<<opening for eyewitness news at eleven>>
GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US..
I'M FRANK MALLOY..
AND I'M LEAH JOHNSON..THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11.
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF BIBB COUNTY SCHOOLS LAID OUT A FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD THIS EVENING.
THE PLAN HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS SINCE LAST SUMMER... AND TODAY... CANDACE ADORKA FOLLOWED ALONG AS ROMAIN DALLEMAND PRESENTED THE PLAN.
DALLEMAND CALLS THIS PLAN THE MACON MIRACLE.
HE SAID IT WILL BE BOLD AND TRANSFORMATIVE... AND BOOST THE GRADUATION RATE TO 100 PERCENT BY 2023.
SOME OF THE MOST DRAMATIC PARTS OF THE PLAN AFFECT SCHOOLS STRUCTURE.
FOR INSTANCE... BIBB COUNTY STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO CHOSE ANY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT TO ATTEND... AND EACH SCHOOL WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT AREA OF INTEREST... LIKCE SPORTS... OR ARTS... OR THE MILITARY.
IT'S CALLED A PORTFOLIO SCHOOL SYSTEM... AND IT WOULD LAUNCH IN 2013.
NEXT... GRADE LEVELS WOULD BE REORGANIZED.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WOULD BE KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 3.. MIDDLE SCHOOL WOULD START IN 4TH GRADE INSTEAD OF 6TH... AND HIGH SCHOOL WOULD START IN 8TH GRADE.
UNDER THIS CONFIGURATION... THE DISTRICT WOULD NEED ABOUT 320 FEWER TEACHERS... BUT DALLEMAND SAID NO TEACHERS WOULD BE FIRED... THEY WILL JUST LEAVE THE POSITIONS VACANT AS TEACHERS LEAVE.
HE ALSO PROPOSES CLOSING UP TO 12 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS... BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHICH ONES YET.
HE SAYS THESE MOVES WILL SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY.
"What a novel idea... redesign the system, have a new education system where we can better educate our students, captivate our students interest and at the same time tell our tax payers here's money back."
UNDER THIS PLAN... EVERY BIBB COUNTY STUDENT WOULD LEARN MANDARIN CHINESE.
THAT WOULD BE PHASED IN STARTING THIS SEPTEMBER WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS .
DALLEMAND SAYS MANDARIN IS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AS CHINA'S ECONOMIC INFLUENCE SPREADS ACROSS THE GLOBE.
STUDENTS WOULD HAVE LONGER SCHOOL DAYS...
AT LEAST 10 ADDITIONAL HOURS A WEEK OF INSTRUCTION, PHYSICAL, AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
THE DISTRICT WOULD ALSO LOOK INTO YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLING... AND MORE DUAL ENROLMENT... MENTORING.. AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS TO FILL GAPS IN THE CURRENT SCHOOL CALENDAR.
STUDENTS WOULD ALSO HAVE MORE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
DALLEMAND PROPOSES FREE HOME INTERNET ACCESS TO STUDENTS... FREE WIRELESS CONNECTION ACROSS THE DISTRICT... AND FREE HOME COMPUTERS WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE ENTRIE PLAN FOR YOURSELF ON OUR HOMEPAGE 13 WMAZ DOT COM... ALSO... FRIDAY THE TENTH... DALLEMAND PLANS TO PRESENT THE MACON MIRACLE TO THE PUBLIC AT THE CENTREPLEX AT 1 P-M.
LEAH..
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONED DALLEMAND AS HE PRESENTED HIS PLAN.... AND A PACKED HOUSE OF TEACHERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS LISTEND.
HERE'S WHAT SOME OF THEM HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE MACON MIRACLE.
Lynn Farmer:"We jus got it tonight and I'm going to do my research. I want to know where the data is that says that this works. I mean it sounds great but as always the devil is in the details."
Tommie Barnes:All students will have exposure to gifted students. All students will have a choice to choose what they want to be. All students are expected to acheive. When you say that. .that's so inclusive so bold..that's so different.
Donnie Bryant:I heard extensive good questions from the board of education. I was very proud of them because they are a filter but i was very dishearted to notice not a one of them said to the superintendent how can we make that step happen... how can we go out and find some funding for this.
Angel Caldwell: there were a lot of direct questions i felt went unanswered. specifically concerns about whats going to happen during the transition period and how the students are going to be effect while this is all being implemented.
THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON THE PLAN FEBRUARY TENTH AFTER THE MACON MIRACLE PRESENTATION AT THE CENTREPLEX ON THE SAME DAY.
THE HEAD OF BIBB COUNTY SCHOOLS' CAMPUS POLICE SAYS SHE KEPT HER BOSSES INFORMED... AND FOLLOWED PROTOCOL IN THE INVESTIGATION INTO AN ALLEGED RAPE AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO HER ATTORNEY... CHARLES COX.
COX SAYS CAMPUS POLICE CHIEF STEPHANIE PRATER WAS PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE TUESDAY.
