What a SAP
March 27 — It’s Cathy and Katie with ourweekly newsletter on Tucker. There are lots of fireworks going off about DeKalb County School District’s proposal to close or consolidate some very popular community schools, including Brockett Elementary. More on that below and later in the newsletter. First, some upcoming events.
👑 Another round of No Kings protests against the actions of the Trump administration is planned for tomorrow, March 28, with more than 40 in Georgia alone. With discontent over the Iran War, the economy, and the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, this weekend’s demonstrations could be the largest anti-Trump protest yet.
🌶️ Grab a handful of Tums and head on over to the Tucker Chili Cookoff tomorrow.
😡 As a warm-up to the story below about HPM, the firm hired to conduct a huge overhaul of the DeKalb County School District attendance zones, read about a contentious Student Assignment Project meeting held about the Lakeside attendance cluster, of which Tucker is a part.
🤡 Have a great weekend,
Cathy and Katie
🏥 Join Move For Grady on April 25! Three intown biking distances and two run/walk options means there’s something for everyone. Come to move, stay for the party – plenty of food and drinks to celebrate at GSU’s Center Parc Stadium. SPONSOR MESSAGE
A questionable hire?
🔎 Parents in the DeKalb County Lakeside attendance cluster have done a decades-deep probe into HPM and its vice president, Tracy Richter, finding that facility planning campaigns he has led for more than two decades have a history of mixed and financially disastrous results.
HPM is the consulting company hired by the DeKalb County School District by former disgraced superintendent Devon Q. Horton, to identify underutilized schools as part of a sweeping Student Assignment Project, which calls for the closure of several high-performing schools, including Vanderlyn, Ashford Park, and Oak Grove elementary schools.
The group has researched Richter and his past affiliations with other companies doing similar work to HPM, and found that of the 22 documented engagements with school systems around the country, seven were assessed as having negative results.
The analysis found that six of the engagements where closures that were recommended had been rejected or abandoned. Of the remaining engagements, five were designated as having mixed results, and only one, which didn’t involve any school closures, was assessed as having a positive result.
📉 Read the full report here.
Don’t miss THE event of the spring – Move For Grady!
SPONSORED BY GRADY HEALTH FOUNDATION
🏃 It’s time to register for Move For Grady on April 25, Atlanta’s best ride/run/walk event supporting Grady! Choose one of three fully supported cycling routes or 5K or 10K run/walk courses that will show you Atlanta from a new point of view. Then stay to celebrate with great food, drinks and music at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
❤️ Move For Grady raises funds to support Grady’s mission to build a healthier Atlanta. Register today, start training and join the party on April 25!
Walking and judge
🥾 As part of the recently approved partnership between the City of Tucker and Cooper Carry to create a community-driven master plan for Henderson Park, three community hikes are planned throughout April.
The series of hikes is designed to get Tucker residents to Henderson Park so they can provide feedback on what’s working well and what needs improvement in the beloved outdoor space.
The first hike will take place on April 1, from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Mayor Anne Lerner and members of the parks and recreation department will be in attendance to celebrate National Walking Day with a tour of the west side of Henderson Park and Lake Erin. The hike will kick off at the Community Garden off Henderson Road.
👣 Read Katie’s story for more information.
🏥 Join Move For Grady on April 25! Three intown biking distances and two run/walk options means there’s something for everyone. Come to move, stay for the party – plenty of food and drinks to celebrate at GSU’s Center Parc Stadium. SPONSOR MESSAGE
What’s it Worth?
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A complete turnaround for this intersection
⏎ Residents living near Hugh Howell Road and Rosser Road on the east side of Tucker gathered at Tucker City Hall on March 24 to learn more about forthcoming improvements to the intersection.
Engineers from Pond & Company shared data, answered questions, and received feedback from attendees on the proposed project, which will realign Rosser Road to create a perpendicular, four-way intersection with Stoneleigh Drive and Hugh Howell Road.
👷🏽♀️ Ken Hildebrandt, Tucker’s city engineer, told Rough Draft that the improvements to the intersection will make the road safer. Read more about it here.
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