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Posted on: April 19, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

News Brief: Starting this Fall, Atlanta University Consortium Institutions Will Require COVID-19 Vaccinations

Starting at the beginning of Fall 2021, the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) member institutions- Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College, and AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library will require all students and members of their faculties and staff to be fully vaccinated. Citing safety and health concerns for their communities, the Consortium citied aligning with science-based guidance as putting forth this mandate. With fully vaccinated…

Posted on: April 19, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

News Brief: Clayton County Schools to Offer Virtual Learning for the 2021-2022 School Year

Starting in the 2021-2022 school year, Clayton County Schools will implement a school-based virtual learning program to provide parents with the flexibility of a full-time at-home option for their children in grades 3-12. Students who are accepted will be enrolled at their zoned school; however, all of their instruction will be virtual. Students will engage in daily synchronous and asynchronous learning activities. “It is important that our parents/guardians have full…

Posted on: April 19, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

News Brief: Extended School Hours for Atlanta Public School Students

Starting August 5th, elementary students in Atlanta Public Schools will be in school 30 minutes longer to help students who are struggling with instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the district’s elementary schools start at 8 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. This extended day will allow schools to target students who may have experienced a learning loss due to schools being closed from March 2020 until February 2021.…

Posted on: April 13, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Atlanta Public Schools Halts Upcoming Vaccination Clinic

Atlanta Public Schools has cancelled a mass vaccination event for teachers following the pause of J&J vaccine after six cases of people who developed blood clotting issues. The original event which was an effort with Walgreens, Atlanta Public Schools was scheduled to have the clinic for their staff on April 12. However after the joint statement from the CDC and FDA said they are “recommending a pause in the use…

Posted on: April 13, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Atlanta Board of Education Votes to School to Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy

On Monday the Atlanta Board of Education voted to change the name of Forrest Hill Academy to Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy. Forest Hills Academy is an alternative high school located off of Cleveland Avenue and was named after Nathan Before Forrest a Confederate General who was an active member of the Ku Klux Klan. This name change comes at a time in history, where the names of Confederates on…

Posted on: April 2, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Gwinnett School Board Approve Superintendent Search

Dr. Samuel King presents to the Gwinnett County School Board.

Posted on: March 30, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Georgia’s Waiver of Accountability Requirements Approved

The United States Department of Education (USED) on Friday approved Georgia’s waiver of accountability requirements – including having to produce a College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) summary for the state, school districts, and schools. While USED did not approve Georgia’s request to waive state assessments altogether for the 2020-21 school year, which means the Georgia Milestones are required to be administered this spring, but the results will not…

Posted on: March 30, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Special Needs Vouchers Approved By Georgia Lawmakers

In a stunning move on Monday, lawmakers in Georgia approved (30-18) the expansion of the state’s private school voucher program when the State Senate expanded the program for students who have a 504 plan. This new plan would apply to students who had diagnosis of ailments including cancer to dyslexia to alcohol abuse and who have qualified for a 504 plan. Under the current 14-year Georgia Special Needs Bill the…

Posted on: March 27, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Georgia Public Schools Will Receive $3.8 Billion Dollars in Federal Funds

Under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, public schools in Georgia will receive more than $3.8 billion in federal stimulus funds after the State Board of Education approved Superintendent Richard Woods’ recommendation to begin allocated the funds. These funds were awarded were determined by federal law and based on the share of Title I funding for the fiscal year 2021. School districts are required through federal legislation to set aside…

Posted on: March 27, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Proposed Math education standards open for a 30-day Period

The Georgia Department of Education needs the community’s feedback on the proposed the K-12 Mathematics Standards for the 2022-2024 school year. Starting today the standards are up for review for a 30-day public comment period. If approved, the standards will be implemented in the 2022-23 school year. Throughout the 2021-2022 school year, teachers will receive training and professional learning, new resources will be developed, assessments that are aligned to these…

Posted on: March 27, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Cobb County Schools Gives Parents Choice for 2021-2022 School Year

Cobb County Schools Offers Options for families for the 2021-2022 school year.

