Nearly a
year after proposing a reduction force plan, members of the Atlanta
Board of Education and local parents gathered on Monday to discuss a
revision of the plan and other issues of the school system.
The first Monday of each month at 6
p.m., Atlanta Public Schools hold a community board meeting that is
open to students, staff, parents, and members of the community. It
immediately follows the Committee of the Whole meeting, and includes
the members of the Atlanta Board of Education. Public comment
opportunities are available for the board to hear from interested
members.
“A reduction force plan is necessary
because there has been a decline in student enrollment, cancellation
of programs, and anticipated budgetary shortfalls,” Superintendent
Erroll Davis said in opening remarks.
Davis is currently seeking board
approval for policy CBRA and GCKA to be used for the reduction of
instructional staff, class teachers, and classified employees. These
policies will implement testing on staff to determine if they suit
well for a teacher or well as a professional. It was discussed that
there is a difference and one could be either or both. With these
policies, more qualified staff will be working in the school system.
“The board has already indicated to
pass the original plan, which you were confident in. How do we know
you are confident in this revision and that it wouldn't need a
revision in the future,” board member Courtney English asked Davis
after his claim.
English is concerned that the board
will be hearing more about this reduction force plan, even after
approval of the revision. He isn't the only one feeling this way.
Throughout Davis' proposal many of the board members questioned him
on the revision. They thought it looked bad that APS issued out a
plan that already needs to be revised a year later. All the board
members wanted assurance that this would be the last time this issue
would occur.
The original plan was approved a year
ago, without the two policies mentioned above. Davis says that since
then there has been numerous complaints. If the board begins to act
on these complaints, they would have to hire more staff for the
schools. To pay for the hiring of new staff, the board would have to
find alternative revenue sources. This decision could cost APS
hundreds to thousands of dollars. Thus, Davis proposed a revision
that included the two policies to help filter out the best
professionals to employ in Atlanta Public Schools.
In the revision there are policies
regarding the qualifications that will enforce the reduction force
plan. These policies include factors such as, the cancellation of
programs, merging of schools, and reductions or shortfalls in local,
state, or federal funding. The most obvious factor that would cause
the need of reducing staff is a decline in student enrollment.
“I have three children that attend
Grady High School. The zoning maps say that there should be around
1,200 students enrolled; however, there are more than 1,500 students
attending Grady.” Abby Martin, co-president of the Council of
Intown Neighborhoods and Schools said.
During the public portion of the
meeting, Martin touched on the issue of fraudulent enrollment.
Students that give false addresses to enroll in certain schools cause
crowding and overpopulated classrooms. Also, it causes other schools
to have a decline in enrollment, which may result in implementing the
reduction force plan. She believes APS should come up with a
strategic plan to ensure that students attend the schools to which
they belong.
“On the first day of school, my
children were two of about 200 students. A few months later there
were 961 students attending school.” Leslie Grant, a parent in the
Jackson cluster, said.
Grant spoke on how there were
fluctuating numbers of enrolled students throughout the year.
Students may begin the year in one school, then decide to change for
a certain reason, such as disliking other classmates or teachers.
She suggested that the Atlanta Board of Education should encourage
their students to remain in certain schools through advocation and
communication to the parents.
Even if APS addresses both Martin and
Grant's enrollment issues, the reduction force plan may still be the
only option. For instance, if the board re-zones students, it would
be considered a district wide reorganization, another policy
qualification under the plan. Or on the other end, if the board
closes a school with a high decline rate, the plan would still cut
the jobs of staff. Regardless, the reduction force plan needs to be
revised to ensure its purpose when needed.
The Atlanta Public Schools continue to
work on the plan and other issues revolving around Monday's meeting.
For more information on the reduction force plan or how to attend a
community board meeting, contact APS online, via telephone, or in
person.
