Decidedly DECAL: highlighting the events that shape who we are, 2017 August

Decidedly DECAL
Highlighting the Events That Shape Who We Are





August 2017 - In This Issue By the Numbers Follow DECAL on Social Media Decidedly DECAL CALi Quiz Winner Celebrating Georgia's Pre-K Program New Faces and Places August Birthdays CAPS Launches Pilot Project Board of Early Care and Learning Commissioner's Corner Nominations Open Soon for Spirit of DECAL Awards Radford Selected as a White-Riley-Peterson Fellow Person on the Street Interviews Foundation for Early Care and Learning Holds Inaugural Meeting New Quality Rated Programs Virtual Suggestion Box

DECAL
By the Numbers
19 - New classes in Georgia's Pre-K Program 38 - Expansion classes in Georgia's Pre-K Program 3,794 - Continuation classes in Georgia's Pre-K Program 84,722 - Four year olds expected in Georgia's Pre-K Program for
2017-2018
4,787 - Licensed child care programs in Georgia 1,373 - Quality Rated child care programs in Georgia

Commissioner's Corner
by Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs
Dear DECAL Co-workers,
My letter to you this month is different from any I've written in over three years of Decidedly DECAL. In some ways, I feel like I should apologize; but I decided that most of you will be able to relate to what I'm going to write. So I'm just going to be honest and admit that the deadline for this letter has arrived, but because of pressures here in the office and at home, I just haven't had an opportunity to really think about what I want to share with you.
I could list all that has happened here in the office the past couple of weeks that have taken their toll on time and mental energy, e.g., the constant planning and adjusting the plans for the CAPS transition; the tragic death of a young boy at an unlicensed summer camp; federal monitoring visits, beginning of Pre-K, etc.
I could detail events at home, e.g., young children going back to school and all that entails (shopping for clothes and supplies; working out schedules; visiting new classrooms and meeting teachers, etc.) and parents with serious health problems needing support.
And I suspect what I've experienced the past few weeks is representative of what many of you may also have gone through. You've all heard me say that I firmly believe in the importance of work-life balance. Sometimes that means balancing hard, unforeseen responsibilities and issues in BOTH areas of our lives.
So, if you're feeling stressed as work ramps up and as demands at home ramp up as school begins or as other family related events occur, just know that I understand. I'm not trying to make excuses. I

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Decidedly DECAL CALi Quiz Winner

Cassa Andrews

DECAL's Statewide PBIS Manager Cassa Andrews is the winner of this month's Decidedly DECAL CALi Quiz. She won two tickets to Stone Mountain Park. Cassa's name was drawn from all employees who took the quiz and scored 100. To win, read this issue of Decidedly DECAL and complete the next quiz for your chance to score some fun prizes donated by local businesses!

Celebrating Georgia's Pre-K Program

have...we all have...our jobs to do and as stewards of state resources, we are obligated to do what we've been hired to do. But sometimes, life happens - professionally and personally - and we keep going until we get back on track.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility. I PROMISE this letter will be more substantive in September. Hold me to it.
Sincerely,
Nominations Open Soon for Commissioner's Spirit of DECAL Awards
For the second year, DECAL will recognize employees who consistently embody and model DECAL's values in an exemplary way by awarding the Commissioner's Spirit of DECAL Awards. Nominees are submitted by any employee of DECAL, and awards will be presented during the all-staff meeting in October.
Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs will open nominations soon when she sends an e-mail to all employees. Begin thinking now about colleagues who demonstrate one or more of the following:
Delivering stellar customer service Exhibiting organizational excellence Creating positive relationships Always valuing others Leading the way
The link to the nomination form will be sent to all DECAL staff on or before August 29th and nominations will close on September 16th. Any DECAL employee can to nominate any other DECAL employee without regard to seniority or division; full-time or part-time; or temporary or contract employment status with the agency.
Employees may submit more than one nomination, and employees may be nominated by more than one co-worker. Nominations will not be anonymous, but they will be scored blindly by a review committee composed of members of the DECAL Employee Advisory Group (EAG). Commissioner Jacobs will review the nominees based on the recommendations of the EAG review committee and announce the winners at an all-employee meeting later this fall.
Radford Selected as a White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellow

Georgia's Pre-K Program Consultants Jan Duke, Nicki Underwood, and Susan Winston show their excitement for #GaPreKFirstDay and for our 25th birthday during South Georgia regional meetings for Pre-K teachers and directors.
Pre-K Consultant Megan O'Bara celebrated Pre-K's 25th Birthday with the Ware County Pre-K teachers and director, Dr. Linda Houseal during the Regional Back-to-School Meeting at Daffodil Preschool in Waycross.
New Faces and Places
Congratulations to the following employees who joined the DECAL team in July:
Child Care Services welcomes Administrative Assistant Ericka McCrary and Child Care Consultant Valarie Strickland.
Instructional Supports welcomes Georgia PDS User Support Representative Stephanie Banks.
System Reform welcomes Administrative Assistant Jasmine Barnes.
August Birthdays
Best wishes go out to the following DECAL employees who celebrate birthdays this month:
1 - Gwen Kahn 2 - Brittany Sams 5 - Paula Lawrence 5 - Jennifer Waters 6 - Jasmine Barnes 6 - Angela Byrd 6 - Jennifer Collins 6 - Valerie Coulton 6 - Ira Sudman

DECAL's School Age Specialist Michelle Radford was named a Fellow of the White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellowship, which aims to strengthen policy surrounding education and expand learning opportunities for all children. She was one of 16 leaders in the field of afterschool and expanded learning nationwide selected for the honor. The Fellowship is named for William S. White, Richard W. Riley, and Terry K. Peterson, leaders who inspire Radford because of their focus on "strengthening community foundations as well as focusing on education abroad."

