Ecologist: Many reasons to keep Fernbank Science Center open
Fernbank costs DeKalb $4.7 million to operate, a luxury the system may no longer be able to afford. (AJC)
The AJC is receiving many pleas to save the Fernbank Science Center, which is operated by the cash-strapped DeKalb County School District. Last week, the school board’s budget committee recommended closing the decades-old institution.
As the AJC reported last week: Fernbank Science Center, which includes a planetarium, is near the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which is operated by a separate nonprofit. At an annual cost of $4.7 million, the building and its 56 full-time employees now are looking like a luxury to school officials. They are struggling with a $73 million deficit, and may have to cut teachers and school days to balance the budget.
Here is one of the pleas to keep the center open. It is from ecologist Al Tate, an instructor at the Fernbank Science Center
By Al Tate
There is so much misinformation about Fernbank Science Center appearing on the blogs and elsewhere in the press. Sure Fernbank Science Center is a neat place to bring your children and learn about nature and science. However that is only a small part of what Fernbank Science Center is and does.
Fernbank Science Center is an integral part of the DeKalb County School District. Every school day Fernbank Science Center instructors are found in schools throughout the county teaching a wide variety of science topics and supporting the local school curriculum, and every day students arrive at Fernbank Science Center (or a variety of other locations around the county like Stone Mountain, Hidden Acres Nature Preserve, Arabia Mt.) to take classes from instructors, see the planetarium, use scientific equipment.
After school hours, on weekends and through the summer, Fernbank instructors are teaching advanced studies classes in physics, chemistry, ecology, ornithology, helping DeKalb students with competitive science events like Science Olympiad, Science Fair Projects, Robotics, Envirothon (new state champions), and others; visiting teachers across the county helping them with establishing Nature Trails, vegetable gardens, water gardens, wildflower gardens on their campus so there will be resources on site for students to learn science curriculum from the real world instead of just reading a book and taking a test; teaching staff development courses to DeKalb teachers and visiting their classroom, providing them with additional resources and techniques for instruction.
Fernbank Science Center’s Scientific Tools and Techniques program is one of the most innovative and intense science education programs found anywhere for high school students. Students are selected from all schools in the county for this one semester program. Program alumni are always at the top of the charts and lead the state in their results on the End of Course Tests.
This year, Fernbank Inc. has decided not to renew Fernbank Science Center’s 45 lease on Fernbank Forest, so some people think that Fernbank Science Center will no longer have our forest classes. NOT TRUE! Working with the DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Department, we have already identified a number of parks around the county where our current forest classes will be taught and instructors will be working through the summer to develop some new classes tailored to take full advantage of the different locations. These will be designed to serve nearby schools so that transportation costs will be minimal.
Fernbank Science Center is funded at $4.7. That is 0.6 percent of the DeKalb school budget. If it gets cut, Fernbank Science Center is gone forever because, once the science center closes the property goes back to Fernbank Inc.
The potential for Fernbank Science Center to help the county obtain funding through grants, partnerships, etc. has barely been tapped. Fernbank Science Center staff is unique: not only are there top quality educators with advanced degrees, but also hard scientists in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, geology, ecology, biology, astronomy, and others. No other school system has such a facility.
What a draw for DeKalb Schools in this era of our national struggle to educate more scientists and engineers. Instructors/staff at Fernbank Science Center are there because we are passionate about teaching children. We are part of the DCSD family and want to help forge a solution to our budget problems.
Getting rid of Fernbank Science Center will not only hurt the school system. Potential new DeKalb Citizens will be looking for high quality educational opportunities for their children. Business and industry wants to locate were their employees will find good schools; schools that can produce quality future employees. We are now in a vicious loop with declining home values reducing the tax base and decimating our school budget. If we don’t make wise decisions about where and how to cut the budget, we will exacerbate the already declining situation with our schools, drive away our new citizen prospects and – worse – damage our children’s future.
