Principal and Teacher Vacancy Report And Selection Process

48 responses to “Principal and Teacher Vacancy Report And Selection Process”

1. Kimberley | July 13, 2017 at 10:43 AM |

   sent via Facebook
   As a Chamblee High parent, I am frustrated. We just received an email that said, in part, “It was anticipated that the new Principal would be selected by the last week in June to have cross-training time with Dr. Sauce. On 6/30, DeKalb County informed the Governing Board Chair that even though their intent was to have all the new Principals selected by 7/1, that none of them would be, including ours. They would all be selected after July 4. In a DeKalb County School Board meeting July 10, Dr. Green admitted that he is the hold up in the process as he is interviewing all the top candidates for new Principal positions.
2. Lynn | July 13, 2017 at 10:59 AM |

   sent via Facebook
   If you are frustrated and I am way past that wall. I have been trying to work on my sons schedule since February. I cannot get an answer from no one. I have even sent an email to Dr. Lisa Martin the head person of curriculum and instruction in the county and I have still heard nothing. I did find out at a band meeting on Monday night that we do have a sub principal. I don’t know why we as stakeholders in the school do not know who that is.
3. Stan Jester | July 13, 2017 at 11:04 AM |

   While I’m very happy the administration is including the school councils and governance boards, I’m concerned about the process taking so long right now. Principal position candidates are anxious to know if they are still in the running … as you may have noticed. My concern is that they are getting other offers from other school districts and taking the bird in hand by going somewhere else.
   Between the board meeting this week and the exchange of emails over the last couple of days, the school district seems to have received the message to step up the schedule and amount of communication to the candidates and community.
4. cap22 | July 13, 2017 at 11:29 AM |

   principals want be named until July 27 and school starts on August 7 and nobody on the board sees this as a problem?
   You all managed to put together an unnecessary convention nobody wants.
5. Adrienne Duncan | July 13, 2017 at 12:19 PM |

   Stan, is there an online list of teacher vacancies anywhere?
6. Stan Jester | July 13, 2017 at 12:32 PM |

   Adrienne,
   Here’s the HCM Report. You could also go to PATS, or ask the principal or central office.
   Cap22
   At the June board meeting, we weren’t aware of the schedule. I asked for a principal vacancy update and was only provided a list of open positions. It wasn’t until this week that we learned of the schedule. The red flag on the timing and communication to the candidates has been raised.
   “unnecessary convention nobody wants” – Why do you say that?
7. Anonymous | July 13, 2017 at 2:01 PM |

   The fact that Superintendent Green chooses to spend this week at a “Superintendent Summit” rather than making Principal selection his top priority speaks volumes.
   I also wonder if Principal candidates were informed of this process. From the questions posted on Stan’s blog it doesn’t appear that they were told how the process works or the general time frame before a decision would be made. Did our crack Communications team miss something? Or maybe they were working on the Convocation and Billboard campaigns and couldn’t be bothered to communicate with folks who might actually want to save DeKalb’s bacon and take a job with us.
8. cap22 | July 13, 2017 at 2:07 PM |

   Because this convocation, convention or what ever you want to call it, is about a superintendent showboating and grandstanding.
9. Stan Jester | July 13, 2017 at 2:12 PM |

   convention – convocation … that makes sense. I thought you meant … convention – the way the principal hiring process was done.
10. Anonymous | July 13, 2017 at 2:38 PM |

    Look how long these key vacancies have been open!
    Principal and Assistant Principal vacancies have been posted for an average of 9 weeks!
    Montclair ES wins the dubious prize for waiting more than 18 weeks on a new Principal.
    The opening for the International Student Center wasn’t posted until June 15, even though Stan posted about this reassignment on May 12.
    Lakeside HS has been waiting 18 weeks for a new Assistant Principal.
    – Are there no applicants?
    – Are the applicants not qualified?
    – Or are qualified applicants just left hanging because either HR can’t get it together or Dr. Green isn’t available to do his part?
    There is something terribly wrong here.
11. AB | July 13, 2017 at 4:18 PM |

