Good
afternoon! Welcome to the third edition of GaDOE Updates, a newsletter from the
Georgia Department of Education. Every other week, we’ll be sending out a
roundup of news, information and spotlights on K-12 public education in
Georgia. In between, keep up with GaDOE on Facebook
and Twitter.
We need
your ideas for GaDOE Updates
Do you know a
teacher pioneering innovative instructional techniques? How about a graduate of
Georgia’s public schools who’s succeeding in the workforce? There’s so much
good news in public education, and we want to write about it. Send your story
ideas for GaDOE Updates to Communications Specialist Meghan Frick at mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us or Communications
Director Matt Cardoza at mcardoza@doe.k12.ga.us.
A glance
at the wide world for Cairo High School students
Between Cairo
High School and Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, New Jersey,
there are a million little variations in culture, education, and upbringing.
Cairo High is a public school in a tucked-away, rural setting, with a
population that is comparatively racially diverse. Rae Kushner is an urban,
private Rabbinical school. But for weeks now, students at both schools have
been connecting online – and the dialogue that’s developing is helping them embrace
diversity. Read the full story here.
Graduate
Spotlight: Derek Lewis, Disney engineer and Georgia public school graduate
Meet Derek
Lewis, senior mechanical engineer at Walt Disney World and 2001 graduate of
Troup County High School. Derek spends his days designing and analyzing rides
and attractions at Disney World, and installing and implementing new equipment
after-hours in the parks. It’s a journey that started in Georgia’s public
schools, where advanced math courses, STEM-focused extracurriculars and
dedicated teachers helped ignite a love of learning. Read the full story here.
It’s the first in a series featuring exceptional graduates of our public
schools.
Georgia’s
Performance Learning Centers recognized by U.S. Department of Education
Last February, 16-year-old Megan enrolled at the Richmond County
Performance Learning Center in Augusta, Georgia, with just one high school
credit to her name. She had lost ground academically while caring for her ill
father and then was thrust into the unstable world of foster care after he
died. This spring, only a
year after coming to the alternative high school, Megan is just a little shy of
hitting the halfway mark toward graduation. She enjoys writing and literature,
and is feeling hopeful about her future. She also thinks her father would have
been proud. Read the rest of this
inspiring story, featured on the Ed.gov blog, here.
Around DOE
lately
2012 and 2013
College and Career Ready Performance Index scores were released last week. Want
to know how your school or district is performing? View the 2012 scores or 2013 scores. Learn more
about the Index here.
Georgia’s
public schools in the news
Students use
plastic bags to help homeless: http://bit.ly/QMpfVZ
No place for
hate at Cleveland Road Elementary: http://bit.ly/1lOHCrt
Oconee High
science students test the waters: http://bit.ly/1iWtZ5S
Sycamore
Elementary eases parents’ minds as kindergarten transition begins: http://bit.ly/1lN4vvC (and photos: http://bit.ly/1jNkTVY)
Save the
date:
May 9: Georgia
Induction Summit (register by TODAY)
June 16:
Applications due for SAMHSA “Now is the
Time” grants for LEAs (supports training of school personnel and others to
detect and respond to mental illness in children and youth)
June 19 and
20: Georgia Virtual Learning’s Professional
Learning Symposium (register by May 30)
July 8-10:
Safety in Our Schools Conference, UGA Hotel and Conference Center, Athens
Remember:
Send your tips, ideas and events to mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
and mcardoza@doe.k12.ga.us. And
keep up with GaDOE at facebook.com/gadoe
and @GaDOEnews on Twitter.
