Fed up students at Druid Hills High produced a video online exposing hazardous conditions inside the building. Twenty-seven Texas districts implemented the change for the 2022-2023 school year, hoping to attract and retain teachers. Home of the 4-Day Instructional Week. Superintendent Janie Sims says its helped the rural district compete with larger districts in Dallas-Fort Worth and Tyler. Yet the board still rejected a proposed plan to modernize, which would have fixed many of the issues students said plagued the nearly century-old building. Woods rebuked the DeKalb School Board once again, calling their move to fire Watson-Harris "a step backward" in making progress and addressing change. "I think, overall, it's a good deal," Galloway said. Last school year, the DeKalb Independent School District in East Texas struggled to recruit enough educators to teach its 800 students. The Board says they are beginning a formal search for a permanent superintendent. How working families would adjust to a schedule change was a driving force in the conversations at Everman Independent School District about adopting a truncated school week. Superintendent's Cabinet Superintendent's Profile Budget Strategic Plan Cabinet Regional Superintendents Academic Regions (map) MR. ERICK HOFSTETTER Chief Operations Officer Profile, Function, & Departments MS. MONIKA DAVIS Chief Information Officer Profile, Function, & Departments While teachers can work from home most Fridays, the DeKalb, New Summerfield and Pewitt districts have periodical staff development days, where teachers collaborate on lesson planning. The overall grades are based on three categories: student achievement (how well students perform academically), school progress (how well students perform over time and compared to students in similar schools) and closing the gaps (how well schools are boosting performance for subgroups such as students with special needs). "It's good work-life balance for them," Galloway said. The average SAT score for students graduating in 2019-2020, with critical reading, writing and mathematics results combined. Honestly, we go into it cautiously optimistic, says superintendent Ray Keith. Arrow Educational Services, Inc. can provide that level of support. We didnt want to put that additional burden on them.. Gov. The total number of students divided by the total full-time equivalent count of teachers for 2020-2021. In 2016, Olfen ISD in West Texas became the first school district in the state to make the switch to a four-day school week. Brian Bobbitt, Superintendent. waived accountability ratings Teacher retention is important, according to Russell. With three years of the shortened schedule under its belt, Athens Independent School District calls itself Home of the 4-Day Instructional Week. Superintendent Janie Sims says its helped the rural district compete with larger districts in Dallas-Fort Worth and Tyler. Make sure the box for "Press Tab to highlight each item on a webpage" is, Notice Of Public Hearing Regarding Reapportionment Of DeKalb ISD Single Member Trustee Districts, Notice of DeKalb ISD School Board Election, Leave Request Form -Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave, Application for Service/Support Personnel, 2022 DeKalb ISD Fall Community Publication, Chromebook Insurance Information for Parents, Proposed District of Innovation Plan Renewal, Required Informational Postings 2022-2023. The average salaries listed here are for regular duties only and do not include supplemental pay. Watson-Harris started in the position in July 2020. View Event. . Before the CFO left, the superintendent started working on the budget in November and December to put things in place for the new fiscal year, DaCosta said. DeKalb, New Boston, Malta and Hubbard have mulled shortening the school week for months. 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", According to Woods, schools can use federal COVID-19 relief funds for facilities improvements, particularly clean and safe buildings for students and teachers. We appreciate Mrs. Cheryl Watson-Harris for her service to the DeKalb County School District and wish her the best in her future endeavors, board chair Vickie B. Turner said. There is a shortage of qualified candidates, and those with senior-level experience have multiple leadership opportunities from which to choose. Arrow consultants areuniquely qualifiedto provide instructional assistance to schools. Arrow Educational Services, Inc. Dekalb ISD is a school district in Dekalb, TX. A few others said they hoped it would help with student attendance and achievement. The school district posted the update to social media, showing Dr. Vassane Tinsley taking new leadership. The unfortunate thing is that we put it in the 19,20s. If you are the site owner (or you manage this site), please whitelist your IP or if you think this block is an error please open a support ticket and make sure to include the block details (displayed in the box below), so we can assist you in troubleshooting the issue. its about the entire school system and whats really best for the beautiful and brilliant, over 94,000 scholars, Watson-Harris said. With the plan, DeKalb ISD is looking to add 30 minutes to the end of the school day, with dismissal at approximately 4 p.m. Students would be off on Friday except on weeks with a Monday holiday, and teachers would work every other Friday for planning, grading and similar work. The board made the vote. Our schools explorer shows the accountability ratings from the 2018-2019 school year when available. The parents who are working say it gives their kids an extra day to sort of unwind from school and maybe more playtime.. Make sure the box for "Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls" is, Select the Advanced tab. Realizing the state superintendent has said in a letter, how would you characterize Druid Hills High School? I will fight to fulfill my commitment to the children of DeKalb County School District, Watson-Harris said. Our board would have to approve it. There were hours of discussion and public comment at the meeting. The school board is also looking for a new superintendent to replace Cheryl Watson-Harris, nearly a year after firing her and appointing Interim Superintendent Dr. Vasanne Tinsley. Its just hard for us to stay on the same pace as them.. I still have not received any formal communication, Watson-Harris said. Everything thats happening, it isnt just about me. With over 90 years of combined experience in public education, Dr. Marshall and Mr. Dunlap can provide your school board with unmatched personal service. A spokesperson for the school district says it has everything covered, despite the number of vacancies. They will remain in these roles until permanent leaders are chosen. My office will remain in close communication with the Georgia Department of Education on these issues to determine what further action is needed. The firing follows weeks of reports on the bad conditions at Druid Hills High School, where her own child attends. The board remains fully committed to an open and transparent process and supporting the students of DCSD., In a news release, the district did not give a reason as to why the board decided to fire Watson-Harris but said their relationship with her had been deteriorating for some time to the point the association became irreconcilable.. How can Texas keep more teachers in classrooms? (See extended coverage in Wednesday's edition of the Gazette. Superintendent . While there are some concerns about the four-day weeks impact on test scores, Michelle Francis, superintendent at Silverton Independent School District, says STAAR scores have actually increased since the shorter week took effect last year. So he decided to follow suit starting this school year by adding 40 minutes to each day. Heres what a state committee found. That was the main driving force of why were not going to a four-day week, said district Chief of Communications and Marketing Nikita Russell. 2023 February Week 4 Mon30 Tue31 Wed1 Thu2 Fri3 Sat4 Sun5 Mon6 Tue7 Wed8 Thu9 Fri10 Sat11 Sun12 Mon13 After a few months, the pandemic made implementing the schedule a nightmare for administrators. The maximum score is 36. As of Thursday, the projection is slightly over 61% and tracking toward the state threshold of 67%. 2023. No one will work harder for you than Arrow Educational Services, Inc. At least three staff members with over 20 years of experience came to DeKalb from other districts, mainly due to the four-day week. The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) remains committed to filling essential leadership roles with highly qualified administrators who can carry out the mission of the District, spokesperson Donald Porter said. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Of 346 parent responses on DeKalb's survey, 66% voted that they would be in favor of the four-day week, while 21% voted no and 13% voted maybe. #iLoveDCSD To learn more about Dr. Tinsley: https://t.co/Hu7HAcBlEn pic.twitter.com/lMz8ydMSen. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Close. The schedule change isnt always successful. In Mineral Wells, there are optional instructional Fridays for elementary students, with 55 students signed up so far. 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