Dr. Fehrman's Friday Follow-Up
January 28, 2022
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Stronger Together Shout Out
Last night, the State and Federal Programs Department, in collaboration with the Equity and Student Services and Teaching and Learning Departments, hosted a roundtable discussion to share information with families about the myriad interventions and supports provided in our district. These programs include MTSS, EIP, REP, PBIS, the CSD Dyslexia Pilot, Special Education, ESOL, Title I, 504, Psychology services, Hospital Homebound Services, and additional wrap-around services. I want to thank these teams for collaborating on this presentation that clearly shows the wide range of supports in place for our students. If you are curious about what all these acronyms mean and what support services are in place, the presentation is available online.
Budget Updates and Stakeholder Input Opportunities
CSD is well into our budget planning process for FY 2023. We have recently shared several presentations with information about our current and past budgets at Board meetings and Work Sessions. We have also started forecasting what our FY 23 budget will look like. You can access these presentations here.
Earlier this month, the governor shared major improvements to the current FY 22 budget and several improvements for the FY 23 budget, including salary increases and the elimination of austerity reductions. Our Finance Department is reviewing these improvements to determine the impact on our current budget and the upcoming budget. Chief Financial Officer Lonita Broome will present this information at the February 8 Board meeting. Please refer to the graphic below for additional information regarding the FY 23 budget planning and approval calendar.
As shared in previous presentations, CSD faces several compounding issues with the FY 23 budget, and as we navigate these factors, some difficult decisions will have to be made regarding staffing, discretionary budgets, and the millage rate. Our priority in CSD is maintaining an exemplary classroom learning environment, which means CSD will continue to employ all school-based staff members who want to return next school year.
In addition to the dates on the calendar graphic below, we will also review budget information with the System Charter Leadership Team (SCLT) on February 1. This meeting is open to the public. Guests can attend the meeting via Zoom, and the link will be posted on our webpage. I will also attend the FAVE and Talley School Leadership Team Meetings as additional opportunities for members of the public to engage in the budget process.
Previous Budget Presentations:
November 30 Work Session - Budget Overview, Timeline, and Priorities for FY 23 (a portion of this meeting was not recorded due to technical issues)
January 11 Board Meeting - Budget Primer Presentation (the presentation starts at 1:23:16)
January 25 Work Session - Initial Allotment Presentation (the presentation starts at 1:18:35)
Stakeholders can also submit questions and feedback regarding CSD’s Budget through this form.
Top Dog Awards
Congratulations to our Top Dogs this week: Nicole Blakemore, Brian Davis, Mary Souther, and Doug Whitehead. Our winners were all nominated by students! You can read excerpts from their nominations below.
Nicole Blakemore, Teacher at Renfroe Middle School
“Ms. Blakemore has been a caring teacher who has tried her best to make every single day the best it could possibly be. She really puts thought into what students like when she plans her lesson, it wouldn't be the same without her.”
Brian Davis, Teacher at Renfroe Middle School
“He makes learning about science 10x more fun and makes really funny jokes. He has made science learning fun for me. Also, in order to teach us about science, we sometimes do very fun experiments like building a rollercoaster. He is the best teacher ever.”
Mary Souther, Teacher at Decatur High School
“Ms. Souther deserves to be a top dog. She deserves this because every day, including the days of the gigantic wave of omicron, she never fails to post the notes and a video in google classroom so the people who are absent can do the work. She also is very good at responding to her emails and answering any questions people have. She makes sure all of her students are on track and checks in with us regularly. She continues to offer multiple tutorial times each week and never fails to make math easy for me!”
Doug Whitehead, Media Clerk at Renfroe Middle School
“I think that Mr. Whitehead should be recognized as a "Top Dog" because he is so kind. He does the library ambassadors program where he trains students who apply to be able to come in and work in the library on mornings they choose. Whenever I cannot find a book, he can help me find a book that he thinks that I might like. I think that he doesn't get recognized often enough. He works hard and is amazing.”
Nominate a Top Dog!
If you know a CSD staff member who has demonstrated leadership and dedication to the CSD Pack by going above and beyond the call of duty, please nominate them for Dr. Fehrman's Top Dog Award!
Congratulations! Way to Go! Go Bulldogs!
RMS Chorus Students
Congratulations to the 11 Renfroe Middle School students who made All-State Chorus: Cameron Aaron, William Bartlett, Nia Batra, Lila Cross, Maisie Davis, Mila Garretson-Martinez, Ellie Green, David Harper, Anna Janke, Myles King, and Olivia Sawyer. Way to go, Renfroe Bulldogs!
DHS Star Student and Star Teacher
Congratulations to 2022 Decatur High School PAGE STAR Student Lydia Witter and her STAR Teacher, Mrs. Shelby Coffin. The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program honors Georgia’s highest achieving high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development.
To obtain the STAR nomination, high school students must have the highest score on any single test date of the SAT taken through the November test of their senior year and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average. Nominees’ SAT scores must be equal to or higher than the 2021 national average. Decatur High school STAR Students are also CSD STAR Students and compete for region-wide STAR honors. Regional winners then compete for state PAGE STAR scholarships and awards. High school STAR Students are asked to name their STAR Teachers, who continue with their STAR Students at every level of the program. Click here to learn more.
COVID Updates
School-based COVID Weekly Testing
Most schools resumed weekly COVID-19 testing this week, and all schools will be up and running next week. Thank you to our school staff for helping ensure the testing is a smooth process. We are resharing the information from last week’s Friday Follow-Up in case you missed it. Please contact your school if you have any questions about the school-based weekly testing schedule and sign-up process.
Information from the January 21 Friday Follow-Up:
Schools will resume weekly COVID-19 testing with our new provider, Mako Medical. You will receive information from your child’s school about your intent to participate and the consent process. You will need to register again even if you consented previously for school-based weekly testing.
Your school will provide a link that is specific to your child’s school. You will need to register via the school-specific Mako link even if you previously registered for testing at the Wilson Center.
Students will be administered a rapid antigen test. If they test positive, they will return to the testing location for a PCR test. You will receive results via text/email. If your child tests positive, you will also be contacted by the school. All students testing positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate following the CSD isolation procedures.
You will receive information about the start date and testing day and time from your child’s school. If you have any questions, contact your school nurse or principal.
Daily testing will also continue for staff and students at the Wilson Center from 6:30 am - 8:30 am. Please use this link to register for testing at the Wilson Center. You do not need to register each time you test. Reminder: this link is only for testing at the Wilson Center. Please use your school-specific link to sign up for testing at your child’s school.
Wilson Center Updates and Announcements
Operations Department and FAVE Playground
Community News and Announcements
Decatur Parents Network
Please join the Decatur Parents Network for our February 2 Virtual Speaker Series at 7:00 p.m. This month's topic is Where is Your Family Going...Developing a Mission for Your Family and a Vision for Your Children? For more information and to register for this event, visit https://www.decaturparents.net/events/speaker-series/where-is-your-family-going