Happy New Year
SERVING DEKALB, FULTON, GWINNETT, HENRY AND ROCKDALE COUNTIES VOLUME 17 NUMBER 19
WWW.OCGNEWS.COM
JANUARY 1, 2012
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Morningside, Pine Street, Vanderlyn, Oak Grove named state’s top schools
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tlanta’s Morningside Elementary, Rockdale County’s Pine Street Elementary School and DeKalb County’s Vanderlyn and Oak Grove elementary schools are among 26 schools named as 2011 Georgia Schools of Excellence by the Georgia Department of Education. The schools will be honored at a banquet in February at the Georgia World Congress Center. They each received $1,000 from Georgia Natural Gas, which can be used for any purpose. “These schools are showing that excellence can be achieved when they focus on providing a world-class education for their students,” said State Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Barge. Georgia Schools of Excellence are recognized in two categories – the top 10 percent in Georgia as measured by state assessments in reading and mathematics, and the greatest gains in student achievement for the last three years as measured by state assessments. The annual Georgia School of Excellence list is comprised of one school from each Congressional District. Morningside, Vanderlyn and Oak Grove were among 13 schools named in the top 10 percent in reading and mathematics.
Photo by Joshua Smith/OCG News
“When you consider that only 26 schools throughout the state earned this recognition, it is certainly an achievement to be celebrated by the entire district,” said Atlanta Schools Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. “I congratulate our Schools of Excellence and the great strides they are making toward student success and achievement,” said Dr. Cheryl Atkinson, DeKalb Superintendent. “Our goal and mission each day is to improve student success and achieve ‘Victory in
the classroom’ at every school in the DeKalb County School System. We will be working hard in the New Year to achieve that mission.” Pine Street was recognized for “greatest gains” in achievement, along with Stockbridge Elementary in Henry County and Level Elementary in Gwinnett. Being named a Georgia School of Excellence marked yet another milestone for Pine Street. The school, which is 58 percent African American, was recognized for its academic excellence last May when eight Pine Street students were honored by President Barack Obama with the “President’s Award for Educational Excellence” and the “President’s Award for Educational Achievement.” “Excellence is what we strive for each day,” Pine Street’s Principal Kim Vier said. “Being a Georgia School of Excellence is recognition of the hard work of our staff, students, and parents, and for that, we are truly honored.” Dr. Samuel King, superintendent of Rockdale County Public Schools, congratulated Vier, Pine Street and the parents of the school. “This accomplishment is the result of a team approach for continuous improvement which centers on the individual needs of all students,” King said.
Converse Classic brings excitement, NAACP: Wave of economic boost to DeKalb ‘attacks’ launched to suppress Black voters By Joshua Smith
By Valerie J. Morgan
With the 2012 elections just months away, the NAACP and other groups are preparing to get out the vote. The efforts to organize come amidst a new NAACP report that reveals a barrage of measures enacted to dilute the voting power of Blacks and Latinos nationwide. “It’s been more than a century since we’ve seen such a tidal wave Benjamin Todd Jealous of assaults on the right to vote,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “Historically, when voting rights are attacked, it’s done to facilitate attacks on other rights. It is no mistake that the groups who are behind this are simultaneously attacking very basic women’s rights, environmental protections, labor rights, and educational access for working people and minorities.” The NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund released the joint report after examining scores of legislative proposals, ballot initiatives and voting laws enacted since the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. The report, Defending Democracy: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Rights in America, highlights measures ranging from restrictive voter identification requirements to state laws discouraging voter registration drives. The measures are being pushed in Georgia and several other states with large African-American and Latino populations and where See NAACP, page 6 INSIDE
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uzzer beaters at halftime and echoes of “oohs” and “ahhs” filled the stands as hundreds of fans packed out the Columbia High School gym for the Converse “Holiday Hoops” Invitational Classic in Decatur. Held for the first time in DeKalb County, the five-day tournament (Dec. 26-30) hosted 18 schools from throughout Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and even Alaska. “This is a great event because it brings together outstanding basketball talent and gives our Georgia athletes the opportunity to match their skills with some of the best players in the nation,” said Phil McCrary, tournament director and head coach of Columbia High’s boys basketball team. “A tournament like this brings a great amount of economy and unity to this community and this county.” The 26-year head coach, who was victorious on the fourth day of competition, says DeKalb hasn’t hosted a tournament since the 1990’s and it was long overdue. “We couldn’t get sponsorship and I was tired of taking our teams out of town, so I began to make connections,” said McCray. “After playing in Anchorage for their MLK Classic last year, Anchorage agreed to play in our tournament. “Next year, I hope to bring in a team from the Bahamas and I have hopes for some Germany teams, too.” DeKalb School Board member Jay Cunningham and DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson praised Columbia for hosting the event.
Photos by Joshua Smith/OCG News
“It brought a lot of people to our hotels and restaurants. It was a boost to our economy,” Cunningham said. Added Johnson: “I love it because it is something positive for our youths and the community as a whole.” The Columbia Eagles defeated the Tucker Tigers, 65-44. One of the victorious teams, the Miami Norland Vikings, who defeated the Crisp County Cougars 55-38, said they enjoyed Atlanta and even got the chance to go to the AMC Stonecrest 16 movie theatre, where they watched “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” Converse tournament planner
Aljami Durham says the invitational will remain in DeKalb County for many years to come. “We will make sure this tournament stays right here. When you have nationally-ranked teams like Columbia and Miller Grove right here in DeKalb, why are we making them travel to Texas, California and all over the place? It just doesn’t make sense to do that,” said Durham. “The tournaments bring in anywhere from 1,000 – 1,500 people in one day. That can be nothing but good for this school system and community.”