APS Redistricting: Coan's Parent Committee's Response To Davis' Proposals

Editor's note: The Save Coan Parent Committee, comprised of parents and supporters, sent this letter, dated March 13, to the Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. in response to his . The Committee shared its letter with East Atlanta Patch.

Dear Superintendent Davis:

We want to take this opportunity to share with you the preliminary data we attribute, in part, to the wonderful, successful and student-centered programs here at Coan Middle School. Our data indicates positive progress in three areas. From October 2011 through February 2012 discipline referrals have decreased 10%, absences have decreased by 17% and writing assessments scores improved by 4%. This is only the beginning of the strides that are possible, based on the programmatic offerings now in place at Coan Middle School.

We could not have achieved this success without the following partnerships:

• Quality Teaching
• Afterschool All-stars (Georgia State University and Georgia Tech)
• Middle school Transformation
• Whitefoord Community Programs/Full Service Health Center
• I.M.A.G.E. Program
• Project Lead/The L.I.N.K.S, Inc.
• Communities In Schools
• Atlanta Community Food Bank
• Edible School Garden
• Confucius Institute

Graduation Generation of Emory University works in collaboration with each of the above-mentioned programs to support Coan's students. By removing Coan Middle School from its base of community support, our students would no longer benefit from the services currently in residence.

Mr. Davis we strongly urge you and the Atlanta Public Schools Board to keep Coan Middle School open. We present the following two options to best utilize our facility, human capital and community resources for your serious consideration:

1. Keep Coan Middle School open and add Mary Lin Elementary School as a feeder school.
2. Create a 6th Grade Academy for the entire SRT-3 to be housed at Coan Middle School.

Coan Middle School is currently at 34% utilization and can accommodate hundreds of new students immediately with no additional cost to taxpayers or the Atlanta Board of Education. Either of the options above will offer a fiscally responsible solution providing cost effective utilization of available public money and facilities.

This letter provides only a small space for us to present the quantitative data of our school. We are not able to fully express qualitative information pertaining to the sentiments of our students, families, faculty, staff and community supporters regarding Coan's fate. We thank you for your time and attention to our concerns. We look forward to talking with you in person about this further.

Sincerely,

Aisia Anderson and Tequisse Bowden for the Save Coan Parent Committee