    Based on the info in Phase 4, Dr. Green will be interviewing between 34-51 principal candidates (2-3/school times 17 schools) in 4 days. Doing the math, that’s rougly 9-12 interviews/for 4 straight days. Having been in the hiring business, that is not a manageable schedule. All the candidates start to run together and there isn’t enough time to drill down and vet them properly for himself. Then there’s always the unfortunate but quite possible chance that the 2-3/school are lots of the same individuals and will get picked for one school or another…that we don’t have 34 – 51 highly qualified candidates from which to chose. Both scenarios are unacceptable. Unless they are coming from within DeKalb, they will have to give notice to their current employer – a proper notice being a minimum of 2 weeks (from July 24) ..which puts them starting in DCSD the same day students arrive.
12. Lynn King | July 13, 2017 at 4:21 PM |

    With the late hiring/decision date…. What about if this candidate is from outside the DCSD? Doesn’t that candidate have to give 2 weeks notice? Now, doesn’t that put that starting after pre-planning has started?
    What about if this candidate is from inside DCSD? Now you have created a whole whether it be AP or teacher that now has to be filled with no time to fill it.
    Who really is going to win in this situation?
13. Stan Jester | July 13, 2017 at 7:02 PM |

    I’m guessing any decent principal candidate is applying in multiple counties. What principal is going to wait until 3 weeks before school starts to accept a job offer? I hope we’re not scraping the bottom of the barrel.
14. Kirk Lunde | July 13, 2017 at 8:54 PM |

    Stan,
    At this point, yes. DeKalb is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Any decent candidate would have accepted another position before now.
15. Retired DeKalb teacher fed up with wasteful spending. | July 13, 2017 at 10:54 PM |

    What the hell has HR been doing all summer? 270 teacher needed and when white people apply they ignore the application, not even a thank you or your application is complete and on. File! NOTHING but silence….
    Get to work and earn that big pay check!
16. M | July 14, 2017 at 9:59 AM |

    If anyone tried to understand the 4 Phase nonsense, it’s impossible. This was just dreamed up after the applicants started to complain. What is the supt doing at some silly meeting? That is not his job! His job is to provide us with teachers and principals. Of course, he thinks he can create more confusion by saying he is personally interviewing principal candidates, and he is correct! DeKalb is just a joke because of this string of nutty supts; no decent principal would be waiting around when they can clearly see the mess the supt has made of this process. They should understand they, each one of them, will be treated to his same disrespect, one at a time or mass reassignments!
17. Shannon | July 14, 2017 at 2:54 PM |

    sent via Facebook
    Having worked in school administration and being a teacher, I know it takes a whole summer for administrators to be prepared for the new school year. Those principals should have been hired in June, at the latest. I have found that the Dekalb administration runs on a really “relaxed” schedule. They don’t hold themselves to a high level of administrative efficiency or high quality of work. This is apparently a leadership issue.
18. DeKalb Student Alumna | July 14, 2017 at 3:19 PM |

    It’s ridiculous for candidates to wait this long. At this point they will have 2nd rate candidates and will be forced to hire anyone to fill a position.
    @Retired DeKalb teacher fed up with wasteful spending.
    There are white teachers being hired. Perhaps you should attend New Teacher Orientations.
19. Anonymous | July 14, 2017 at 8:40 PM |

    Whew!!!!! Just so glad that I escaped the sesspool called Dekalb County Schools. Good luck to all of the suckers left.
20. Cere | July 14, 2017 at 9:35 PM |

    Does DeKalb Early College really need an assistant principal? They only have about 100 students don’t they? Can’t a highly paid principal handle it?
21. We're Out DeKalb | July 15, 2017 at 9:20 AM |

    @Shannon You are correct. This district is very relaxed – reactive; last minute; hoping no one says anything; going through the motions no substance. Thanks to the ones who really want to make a difference. The work is never easy with incompetent, central office so called leaders who are overpaid. @DeKalb Student Alumna Yes, you are correct. White teachers are hired. Many white new hires work at South DeKalb schools and last less than two years. DeKalb Schools do not provide any professional development on working in high poverty schools; ELL population; culture training; working with parents…
22. Anonymous | July 16, 2017 at 5:05 PM |

