DeKalb Schools to Take Hit in 2010-11 Budget

Recently there was alot of talk about a High School or Charter School for Doraville. While I fully support that concept, it looks to be an uphill battle with the DeKalb County School system facing a $56 million shortfall for next year.

Doraville may not have many options but to hope for a smart redistricting plan. In looking at previous posts by Councilmember Bates and then recent posts by Councilmember Pittman and several residents, it seems tragic that students in Doraville get bussed all the way to Cross Keys when Chamblee is almost walkable. I don't recall the exact mileage but it seems to me that Cross Keys is twice as far away as Chamblee is, yet that is where our children go?

I hope the residents, city council, business owners take note of this and fight for Doraville. Schools impact each of us, even if you don't have any children.

New Charter School to Open

According to the DeKalb Neighbor, a new charter school, Peachtree Hope, will open this fall, located TBD.

I am a huge school choice fan. I think Charter schools are wonderful and a way of forcing the public schools to remain competative. Problem is that most school boards/administrators don't realize that THEY are the problem and fight to keep Charter schools out and avoid competition.

We have dumbed down our school systems and Charter Schools raise the bar. I am sure that reasonable people can disagree on the benefits of school choice. As a public school graduate myself, I firmly believe in a public school system,just don't believe in one that is "standardized".

We should be empowering our teachers to teach to teach and not teach to test. We have lowered the bar and it is going to take new leadership, new attitudes and new ideas to make our public school systems the shining star that they once were.

Until then, let competition happen, it will create better teachers, better administrators, better parents, better students, and a better future for us all.