Dr. Fehrman's Friday Follow-Up
October 29, 2021
Stronger Together Shout Out
In anticipation of the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11, we are again partnering with Dekalb Pediatric Center on a vaccination event. However, for this round of vaccinations, I also engaged the Decatur Education Foundation, the City of Decatur, and the Decatur Housing Authority to ensure we are removing any barriers that may prevent some of our families from participating in this event. Through this partnership, we will be providing transportation as needed, child care, and support to help parents sign their children up for the vaccination event. I am so thankful to have strong partnerships with DEF, the City of Decatur, and DHA so we can ensure all our families have equitable access.
Details for how to sign up for an appointment will come after the approval. Please save the dates of November 16 for the first dose and December 7 for the second dose (for ages 5-11). This will be an after school event. The final times will be shared after all logistics are confirmed with Dekalb Pediatrics. Adult (12 and up) vaccines and boosters will also be available. We will also continue to work to bring additional vaccine opportunities to the community.
School Visits
This week, I visited three of our lower elementary schools, Westchester, Glennwood, and Clairemont, to get a closer look at our reading instruction. I was so impressed by all three schools. At Westchester, I visited three 1st grade classes, Ms. Montgomery, Ms. Duszak, and Ms. Bigham. In all three classes, the teachers were engaged in leading a small group with directed reading instruction on their power standards while the rest of the class was working independently on differentiated reading assignments. After spending only 45 minutes subbing in a 1st grade classroom last week, I was so impressed with the classroom management skills these teachers have established.
At Glennwood, I was also able to see highly effective reading instruction in Ms. Jolley’s, Ms. Marquez’s, Ms. Rose’s, and Ms. Kaplan’s classrooms. While each teacher had their own spin on delivering reading instruction, all were doing an excellent job providing high-quality instruction while also differentiating their lesson to meet the needs of the students. While I was in Ms. Jolley’s class, one of her students asked me who I was, and as I explained my role, he asked if I was the “big boss?” When I responded that I was, he said, “Great, can you get a swimming pool here?” That made my day!
My final visit was at Clairemont, where I visited Mr. Mangascle’s, Ms. Latson’s, Ms. Hill’s, Ms. Lilywala’s, Ms. Needham’s, and Ms. Green’s classrooms. Again, I was so impressed with the high level of engagement in the classrooms as teachers provided directed small group instruction reading skills while the rest of the students worked on differentiated reading lessons. While at Clairemont, I also had the opportunity to have several students read to me, and I was very impressed with how well our students are reading such high-level books.
E-SPLOST and Senior Homestead Exemption
Two issues are on the current ballot that impact City Schools of Decatur - E-SPLOST and Senior Homestead Exemption.
E-SPLOST: Every five years, voters are presented the option to renew the E-SPLOST or Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Proceeds from the one-penny sales tax are used for capital projects and improvements and purchasing of curriculum materials such as:
New construction and renovations and repairs to existing buildings
Technology replacements and upgrades
Updating security and safety systems
Capital renewal projects (HVAC, roof, plumbing, electrical, etc.)
Acquiring school buses
Purchasing of new textbooks and curriculum resources
Senior Homestead Exemption: Voters will see a question on the ballot to approve a revised senior homestead exemption for two years. In order to qualify for the exemption, you must be between 65 and 69 years of age and your federal adjusted gross income, as well as the federal adjusted gross income of your spouse of such residence and all other members of the family who also reside at such homestead, does not exceed $53,000.00. Seniors aged 70 and above will also receive the same exemption on $200,000 of assessed home value ($400,000 of appraised value) but without an income cap.
Click these links to learn more:
Senior Homestead Exemption and Senior Homestead Exemption Website
To learn more about elections in Decatur, go to https://www.decaturga.com/cmo/page/elections-and-voting.
Job(s) Well Done
State Board Appointments for CSD Staff
This week, Dr. Karla Zisook, instructional coach at College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center, was sworn in as a DECAL (Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning) Board Member for District 4. Congratulations Karla!
Happy National Principals Month CSD!
As we wrap up National Principals Month, I would like to shout out our outstanding principals with visionary leadership at every single one of our schools. I am proud to support our principals in their work to support our students to reach their achievements and goals.
Without our principals, we would not be successful as a school system. The entire district and I thank our CSD principals!
COVID-19 Information
I continue to monitor local and national COVID data. This is our 3rd week of completing weekly COVID testing, and this is the 2nd consecutive week with zero positive tests resulting from the testing. Both COVID advisory teams made recommendations on how we share data on our COVID report, and we are working on these updates to help enhance the information we provide each week.
Thursday evening, I met with the CSD COVID Parent Advisory Team. The agenda is linked here. The session was also recorded if you want to watch the meeting. A link to the recording is included in the agenda. This team provided a wealth of information for me to process and many valuable suggestions for how CSD can tackle the next phase of this pandemic.
As a reminder, you can review our weekly COVID data here.
You can also submit questions for the advisory teams to discuss here.
School Events
On Thursday, October 28, the Clairemont Elementary Garden Committee hosted its first-ever Scarecrow Stroll. While I was unable to attend this event, I want to share how successful this event was. Classrooms showcased their literary character pumpkins, community helper scarecrows, autumn-themed artwork, and there was a fall musical performance featuring Clairemont students. Families also had an opportunity to make purchases at the Fall Book Fair. Thank you to the PTA, Mrs. Dayna Straus, and the Garden Committee for chairing this event, and Mr. Maury Gusta and Mr. Devlynn Crane for organizing a successful Book Fair. The event brought the entire Clairemont community together, and the energy was amazing!