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Decatur Schools are Opening the School Year with Three New Principals

This August, as the new school year starts, three City Schools of Decatur’s (CSD) K-12 schools will be led by new principals, according to this article by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

These schools receiving new principals are Oakhurst Elementary, Glennwood Elementary, and Renfroe Middle School.

Two of the new principals are newcomers to the district. Tanisha Sanders, Oakhurst’s new principal, is from Clark County, while Kristy Beam of Glennwood came all the way from Spain.

Meanwhile, Renfroe’s newly named permanent principal, Greg Wiseman, has been with City Schools of Decatur for 23 years. His experience includes an 11-year stint as the principal at Winnona Park Elementary, 9 years teaching fifth grade at Clairemont Elementary, and 2 years as an instructional coach at Glennwood.

“My whole career has been in elementary schools, so I figured I’d be returning to Winnona [Park].”Mr. Wiseman told Bill Banks for the AJC. “But after two weeks here I fell in love with the kids, so I decided to apply [for the permanent position]. You have that transition here from child to young adult. Now you can do deeper and begin to challenge the kids.”

Whereas Oakhurst, Glennwood, and Renfroe Middle are getting new principals, Winnona Park remains without a permanent principal as the new school year opens this August.

According to the AJC, the school district will begin looking for a suitable candidate around December, which coincides for the search for the 3-5 Talley Street School’s principal.

For the meantime, Winnona Park will be led by interim principal Ruth Scott, who is also an instructional coach.

More About City Schools of Decatur

A highly-rated public school district in DeKalb County, City Schools of Decatur mainly serves the historic city of Decatur. To date, the school district has a total enrollment of around 5,600 students.

CSD operates nine schools in the city, five of which were mentioned earlier. The other five schools are Westchester Elementary, 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue, Decatur High School, and the Early Childhood Learning Center. Meanwhile, 3-5 Talley Street is currently being constructed.

CSD’s teachers are also lauded as some of the best in the state. Majority of these teachers have extensive years of classroom experience. In fact, the average years of experience for teachers at CSD is 13 years.

Adding to the prestige of teachers at CSD is the fact that a high percentage also hold advanced degrees as well as multiple certifications.

Of the nine schools managed by CSD, Decatur High School is the most decorated. It was named the 16th best high school in Georgia in U.S. News’ annual school rankings. Additionally, Decatur High school has also been named an AP Challenge and Merit School.

The only high school in Decatur, Decatur High School is highly acclaimed for its Advanced Placement programs, with the school’s participation rate at an impressive 77 percent and a passage rate of 67 percent. Moreover, students at Decatur High School are highly proficient in mathematics and reading, with a score of almost 58 percent at the College Readiness Index.

Complementary Instructional Programs

City Schools of Decatur have two complementary instructional programs to support their curriculum.

The elementary schools have EL Education (also known as Expeditionary Learning). Established in 1991 by a group of Harvard scholars thanks to a collaboration between Harvard Graduate School and Outward Bound, USA, EL Education’s foundation focuses on three core areas: character, mastery of knowledge and skills, and high-quality student work.

These core areas, along with ten basic principles that include diversity, empathy, and curiosity, encourage lower elementary students at CSD to become well-rounded and high-achieving members of society.

Meanwhile, the curriculum for the middle school and high school at CSD is complemented by International Baccalaureate (IB)programmes, specifically IB’s Career-related, Middle Years, and Diploma Programmes.

Students who have undergone a comprehensive IB programme have certain advantages, most notably in securing university admissions. Since the IB has nurtured many partnerships with different universities in the country, IB students can enjoy benefits such as course credit, scholarships, advanced standing, and additional programmes that will further develop their skill and/or talent.

Learn More About City Schools of Decatur

For more information about City Schools of Decatur, check out its official website here.

If you’re looking for a realtor to work within Decatur, Decatur-based Natalie Gregory is the best person to talk you. Get in touch with her today at 404-550-5113 or Natalie(dotted)Gregory(at)Compass(dotted)com. You can also read this Decatur community guide for more details about living in the city.

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