Please do not kill the goose that lays golden eggs.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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147 comments Add your comment
John Adcox
May 29th, 2012
3:48 pm
SURVEY RESULTS
Per Cent
Question Experimental Control
1. Employed full-time in science or related field 12.1 4.2
2. Employed part-time in science or related field 16.5 6.6
3. Two-year college graduate 3.0 3.0
4. Four-year college graduate 34.6 29.3
5. Currently enrolled in college 68.4 73.7
6. Majored or currently majoring in science 45.0 26.3
7. Worked as a science lab assistant in HS 8.7 1.8
8. Worked as a science lab assistant in college 18.6 3.6
9. Received a science award in high school 46.8 20.4
10. Received a science award in college 8.2 2.4
John Adcox
May 29th, 2012
3:49 pm
Audience
Fernbank’s primary audience is within a one hour drive and is essentially metro Atlanta, the 11th largest MSA in the United States with a population of 4,112,198 people. Of this area 37% is minority. Inner city Atlanta closer to Fernbank has a larger minority population. Fernbank is six miles east of the center of downtown Atlanta. DeKalb County Schools (one of the Fernbank partnership) enrollment is 76.6% Afro-American, 3.8% Asian, 6.4% Hispanic 2.1% multiracial and 10.8% Caucasian. It is a system where the minority is a majority. The Atlanta school system has a similar demographic. DeKalb and the Atlanta system are the two largest in the Metroplex.
Fernbank is very successful at reaching underserved audiences. Most local families have been to Fernbank if not recently, then when they were in school. As a result our image with underserved populations is a favorable one.
John Adcox
May 29th, 2012
3:49 pm
Program
The bulk of Fernbank’s visitation is in single field trip visits or public attendance but we also produce extensive educational programs ranging from vocational horticulture to aerospace education. Fernbank is a partner with NASA’s SEMAA program and produces curriculum for the program. We serve over 825 students in it each year in summer, fall and spring daytime sessions that include 21 hours of study for upper level students and 12 hours of study for elementary students. Fernbank also does SpaceStation Fernbank, a summer aerospace camp. As part of the SEMAA program Fernbank pioneered Parents Café program to involve parents in the SEMAA activities while their child attends class and to provide continuing education in science and life and parenting skills. Last year we served 1048 parents in the SEMAA program.
Similarly, students visit our Quest summer camps on other topics as well as a variety of programs, lectures and activities in the forest and gardens. These range from bird watching and bird banding to composting.
Fernbank has also been instrumental in writing the DeKalb County Schools Science Standards, which are based in state and national standards.
Dekalbite
May 29th, 2012
3:54 pm
The ONLY $4.7 million Mr. Tate cites is just in salaries. We need to add transportation costs – 3,200 buses a year – bringing children to their ONCE a YEAR visit to Fernbank. Is he aware that $5,000,000 a year (and that is very conservative) would buy us over 100 teachers certified in science with a Masters degree and at least five years experience teaching science every day in the classroom?
Half (49%) of our 8th graders do not know even the most basic science content or concepts. Would 100+ science teachers be more valuable than the 28 Fernbank teachers along with their 28 highly paid non teaching staff?
To those who say this will not be spent for science teachers, you are mistaken. One of Dr. Atkinson’s proposals is to eliminate 200 teaching positions by increasing class sizes by 2 and another proposition is to eliminate 300 teaching positions by increasing class sizes by 3. If closing Fernbank will allow us to keep 100 teaching positions (and it will) many of those will be science teaching positions.
We have around 700 teachers leaving the system each year. The 28 Fernbank instructors will be placed in the schools. The program does not require a musty old building that needs BTW $2,000,000 in renovations to serve students. The STT program only serves 90 tudents a semester out of 95,000 students will reach MORE students if the FSC instructors are housed in the schools.
This discussion is about jobs not sudents. The 28 highly paid non teaching personnel may be cut or if there is a vacant position they apply and qualify for, they may experience a salary decease. Some of the 28 teachers are not certified teachers (what pay scale are they on?). They can get certified. DCSS is not a jobs program. If there is a more effective way to utilize funds so that all students can achieve, the we have an obligation to implement that.