    @Cere,
    DeKalb Early College Academy had 308 students per the March 2017 FTE data. So they are not quite as small as you stated, but still extremely small for a high school.
    However, I am totally with you about small schools. I like them philosophically but NOT when they grab funds disproportionately from other schools. https://app.doe.k12.ga.us/ows-bin/owa/qbe_reports.public_menu?p_fy=2000 is the QBE website that shows what the State of Georgia funds.
    – QBE funds from the State of Georgia are based on Elementary Schools of 450 students and above.
    – QBE funds from the State of Georgia are based on Middle Schools of 624 students and above.
    – QBE funds from the State of Georgia are based on High Schools of 970 students and above.
    Well, per March 2017 FTE data,
    DCSD has 11 Elementary Schools with less than the 450 students needed to earn QBE funds.
    DCSD has 5 High Schools with less than the 970 students needed to earn QBE funds.
    What I think this means is that these 16 “too-small” schools take more than their “fair share” of funding.
    Stan, do you know how these “too-small” schools are funded?
    I find it especially disturbing when the new DCSD model for Elementary Schools is 900 students, yet we have 11 that don’t even have 450 students.
    The new model for Region 1 high schools is 2000+ students, yet DCSD has 5 high schools that don’t even have 970 students.
    Fairness and equity? Or maybe I’m missing something here.
23. T. Leak | July 17, 2017 at 1:33 AM |

    “Dr.” Green’s true colors are becoming more and more evident. He’s all about protecting his cronies, friends and fraternity brothers and reassigning tenured employees in the most disrespectful way possible all the whole showing his blatant disregard and disrespect for the students and professionals who’ve served the county for decades. His poorly built house of cards will soon fall, leaving the school system I. Even more shambles. He’s an embarrassment.
24. RunAmok | July 18, 2017 at 11:00 AM |

    Unfortunately, he has some ardent supporters still out there who see nothing but sunshine and rainbows. Hopefully they see the light soon. Thanks to Stan for exposing the corruption through this blog.
25. Kirk Lunde | July 18, 2017 at 2:33 PM |

    There may be white teachers who are hired, but I can tell you from personal experience, there are also teachers who get no response from HR after filling out an application. My guess is it isn’t a racial problem, but a problem with the HR department.
    I was working as a paraprofessional in DeKalb and passed the GACE for special education and middle school math. You would think a male willing to work in those areas, would get some feedback after filling out applications multiple positions on PATS. Nope.
26. Cere | July 19, 2017 at 9:28 AM |

    @Kirk. I also personally know of several highly-qualified people who applied for jobs in DeKalb and were either ignored from the get-go, or asked to submit mountains of paperwork and then ignored.
27. Cere | July 19, 2017 at 10:00 AM |

    @Anonymous– You have hit upon something I griped about for years. Our average classroom sizes across the county are wildly inconsistent. As inconsistent as our test scores. Yet, we only report the ‘averages’, which make things look acceptable. In reality, things are terrific for a select few and horrific for many … creating an average that appears to be within the norm.
    Granted, spending will obviously be much higher where we have intense special education programs — Margaret Harris for example. However if you take schools like DeKalb Early College, DeKalb School of the Arts, as well as several other theme and specialty schools and look at not only their very low class sizes, but the fact that they also enjoy a full administrative staff, cafeteria staff, custodial staff, and library you will see that they take far more than their fair share of funding. Their per pupil spending is wildly out of line. We reported on this once years ago when Paul Womack gave us access to a per pupil spending report after we filed a FOI request. We were never given access to these reports again.
    Here’s an excerpt from our 2011 report >>
    “Some of our most outrageously expensive programs are of course high needs special education (Margaret Harris spends $35,942.47 on average per pupil and Coralwood: $24,881.44 per pupil). But you may be surprised to learn that some of our alternative programs cost much more (Some examples: DeKalb Truancy: $45,292.61 per pupil, DeKalb Early College Academy: $14,410.78 per pupil, Elizabeth Andrews HS: $12,151.96 per pupil, DeKalb Alternative: $20,792.11 and DeKalb Alternative Night School: $18,958.90, DeKalb Transition: $20,265.86, Gateway to College Charter: $16,319.21).”
    “Interestingly, as we expected, DeKalb School of the Arts and other magnets cost more per student than regular schools—however, some regular schools spend far more per student than others. Factor in the additional bump from Title 1 and some of our schools are bringing in quite a lot of money for student education.”
    “So it seems that we have plenty of money to educate our students. Why are we having to cram over 30 – sometimes 40 in a classroom in other, more ‘traditional’ schools? Why are we having to cut parapros, media clerks, tech support and hands-on staff? With a $1.2 Billion (with a “B”) annual budget, we simply have enough money. ”
    http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/funding-inequity-how-it-works-in-dekalb.html
28. M | July 19, 2017 at 11:59 AM |