Posted on: March 26, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Starting in 2021-2022 School Year Atlanta Public Schools to Return to 5 Days Instruction

Starting in the 2021-2022 school year all Atlanta Public Schools students will return to five days of in-person instruction each week. While a virtual option will remain, teachers will no longer be expected to teach simultaneously or have asynchronous Wednesdays. According to the Superintendent’s blog, Herring continued, “We don’t intend to have asynchronous Wednesdays and no simultaneous teaching. We will provide virtual engagement as an option for the fall. “…

Posted on: March 25, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Fulton County Schools’ Chief Operations Officer Leaves for Job With Gwinnett County Schools

On Thursday Fulton County Schools Board Members said goodbye to long-term Chief Operation Officers, Patrick Burke has he leaves for Gwinnett County Schools to be their Director of Planning. Burke who has spent more than two decades with the district, oversaw school building projects, nutrition and transportation. Citing the need to be closer to his home and a better work-life balance, Patrick reflected on his twenty years with the district.…

Posted on: March 25, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

State School Board of Education Approves $1,000 Bonus for Georgia Teachers and Support Personnel

On Thursday the State Board of Education approved Governor Kemp and State Superintendent’s recommendation to provide a one-time, $1,000 bonus payment to every public school teacher and support personnel. This bonus, provided by federal stimulus, is a good faith effort that helps with the ability to recruit teachers and retention of talent as educators have been on the front lines of battling COVID-19 during this pandemic. The state will use…

Posted on: March 19, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Opinion: Stop the Hate Against Asian Americans Forces Us to Speak Up

Caroline Diaz is the preschool director for Westminster Schools, an independent school in Atlanta. She has a strong passion for leadership and mentorship in the field of early childhood education. Caroline began her career as a lecturer for De La Salle University’s Psychology Department in Manila, Philippines. She also operated two early childhood learning centers while working as a curriculum designer for a non-profit organization that was created to help improve…

Posted on: March 19, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Wilbanks out as Gwinnett County Superintendent on June 30

In a surprising 3-2 vote, the Gwinnett School Board voted to end Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks’s contract a year early than his contract. With Board Chairman Everton Blair, Vice Chairwoman Karen Watkins, and board member Dr.Tarece Johnson voting in favor of the contract ending and Mary Kay Murphy and Steven Knudsen voting against the move. Wilbank’s last day for the district will be July 31, 2021. In a statement, Wilbanks…

Posted on: March 17, 2021 Posted by: Brittany White Comments: 0

Opinion: The Learning Loss Noone in Georgia Is Discussing

What a year it has been. Last week made one full year since schools across the country moved to remote learning. As of a month ago, there were half a million lives lost in the nation due to COVID-19. There are many countless Facebook arguments about whether students should be in school. Parents are making decisions about whether or not to send their children for in-person learning. College students are…

Posted on: March 3, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Clayton County Set to Resume Face to Face Classes in April

In a startling move, Clayton County Superintendent Moreace Beasley announced Tuesday that students in grades K-5 starting April 12 via his YouTube Live Townhall meeting. “April 12, it is our plan if the vaccination distribution goes as planned, if we continue to see decreasing numbers, make no mistake, we will be returning our Pre-K through 5th-grade students back to our facilities for the first two weeks starting April 12 on…

Posted on: March 3, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Biden Wants Every Teacher Vaccinated With One Covid 19 Shot in March

As teachers continue to push to be pushed ahead of the lines for COVID-19 vaccines, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he wants every teacher, school staff, and child care worker in the United States to get at least one shot in March. This comes amidst more guidance that says the schools can safely reopen with the right precautions to protect children and staff. Using the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program…

Posted on: March 2, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Cobb County Teacher Caught Blaming Breonna Taylor for Her Murder

Susan McCoy, a forensics science teacher at Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgiaa was caught on camera this past week telling her class of students that Breonna Taylor was responsible for her own death. “I’m sorry she was killed but if you hang out with people with guns that shoot at cops you’re likely to get caught in the crossfire,” McCoy can be heard saying in reference to who she…

Posted on: February 24, 2021 Posted by: Crystal Gammon Comments: 0

Georgia Coalition for a Safe Return to School Holds the Great Georgia Teach-In

On Saturday, February 20, 2021, a beautiful warm day in Atlanta, a coalition of Georgia Educators from all over the metro Atlanta area gathered at the Georgia Department of Education with one common goal in mind- to rally for proper measures to be taken to keep students and staff safe in schools throughout Georgia. Several speakers attended the outdoor event ranging from Georgia Educators, Scientists, and a Physician. The Great…

Posted on: February 20, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Gwinnett County Schools Halts the Gateway Requirement for Students

In a startling move, Gwinnett County Schools has decided to waive the requirement that the Class of 2021 seniors must pass the Gateway exams in order to graduate. The Gateway exams are essay exams that requires sophomores to write about science and juniors about social studies prompts. Students who fail them can retake them but they are required for students to graduate from Gwinnett County Schools. This development also has…

