Category Archives: DeKalb County School District

Communications and Central Office Expansion

Posted on February 9, 2017 by | 49 comments

DeKalb School’s mission is to ensure student success, leading to higher education, work, and lifelong learning. Should the school district provide services that don’t improve academic achievement?


Stan Jester

This is a picture of the parking lot at the central office. There are more cars parked outside than I have ever seen. Why?
The central office is rapidly expanding and providing new services. For example, on Jan 9 the school district appropriated $623,000 annually for the communications department and central office staff. I was the only board member to vote NO. At the same Jan 9 meeting three senior level central office staff were promoted to executive level positions.
Some of the appropriations did go to the classroom that day. The board also approved a 2% raise for the teachers.


In FY2014 the General Operating budget was $788 million. Since then it has increased over 20% and is now approaching $1 billion. Has academic achievement increased 20% … has it budged?
Not yet, but we do have a new Communications Department and a new Student Support and Intervention Division to provide “Wrap Around Services”. Parents like communication and many of our students need social services, so I ask again …
Should the school district provide services that don’t seem to improve academic achievement?

The public speaks up about this issue …
‘What about our kids?’ High salaries of new school employees questioned (WSB-TV)
Parents say they have lots of questions after recent hires nearly doubled the DeKalb County School communications department’s budget for salaries and benefits. The new top communications officer makes more than the governor.
DeKalb school board questions employee pay (The Champion Newspaper)
DCSD’s director of strategic communication and marketing position, filled in September 2016 by André Riley, is facing scrutiny from the district’s board in relation to other administrative positions. According to district documents, Riley receives an annual salary of $120,000, which is near the highest he can receive in accordance to DCSD’s pay range for such a position.

Board discussion on Position Additions

[00:18:02]
Stan Jester (Board of Education) – Dr. Green, I want to know your thoughts about the Return On Investment on this. Ultimately our goal is academic achievement. And you’re saying right now the best way to spend the nex $500,000 is on these positions as opposed to teachers, counselors and school house employees.
Dr. Stephen Green (Superintendent) – It’s a both/and. I think we’ve already taken significant steps towards the school house and the teachers, counselors, and those with immediate contact with our children. The other part of that is getting the message out about the great work they’re doing. There is a role that communication plays in getting that message out. I think the two go hand and hand.
Stan Jester – I’m not a big fan of getting the message out and tooting our own horn. I would rather just spend the money on academic achievement.

49 Comments

Posted in DeKalb County School District

DeKalb 2016 Star Ratings and CCRPI Scores

Posted on February 1, 2017 by | 11 comments

The National School Climate Center defines school climate as “the quality and character of school life” that is based on the “patterns of students’, parents’, and school personnel’s experiences of school life.”[1] School climate can be influenced by the norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, instructional practices, and organizational structures within a school. Research has found that schools with positive school climates tend to have better test scores and graduation rates; in contrast, schools with negative school climates as a result of unsafe or hostile environments tend to have lower academic performance.[2]
A sustainable, positive school climate supports people feeling socially​, emotionally and physically safe. In a positive school climate people are engaged and respected. By contrast, disruptive and aggressive behavior such as threats, bullying, teasing and harassment creates a hostile school environment that interferes with academic performance. A hostile school environment fosters increased absenteeism and truancy because students feel unsafe at school. If a child is not physically and mentally in attendance, learning cannot take place.


