The ruling confirms the worst fears of Clayton’s 271,000 residents.
Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell, who was in the meeting at SACS headquarters in Decatur when the announcement came, confirmed the loss of accreditation.
“I’m disappointed. I think we still have a window of hope because there is an appeal process,” he said.
Bell said he summoned the committee of citizens who helped the school district when it was on probation five years ago.
“I cannot allow this to happen. We are going to step back up to the plate to reassure our community that there is hope and we care about our children.”
No accreditation means students will have a tougher time getting into some colleges and universities. They may also have difficulty obtaining scholarships.
Qualifying Clayton students will still be able to get their HOPE scholarships. Earlier this year, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a bill allowing graduates of unaccredited schools to get HOPE.
Without accreditation, Clayton will also lose pre-kindergarten funding and some teacher benefits. The county also expects more students to flee. About 2,000 students have already left, superintendent John Thompson said.
In March, the national commission unanimously voted to revoke accreditation unless the school system met nine mandates by September. The first mandate was to establish a board that fulfills its roles and responsibilities.
This is the second time is five years SACS cited Clayton for micromanaging, abuse of power, conflict of interest and other unethical violations.
The board spent the 2003-04 school year working to get off probation, including 144 hours of training. In June 2005, the district came off probation.
ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
SWEET DREAMS: A RURAL APPROACH TO DIABETES EDUCATION
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now states that there are almost 24 million Americans with diabetes. The latest prevalence data from 2005 indicates that 5.5% of our nation’s people are diabetics. In the state of Georgia, the prevalence rate of diabetes increases to 7.4%. A closer look at home reveals that Berrien and Cook Counties both exceed the national percentage and the state percentage. An astounding 9.6% of the citizens of Berrien County have diabetes and 10% of those living in Cook County have also been diagnosed with this chronic disease.
In addition to this prevalence data, other health risks such as high rates of obesity, little physical activity, high poverty levels, and the racial composition of the populations make it clear that diabetes is a serious health issue for Cook and Berrien Counties. According to the 2008 publication of the Georgia Health Disparities Report, both Berrien and Cook Counties received a grade of F in the category of primary care access for minority groups. Additional medical resources are a necessity in these two counties if they have any hope of combating this chronic disease. Therefore, health care representatives from the two counties will form a consortium to address this growing problem as a team. This consortium will join a diabetes education and prevention program called Sweet Dreams that originated in 2006 in Ben Hill and Irwin Counties.
The target population will include individuals who have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and the general public who need education about forming healthy lifestyle behaviors that will lower their risk of becoming diabetic. An emphasis will be placed on those who do not have insurance and/or who live in poverty. The goals of the project will be to reduce the number of hospitalizations resulting from diabetes or diabetic complications in Berrien, Cook, Irwin and Ben Hill counties by 10%, to increase healthy lifestyle behaviors among residents, and to reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in these counties through awareness of prevention strategies.
Grant funds will be used to provide expanded educational classes for diabetics, including individual and group nutritional counseling, and community education programs for the public that will be offered to groups such as churches and senior citizen centers. This will include a salary for a nurse with a background in diabetes education and a part time Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian to provide most of the education with the assistance of peer educators. Peer educators will be trained in the prevention and treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and will be awarded a stipend for providing education services to their community. The nurse will also serve as the Project Coordinator.
A major concern in these communities is the inability of diabetics to afford the growing costs of medications and other related medical supplies. Therefore, a system will be developed and funded through this program to assist patients in accessing financial assistance for their diabetic medications and supplies. A salary for an administrative assistant will also come from the grant funds. This assistant will work with the medication assistance program along with assisting the project coordinator with
collecting data and performing other clerical duties for the project.
A detailed time line and budget will be formulated using Sweet Dreams current project in addition to the recommendations provided by the Berrien and Cook Counties consortium. A tentative date for the first meeting of this consortium is scheduled for September 9, 2008 from 12:00 until 1:00 PM at the Adel Memorial Hospital.
Together we can make a difference.
Bridget Walters, RN, BSN
Diabetes Nurse Educator, Sweet Dreams
407 West 4th Street
Ocilla, Georgia 31774
229-468-5891
bmwalters@dhr.state.ga.us
In addition to this prevalence data, other health risks such as high rates of obesity, little physical activity, high poverty levels, and the racial composition of the populations make it clear that diabetes is a serious health issue for Cook and Berrien Counties. According to the 2008 publication of the Georgia Health Disparities Report, both Berrien and Cook Counties received a grade of F in the category of primary care access for minority groups. Additional medical resources are a necessity in these two counties if they have any hope of combating this chronic disease. Therefore, health care representatives from the two counties will form a consortium to address this growing problem as a team. This consortium will join a diabetes education and prevention program called Sweet Dreams that originated in 2006 in Ben Hill and Irwin Counties.
The target population will include individuals who have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and the general public who need education about forming healthy lifestyle behaviors that will lower their risk of becoming diabetic. An emphasis will be placed on those who do not have insurance and/or who live in poverty. The goals of the project will be to reduce the number of hospitalizations resulting from diabetes or diabetic complications in Berrien, Cook, Irwin and Ben Hill counties by 10%, to increase healthy lifestyle behaviors among residents, and to reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in these counties through awareness of prevention strategies.
