NOTICE OF DEKALB BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS
The DeKalb Board of Education will hold the following meetings on Monday, December 10, 2012:
5:00pm Called Meeting to adjourn to Executive Session for the purpose of discussing a student appeal and a personnel matter (Cabinet Room)
6:00pm Work Session & Business Meeting
J. David Williamson Board Room, Robert R. Freeman Administrative & Instructional Complex, 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
ACTION ITEMS
1. Approval of Minutes
Presented by: Dr. Cheryl L.H. Atkinson, Superintendent
2. Approval of Monthly Financial Report
Presented by: Mr. Michael J. Perrone, Chief Financial Officer, Division of Finance
3. Approval of Human Resources Monthly Board Report
Presented by: Dr. Tekshia M. Ward-Smith, Chief Human Resources Officer
Division of Human Resources
4. Approval of Contract with Wellstone for Evaluation Services for the Math and Science
Transition to Teaching (MSTT) and Preparing Alternatively Certified Educators for Special
Education (PACES) Projects
Presented by: Dr. Kathleen S. Howe, Deputy Superintendent
Division of Curriculum & Instruction
5. Contracted Services with Wellstone Consulting, LLC
Presented by: Dr. Kathleen S. Howe, Deputy Superintendent
Division of Curriculum & Instruction
6. SAT School Day Participation
Presented by: Dr. Kathleen S. Howe, Deputy Superintendent
Division of Curriculum & Instruction
7. School Improvement Grants (SIG) 2012-2013 Award Acceptance
Presented by: Ms. Kendra D. March, Deputy Superintendent
Division of School Leadership & Operational Support
8. Race to the Top (RT3) Grant 2012-2013 Grant Award Acceptance
Presented by: Ms. Kendra D. March, Deputy Superintendent
Division of School Leadership & Operational Support
9. Title II, Part A Program-Improving Teacher Quality 2012-2013 Grant Award Acceptance
Presented by: Ms. Kendra D. March, Deputy Superintendent
Division of School Leadership & Operational Support
10. Renewal of Discovery Education License for All Elementary
Presented by: Mr. Gary L. Brantley, Chief Information Officer
Division of Management Information Systems
11. Approval of Public Relations Services
Presented by: Dr. Cheryl L.H. Atkinson, Superintendent
12. Approval of Resolution to Declare the Results of the Competitive Sale of General
Obligation Sales Tax Bonds (2012 GO Bonds)
Presented by: Mr. Michael J. Perrone, Chief Financial Officer, Division of Finance
13. Approval to Issue General Obligation Bonds
Presented by: Mr. Michael J. Perrone, Chief Financial Officer, Division of Finance
14. Receipt of Findings and Consideration of the Recommendation of the Tribunal in
Personnel Case #12-14
Presented by: Ms. Dominique Martinez, Attorney, Alexander & Associates
J. OTHER\BOARD COMMENTS (2 minutes each)
dekalb school watch two 
Why there are 20 NON TEACHING positions at Fernbank Science Center to support 20 TEACHING positions at Fernbank Science Center. The FSC teachers are almost exclusively teaching in the schools rather than the center as field trips to FSC are no longer being paid for by the county.
Go to the website and count the teaching versus non teaching positions:
http://www.fernbank.edu/faculty.htm
The action items indicate that we’ve paid or will be paying another consulting company.
Besides not understanding why the Superintendent wouldn’t have people participating in programs to evaluate these, I can’t figure out what, exactly, Wellstone offers. But here’s what a websearch did find-this consulting firm used to be called Wellsys Corp.. Dr. Carlyle Bruce and Denise P. Townsend are identified as the co-founders of both businesses. And both companies share the same address: 4708 Elam Forest Dr. in Stone Mountain. If you look at real estate websites like Trulia, this consulting business appears to be run from a residential home.
Now consider that two of Superintendent Atkinson’s references-Barbara Dilligard and James Pughsley-appear to have benefited from the superintendent’s preference for audits. Dekalb paid $79,000 to Karaton for an audit.. According to Karaton Services, Barbara Dilligard is a member of this company.Pughsley & Associates were paid $45,0000 for another audit. And Dekalb paid Ralph Taylor, a current member of Atkinson’s “Dream Team” (as described in the Champion last December), was paid $10,000 for a Safe Schools Audit. Is this even ethical?
Has anyone read any of these audits posted on Dekalb’s websites? So many of them repeat the same vague information, I can’t understand why Dekalb should be paying any more money for any of these, especially when audits with the most telling information go largely ignored.
And now our district is getting publicity for this: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/parents-charged-after-egging-on-teen-daughter-in-fight-video-that-goes-viral/
Received today in Victory in Every Classroom email:
Board of Education Expected to Delay Vote on Proposed School Organization
The vote will be delayed until January 7, 2013
Dec. 10, 2012 – At tonight’s meeting, the DeKalb County Board of Education is expected to delay its first vote on a working draft of the 2016-17 Proposed School Organization until Jan. 7, 2013. A second vote on the final draft will take place on Jan. 23, 2013 as previously reported.
The delay allows the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) staff time to incorporate already received public suggestions and refine the working draft. The Board vote on January 7 is to share the revised draft for public comment. The public information sessions will run from January 8 through January 17 across the five academic regions of the district. Additionally, the public may email ideas, comments and suggestions to proposed-org@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us .
After the public information sessions, the working draft will be put into final form for the Board’s approval on Jan. 23, 2013. That document will be sent to the Georgia Department of Education for its initial review.
The “proposed school organization” records the schools a school district expects to operate in the coming years. The document forms the basis for development of a very detailed plan called the “Local Five-Year Facility Plan” or LFP. The LFP provides the district’s justification to participate in the state capital outlay program. Currently, DCSD is eligible to receive up to $40 million in additional funds dependent upon the state approval of plan.
When should we expect the SACS report?
We should have had the SACS report already.
I called Advanced Ed today and was tol they’re finaling the report. They would not give a definite release date.
“told” and “finalizing.” Please excuse typos.
I expect the SACS report within 2 days of the SPLOST bonds being sold. I believe they are holding it because the cost of the bonds will go up after the report.
Just my personal tin-foil hat theory.
The last thing our school system needs right now are “bonds”. We need to get our “financial” house in order first. DCSS made mistakes on the last bonds on SPLOST remember. They were discussing the school bonds during a BOC committee meeting at the county. This was a done deal from the start. Several members of the BOE do not respect the word “transparency”.