UPDATE: No more AYP + DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get Schooled: No more AYP. Here comes College & Career Ready Index.

By Maureen Downey

The state releases scores for schools next week using the new College & Career Ready Performance Index.

We had a primer on the index with DOE on Friday. It's a complex and comprehensive system. It will be interesting to see if parents warm to it. The index awards schools a numerical grade on a 100-point scale. So, schools will be graded 75 or 80 or 95.  But behind those grades are loads of data.

The index replaces Adequate Yearly Progress as the measure of a school’s success. My colleage Nancy Badertscher would like to hear from parents and teachers, both pro and con on this.

Do you believe a numerical grade will be more illuminating? How much stock do you put in either 

Get Schooled: DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to court we go

 By Maureen Downey

The AJC has a story that will not surprise faithful DeKalb Schools watchers:  The DeKalb County School District has spent more on lawyers than comparable Atlanta school systems for years, and is on track to spend even more.

Cultures develop in any institution, and DeKalb seems to have developed one in which going to court to resolve issues is a way of life. Once a court fight starts, the school district is resolved to see it through,  no matter the mounting legal bills. The district also has more law firms on retainer than other districts, a situation for which no one has yet to offer a clear explanation.

According to the AJC:

The millions of dollars DeKalb pays for lawsuits and other legal expenses could instead be paying for badly needed teachers and classroom aides. Like other districts, DeKalb has watched tax receipts shrivel and has slashed its budget, imposing furlough days and driving up class sizes while cutting back on support services such as bus maintenance.

However, unlike other districts DeKalb has increased its anticipated legal expenses. The