Grant funds will be used to provide expanded educational classes for diabetics, including individual and group nutritional counseling, and community education programs for the public that will be offered to groups such as churches and senior citizen centers. This will include a salary for a nurse with a background in diabetes education and a part time Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian to provide most of the education with the assistance of peer educators. Peer educators will be trained in the prevention and treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and will be awarded a stipend for providing education services to their community. The nurse will also serve as the Project Coordinator.
A major concern in these communities is the inability of diabetics to afford the growing costs of medications and other related medical supplies. Therefore, a system will be developed and funded through this program to assist patients in accessing financial assistance for their diabetic medications and supplies. A salary for an administrative assistant will also come from the grant funds. This assistant will work with the medication assistance program along with assisting the project coordinator with
collecting data and performing other clerical duties for the project.
A detailed time line and budget will be formulated using Sweet Dreams current project in addition to the recommendations provided by the Berrien and Cook Counties consortium. A tentative date for the first meeting of this consortium is scheduled for September 9, 2008 from 12:00 until 1:00 PM at the Adel Memorial Hospital.
Together we can make a difference.
Bridget Walters, RN, BSN
Diabetes Nurse Educator, Sweet Dreams
407 West 4th Street
Ocilla, Georgia 31774
229-468-5891
bmwalters@dhr.state.ga.us
Friday, August 15, 2008
2008 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Update
Hello all,
It's official, we've been awarded the new round of 21st Century grants. This will infuse our afterschool programs with approximately $350,000 per year for the next 3-years.
Thanks for the support.
YT,
Matt Jansen
It's official, we've been awarded the new round of 21st Century grants. This will infuse our afterschool programs with approximately $350,000 per year for the next 3-years.
Thanks for the support.
YT,
Matt Jansen
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sen. Goggans is GA Dental Association’s Legislator of the Year
ATLANTA (August 12, 2008) – State Sen. Greg Goggans (R-Douglas) has been recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Georgia Dental Association. Sen. Goggans was selected for the award for his work in the General Assembly on children’s healthcare issues.
“Senator Goggans genuinely cares about the health and well-being of Georgians, and particularly about our children,” said Martha Phillips, Georgia Dental Association executive director. “If it was within his power, he would make sure that no child goes without necessary healthcare. He is always interested to hear from healthcare advocates who want to discuss pressing issues and you take comfort after each conversation knowing he understands your concerns.”
The Georgia Dental Association’s Legislator of the Year award is presented to legislators who make significant and distinctive contributions to the legislative causes of the Dental Association. In 2008, Sen. Goggans worked tirelessly on House Bill 1234 to provide stability to the state Medicaid program. Many healthcare providers and the patients they serve in Georgia say they have benefited from this legislation.
“One of the reasons that we run for office is to help Georgia children and families,” Sen. Goggans said. “That is why this award is such an honor for me, because my peers have recognized my efforts to help families in our state.”
# # # #
Sen. Greg Goggans represents the 7th Senate District which includes Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Lanier, Pierce, and Ware counties and a portion of Cook County.
“Senator Goggans genuinely cares about the health and well-being of Georgians, and particularly about our children,” said Martha Phillips, Georgia Dental Association executive director. “If it was within his power, he would make sure that no child goes without necessary healthcare. He is always interested to hear from healthcare advocates who want to discuss pressing issues and you take comfort after each conversation knowing he understands your concerns.”
The Georgia Dental Association’s Legislator of the Year award is presented to legislators who make significant and distinctive contributions to the legislative causes of the Dental Association. In 2008, Sen. Goggans worked tirelessly on House Bill 1234 to provide stability to the state Medicaid program. Many healthcare providers and the patients they serve in Georgia say they have benefited from this legislation.
“One of the reasons that we run for office is to help Georgia children and families,” Sen. Goggans said. “That is why this award is such an honor for me, because my peers have recognized my efforts to help families in our state.”
# # # #
Sen. Greg Goggans represents the 7th Senate District which includes Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Lanier, Pierce, and Ware counties and a portion of Cook County.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Governor Perdue Announces July Revenue Figures
STATE OF GEORGIA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Sonny Perdue
GOVERNOR
For Immediate Release Contact: Office of Communications, (404) 651-7774
Monday, August 11, 2008 Charles Willey, DOR, (404) 417-2106
ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that net revenue collections for the month of July 2008 (FY09) totaled $1,213,291,000 compared to $1,299,683,000 for July 2007 (FY08), a decrease of $86,391,000 or 6.6 percent.
July is the first month of Fiscal Year 2009. The percentage decrease year-to-date for FY09 compared to FY08 is 6.6 percent.
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Sonny Perdue
GOVERNOR
For Immediate Release Contact: Office of Communications, (404) 651-7774
Monday, August 11, 2008 Charles Willey, DOR, (404) 417-2106
ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that net revenue collections for the month of July 2008 (FY09) totaled $1,213,291,000 compared to $1,299,683,000 for July 2007 (FY08), a decrease of $86,391,000 or 6.6 percent.
July is the first month of Fiscal Year 2009. The percentage decrease year-to-date for FY09 compared to FY08 is 6.6 percent.
Friday, August 8, 2008
CASA Coming to Alapaha Judicial Circuit
Atkinson, Berrien, Cook, Clinch, and Lanier County Family Connection partnerships are teaming together to host a new CASA program for the Alapaha Judicial Circuit. This new partnership will align its mission, goals, and objectives with the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes.
For more information on CASA, please check out their website at: www.nationalcasa.org
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