Parent-run survey: 'Modify' Grady Cluster Plan

After months of controversy and debate, the APS Board of Education is set to vote on Superintendent Dr. Erroll Davis' on Tuesday, April 10, at a meeting that has been to accommodate a larger audience.

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Davis and the superintendent's staff have held numerous meetings with school parents, leaders and stakeholders throughout metro Atlanta for the past several weeks, as the system struggles with under-capacity schools throughout the city.

Davis has said repeatedly that the , as those don't qualify for state assistance to help pay for teachers. 

This past weekend, a flyer depicting gained national attention.

Just before the weekend, the results of a parent-run Grady cluster middle school survey were sent to Davis. Those results were included in the following letter that was sent to Davis on Friday, April 6, 2012.

Dear Superintendent Davis –

You have indicated you reserve the right to modify the final APS redistricting recommendation if new, compelling information and/or data are received before the April 10 board meeting. On April 4, 2012 at 5 pm, I posted a “Grady Middle School” survey on Big Tent, which is a parent forum for the Grady cluster. The survey was to systematically ask questions to determine Grady cluster preferences for middle school.

The enclosed data is NEW. Until now, no-one had done a systematic survey to step through a decision tree to determine answers as to “what do people, as a whole, in the Grady cluster want for middle?” The enclosed data is COMPELLING – for some points, 89% of respondents are agreeing, at statistically valid response rates. That’s 89% representing multiple schools, grade levels, socio-economic status, and neighborhoods, asking together for APS to listen and modify this Grady cluster plan before the BOE vote Tuesday. 

On behalf of the 350 parents who have provided quick and representative input within the past 48 hours to the on-line Grady Middle School survey, we request APS remove Cook from consideration, and modify the Grady plan as follows before BOE vote:

• Request #1 – Add statement “APS commits to keep the 3/31/12 Grady cluster intact, and to solve cluster space issues by adjustments/construction/K-8 options solely within the cluster itself in the next 10 years.  APS will not re-open redistricting with other clusters to solve space issues.”
• Request #2 – Add statement “APS will define by 8/31/12 (or 12/15/12), using input from the Grady cluster, the locations, capacity, and approach (K-8, 2 middles, a single 6-8 location, or a separate 6th vs. 7/8th) that will be used to meet Grady’s long-term middle school needs.”
• Request #3 – In lieu of Cook for short-term location, state that “Trailers will be used at Inman to hold the 6th grade until a final middle school plan is implemented.”
• Request #4 – “Staggered approaches to Hope’s addition to Inman or possible Centennial K-6/K-8 will be considered as methods to offset Inman crowding until a permanent solution is in place.”
• Request #5 – “Grady Middle Survey results and follow-up parental input on organization and location will be considered in selecting a long-term middle school solution in the Grady Cluster.”

The data supporting the above is summarized in the enclosed “Grady-Middle-Survey-at-346” document. Related info (survey comments) are in the document labeled AttachmentsB-C. We request that the Grady Cluster middle school plan be revised this weekend (by Monday), before the BOE vote.

Sincerely,

Sharon Just

Read the full letter and survey results in the pdf documents attached to the article.

- Patch Editor Timothy Darnell contributed to this story