EVERY other metro school system with the exception of DeKalb including systems demographically similar and with more low income students have better science achievement and not ONE of them has a science center.
Carol Napier
May 29th, 2012
3:54 pm
Mr. Tate, the whole Napier family loves you! Thank you for your commitment and courage. You and your colleagues have changed the world by your enthusiasm for science and your dedication to our children and youth. I wish every teacher could/would light the fire of curiosity in our students like you and your colleagues do! I, for one, would gladly pay higher taxes to keep Fernbank open. Atlanta needs Fernbank. And when I look at Eric Boe, I realize the world needs Fernbank, too.
blurb
May 29th, 2012
3:54 pm
John, your numbers demonstrate the excellence of the science center for those lucky few who get to take its classes. (And by the way, SEMAA is gone.)
APS parent
May 29th, 2012
3:58 pm
how do you know how much Dr. Tate makes?
yes i am worried
May 29th, 2012
4:03 pm
John
Who was in the Control Group? I suspect it wasn’t kids who didn’t get into STT, but rather a randomly selected group. Also, please remember that STT severs 200 a kids a year, a whooping 5 percent of a freshman class, if that much.
Are you a parent in DCSS? An employee? My child’s education is being negatively impacted by all the expenditures on frills in DeKalb. She is a science oriented kid, but finds the in-house field trips from the FSC instructors a waste and twice had her out of school field trip to FSC cancelled.
SEMMA’s funding is tenuous and the administration of the program horrible.
I want my child to have the same in-school science opportunities that kids in Fulton and Cobb do. That won’t happen with FSC still on the books.
Just Sayin'
May 29th, 2012
4:07 pm
FYI – the Just Sayin’ that posted at 3:46 isn’t the same one that posted at 3:28…
(the 3:28 one)
Beck
May 29th, 2012
4:10 pm
DeKalbite –
100 teachers with Master’s degrees and 5 years teaching experience will cost far more than the $5,000,000 you cited above. At just over $43k a year, benefits will cost approximately $14,500 a year per teacher bringing total per teacher cost to just under $60k . (Administrators typically use 1/3 of the actual salary as a means to figure the cost of teacher benefit packages.) The number of teachers would actually be closer to 85.
We are falling behind the rest of the world in math and science. Look at the above pay for a scientist who has chosen to teach as an example!!! When are we going to start valuing education and the ability to compete with the rest of the world. I do not think class sizes should increase but something like the bloated administration of DeKalb has GOT to change. And taxes will HAVE to be increased!!!
yes i am worried
May 29th, 2012
4:33 pm
There is much confusion about the budget situation in DeKalb. There is a need to cut 73 million in expenses for next year. If the Board raised taxes 2 mils, 30 million will be raised. That is the max tax increase that is allowed, we will have capped out our limit per state law.
A two mil increase would be horrible in a county where nearly 60 percent of homes are under water in value. Additionally, that still leaves 42 million to cut.
However, next year, expect to see massive valuation appeals from N. DeKalb where people have tolerated their inflated appraised values.
So the following year, that 2 mils won’t be worth 30 million And FSC still won’t be affordable.
Alabama Rocket Scientist
May 29th, 2012
4:34 pm
Dunwoody Mom and others who feel the county should merely move the services offered by FSC to the local schools:
Jim Cherry’s vision of Fernbank SCIENCE center was for RESEARCH scientists to give students instruction and an insight into how research is conducted. This is outside the experience of most classroom teachers. In addition, to do some of that research, specialized equipment is needed, e.g., an electron microscope, a telescope, a forest laboratory. It is not possible to take the STT program outside of Fernbank because of the equipment needed…Unless you want to fund individual schools to have the equipment.
No one ever said that education is cheap, but we have dumbed things down enough. As Beck said above, “We are falling behind the rest of the world in math and science”. MOST teachers who teach math and science at the elementary and middle school level (THE most impressionable years) only know enough about the subjects to scratch the surface. Fernbank provides a way to extend this learning in a way that cannot be accomplished at the local school level.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
4:40 pm
It is not possible to take the STT program outside of Fernbank because of the equipment needed…Unless you want to fund individual schools to have the equipment.