COX GAVE US THESE E-MAILS... BETWEEN POLICE CHIEF PRATER... HER SUPERIOR... EDWARD JUDIE... AND ASSISTANT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT... ALISHA ALLEN-CARTER.
IN AN E-MAIL DATED JANUARY 25TH... PRATER WROTE TO ALLEN-CARTER THAT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS SAID THEY ARE DOING QUOTE... AN EXCELLENT JOB AND HANDLING THE CASE EXTREMELY WELL.
THE E-MAIL GOES ON TO SAY MACON POLICE WERE ANGRY THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED... BUT PRATER STILL HAD NOT ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE.
SUPERINTENDENT DALLEMAND SAID AT HIS NEWS CONFERENCE NEARLY A WEEK LATER.... THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE THE MACON POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT INVESTIGATING.
HE CALLED THIS A GAP IN THE INVESTIGATION.
CRIME IN BIBB COUNTY ROSE 5 PERCENT LAST YEAR... THAT'S ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
FRANK MALLOY BREAKS DOWN OF THE NUMBERS.
BIBB COUNTY SHERIFF JERRY MODENA SAYS THERE WERE 135 MORE CRIMES REPORTED IN 2011 THAN 2010.
MODENA SAYS THE LARGEST INCREASE WAS IN THEFTS.
HE SAYS THERE WERE 171 MORE THEFTS IN 20-11 THAN IN 2010.
MODENA SAYS THAT'S DUE TO HIGHER METAL PRICES OVER THE PAST YEAR....WHICH CAUSED MORE METAL THEFTS.
THE NUMBERS ALSO SHOW THAT THERE WERE FOUR HOMICIDES IN THE COUNTY....ONE MORE THAN IN 2010.
RAPES REPORTED IN BIBB COUNTY INCREASED TO 17 IN 2011.. THAT'S UP 21 PERCENT.
SHOPLIFTING REPORTS JUMPED TO 367... AN 22 PERCENT RISE.
MODENA SAYS SOME CRIME STATS IN BIBB COUNTY DROPPED IN 20-11.
THAT INCLUDES A 3 PERCENT DROP IN AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS....
27 PERCENT FEWER ARMED ROBBERIES...
AN 8 PERCENT DROP IN COMMERCIAL BURGLARIES..
AND 3 PERCENT FEWER HOME BURGLARIES.
ALL THOSE NUMBERS COVER ONLY CRIME IN UNINCORPORATED BIBB COUNTY. MACON POLICE HAVE NOT YET RELEASED THEIR CRIME STATS FOR 2011.
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF LAST YEAR''S BIBB COUNTY CRIME NUMBERS... LOOK FOR THIS STORY ON OUR HOMEPAGE AT 13 WMAZ DOT COM
THE HEAD OF BIBB COUNTY SCHOOLS' CAMPUS POLICE SAYS SHE KEPT HER BOSSES INFORMED... AND FOLLOWED PROTOCOL IN THE INVESTIGATION INTO AN ALLEGED RAPE AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO HER ATTORNEY... CHARLES COX.
COX SAYS CAMPUS POLICE CHIEF STEPHANIE PRATER WAS PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE TUESDAY.
COX GAVE US THESE E-MAILS... BETWEEN POLICE CHIEF PRATER... HER SUPERIOR... EDWARD JUDIE... AND ASSISTANT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT... ALISHA ALLEN-CARTER.
IN AN E-MAIL DATED JANUARY 25TH... PRATER WROTE TO ALLEN-CARTER THAT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS SAID THEY ARE DOING QUOTE... AN EXCELLENT JOB AND HANDLING THE CASE EXTREMELY WELL.
THE E-MAIL GOES ON TO SAY MACON POLICE WERE ANGRY THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED... BUT PRATER STILL HAD NOT ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE.
SUPERINTENDENT DALLEMAND SAID AT HIS NEWS CONFERENCE NEARLY A WEEK LATER.... THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE THE MACON POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT INVESTIGATING.
HE CALLED THIS A GAP IN THE INVESTIGATION.
Charles Cox, Attorney: "I'm not sure what the gaps are from Dr. Dallemand's standpoint, from Chief Prater's perspective, there are no gaps. She notified who she was supposed to notify, she notified her supervisors."
COX SAYS PRATER WAS TOLD SHE WAS PUT ON LEAVE BECAUSE SHE DID NOT PROPERLY KEEP OTHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION.
WE RECEIVED AN E-MAIL TODAY THAT SAYS ALISHA ALLEN-CARTER WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING MEDIA REQUESTS.
THE INTERIM SPOKESWOMAN... STEPHANIE HARTLEY SAYS SHE'S NOT SURE WHY THE DECISION WAS MADE.
ben gives three day forecast
THANKS BEN.. WE'LL TALK WITH YOU AGAIN IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT BIBB COUNTY EATING SPOT TOOK HOME THE GOLDEN SPATULA THIS WEEK.
RESTAURANT RATINGS IS UP NEXT.