Author Archives: Stephen Green, Superintendent, DeKalb Schools

DeKalb Schools Central Office ReOrganization Phase I

Posted on December 12, 2015 | 27 comments
Superintendent Stephen Green

At the board meeting on Monday, the Board of Education approved Dr. Green’s latest reorganization plan.

“The DeKalb County School District reorganization enables the District to operationalize the Strategic Plan and supports the realignment of the core business of improving the teaching and learning experience for increased student achievement. The proposed design is a means to that end. Central to this restructured design is the reallocation of resources, one that flattens the layers of bureaucracy through decentralization, placing critical human capital and other services in the field.”
— Dr. Stephen Green, Superintendent DCSD


ReOrganizations To Date
  Phase I – (DEC 2015)
  Phase II – (MAR 2016)
  Phase III – (APR 2016)
Appointment of Personnel for Senior Level Positions
Leo Brown –  .pdf link icon Dr. Leo Brown (resume) was the Assistant Director of Human Resources for Emory University from 2005 – 2011. He was also the Chief Human Capital Officer for Kansas City Public Schools from 2011 – 2012 where he met Superintendent Green. Dr. Brown will start as DeKalb Schools’ Chief Human Capital Officer in January 2016.
Vasanne Tinsley –  .pdf link icon Dr. Vasanne Tinsley (resume) started with DeKalb Schools as a School Counselor in 1994. She was most recently the Director of Support Services and is now being promoted to Deputy Superintendent of Student Support & Intervention.
Reclassification of Existing Positions

  • Chief Academic & Accountability Officer
    (formerly Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum &Instruction)
  • Chief Human Capital Officer
    (formerly Chief Human Resources Officer)
  • Executive Director, Exceptional Education
    (formerly Director, Exceptional Education)
  • Exec Director, Professional Learning & Leadership Development
    (formerly Director, Professional Learning)

Creation of New Positions

  • Chief Communications & Community Relations Officer
  • Deputy Superintendent, Student Support & Intervention
  • Executive Director, Student Advancement
  • Director, Charters, School Governance, & Flexibility

Realignment of Existing Positions

  • Direct report of (5) Regional Superintendents to the Superintendent
  • Decentralization and local autonomy to Regional Superintendents to include wraparound support of human capital, curriculum, technology, facilities/transportation management, and finance management.

27 Comments

Posted in Reorganization ReOrg, Stephen Green

DeKalb – SWSS – Strategic Waiver School System

Posted on November 24, 2015 | 6 comments

Stan Jester
Board Of Education
District 1

The Board of Education will meet on December 7  to discuss a number of things including various charter related items. In addition to the Chamblee Charter High School and Destiny Academy charters renewal petitions, Superintendent Green will request that the board approve a letter of intent to become a  Strategic Waiver School System (SWSS).
The Georgian Educator posted Kirk Lunde’s thoughts arguing for a district of Charter Clusters as a way to holistically help students and families in DCSS.
Here are Dr. Stephen Green’s thoughts on the Strategic Waiver School System (SWSS).

Superintendent Stephen Green

School Flexibility Option Update
From: Dr. R Stephen Green
DeKalb Schools Superintendent

The Board will be presented with an opportunity to adopt a resolution supporting a Strategic Waiver School System (SWSS) Letter of Intent at the December 7, 2015, Business Meeting. This Letter of Intent will allow the District to notify the Georgia Department of Education that the District is pursuing the SWSS option, and it will begin the process of the District collaborating with the Department of Education on the SWSS application.
Some general reminders that should continue to be considered by the Board:
The District would be faced with an April 1, 2016, deadline to submit any SWSS application to the GA DOE. What is unique in this process is that staff from the GA DOE would work with District staff to guide the District through the application process prior to the DeKalb Board adopting a resolution in support of the application. This resolution adoption would need to occur at the March Board meeting at the latest to meet the April 1, 2016, deadline.
While a Strategic Waiver School System does not require local school governance as a charter system would, it does allow for flexibility from state laws and GA DOE polices and regulations. This flexibility comes in the form of clearly enumerated waiver requests in the SWSS application, and the waivers would be those that are applicable to the full district. This differs from a charter system application where the District as well as individual schools can request specific waivers.
The Board would still be legally required to hold a Public Hearing prior to adopting a resolution in support of a SWSS application, and the District would engage the community to seek input on the SWSS application and requested waivers prior to that point.
As a final note, what is also unique in this approach is that the opportunity for a school or clusters to collaborate and petition for charter status is still available should the District become a Strategic Waiver School System. The SWSS option allows the District to avoid forcing a governance model onto schools and clusters that may legitimately not want to pursue charter status while still allowing charter status to occur after it initiates at the grass-roots level.

6 Comments

Posted in Flexibility Decision, School Choice