Putting Kids First!
Work Plan for 2009
What is Khaatim doing about the issues you said
were most important to you?
Priority # 1: Reduce truancy and increase the high school graduation rate, particularly for African-American males
Priority # 2: Involve parents, community leaders, educators and all stakeholders in improving our schools
Priority # 3: Improve access to affordable, high-quality early childcare programs
Priority # 4: Facilitate greater working relationship with the City and County to provide youth with after-school and summer enrichment opportunities
Priority # 1: Reduce truancy and increase the high school graduation rate, particularly for African-American males
- Launched the Truancy Prevention Task Force led by Fulton County Community Prosecutor Kimani King and Cascade United Methodist Youth Pastor Rev. Paul Thibodeux; and,
- The Task Force made several recommendations to APS, including increasing the compulsory attendance age to 17; developing a better attendance tracking, monitoring and enforcement system; talking with truant students to understand why they choose to skip school; and providing resources to families seeking help with their child who has been truant; and,
- Task Force members are organizing information sessions at area High Schools, including Douglass and Washington, to stress the importance of school attendance and provide resources to parents and community leaders on how they can help keep students safe in the last few weeks of school.
Priority # 2: Involve parents, community leaders, educators and all stakeholders in improving our schools
- Co-Chaired the Atlanta Board of Education's Parent Involvement Task Force that looked at policy, funding and staffing changes to revolutionize the way we engage parents at the school and district levels;
- Hosted the 4th Annual Pearl Dove Scholarship Fundraiser, securing over $1,000 for college scholarships awarded to students graduating from Washington and Douglass High Schools with plans to study teacher education; and,
- Conducting survey of community and school leaders to look at ways schools and neighborhoods can strengthen their partnership.
Priority # 3: Improve access to affordable, high-quality early childcare programs
- Supported the opening of world-class childcare programs in West End (Dean Rusk ES) and Pittsburgh-Mechanicsville (Dunbar ES) communities;
- Conducting community scan of available childcare, compiling information on costs and levels of quality to produce a handbook for families;
- Hosting an information session for childcare providers on available resources and services, such as childcare subsidies offered by the State to lower costs and easy to use benefits screening tools to provide more resources for families; and,
- Develop information packet for families on how they can help their children get ready for school, including low-to-no cost tips on things they can do at home.
Priority # 4: Facilitate greater working relationship with the City and County to provide youth with after-school and summer enrichment opportunities
- Organized roundtable at the newly renovated Neighborhood Union Health Center to discuss ways to better utilize this community resource to improve the physical and mental health of students and parents in our community;
- Developing a training for afterschool providers on engaging parents; and,
- Creating a yellow-pages listing of Summer Youth Programs to extend children's learning through fun, innovative experiences.
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