VOLUME 21 NUMBER 43
FREE
FEBRUARY 6, 2016
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews
Georgia lawmakers “ G o R e d f o r Wo m e n ”
DeKalb school district regains full accreditation By Valerie J. Morgan
State Rep. Doreen Carter (third from left) joins Representatives Dewey McClain, Lawrenceville; Sheri Gilligan, Cumming; Taylor Bennett, Brookhaven; Beth Beskin, Atlanta; Rahn Mayo, Decatur; Betty Price, Roswell; and Kimberly Alexander, Hiram.
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tate lawmakers sported red at the Georgia Capitol on Feb. 4 in celebration of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” Day. State Rep. Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) said supporting awareness and research about cardiovascular health is so important and she is sharing her own personal experience to make that point. “My grandmother died of a massive heart attack. My mother died in her sleep. I was fortunate to make it to the hospital in time for the doctors to stop the attack on my heart. However, it was discovered that I had a
100 percent blockage. Heart decease is truly the silent killer,” said Carter, who was hospitalized last year. “I am grateful to be alive to share my story.” Heart disease and strokes causes 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, killing approximately one woman every 80 seconds. Carter encourages citizens to make a donation to Go Red for Women in the remembrance of the families of those who died of heart attacks or strokes. She is also reminding women to exercise and schedule prevention check-ups.
The DeKalb County School District has regained its full accreditation, after three years of working to meet requirements outlined by AdvancED/ SACS, the district’s accrediting agency. Officials said the district’s status has changed from “Accredited Under Review” to “Accredited.” “I am proud of the hard work and diligent effort on the part of the teachers, staff, and the Board of Education to return the District to full accreditation,” Dr. R. Stephen Green said DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green. “The DeKalb County completion of the final three of 14 acSchool District will be relentless in sus- tion steps identified by AdvancED for taining the work completed and remain the district was submitted in December focused on the quality of instruction in 2015 and reviewed by an evaluation the classroom and thereby raise the bar team. for teaching and learning. Our students According to a letter from Adwill rise to the level of expectation vancED dated Jan. 28, 2016: “In recthat we set. We are locked in on this ognition of the progress made to date mission.” and acknowledgement of the continued The district was placed on prowork needed to sustain the Required bation in 2012 after AdvacED/SACS Actions, the Georgia AdvancED Counissued a report citing evidence of cil affirmed… that the DeKalb County financial mismanagement, a decline School District’s accreditation status in student performance and a board will be changed from Accredited Under that was divided along racial lines, Review to Accredited.” socio-economic levels and geography Melvin Johnson, chair of the among other problems. DeKalb Board of Education, said the An Institution ProgSee DeKalb Schools page 7 ress Report that addressed the
Rockdale firefighters cleared in cheating scandal
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ockdale County officials have cleared nine firefighter recruits accused of cheating on a national exam. The allegations of cheating on the National Registry EMT test included Rockdale, DeKalb, Gwinnett counties and the city of East Point. Investigations were launched after it was exposed that firefighter recruits had contact with the study guide and answers. The firefighters, however, didn’t realize they had copies of the actual test and passed the information to others as a study resource, officials said. After a thorough internal investigation associated with the DeKalb County Fire Rescue investigation of recruits allegedly cheating on the exam, Rockdale County Fire Rescue (RCFR) determined there was no wrongdoing from its personnel who had contact with the study guide. RCFR officials said they discovered there were nine firefighters who had contact with the study guide
- two in 2014, two in 2015 and five in 2016. Two of them informed their supervisors they believed they had a copy of the guide after news reports about the cheating allegation were exposed. “As soon as this story made the
news, I had Rockdale firefighters stepping forward to make sure our administration was aware they had this study guide in their possession,” Fire Chief Dan Morgan said. “Our firefighters proactively assisted in our investigation. I’m extremely proud of
their response and honor in wanting to protect the integrity of the Emergency Medical Technician testing process.” Rockdale officials said the firefighters were participating in a charity event in DeKalb in 2014 when EMT training and studying came up in conversation. They received a copy of the guide by email that March, thinking it was only a guide, nothing more, Rockdale officials said. The two firefighters forwarded, either by email or hardcopy, the guide to others in RCFR. Officials said they determined through the chain of transfer between the nine firefighters involved that in every instance, each of them thought the guide was a valid resource. Based on the statements from the RCFR firefighters and the facts of how the guide was obtained and passed along, no disciplinary actions have been deemed warranted for the possession of this document, officials said in a statement.