Posted on: February 15, 2021 Posted by: Crystal Gammon Comments: 0

Georgia Association of Educators Rally for Safer Schools

By Crystal Gammon In a press release listed on the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) website www.gae.org, GAE announced that they filed a lawsuit against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, State Superintendent Richard Woods, and the Georgia Department of Public Health for their failure to provide safe environments for teachers and students during the COVID-19 19 pandemic. On Saturday, February 13, 2021, the GAE held a Member Rally for Safe In-Person Instruction…

Posted on: February 6, 2021 Posted by: Crystal Gammon Comments: 0

Opinion: Deconstructing Gov. Brian Kemp’s Teacher Pipeline Package

On February 2nd, Governor Brian Kemp announced his plans to evaluate and improve the teaching profession through his Teacher Pipeline Package. Governor Kemp addressed the current education crisis in Georgia. In his announcement on Tuesday, Governor Kemp said that he plans to strengthen student connectivity, restore funding to school systems across the state, and build on his commitment to strengthening the teacher pipeline. Despite recent criticism, Governor Kemp stated that…

Posted on: February 2, 2021 Posted by: Crystal Gammon Comments: 0

Marjorie Taylor Greene: A Disastrous Decision for Education and Labor Committee

U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was recently elected to Congress in November 2020 from District 14 in the Dalton/Rome areas of metro Atlanta area.

Posted on: January 25, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Perceived Threats of Caring Male Teacher

By Nathan Brown “Nathan Brown is a student of elementary education at Hamline University. He is a future educator who stands against the implementation of postmodern theory into public education and writes about these issues at NateBWriting.weebly.com. He also creates children’s music under the name ‘Captain Cool Kid’, and his first album, “Songs 4 Every1″, is soon to be released on Bandcamp.com.” From the time I turned seventeen years old, I…

Posted on: January 24, 2021 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Biden’s $170 Billion+ Plan to Reopen Schools in 100 Days

President Biden unveiled his administration’s first legislative priority in a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that pushes $130 billion to reopen schools in 100 days in a quest to get the pandemic under control and mitigate the economic and social impact on the country. While he intends to get bipartisan support of this package, Democrats hold 50 seats in the Senate with the newly sworn-in Ossoff and Warnock from Georgia. Here…

Posted on: December 18, 2020 Posted by: Brittany White Comments: 0

Protesting Against Standardized Testing: #TeachersforGoodTrouble

Teachers are fed up. Although the world has been in a pandemic for the majority of 2020, schools are still requiring students to come to school to take standardized tests. A teachers’ group based out of Atlanta, Georgia is calling for a strike. According to various social media posts from frustrated teachers, despite students learning from home, some districts in metro Atlanta are calling for students to come to school…

Posted on: July 13, 2020 Posted by: Zackory Kirk Comments: 0

How Generation Z is Contributing to Advocacy in Atlanta

Around the nation, Generation Z activists are leading protests against police brutality, confederate monuments, and racism. Generation Z (also known as Zoomers) is the designation for those born after 1986. Known as the true digital natives, raised with access to smartphones and connectivity, Zoomers have shown themselves to be politically active and globally engaged. Atlanta’s Royce Mann and Cole Bickerstaff are two Gen Z influencers using their platforms for political…

Posted on: July 11, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Atlanta Public Schools Announces Staggered Start Date and Virtual Learning for Fall Semester

In a memo to staff today, newly minted Superintendent, Dr. Lisa Herring has made the decision to push school back for two weeks and starting virtually. This decision was made on the heels of Atlanta Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms to move the city back to phase I with the mounting Coronavirus cases surging in Georgia. While expected, many parents and students are shocked, but relieved that the school district has…

Posted on: June 21, 2020 Posted by: Zackory Kirk Comments: 0

When We Truly Lift Every Voice: A Three-Part Consideration of Activism in Atlanta in Post-Assimilation America

It was on Saturday, June 6 that my heart dropped. I had just come home from my socially distanced spin-class at Cycle Gang in College Park. I had not opened Facebook, turned on my television, or even checked messages. I had no idea that the realistic gravity of international protests had come crashing down with brutal force on the city I call I home. Rayshard Brooks, an unarmed black man,…

Posted on: June 1, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

GaDOE Offers Guidance on Opening Schools for the 2020-2021 School Year

This morning in a 10-page document, “Georgia’s Path to Recovery for K-12 Schools” the Georgia Department Education offered guidance to Georgia’s 181 school districts that containing over 2,200 schools that employ over 114,800 teachers who educate approximately 1.6 million students every day. This document came after the Center for Disease Control gave federal guidance to prioritize the health and safety of students and teachers. “In partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health, we created these…

