That Picnic Was Awesome!

 Thanks so much to everyone who made it happen: Mary Merritt, Antonio Hall, Johnnie Douglas, Tabatha Roberts, Dee Dee Fields, Johnathon Carthon, Tonya Chester, Roy Bridges, Beverly Bedgood-Jackson, Byron Kelly, and others.  I can't wait until next year.

Reflections soon to come!

Meanwhile, join us! Dues are just $10 all summer! Just print out the membership form below, make your check out to BC-BUCS, and mail it in!

 Beach Alumni Association Membership Form 08/06/2010,07:24

The commemorative brick campaign was kicked off at the picnic as well. We hope to have a wall of thousands of names for young bulldogs to pass every day as they go to school. Bricks are $50 and can have 3 lines of text with 13 characters per line. Place your order using the form below.

   BHS Commemorative Brick Order Form 08/06/2010,07:33

What is this about an

"All Alumni" Picnic?

 Alumni Tent Reservation Form 19/04/2010,07:49

 Alumni Booth Request Form 19/04/2010,07:50

  What is happening at Beach?


*UPDATED 16April10*
 This is the question I've been asked for the past 2 weeks and that has been posted on Facebook on the Alfred Ely Beach page.  The alumni association met with the Board of Education on March 31st and I'll share with you the answers we were given.


As you read in the Savannah Morning News on March 26th, the school is being reorganized because it has failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 4 years. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, public schools must meet a rising set of academic benchmarks every year.  From all accounts, and that of the Savannah Chatham County Public Schools Chief Academic Officer, Mrs. Jacqueline Colander-Chavis, Dr. Deonn Stone has done an exemplary job improving graduate rates, test scores, and other measures since she joined the school in 2005.  But it hasn't been enough.

 
A Phone Call from the State of Georgia

The Georgia Department of Education called the SCCPSS in early March and notified them that they had not met all of their contractual requirements as a state contracted school.  State contracted schools receive their money from the state, and in return commit to making progress on performance factors set by the state.  Failing to make adequate progress means failing to meet the contract requirements and causes the state to respond.



Under “A Blueprint for Reform," the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act  released by President Obama on March 13, 2010 (see the document  here),  the  SCCPSS had 5 options (really 4) on how to address Beach’s progress:  

1) do nothing, continue current operations and hope that the school would make AYP this year (and face strict penalties if they fail)
 
2) use the School Closure Model -Close the school and enroll students who attended it in other, higher-performing schools in the district

3)  use something called a Restart Model -Convert or close and reopen the school under the management of an effective charter operator, charter management organization, or education management organization. 

 4) use a Transformation Model -Replace the principal, strengthen staffing, implement a re­search-based instructional program, provide extended learning time, and imple­ment new governance and flexibility 


5) use a Turnaround Model- Replace the principal and rehire no more than 50 percent of the school staff, implement a research-based instructional program, provide ex­tended learning time, and implement new governance structure

 

  Why Were there Headlines about People Being Fired?

As you are aware, the system chose the Turnaround Model. This option allows the school to proceed with no “Needs Improvement” history, something that board leadership considered important because it would weigh against the school in later evaluation. Unfortunately replacing the leadership  and much of the staff is a requirement of the model.  The Board is not very happy with this either, but it presents the best scenario for the school's recovery.

The school is eligible for up to $6 million dollars in competitive grant funding through Title I School Improvement Grants. The SCCPSS is applying for these funds and hopes to use the Turnaround Model and its 9 requirements to strengthen Beach High School.

These requirements come from the Title I School Improvement Grant Application (see the application online here ) and are to:

 
1)  Replace the principal and grant the principal sufficient operational flexibility (including in staffing, calendars/time, and budgeting) to implement fully a comprehensive approach in order to substantially improve student achievement outcomes and increase high school graduation rates;

  2) Using locally adopted competencies to measure the effectiveness of staff who can work within the turnaround environment to meet the needs of students; Screen all existing staff and rehire no more than 50 percent; and select new staff;
 
3)  Implement such strategies as financial incentives, increased opportunities for promotion and career growth, and more flexible work conditions that are designed to recruit, place, and retain staff with the skills necessary to meet the needs of the students in the turnaround school;
 

4)  Provide staff ongoing, high-quality, job-embedded professional development that is aligned with the school’s comprehensive instructional program and designed with school staff to ensure that they are equipped to facilitate effective teaching and learning and have the capacity to successfully implement school reform strategies;

 
5)  Adopt a new governance structure, which may include, but is not limited to, requiring the school to report to a new “turnaround office” in the LEA or SEA, hire a “turnaround leader” who reports directly to the Superintendent or Chief Academic Officer, or enter into a multi-year contract with the LEA or SEA to obtain added flexibility in exchange for greater accountability; 


6)  Use data to identify and implement an instructional program that is research-based and vertically aligned from one grade to the next as well as aligned with State academic standards;

 7)  Promote the continuous use of student data (such as from formative, interim, and summative assessments) to inform and differentiate instruction in order to meet the academic needs of individual students;


8)  Establish schedules and implement strategies that provide increased learning time (as defined in this notice); and   


9) Provide appropriate social-emotional and community-oriented services and supports for students.

 

Why did the school system not do something earlier? They say that they did, and that they attempted to help Beach’s progress by bringing Dr. Stone to the school in 2005.

 

Who will be the new principal? It has not been determined.  That person can be appointed or hired.

*UPDATE*

Will there be an open meeting with Dr. Lockamy on this issue? At this time, the board has not planned for a town hall-style meeting on this particular topic.  However, the Savannah Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority , Inc. sponsored an education forum with Dr. Lockamy, Chief Academic Officer Jacqueline Colander-Chavis, COO Otis Brock, other administrators, and members of the school board. Topics for discussion  included the changes at Beach and the redistricting plan.
 

What can I do?  You can provide feedback on what you think the board can propose under the nine requirements that will make Beach a stronger school. You can send that feedback to me via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or directly to the Board of Education.

Please provide your feedback by Monday, April 5th so I can compile what I receive into one document. Representatives from the alumni association, the Parent Coalition, and the Athletic Hall of Fame will meet with board representatives next week to present your suggestions for the grant proposal.

 
On other matters, the new proposal for the redistricting plan can be found on the district website.  The Parent Coalition is very interested in your feedback, so please contact Mrs. Lisa Jefferson White at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it