Message from Dr. Phyllis A. Edwards, Superintendent, City Schools of Decatur
Dear Parents, Community Members and Visitors to the CSD Website,
I am so pleased to begin 2010 by taking a moment to remind City Schools of Decatur of the direction set by the Board for this calendar year. It is an exciting agenda, indeed!
The Strategic Plan Planning Process, which I was hired to lead in 2003, has served the system well, leading us through a necessary time of setting a systemic direction for City Schools of Decatur. It is time for a planning process to commence again. We will soon choose consultants to assist us as we embark on the process necessary to meet SACS Accreditation Requirement.
The Renfroe Gymnasium project, the last of the Master Plan Projects, has begun and is starting to take shape on College Avenue. The students are particularly excited to have a place to demonstrate their new International Baccalaureate Physical Education sports activities.
The work of the Reconfiguration Committee during the 2008-2009 school year determined my decision to recommend the Fifth Avenue site as the new 4/5 Academy, to open 2011-2012. New South Construction Company along with Coyle, Chapam and Coylehas (architects) have begun their preliminary work to help us create a high-quality, 21st century building. The Glennwood faculty as well as the Glennwood and K3 SLTs will assist in offering input into the design.
SLTs continue to meet and are beginning to latch onto important school-specific issues. Many of these involve Impact Principle content, so the SLTs will be coming to the Board with their recommendations. The Impact Principle is employed when a recommendation affects the workings of other buildings in the system.
Our instructional staff, including paraprofessionals, met on January 5 for a Celebration of Professional Learning. Teachers presented to each other on a host of topics, all related to improving teaching and learning in our schools. It was an exciting day full of leadership and action. We met in the new Performing Arts building at DHS. It is always a sign of on-going quality when teachers are willing to share their knowledge with their peers. We have so many wonderful experts on site that it seems only right we use them as our presenters.
Finally, I behoove all of us to be on legislative alert. The Board of Education will be developing a legislative agenda that I will post and share with all of you. Each year, it seems that there is less local control, less funding from the state and more prescription on the statewide agenda. Parents, students, and community members have strong voices, and I hope you will make your opinions known – support public education!
Sincerely,
Phyllis A. Edwards, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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