Posted on: May 29, 2020 Posted by: Zackory Kirk Comments: 0

The “Amy Cooper” Next Door: How Implicit Bias Works

Do you know a “Karen?” This very modern slur has been used to typify entitled, privileged behavior that results in demands or threats that go beyond the scope of what is considered appropriate. According to “slang” dictionary, a “Karen” is typically a white American, middle-aged woman who exhibits aggressive behavior whenever she is obstructed from getting her way. Well, on Tuesday morning I woke to a cup of black coffee,…

Posted on: May 12, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Dekalb County Schools Opts Not to Hire New Superintendent

In a surprising 4-3 vote, the Dekalb County Board of Education voted against hiring superintendent finalist, Rudy Crew during the board virtual work session. Crew an experienced leader from Miami and New York and currently as the acting president of Medgar Evers College had been met with criticism surrounding taxpayer’s dollars being improperly spent and obstruction of a rape investigation. During a heated exchange board members Dr. Joyce Morley and…

Posted on: April 10, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Gwinnett and Cobb County Schools Transition to Four Day Work Weeks

In correspondence sent to parents, both Gwinnett County and Cobb County Schools have opted to transition to a four day work week starting April 13 after hearing from hundreds of parents around how online learning is going for students and parents. Both districts opt for digital learning for Monday through Thursday and opt for Friday to be an opportunity for students to independently review their progress from the previous group…

Posted on: April 7, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Federal Waiver Approved Federal Assessment Waiver- No CCRPI for 2020 or State Testing

Immediately following the closure of metro Atlanta schools for two weeks on March 16th, Superintendent Roger Woods took the step to suspend teacher and leader evaluation and state assessment, and consequences with attendance. Followed by an announcement of the United States Department of Education that encouraged states to request waivers from federal assessments, Georgia filed its intent with approval on March 30. No state testing – including Georgia Milestones EOGs…

Posted on: April 6, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Starting April 13, Atlanta Public Schools Will Offer Front Line Workers ‘Hero Pay’

Even though the last day of in person instruction stopped on March 13, 2020, some of Atlanta Public Schools Front Line Workers will receive hero pay. While teachers and principals work to finish out distance learning to the end of the year, other employees such as food and nutrition, safety, facilities have to do their work in their physical buildings. Starting on April 13, Atlanta Public Schools will begin to…

Posted on: April 6, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Changes to Advanced Placement Will Focus on Access and Preparation for 2019-2020 Exams

As the country has shifted to virtual learning, it looks likes the College Board, the organization behind Advanced Placement has issued new guidelines for schools effected by COVID-19 closures. The most telling one is that all exams will now be digital, 45 minutes long with a heavy concentration of early semester learning. Now that students will be taking the abbreviated tests at home using a a computer, tablet, or phone;…

Posted on: April 5, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Atlanta Community Feedback Will Serve Food During Metro Area Spring Break

The Atlanta Community Food Bank will serve for Fulton County Schools families at 10 locations on April 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ACFB works with over 600 nonprofits including food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers—to distribute over 60 million meals to more than 755,000 people in 29 counties across metro Atlanta and north Georgia. We are partnering with schools to feed families who have…

Posted on: April 3, 2020 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

COVID-19: School is Closed in Georgia: 5 Questions for Parents

Today at a 4:00 news conference, Governor Kemp announced that physical school buildings will be closed for the remainder of the school year. While a relief for some parents, for others it was a shocking turn of events that have left parents shocked, overwhelmed and anxious about what’s next. “I’m shocked. I know we’re to continue to have online school, but I’m disappointed for my son who graduates this year.”…

Posted on: February 3, 2019 Posted by: Brittany White Comments: 0

My Experience with PTSD as an Educator in Atlanta

As an Army wife, it feels strange writing about my own experience with PTSD. I do not take the experiences of veterans who have suffered from PTSD lightly. But the reality is that PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is more common than most people think. It doesn’t just occur as a response to being in war. Many people suffer from it as a result of life-altering events. More recently, educators…

Posted on: January 13, 2019 Posted by: Mike Creekmore, Jr. LPC Comments: 0

Superhero: The Black Male School Counselor

It’s the first week of school, I’ve been paged… I know it’s probably one of my students- a first or fifth grader. I turn the corner to the downstairs First Grade Hallway and see Matthew*. He’s flailing and yelling at his teacher as tears streak down his face. The teacher is standing in the doorway to prevent him from running away, the rest of the class is getting restless and…

Posted on: November 17, 2018 Posted by: Staff Writer Comments: 0

Teachers Must Not Only Be Non-Racist, But Anti-Racist

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.” – Night by Elie Wiesel Every year I was in the classroom, I…