Stan Jester

What’s your analysis of this information? What do you notice?
Given the 2016 School Climate Star Ratings, it looks like generally people are content in the Chamblee, Cross Keys, Dunwoody, Druid Hills and Lakeside clusters. I still find it odd that Lakeside HS is the only school in the cluster with a below satisfactory index.
Also, Cross Keys HS knocked their CCRPI scores out of the park. DeKalb 2016 CCRPI Trends

School Climate and CCRPI for all schools by Region
REGION 1

Cluster School Name OSD Title I CCRPI School Climate Star Rating
Chamblee Ashford Park ES N 87.5 3
Chamblee Huntley Hills ES Y 72 4
Chamblee Montgomery ES N 87.3 4
Chamblee Chamblee MS N 85.1 4
Chamblee Chamblee Charter HS Y 87.5 4
Charter DeKalb PATH Y 82.5 5
Charter Tapestry N 57.6 4
Cross Keys Cary Reynolds ES Y 66.5 4
Cross Keys Dresden ES Y 48.8 2
Cross Keys Montclair ES Focus Y 52 3
Cross Keys Oakcliff ES Y 70.2 4
Cross Keys Woodward ES Y 60.3 4
Cross Keys Sequoyah MS Y 64 5
Cross Keys Cross Keys HS Priority Y 81.9 3
Dunwoody Austin ES N 97.1 4
Dunwoody Chesnut ES N 61 4
Dunwoody Dunwoody ES N 91.6 4
Dunwoody Hightower ES Y 66.9 3
Dunwoody Kingsley ES Y 75.6 4
Dunwoody Vanderlyn ES N 93.4 4
Dunwoody Peachtree MS N 78.8 4
Dunwoody Dunwoody HS N 93.4 4
Chamblee Kittredge Magnet N 105.5 4
No Cluster Int’l. Student Center Y 27 5

REGION 2

Cluster School Name OSD Title I CCRPI School Climate Star Rating
Charter Int’l. Community School Y 62.9 3
Charter Museum School N 88.7 4
Druid Hills Avondale ES Y 56.1 3
Druid Hills Briar Vista ES Y 74.8 2
Druid Hills Fernbank ES Y 80.1 4
Druid Hills Laurel Ridge ES Y 89 3
Druid Hills McLendon ES Y 73.8 4
Druid Hills Druid Hills MS Y 73.8 4
Druid Hills Druid Hills HS Y 80.6 4
Lakeside Briarlake ES N 78.5 4
Lakeside Evansdale ES Y 72 4
Lakeside Hawthorne ES Y 69.2 5
Lakeside Henderson MS Y 74.8 5
Lakeside Oak Grove ES N 89.5 4
Lakeside Pleasantdale ES Y 61.3 3
Lakeside Sagamore Hills ES N 77.3 4
Lakeside Henderson Mill ES Y 78.6 4
Lakeside Lakeside HS Y 80.3 2
No Cluster DeKalb ES of the Arts Y 84.1 3
No Cluster Robert Shaw Y 78.7 4
No Cluster DeKalb School of the Arts N 100.4 3
Tucker Brockett ES Y 80.2 2
Tucker Idlewood ES Y 61.4 2
Tucker Livsey ES Y 75.8 3
Tucker Midvale ES Y 63.3 3
Tucker Smoke Rise ES Focus Y 59.3 2
Tucker Tucker MS Y 71.2 4
Tucker Tucker HS Y 78.4 3

REGION 3

Cluster School Name OSD Title I CCRPI School Climate Star Rating
Charter DeKalb Academy of Tech N 61.8 3
Clarkston Allgood ES Focus Y 61.2 3
Clarkston Dunaire ES Y 48.8 2
Clarkston Indian Creek ES Y 70.3 4
Clarkston Jolly ES Y 56.5 2
Clarkston Freedom MS Focus & OSD Y 61.4 3
Clarkston Clarkston HS Priority Y 70.9 3
No Cluster Wynbrooke ES Y 74.4 2
No Cluster The Champion Middle Y 70.1 5
No Cluster Dekalb Early College Y 106.5 5
Redan Eldridge L. Miller ES Focus Y 57.6 2
Redan Redan ES Y 46.7 3
Redan Shadow Rock ES Y 51.7 2
Redan Redan MS Y 63.9 2
Redan Redan HS Priority Y 72 2
Stephenson Pine Ridge ES Y 57.4 2
Stephenson Princeton ES Focus Y 61.5 2
Stephenson Rock Chapel ES Y 59.6 2
Stephenson Stephenson MS Y 63.8 3
Stephenson Stephenson HS Y 78.2 3
Stone Mountain Hambrick ES Y 57.3 3
Stone Mountain Rockbridge ES Y 55.5 2
Stone Mountain Stone Mill ES Y 65.1 2
Stone Mountain Stone Mountain ES Y 45.2 2
Stone Mountain Stone Mountain MS Y 60 4
Stone Mountain Stone Mountain HS OSD Y 69.4 1