What equipment is needed? And why cannot it bought for the individual high schools?
Alabama Rocket Scientist
May 29th, 2012
5:07 pm
The last time I checked, a 36″ telescope (largest in the SE) was a bit out the budget for a typical school. Not to mention one of the largest planetariums in the country, an electron microscope, etc….
All of this equipment would be millions to replace or buy new…..and they are not transportable….
And, as stated, most of these programs are specialty programs that the average teacher is not qualified to teach.
josh6466
May 29th, 2012
5:18 pm
Dunwoody Mom: I doubt any schools are going to be able to afford ANY telescope, let alone the largest in the southeast. I volunteer at the observatory quite often, and I don’t think this is too large a price to pay to get children interested in science, especially when it would be darn near impossible to move the telescope.
And before you ask, I have donated time, money, and supplies to the science center.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
@josh6466, how many DCSD students visit the observatory a year? How many of those went on to careers in science?
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
5:35 pm
How does this telescope fit into the STT curriculum? Why aren’t science teachers qualifed to teach STT? I would really love to see a lesson plan, syllabus, etc. for STT. Why is it that FSC supporters are so hesitatant to share any documents? I’m really trying to understand what this is all about in a quantitative manner – not an emotional one, which is all I am hearing from the FSC support group.
Alabama Rocket Scientist
May 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
I did, and I know HOSTS of others.
I am sorry that you or your children were never sparked by the sciences, but I assure you that many children and adults are.
Dekalbite@Beck
May 29th, 2012
5:38 pm
The $4,700,000 does not include transportation and the cost of utilities, routine building maintenance, etc. 3,200 buses traveling to and from FSC sometimes as long as an hour. We pay those bus drivers to transport them and then fit there while the lesson goes on so that’s around 4 hours at $18.60 (bus driver average for field trips – do you need the DCSS link to that figure?)
100 highly qualified science teachers teaching students daily is what Fernbank cost students. We need to rethink our delivery of science content. The current methodology is not working for the majority of our students.
No Fernbank supporter wants to look at the science achievement in our Title 1 schools. They know Fernbank can’t raise it. 4,000 8th graders do not know the most BASIC science facts. And that’s just the 8th graders. This is not about children. It’s about adults snd their jobs and pay. This is not about student achievement for all students. It is about preservation of elite science resources for a few.
bootney farnsworth
May 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
@ John A
DCSS is over $70 mil in debt.
$70 million.
where is the money gonna come from to keep FCS open?
you got a spare 8-9 mil laying around to keep the doors open?
Report: What does Fernbank really do and for whom? | Get Schooled
May 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
[...] A year later, the task force reported back to the school board that it was stymied in its efforts and could not create that future blueprint. (For a strong view on keeping Fernbank open, read this post.) [...]
bootney farnsworth
May 29th, 2012
5:48 pm
sell the telescope to a private entity.
bootney farnsworth
May 29th, 2012
5:51 pm
if John wants his taxes raised, raise them for him.
KC
May 29th, 2012
6:12 pm
@ Dunwoody Mom, et al….I believe anyone that can’t see the “fight” must be a person(s) that is running for a position??? You are clueless as well as ignorant!
bootney farnsworth
May 29th, 2012
6:17 pm
in a strictly business sense, FSC is a failing ROI. if DCSS weren’t in complete shambles the county could afford it as a loss leader
but generations of cronyism, nepotism, and outright crappy management where the entire system is fighting for its survival.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
6:23 pm
No, KC, what’s ignorant is increasing class size and keeping open an aging facility that serves few of DCSD students.
Krista Reed
May 29th, 2012
6:27 pm
Since you asked, Dunwoody Mom, I went back through some old school papers of mine and found my old STT Physics folder–something I have held onto for decades, because the experience was so valuable to me as a student.
Here is one example of a physics lab:
–Radiation Lab – We used a geiger counter and a minigenerator “containing a resin impregnated with radioactive Cesium-137,” which produced Barium-137m, to find the half-life of the radioactive material, and demonstrate the law of radioactive decay.