Michelle Radford

Radford, a School Age Specialist, has lived the majority of her life in Georgia, and remains a Georgia girl at heart, but she recently moved to the mountains in Hayesville, North Carolina. When her youngest of three children moved out and empty nest set in, she and her husband decided to move to their "happy place."

Her husband travels extensively around the United States working on nuclear power plants, and she noted that she is fortunate to be able to visit him on weekend trips when he is in exciting places. In their free time, they love to ride their horses.

Radford is a graduate of the University of Georgia , where she earned her Bachelor of Science in early childhood education. She also earned a Master of Education in educational leadership from Northcentral University. With Radford's nearly three decades of experience working with children, she has devoted her career to "helping ensure that all children have access to high quality care and excellent education."

The honor of becoming a WRP Fellow is accompanied by intensive learning opportunities and the duty to develop state-level policy projects. Issues specifically pertinent to Radford are "making sure that school-age programs have resources, training and tools available to them, professionalizing the school-age workforce, and including a social/emotional learning component in programs."

In addition to these obligations, Fellows have the option to attend the National Network of State Afterschool Networks. It is not required, but Radford plans to attend, she says, because "any time we can gather together and learn from each other or brainstorm ideas, the experience will be enhanced."

Radford believes that it is important to remember that all children, across the nation and worldwide, deserve quality child care and education. All three of the Fellowship's original leaders inspire Radford to "strive for excellence for all of our children in Georgia, both in rural locations and larger cities."

While Radford looks to learn best practices for creating quality school time programs and for creating a professional workforce, she is most excited to build relationships with her peers in the youth development field, while learning how other states seek to build quality from afterschool time.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation generously supports the Fellowship, which Radford agrees provides the means to unite leaders across the nation while fostering "deep discussion" of case studies, providing those leaders with understanding of the "art, science, possibilities and realities of policy making around afterschool and expanded learning time."

Person on the Street Interviews If you were a new addition to a crayon box, what color would you be?

7 - Carrie Ashbee 7 - Ericka McCrary 7 - Kay Pollard 10 - Quandra Collins 10 - Linda Norwood 10 - Yvonne Sinclair 11 - Stephanie Banks 11 - Brandi Templeton 11 - Vicki Watts 12 - Kristie Lewis 13 - Emily Lankford Graham 14 - Denise Jenson 14 - Brian McKeen 16 - Shaheedah El-Amin 16 - Mary Houtz 16 - Karen McGill 18 - Michelle Clark 20 - Brian Collin 21 - Rachael Lee 22 - Karla Crawford 22 - Sherry Grant 22 - Latashi Laster 23 - Emmanuel Asumadu 23 - Susan Simpson 23 - Atlantis Wright 25 - Bart Ellington 25 - Fabienne Michel 26 - Kay Mayfield 26 - Keisha Pace 28 - Jahmeka Jones 30 - Sylvia Boykin 30 - Tamisa Sapp
Watch on POLAR

April Brown, CCS Consultant "I would be a multi-colored crayon because my personality is filled with lots of love and a wide variety of different friendships and hobbies that I enjoy."
Bridgette Merrett, Compliance Administrator "If I were a new addition to a crayon box, I'd be 'Sunshine Yellow!' Like a beautiful sunshine, I find yellow to be uplifting, creating an enthusiasm for life."
Rebecca McDonald, Pre-K Consultant "I would be 'chocolate cherry.' That's the color I use for my hair and everyone loves it."

CAPS Launches Pilot Project

for Families in 13 Counties
Georgia's new version of the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) Program officially launched its Pilot Project for families in Bibb, Brooks, Catoosa, Clarke, Colquitt, Cook, Douglas, Echols, Gilmer, Gordon, Lowndes, Murray, and Whitfield counties on Monday, July 17, 2017. This is the first phase in moving the eligibility function of CAPS from the Division of Family and Children Services to DECAL by early 2018. Learn more about the CAPS Program and get a preview of its new offices on a NEW episode of DECAL TV now On Demand on POLAR. We talk with Assistant Commissioner for Federal Programs Elisabetta Kasfir about the program and hear updates from other DECAL divisions.
Got a suggestion for a future episode of DECAL TV? Let us hear from you at decaltv@decal.ga.gov.

The initial board members of the new Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning held their first official meeting Monday. The foundation will serve as the nonprofit organization through which DECAL can secure private funds to enable us to expand our support of and recognition of child care programs and early childhood educators. Shown are Governor Nathan Deal's Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Katie Childers, Executive Director Carrie Ashbee, and Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs, who will serve as Board Chair.

Board of Early Care and Learning
Supporting and guiding the mission and vision of Bright from the Start:
Board of Early Care and Learning
Kay Ford, Midway First Congressional District
(Secretary)
Susan Harper, Albany Second Congressional District
(Chair)
Kathy Howell, Carrollton Third Congressional District
Phil Davis, Stone Mountain

Fourth Congressional District
Carlene Talton, Decatur Fifth Congressional District
Dawnn Henderson, Marietta Sixth Congressional District
Vacant Seventh Congressional District
Luann Purcell, Ed.D., Warner Robins Eighth Congressional District
Sheri Hooper, Gainesville Ninth Congressional District
Janice Gallimore, Greensboro Tenth Congressional District
Victor Morgan, Cartersville Eleventh Congressional District
Jerri Kropp, Statesboro Twelfth Congressional District
(Vice Chair)
Melissa Boekhaus, MD., Mableton Thirteenth Congressional District

Tangela Johnson, Cohutta Fourteenth Congressional District
The Faces of DECAL
DECAL faces featured in the banner of this issue are (L-R) Paula Gordon-Near, Gail McNeely, Nicki Underwood, Cheri Smithson, Atlantis Wright, Darien Watson, and Mary Berry.

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