DeKalb Superintendent State Of The District Addresses Graduates, Vision

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — DeKalb County School District (DCSD) Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris shared her vision for graduates and highlighted the recent year’s successes in her second State of the District address last month.

“The vision for the DeKalb County School District graduate provides the district with an aspirational vision for all scholars,” the district stated in a news release. “The belief is that by providing empowering experiences to all scholars while removing barriers, all scholars will reach their preferred future.”

This vision has led to increases in SAT and ACT scores, according to the district..

The district celebrated several accomplishments last year, including its acceptance into the League of Innovative Schools by Digital Promise, winning the Student Support Team Association for Georgia Educators (SSTAGE) “Star Award for Promising Practices,” and being identified as a learning residency site by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, providing the opportunity to host its first Doctoral fellow.

DCSD also had three schools—DeKalb School of the Arts, DeKalb Early College Academy, and Arabia Mountain High School—to be recognized by U.S. News as some of the top high schools in Georgia, according to the release. Seven schools were named FY21 Title I Distinguished Schools, and Smoke Rise Elementary School was one of two schools recognized as a 2021 National ESEA Distinguished Schools.

Watson-Harris discussed the district’s vision for success, and other priorities, such as academic and professional growth, student and staff wellness, family and community engagement, and conditions for learning.

The district also seeks to develop a living wage compensation package to strengthen recruitment, hiring, and retention practices and centralize hiring pools for priority roles.