Here are a few other examples, from memory, as I am not going to dig through my entire attic for the purposes of a forum comment:
–In microbiology we studied epidemiology and worked with live bacteria to alter their resistance to antibiotics–a real world issue we are facing today, and one that scientists are battling with. Should we not spawn in interest in our young people into going into a field of science that has a huge impact on public health?
–In physiology we used animal subjects to study muscle tetanus. (Animal subjects we pithed and prepared for the lab ourselves. Animal subjects which provided better insight into the actual colors and state of animal organs–as they were freshly prepared, not shipped to us in formaldehyde. I know not everyone agrees with animal dissection and experimentation, but I feel it is a vital part of learning anatomy and physiology.)
–In chemistry we used mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–techniques used at Georgia’s crime lab in testing evidence.
–Etc., etc… All high-level science skills that translate into meeting real-world scientific needs.
Some of you are calling the STT program “elitist.” Should we not celebrate our best and brightest and give them every chance to succeed?” Should we not invest in our future as a nation? Might as well shut down Emory and Georgia Tech because not every student who applies gets in.
We need young people with a passion for the sciences. Our future depends on it. FSC plays an integral part in sparking that passion.
Krista Reed
May 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
Oh, and one more thing–when I attended STT, I was living in Lithonia. Super-elite.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
6:39 pm
Krista, thanks for your input. As I said time and again, the experience you had can and should be in every high school. There does not need to be a separate building that offers these opportunities to only a select few.
bootney farnsworth
May 29th, 2012
6:45 pm
@ Krista
so, you got 5 mil to pay the bills for this year?
DeKalb doesn’t.
bootney farnsworth
May 29th, 2012
6:52 pm
lets refocus here:
the issue has never been is FCS a value to the community.
the issue is the community can not afford to keep FCS open
Krista Reed
May 29th, 2012
6:52 pm
Dunwoody Mom – Until DeKalb can somehow afford the resources to offer such programs in every school (which is really another discussion all together), why do we have to shut down the one place students *can* get this sort of exposure?
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
7:02 pm
Because the school district is $73 billion in the hole.
Teacher Reader
May 29th, 2012
7:09 pm
Dunwoody Mom and Bootney Farnsworth,
The people don’t care about the debt DCSS is in. They don’t realize that even if DCSS cut out every extra person (something that I believe should be done immediately), that we still can’t cover the 73 million in debt we are currently in. Or that the 73 million is a very conservative number and it probably is much more. They don’t care that there is no money for a true emergency and that we’ll face this same problem again next year, and the year after.
I have come to the conclusion that parents supporting Fernbank, Montessori, DCA, Magnet programs, Theme Schools, and All choice programs, are as big of a problem as the school board and superintendent who don’t want to face the trouble we are in.
How big do the classes have to be before they are too big? How bad do the scores have to be, before we as a community demand better for our kids? Fernbank has fine programs, just as a BMW is a fine automobile, but I can’t afford a BMW and DCSS can’t afford Fernbank.
Teacher Reader
May 29th, 2012
7:11 pm
Thinking out loud, I wonder how many kids sitting in a crowded, pack class have saved their course work materials because it was so valuable and meaningful to them?
Over it
May 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
There is a class, AP physics C (calculus based), that is offered after school at FSC. This class is offered at Chamblee HS, but in no other schools. You know why? Because there are not enough kids at any other HS to fill the class so it can’t be offered. The class at FSC is filled with kids from many schools in the county,who are headed off to MIT, GA Tech, U of Chicago, to name a few. There are other similar classes at FSC. The average science teacher in DCSS is not up to speed to teach these classes. Luckily, we have teachers atFSC who can teach these classes, open to ALL students in DeKalb high schools, and at a central location.
@Alan
May 29th, 2012
7:29 pm
“There is a class, AP physics C (calculus based), that is offered after school at FSC. This class is offered at Chamblee HS, but in no other schools. You know why? Because there are not enough kids at any other HS to fill the class so it can’t be offered.”
