Check-In with Allyson Gevertz

The 2023-24 school year was a successful one for Tucker and for the entire school district. Our new Superintendent, Dr. Devon Horton (who is also a Tucker resident!), brought innovation, passion, and the disruption of systems that fail students. Major initiatives, such as a district reorganization, a new accountability framework, a teacher residency, and the transition to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system all happened during the last school year. Other school-based advances, such as elementary sports, Academic Skills Centers, Evolv weapons detection, post-secondary push plans, and School Attendance Teams, also launched last year. All of these programs will continue during the 2024-25 school year.

With the help of DeKalb stakeholders, the District created a new strategic plan for 2024-2029. Tucker parents, students, business leaders, and community members participated in a steering committee and gave input through focus groups and surveys. According to parent feedback, the top issues were equitable/healthy learning environments and redistricting for fairness and access. Student priorities were mental health and real-world skill acquisition. The new strategic plan encompasses student success, community engagement, talent retention, culture/climate, mental health, and organizational excellence.

New to Tucker this fall will be Yondr cellphone pouches. Tucker Middle and Tucker High are two of ten DCSD schools piloting this method of increasing time on task in classrooms. Research consistently shows that phones harm our kids’ academic engagement, social skills, and mental health. Educators report leaving the field of teaching because so much energy is spent managing cell phone use rather than providing instruction. School districts across the country are banning phones in classrooms and the results have been positive. The pilot year will give the District a chance to see how students, teachers, and parents handle the shift to Yondr pouches and what logistical concerns arise. The information will be used to see whether pouches, cellphone lockers (also being piloted at three schools), or another method is best for improved teaching and learning.

Also new this fall will be student assignment planning. Citizens from Tucker and across DeKalb will apply and be selected for a committee that will make recommendations regarding redrawn attendance boundaries, which specialty programs should be offered, which schools should close, where new schools should be built, and how students are transported to programs. This is a “reimagining” of DeKalb Schools; based on strategic plan stakeholder input, our community is ready to reimagine.

As always, if you’d like to discuss any of these initiatives, or any other school-related topic, with me, I host monthly listening sessions at various locations across Board of Education district 4. My public Facebook page, Allyson Gevertz for DeKalb Schools, is a great place to find timely information and announcements. I also regularly attend events in Tucker, so look for me around town. My email address is Allyson_Gevertz@dekalbschoolsga.org and I welcome your input that way as well. Working together, we can make the 2024-25 school year the best one yet!