    Let’s get rid of Green, now! It looks like his contract is up; maybe that’s why this scramble with the “convocation,” billboards, firing principals, not hiring principals and teachers! You tend to think each one is worse than the previous, but unfortunately they’re equally corrupt. May I ask for the update on teacher and principal hires, or is it not available because it hasn’t been done.
29. CK Parent | July 19, 2017 at 12:09 PM |

    Does anyone know how much money DeKalb receives per student from state/federal funds for having the International Student School? I have a feeling it’s another hidden gem and increases the wild, flamboyant spending of taxpayer money. Yes, the money is there to give all students a decent chance at an education, but that’s not how it works in DeKalb.
30. kind.educator | July 19, 2017 at 6:16 PM |

    @concerned citizen – the International Student Center is made up of two programs: the LAB program and the Intensive English program. The LAB program population is ~400 students, while the Intensive English population fluctuates, but could be as much as 800 students at any given time, but since the students transition to their home schools, the total number of Intensive English students served in a year could be more than 1000. Now, related to the spending, here is the interesting part: the school only receives money for the LAB program, since the funds for the Intensive English students stay at their home schools!!!
31. Where's the love? | July 19, 2017 at 10:53 PM |

    DeKalb Schools: Many reassigned principals will now teach students
    http://www.myajc.com/news/local-education/dekalb-schools-reassigned-principals-mostly-return-teaching- retire/3rU1gobSYhVbOisNB0UIoN/
32. Cere | July 21, 2017 at 8:02 PM |

    @Where’s the love? >> Wow – one of those principals in the article Karen Williams, was just in the job 4 years. “District officials said former principals Ledra Jemison, Ethan Suber, Dominique Terrell and Karen Williams accepted teacher contracts. Michael Williamson became an instructional technology manager, Zack Phillips will be a coordinator in the early childhood division and Rodney Mallory will be an assistant principal. … Terry Segovis and Sylvia Pilson retired from the school district.”
    QUESTION >> Are their salaries reduced to their new position’s levels or are they in contracts that continue to pay the principal rate?? [FWIW, we paid our last HR director, Jamie Wilson at this huge salary while he was demoted to serving as principal. We also pay Ramona Tyson an enormous salary for whatever it is she does these days. It’s not an outrageous question. ]
    https://dekalbschoolwatch.com/2014/01/15/the-fy-2013-salary-schedule-has-been-posted/
    Here’s a comment from an old post on the subject >>
    dekalbschoolwatch says:
    July 4, 2013 at 3:48 PM
    http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/get-schooled/2013/jul/03/dekalb-announces-new-principals/
    Here are the latest: {The names with an asterisk beside them are the most recent principal assignments. These are brand new appointments announced July 3. The other new principals on the list were announced June 1.}
    E/M/H SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT
    1-ES Briar Vista ES Cammie Neill
    1-ES Canby Lane ES Kershier Smikle
    1-ES Hawthorne ES Lisa Limoncelli
    1-ES Murphey Candler ES Angelique Smith
    1-ES Oak Grove ES Mindee Adamson
    1-ES Pine Ridge ES Annette Maclin
    1-ES Rockbridge ES Culisha Curry
    1-ES Shadow Rock ES Karen Williams
    2-MS Cedar Grove MS *Candace Alexander
    2-MS Champion Theme MS Yolanda Turner
    2-MS Columbia MS *Keith Jones
    2-MS Druid Hills MS Jacqueline Taylor
    2-MS McNair MS Ron Mitchell
    3-HS Druid Hills HS *Brittany Cunningham (Good choice! We are big fans of Brittany!)
    3-HS Lakeside HS Jason Klyne
    3-HS McNair HS *LouKisha Walker
    3-HS MLK *Kerby Bullard
    3-HS Towers HS Ralph Simpson
    Several of these folks have moved on …
    * I sure hope Brittany Cunningham is still with us – she is terrific!
    ** Jason Klyne was fired after being accused of racist remarks.
    *** Curious — Is Ralph Simpson, the book seller and self-promoter, still at Towers?
    https://dekalbschoolwatch.com/2014/10/15/sigh-thurmond-promotes-scandalous-ralph-simpson-of-bookgate-we-have-hit-the-wall/
    **** Yolanda Turner is now superintendent of Calhoun county schools.
33. Where's the Love? | July 23, 2017 at 8:29 AM |