Which can still be offered, but at multiple locations if the FSC staff are housed in the schools.
@Teacher Reader
May 29th, 2012
7:54 pm
“How big do the classes have to be before they are too big? How bad do the scores have to be, before we as a community demand better for our kids?”
DeKalb is truly a “Tale of Two School Systems”.
Most of the low achievement is in the low income Title 1 schools, mainly located in South DeKalb. A student in a Title 1 school in Gwinnett, Fulton, Cobb, Decatur City, Marietta City, Rockdale, APS, or Clayton has a much better opportunity to master the content of language arts, science, math and social studies.
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/07/dcss-title-1-schools-and-ayp-shell-game.html
Who has stood up for the low income students in our Title 1 schools? Certainly not Fernbank supporters. They choose to completely ignore the fact that these students are the ones who have consistently not mastered the most basic science content. These students will not attain science achievement on par with the other metro systems from the one or twice a year FSC visits. DeKalb needs to make changes for the sake of our MANY low income students who are struggling with science content mastery.
Look at the 2011 science scores for DeKalb:
Science % FAILED by Grade Level
3rd grade – 30.9%
4th grade – 33.6%
5th grade – 35.2%
6th grade – 42.2%
7th grade – 31.9%
8th grade – 49.9%
Almost half of our 8th graders do not know the most basic concepts in science. We have experienced a steep decline in science achievement.
DeAnn Peterson
May 29th, 2012
8:03 pm
I’m a science teacher at Chamblee. When FSC comes to my class, maybe two times per semester, because they are booked solid, its an invaluable experience for my students. FSC instructors use my lesson plan topic and have wonderful demonstrations and labs that I can’t do because I don’t have the equipment. They bring fresh energy to my class. Yes, as an engineer turned teacher, I am qualified to teach the material, but FSC outreach is an excellent example of science enrichment that serves my 130+ students. And they do this everyday and then teach the AP classes at the center. Basing the teachers at a school would not work due to the equipment issue. The large equipment (telescope, electron microscope) would never be replaced. Maybe the center needs work but if the deed reverts, losing FSC is a poor long term decision. Cuts that cannot be reversed should be made very carefully. Cuts just to say that we are cutting leaves us without our nose.
Krista Reed
May 29th, 2012
8:05 pm
Teacher Reader — If the teacher inspired me, or the content inspired me, I kept the materials from that class, whether it was STT or a class that took place in my local school. Learning has been important to me from a young age, and my parents encouraged my intellectual curiosity. The most valuable asset any school system has is its families–families who are willing to go to bat for their children. Families who encourage their children to value learning. I think it’s unfair to say that passionate parents are the problem. We need *more* passionate parents.
Passionate parents.
Passionate educators.
Passionate students.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
8:08 pm
With all due respect Ms. Peterson, if you qualified to teach the material why are not these instructors going to schools where these instructors talents could be spread to more students? Again, long-term, or short-term in this budget crisis this district are in, we need to look at providing quality science instruction in all of our schools reaching all of our students – not just a select few. Quite frankly, I am disappointed that you, as a teacher would not want that as well.
Krista Reed
May 29th, 2012
8:15 pm
Dunwoody Mom – Did you read what Ms. Peterson wrote? They bring materials/equipment that aren’t provided at her school. Should Ms. Peterson purchase the equipment herself? Have you priced laboratory equipment lately? Ms Peterson never said that she only wanted quality science instruction for a select few.
Teacher Reader
May 29th, 2012
8:20 pm
Krista Reed, I’ve taught classes of 36-40 kids before. It’s hard to inspire or to be inspired when you barely have enough room to write or have a seat. Unless you’ve had this experience you have no idea of what you are talking about. From a teacher stand point, how can one inspire or be passionate when you know what you’re being asked to do is impossible and even if you worked 24 hours a day 7 days a week, you wouldn’t be able to keep up. Teachers with over crowded classes are barely hanging on, and praying that their students learn something that year.
Large Class Size make for students, teacher and parents who become desensitized to learning and get turned off, because anyone in this situation knows that those in charge could care less about them.
