The Fierce Urgency of Now

It’s the dawn of a new decade, and with it comes a disconnect in our country, unlike anything we’ve seen before. With an election, the census, and talks of war, there’s no doubt 2020 will deliver many opportunities for healthy debate, disagreement and further dividedness. 

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

So, on this 2020 edition of the King holiday, we ask that you UNITE, and this year, it’s more than volunteering and serving others. We’ve partnered with The King Center, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights and Morehouse College to deliver over 2 weeks of events and programming – including our day of service and annual Sunday Supper. There are opportunities to learn, to listen, to serve, to engage and more. Following with The King Center’s theme of The Beloved Community: The fierce urgency of now. We can’t wait.

EXPLORE ALL THE WAYS TO CELEBRATE MLK DAY 2020

The Atlanta Board of Education is in the process of searching for a new superintendent and has asked the recruiting firm, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to help the Board with the process.

As one of the initial steps in the process, the Board would like to seek your input on the desired characteristics and skills that you would like to see in the next superintendent. Please share your thoughts by responding to the survey linked below. To provide additional feedback, please comment using the Let’s Talk Tool by selecting the topic “Superintendent Search.”

On behalf of the Atlanta Board of Education, thank you for taking the time to respond. The Board appreciates your willingness to participate and look forward to learning your perspective.

Superintendent Search Survey – Available until January 8, 2020

LET’S TALK – ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

The Safe Routes Partnership has released the first-ever national assessment of Safe Routes to School programs in the United States as part of a new report, “The Safe Routes to School Program Census Project: 2019 National Program Assessment Report.” This report provides an overview of the state of Safe Routes to School programming in the United States and a high-level assessment of challenges, innovations, and opportunities for Safe Routes to School programs. The findings in the report are based on a national survey of Safe Routes to School programs across the country, exploring policies, practices, and funding for programmatic activities, that was conducted in 2019.

Key lessons of the Safe Routes to School Program Census include:

• Varied and diverse Safe Routes to School programs are present in almost every state across the nation.
• Safe Routes to School programs have far too few resources to effectively reach all the children or schools in their regions. As a result, they may be forced to choose between having a strong and real impact on a few young people and having a very minor impact on many young people.
• The absence of a centralized national initiative and dedicated funding for Safe Routes to School has not stopped or slowed Safe Routes to School programming efforts. But it has led to inefficiencies, programs running entirely through volunteer efforts, a range of structures and focuses, and variable effectiveness. 
• There is a sizeable Safe Routes to School presence in rural areas, with program numbers roughly proportional to the rural population.
• New programs are regularly emerging, and older programs are continuing and expanding; just under half of programs responding to the survey are less than 5 years old, while 30 percent have been in operation for 5 to 10 years, and 20 percent have been effecting change for more than 10 years.
• Programs struggle to find the consistent funding they need to employ staff and develop strong and effective operations. A key challenge involves obtaining the support and coordination needed from school districts, towns and cities, and state governments to generate real benefits for children and communities.

In addition to the national census report, the Safe Routes Partnership conducted in-depth analyses of four states: Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Nevada.

The Safe Routes to School Program Census Project and this report were funded by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s Department of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, and developed by the Safe Routes Partnership in partnership with YMCA of the USA.

Congratulations to the 2020 NPU-W officers and representatives.

Officers

Jonathan Barhite, Chair

Ed Gilgor, Vice Chair

Lewis Cartee, Secretary

Representatives

East Atlanta

1. Barhite, Jonathan
2. Cartee, Lewis
3. Fore, Howard
4. Gilgor, Edward
5. Green, Ralph
6. Murray, Jennifer
7. Schneggenburger, Andy
8. Open

Benteen Park, Boulevard Heights, Custer-McDonough-Guice, Ormewood Park, and Woodland Hills

1. Clubb, Nathan
2. Cox, Rachael
3. Handley, Dean
4. Lall, Ron
5. Lee, Rod
6. Smith, Fred
7. Synder, Michael
8. Tanner, Mark

Grant Park

1. Carr, Steve
2. Hudson, Rick
3. Keen, Laura
4. Martin, Darren
5. Mitchell, David
6. Newman, Chris
7. Powner, Steve
8. Zucca, Paul

RSVP HERE

Juvenile Court’s Annual Citizen Review Panel Training will occur on Tuesday, February 25 and Wednesday, February 26 , 2020, 8:30am-5pm, at the Judge Romae T. Powell Juvenile Justice Center (395 Pryor St, SW, Atlanta 30312). Participation in both days of training culminates in being sworn in as a Citizen Review Panel member. Panel members are required to agree to an initial one year service commitment consisting of one day (4-5 hrs.) of panel service per month. The average volunteer tenure of 15-20+ years speaks to the value placed on the intangible rewards of partnering with the Court as Citizen Review Panel members.

Training is open to the Citizens of Fulton County only. If interested please fill out the volunteer application and confidentiality release linked here and submit via email, Nicole.kimble@fultoncountyga.gov, or fax, (404) 612-2437.

Nicole J. Kimble, MPA

Citizen Review Panel Administrator

FCJC Citizen Review Panel

The Department of Public Works Office of Solid Waste Services will be closed in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays on Wednesday, December 25 and Wednesday, January 1. There will be a one-day collection delay beginning Wednesday of each week. Friday collections will be picked up on Saturday, December 28 and Saturday, January 4. If you have questions about the holiday schedule,  visit www.atl311.com, or dial 404-546-0311, Monday-Friday during normal business hours. 

We’re excited to share our 2020 Strategic Plan. More than 700 people participated in our strategic planning project this year and offered ideas to help shape our plans and future.  We envision an Atlanta where everyone moves safely, easily, and sustainably throughout the city. To achieve that vision, we aim to reclaim Atlanta’s streets as safe, inclusive, and thriving spaces for people to ride, walk, and roll. 

Would you like to share your thoughts on the Superintendent search for Atlanta Public Schools? Visit here if so.

It was once the norm for children to bike around their neighborhoods and to school. Biking provided independence for growing kids while giving them physical activity and access to social networks. In 1969, 50% of kids walked or biked to school. But by 2009, just 13% did. 

We piloted our Shifting Gears program to change that. Shifting Gears works by providing second graders in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) with bicycle safety training during the school day. 

During our pilot year, we reached 5% of second graders with the training. In year two, we more than doubled the number of schools, from five to nine, reaching 13% of second graders. Also in the second year, we connected our Bike Champions program with Shifting Gears, in order to expand the circle of influence of Shifting Gears beyond school walls and into surrounding communities. 

As a result, parents have become strong proponents of safe streets for all. By instilling an awareness of bicycling and traffic safety at a formative age, we can improve children’s health outcomes, create a lifelong love of being active, and improve communities through cleaner environments and safer streets.

For more watch THIS video.