Hi, I’m Duane McCoskey, publisher of DPS Chalkboard. I’m using this Substack forum to express my views about Decatur Public Schools #61. I’m working (mostly) alone, but I do have a few people that help me write my articles.
This is the new media. People get their news from newspapers & the nightly news less and less each day. They are more likely to turn to the internet for national news, and this type of forum (using this great Substack website) allows for information dissemination on the local level too.
Originally, I intended to call my Substack “DPS Report Card”, but honestly, I think that sounds like I have all the answers and want to sit in judgement of the great people that work in the school district. That is simply not the case. I want to advance ideas that others might be thinking, but don’t have a forum to get them across. I like to research problems and discuss solutions. In the future I hope to develop relationships (I already have a few) with Central Administration and Board Members, to allow me to write and report news and ideas from the inside, just as a great newspaper article would.
Here’s a few things you should know about me, and what informs my opinions:
I’m a lifelong resident of Decatur and a product of Decatur Public Schools (Oak Grove, Roosevelt, MacArthur)
Our two sons went through DPS from Kindergarten through High School.
I have been involved with the schools for nearly two decades as a parent & community volunteer – from PTA & Booster Club, school improvement committees, the high school renovation initiative to strategic planning at the district level.
I ran for the School Board in 2011, so please don’t tell me that “if I think I have so many ideas, why don’t I run for the School Board?” Been there; done that.
My wife recently retired from Muffley School after 35 years of teaching. While she isn’t involved in my writing, we have discussed education a time or two over the years. Let’s just say I have a fairly good idea of what happens in the buildings and in the classroom.
Lastly, I know for a fact, the superintendent does not have a private washroom in their office nor did Gloria Davis have maintenance build one out for her.
Comments on what we post here will always be welcomed. They are the fuel for future articles. However, we do reserve the right to delete comments that aren’t productive. Our goal is to have an open, honest and critical (when necessary) discussion about our schools and their impact on the community in which we live.
One final note: I’m looking for positive people with great ideas that want to write articles and contribute to my Substack. I am also looking for one or two more individuals to sit on my Editorial Board - to read and approve articles before I publish them. If you’re interested, you can email me at: duanemcc23@comcast.net