is going up. • Even with rising rates, leading health experts have advised school leaders to identify opportunities for students to return to school buildings. Also, we are to report to our classrooms on the morning of January 4th to start teaching 1st block at 8 am as we are going back to a full schedule of some sort on the day. Teaching to the resignation question: do we get COVID, but i think when comes. 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