No one should have any fancy programs no matter how good they are, until every child in DeKalb is in a classroom with a reasonable class size, so that a teacher can inspire, be creative, and do the job that they are paid to do. Currently our class sizes makes our teachers glorified babysitters who are very well paid.
No on is knocking the programs that Fernbank offers, it’s just that we are in debt and have much bigger problems in our district that need our immediate attention. Have students pay for these programs if they/their parents want them to take them, but stop taking away from the average class, so that a few get quality, while the majority get screwed.
Over it
May 29th, 2012
8:21 pm
@ Dunwoody mom, my neighbor is FSC teacher and he spends at least 3 days a week in schools mostly in south DeKalb. He lugs carloads of equipment in his personal vehicle which he unloads by himself. While at these schools, he rarely has a break (no planning period) and he is rarely home before 7 pm. He goes to very single high school and middle school in the county, multiple times a year. His FSC colleagues do the same. I”m sure the travel records are all available at the science center.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
8:23 pm
I have a dream that will never become a reality again in this school district. I want this district to be what it was when I was a student – the top school district in this state, where students in every school received what they needed to succeed. There were no magnet or theme schools, Fernbank was just a place for Field Trips, all elementary schools had art, music, and PE. All high schools were equal and there weren’t these continued fights over “territory”. Maybe that’s why I get so upset. I’ve seen this school system at its best and now I see it struggling so deeply. It saddens me to no end. I want it “fixed” and I get so frustrated with those who want to keep their own little part “sacred” at the expense of other students.
DeAnn Peterson
May 29th, 2012
8:26 pm
wow! @dunwoody mom. where did I say that I want poor quality? You missed my points. 1) Closing FSC means we loose the equipment. Put the microscope at Chamblee? You would love that. 2). If a FSC instructor sees 90 students (using block schedule numbers) and then teaches 25 AP students EVERYDAY, for a semester, they provide instruction for over 800 students. Cutting FSC will not put the money into the science classrooms. The 4.7 KK does not equal class size additions so its not a par trade argument.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
8:40 pm
Ms. Peterson, again to you, teachers have my utmost respect and admiration. Some of my teachers are among the greatest influences in my life, but students of DCSD need ALL inspirational, qualified teachers, especially Math and Science, not in a separate building but right there on the journey WITH them.
Teacher Reader
May 29th, 2012
8:44 pm
Krista Reed, I’ve taught classes of 36-40 kids before. It’s hard to inspire or to be inspired when you barely have enough room to write or have a seat. Unless you’ve had this experience you have no idea of what you are talking about. From a teacher stand point, how can one inspire or be passionate when you know what you’re being asked to do is impossible and even if you worked 24 hours a day 7 days a week, you wouldn’t be able to keep up. Teachers with over crowded classes are barely hanging on, and praying that their students learn something that year.
Large Class Size make for students, teacher and parents who become desensitized to learning and get turned off, because anyone in this situation knows that those in charge could care less about them.
No one should have any fancy programs no matter how good they are, until every child in DeKalb is in a classroom with a reasonable class size, so that a teacher can inspire, be creative, and do the job that they are paid to do. Currently our class sizes makes our teachers glorified babysitters who are very well paid.
No on is knocking the programs that Fernbank offers, it’s just that we are in debt and have much bigger problems in our district that need our immediate attention. Have students pay for these programs if they/their parents want them to take them, but stop taking away from the average class, so that a few get quality, while the majority get screwed. We cannot afford Fernbank or the other programs that cost more per student to educate and leave the majority of children in DeKalb failing.
A public school system is supposed to be EDUCATING ALL OF ITS STUDENTS, and not just those fortunate to make the cut for one of the many special programs offered in DCSS. As a county we can not be a tail of two education opportunities, the have and have nots.
Dunwoody Mom
May 29th, 2012
8:50 pm
Well said Teacher Reader.
Shame on You
May 29th, 2012
8:59 pm
Every other comment is Dunwoody Mom…Do you have anything else better to do with your time??