    Mr. Jester,
    Have the new principals and assistant principals been determined? Summer Leadership starts at 7:30am in the morning at Miller Grove HS. Please post a listing.
34. Stan Jester | July 23, 2017 at 10:38 AM |

    Dr Green communicated to me that 2-3 finalists were interviewed for every principal position and all principal vacancies have been filled.
35. joy | July 23, 2017 at 10:58 AM |

    Is there a list of the new principals? Csn you post the list please?
    Has anyone been chosen for the Region I Superintendent?
    It has been about three years without anyone being in that job.
    With so many new principals and principals being removed, it seems that there would be a need to hire for that job.
36. Stan Jester | July 23, 2017 at 11:03 AM |

    I don’t have any names. I’d like to see a list of new names all new principals as well as the position they held before this.
    Region I has an interim regional superintendent. I get the feeling they are not spending a lot of time and energy on a permanent replacement.
37. joy | July 23, 2017 at 11:41 AM |

    Mr. Jester,
    I posted the links for Cobb, Gwinnett and Henry. Each of these school systems hired new principals and the information was published in local newspapers. Gwinnett has posted information more than once, as they add other people. Henry County posted their information in May. This is not information that should be a secret.
    This is the age of technology. How long does it take to provide that information to the media?
    Remember we have a great PR Department with highly paid professionals.
    The Region I job and the CEO of HR were posted on a national job search website. The people interested in those jobs had to apply on that site. If a person is a Region Superintendent and is going to evaluate and help principals, then that person should have been a principal. With the removal of nine principals and the hiring of 14 to 15 new principals, I would imagine that this would be important. This is just my opinion . I am not trying to make negative comments about anyone.
    http://www.ajc.com/news/local/you-know-who-runs-your-school-meet-cobb-new-principals-this-year/jNUeUpho6F9a62QUgBjSDK/
    http://www.ajc.com/news/local/gwinnett-schools-appoints-new-principal-assistant-superintendents/7QS8qds0bAmWrQiyi4IEYM/
    http://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/south_metro/education/henry-county-names-new-principals-top-scholars/article_17fc7894-3b3d-11e7-b888-8f530d160952.html
38. Stan Jester | July 23, 2017 at 11:45 AM |

    These interviews didn’t happen until just a few days ago. I imagine the school district will want to complete the paperwork before notifying the public.
39. David Edwards | July 23, 2017 at 2:57 PM |

    Good Afternoon Mr. Jester,
    I am a parent in the Stephenson Middle School cluster. We understand that a candidate being considered for the principal position has quit his job in Clayton County (Morrow Middle) one year and was fired, escorted out of the building of Margaret Fain Elementary School (APS), the next year. We googled him and found pictures of him being picketed in both districts. Why didn’t Dekalb do the same thing? Is there not a question asking if they have ever been fired, terminated, etc…… How could this happen? How are these applicants getting through to our school district? You mean to tell me all this time we waited for a principal who lied his way in? We are truly scraping the bottom of the barrel. Help us, please!!!!!
40. Where's the Love? | July 23, 2017 at 6:18 PM |

    DeKalb schools: Suit claims teacher’s firing was retaliation
    https://www.google.com/amp/www.myajc.com/news/local-education/dekalb-teacher-claims-lost-job-for-reporting-wrongdoing/u08mqBT1AKjo0t8VgvaTqJ/amp.html
41. joy | July 23, 2017 at 9:32 PM |

    Mr Jester,
    Do the members of the school governing board sit in on the interviews for principal?
    Is this part of the interview process for all schools?
    http://dunwoodyschooldaze.blogspot.com/
42. DSW2Contributor | July 27, 2017 at 11:59 PM |

    Stan, in case you missed it, Dr. Green was on 11-Alive, where he “said most of the shortage can be attributed to Baby Boomer teachers who are beginning to say good-bye to the classroom”:
    http://www.11alive.com/news/education/dekalb-schools-facing-shortage-of-teachers-days-before-class-resumes/459811609
    If Dr. Green’s stated reason is true, then the shortages should be district wide …. but I am hearing that Regions 1 and 2 are doing fine, while Regions 3, 4 and 5 are where the shortages are. Are Baby Boomers really not retiring in Regions 1 and 2?
43. Stan Jester | July 28, 2017 at 12:14 AM |