REGION 4

Cluster School Name OSD Title I CCRPI School Climate Star Rating
Charter DeKalb Preparatory Y 61.5 2
Charter Leadership Prep Y 69.1 2
Charter Destiny Priority Y 48.4 3
Lithonia Stoneview ES Focus Y 45.8 1
Lithonia Lithonia MS Focus Y 47.1 1
Lithonia Lithonia HS Y 61.9 2
Miller Grove Panola Way ES Y 42.5 1
Miller Grove Woodridge ES Y 65 2
Miller Grove Miller Grove MS Y 55.6 1
Miller Grove Miller Grove HS Y 71.8 2
MLK Browns Mill ES Focus Y 51.8 3
MLK Fairington ES Y 45.9 3
MLK Flat Rock ES Y 55.3 2
MLK Murphy Candler ES Y 52.1 3
MLK Salem MS Y 55.3 2
MLK MLK, Jr. HS Y 62.9 1
No Cluster Edward L. Bouie, Sr. ES Y 75.5 3
No Cluster Marbut ES Y 71.8 3
No Cluster Narvie Harris ES Y 72.7 3
No Cluster Arabia Mountain HS Y 93.2 4
SW DeKalb Bob Mathis ES Focus Y 60.5 2
SW DeKalb Chapel Hill ES Y 50 2
SW DeKalb Rainbow ES Y 61.2 2
SW DeKalb Chapel Hill MS Y 65.2 3
SWDeKalb Southwest DeKalb HS Y 76.9 3

REGION 5

Cluster School Name OSD Title I CCRPI School Climate Star Rating
Cedar Grove Cedar Grove ES Y 60.5 2
Cedar Grove Oakview Elementary Y 47.7 1
Cedar Grove Cedar Grove MS OSD Y 51.7 3
Cedar Grove Cedar Grove HS Y 78.4 3
Columbia Columbia ES Y 53 3
Columbia Snapfinger ES Focus Y 50.4 2
Columbia Toney ES Priority Y 54.3 3
Columbia Columbia MS Focus Y 59.9 1
Columbia Columbia HS Priority Y 64.7 1
McNair Clifton ES Focus Y 58.6 3
McNair Flat Shoals ES Y 47.5 2
McNair Kelley Lake ES Focus Y 68.1 4
McNair Meadowview ES Focus Y 41.5 2
McNair McNair Discovery Focus Y 53.6 2
McNair McNair MS OSD Y 52 3
McNair McNair HS Priority Y 58.2 1
No Cluster Wadsworth Magnet Y 99.6 3
No Cluster DeKalb Alternative Y 42.4 1
No Cluster Elizabeth Andrews HS Y 56.5 4
Towers Canby Lane ES Focus Y 57.1 2
Towers Rowland ES Y 54.9 2
Towers Bethune MS Focus Y 54.9 2
Towers Towers HS Priority Y 57.2 1
Charter GLOBE 84.1 4
Towers Peachcrest ES 44.1 2
[1] National School Climate Center. (2014). School Climate. Retrieved from http://www.schoolclimate.org/climate/.
[2] Thapa, Amrit, Jonathan Cohen, Shawn Guffey, and Ann Higgins-D’Alessandro. 2013. “A Review of School Climate Research.” Review of Educational Research 83(3): 357-385.

11 Comments

Posted in CCRPI, DeKalb County School District, Rates and Rankings