Math scores in high school more important than your elementary school?

Things are heating up in Dunwoody, and we aren't talking about swim teams. (We hear Vermack has recruited 15 pre-Olympic team  swimmers for next season and bringing back their DJ for next season - Outside Smoke!)  Drake is the king of pitting neighbor against neighbor.

The elementary school moms, dads, and guardians are all in a craze over where their precious child will attend elementary school. While we do acknowledge the importance of the elementary schools, it is the middle school and high school that will determine your kid's future.  All these parents mad about Kingsley, Austin, Chesnut, etc., are ignorant of the major issues at PCMS and DHS.  The biggest issue we see is the recent milestones results. You can read about it HERE.

Dunwoody went from one of the top schools to below average in a three year span in Algebra.  From 92 to 41 in percentile rank.  And you're worried about where your kid will learn to sit criss-cross applesauce?

So how did things go so bad in three years?  What changed? Well, we have a new principal, but I don't believe that is the issue.  A principal often can select the teachers for their school, and other times The Palace dumps a lemon on you from another school.  Sherry Johnson, our regional superintendent, is the source for Region 1 personnel deficiencies (Dunwoody, Chamblee, Cross Keys). Other factors for the rapid decline in math scores in Dunwoody could be block scheduling, larger class sizes, and changing demographics (AJC writer Maureen Downey has written about the "easier to teach" children a few times.  It's a fact that some kids are easier to teach than others.  The kid who comes to school hungry and was up late babysitting a younger sibling as the parent worked late at night is going to be harder to teach than others).  But seeing that math scores dropped for Distinguished and Proficient Learners as well, we think a lot of blame goes to the quality of math teachers from K-12.  Before you get mad, we do know our cluster has MANY great math teachers, but even they will tell you, numbers don't lie.  DeKalb has a problem attracting and keeping the best teachers in the metro area. We've seen Teacher of The Year winners bail the next year, going to private, Cobb, Cherokee, and even Fulton county.  You'll be hard pressed to find a TOTY from Cobb deciding to come teach in DeKalb - it just doesn't happen.  Until DeKalb earns a better reputation in all areas, this trend will continue.  My kids have experienced great teachers in all their years in Dunwoody, but young couples looking to start a family will surely scrutinize data before buying a home here.  Dunwoody's location is great, but will young couples continue to buy the houses vacated by our aging neighbors?