    That’s a pretty broad stroke. Personally, I am concerned that Georgia isn’t replenishing the teacher pool at the rate it needs to.
44. joy | July 28, 2017 at 4:15 PM |

    Mr. Jester,
    The issue of vacancies is not only the lack of people entering education. It is not just people retiring. It is also that DeKalb is not retaining the educators that they have. In a school of approximately 70 people in the last three years we have lost 21 people. We have had a new principal for three years. This includes every member of our administrative team except one person. There are two people who lasted last than a year. These are not only people that were there under our former principal. These are also people who the new principal hired.
    Today we actually counted the number of people who left. This includes a counselor, AP’s, teachers, para educators and secretaries. Out of that number only 2 of them retired. One person had actually come back from retirement and she left again. So if you count that person it is 3. But that is still just 3 out of 21 people.
    Of the two that retired, both of them had initially planned to continue to work, but the disorganization at the school caused them to just throw in the towel. Of the people who left some went to Fulton, Gwinnett, Clayton and Cobb. We lost about 6 people with special education back grounds. If we can count the number of people who have left, why can’t the school system?
    I remember years ago, principals were questioned about retention. This does not seem to be the case any more. Again it seems to be a matter of who you know or your fraternity connections. I would not know the fraternity of my principal, if he did not mention it so much. And if you are friends with the Region Superintendent, then nothing gets done.
    Staff attendance at our school has gotten awful. People just do not come to work, even on critical days. They take off for their birthday, their college homecomings or just don’t come. People follow the examples that are set for them.
    Another issue is the difficulty going through the sub process. Perhaps things have improved. But last year it was very difficult to get a returned call or help with the PATS System. There was only one person to help with PATS issues. People gave up and just started subbing in private schools and surrounding counties. I think that DeKalb forgets that people have options.
    I know that BOE Members have requested information about the reasons that people leave. I don’t know if you ever got it. But it seems to be able to fix a problem, you first have to face that there is a problem. You would almost need someone not directly related to the schools to try to get truthful information. So we just keep adding new positions and people. I just wonder how long they will stay. We had three people get cerfified to teach this year. Every one of them left and went to another school. I am sure the experience of my school is not the only school in DeKalb facing the same thing.
45. joy | July 28, 2017 at 4:24 PM |

    I am sorry. I didn’t see this article before I posted my previous comment. I was doing it based on the TV Interview.
    But in the AJC article a comment is made that there was an expectation that teachers would leave because of the high expectations. This is a very unfair statement. What is the data that backs it up?
    Please forgive me for my long post.
    http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/dekalb-schools-lost-900-more-teachers-over-the-last-school-year/woLZCC0DyHohVwLYYv6qrJ/
46. Stan Jester | July 28, 2017 at 4:42 PM |

    I’m not sure what standards the superintendent is referring to. I don’t think the board approved changing some set of standards.
47. Anonymous | July 28, 2017 at 9:02 PM |

    Perhaps Dr. Green is implying that DCSD has higher expectations due to his leadership, and teachers who can’t meet those high expectations are leaving DCSD.
    I find that laughable.
    If a teacher can’t meet expectations then DCSD should fire that person. Yet very, very few teachers are fired.
    The vast majority of “reasons for leaving” on the monthly HR reports are teacher-initiated things. They found a better job elsewhere, or didn’t accept the contract they were offered, or their family responsibilities changed. I doubt that it’s the under-performing teachers who are leaving.
    So I think it’s tremendously misleading to suggest that “higher expectations” are driving teachers from DCSD. Maybe our crack Communications department came up with that “spin” for why so many teachers left.
48. AB | July 29, 2017 at 12:44 PM |

    Higher expectations are not driving teachers away. We have plenty of teachers performing below average that are allowed to rock along. Lack of competitive salaries and support in the classroom (and mandatory things like convocations that take them away from their classrooms) drive them from DCSD. Each year for the last several, DCSD is in the news for having the most unfilled teacher vacancies heading into the school year and many go unfilled for the entire year. Ask recent graduates if schools like Mercer encourage their new grads to take jobs in DCSD. Until the BOE holds Dr. Green and his staff accountable for supporting the teachers on the ground, nothing is going to change and the district will continue to lose large numbers of teachers each year.