VOLUME 21 NUMBER 37
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DECEMBER 12, 2015
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews
DeKalb school board approves salary increase for 8,700 employees
By Valerie J. Morgan
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eKalb County teachers, principals and other certified professionals will receive pay raises starting in January. At its Dec. 7 meeting, the DeKalb County Board of Education approved Superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green’s proposal to increase the salaries. More than 8,700 employees, including 6,000 teachers, will receive the pay raises in their Jan. 15, 2015 paychecks through a $10.8 million appropriation. “Our primary focus is improving the academic performance of students,” said Green. “With these salary adjustments, we are making an investment in the quality of teaching and learning in our schools.” Officials say that the district’s salary schedule was below the metro average for teachers with 7 to17 years of experience, the range for teacher attrition. The raises, they said, were needed to halt the exodus. “Our teachers were leaving DeKalb to take jobs with other school districts. The pay raises are our way to say that we value you, we love
Dr. R. Stephen Green told the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce that “DeKalb School system is on the move and on the rise” during his address on Dec. 9. Photo by Glenn L. Morgan
you, we appreciate you,” said Dr. Melvin Johnson, the board’s chair. Johnson said the board wanted to give the raises before spring when many teachers sign contracts. “We want to send the message that we want them to stay in DeKalb. We have to demonstrate our philosophy by making sure that teachers are compensated in an equitable manner,” said Johnson.
Green said that along with teacher pay increases, he is instituting a “rigor meter” throughout the district to measure student achievement and raise the bar. “We’re going to be looking for certain things in the classroom. We’re about raising rigor. We’re going to stay focused on our core,” Green told the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce during an address on Dec. 9. Teachers with 7 to 17
years of experience will receive pay raises that bring them to the metro average. All other teachers will receive a two percent raise, district officials said. High school principals will receive a five percent raise; principals in middle schools will receive a three percent raise; and elementary school principals will receive a two percent raise. Salaries for certified pre-K teachers will be added
to the district teacher salary schedule and adjusted based on levels of experience and certification. DeKalb certified pre-K teachers will become the only certified pre-K teachers in metro Atlanta on the same salary schedule as other teachers. Other school-based instructional personnel who will receive pay raises include: media specialists, counselors, psychologists, Lead Teachers for Special Education, social workers, academic coaches and instructional specialists. Instructional paraprofessionals on Tier 6 and above on DeKalb’s paraprofessional salary schedule will receive a two percent pay raise. Paraprofessionals on Tiers 1-5 will receive a one percent pay raise. The system already gave raises to secretaries, bus drivers, custodians and other auxiliary staffers for the 2015-2016 school year. Johnson said the board is looking at including them for another raise in its next cycle of increases. Green said that he is instituting a “rigor meter: throughout the district to measure student achievement.
Candace Hill named Youth DeKalb Chamber of Commerce says Athlete of the Year, Rising Star it had no “secret accounts”
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he DeKalb County Chamber is refuting allegations that it managed “secret accounts” for DeKalb County elected officials. The Chamber issued a news release on Dec. 9 after WSB-Channel 2 aired stories on the Chamber’s relationship as a program fiscal agent for former Commissioner Elaine Boyer, who is serving a federal prison sentence for bilking taxpayers. WSB is questioning the relationship Boyer had as well as Commissioner Stan Watson and others. Investigative reporter Richard Belcher said he tried to sit down with Watson but did not have any success. “There are no “secret accounts.” Additionally, the DeKalb Chamber receives no funding from local governments. Our Board minutes from 2013 reflect our fiscal agent accounts and our decision to end this type of programming,” the release stated. The Chamber said it partnered in 2011 with DeKalb County to coordinate a Small Business Conference (SBC). The Chamber was responsible for accepting program sponsorships, ticket sales and paying vendors with funds collected to put on the event. All of the funds received were kept separate
from the Chamber’s operating and reserve funds. The Chamber said the Small Business Conference led to other events put on by county commissioners and others. The Chamber decided, however, to end its role as a fiscal agent with the growing requests. “While it is not uncommon practice for trade associations and non-profits to act as fiscal agents for community activities, later in 2013 our Chamber leadership decided to end our role in this capacity, as it did not align with the organization’s mission or business objectives. We closed out agreements and sent any remaining funds as directed to other fiscal agent organizations. These relationships were ended PRIOR to the current Board leadership and staff,” the release said. The Chamber maintains that is under investigation by the FBI as part of a larger probe that was already under way into alleged corruption by elected officials. “…While the DeKalb Chamber might be included in these stories, we are not the reason for the probe. We are simply part of a larger inquiry, not an investigation into our practices or the organization itself,” the Chamber stated.
Blazing fast track phenom and Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology junior Candace Hill picked up two more prestigious honors from national and international athletic organizations. USA Track and Field (USATF) named Hill the 2015 Youth Athlete of the Year in a Dec. 5 gala at its annual convention in Houston, Texas. USATF awarded the honor based on a panel of experts and a vote by the public on its website. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) named Hill, a two-time IAAF World Youth Championships gold medalist as its 2015 Rising Star in November. Hill set two World Youth Records in 2015. She ran a 10.98 in the 100 meters on June 20 at the Brooks Invitational in Shoreline, Washington, and a 22.43 in the 200m as a member of Team USA at IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.