President’s Report
Prepared for the July 19, 2011 meeting of the Board of Directors
Summer is always fun at Sheltering Arms. This summer has been especially so with the
opening of the new center in Lawrenceville. The following will catch you up on our
progress toward our Strategic and operational plan goals since we last met.
Progress on Operational Plan Action Items and Activities from May- July 2011.
Children
Goals:

At least 90% of all children completing Pre-K at Sheltering Arms will demonstrate
proficiency on 100% of kindergarten readiness criteria as outlined by Bright from the
Start; Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning and measured by Sheltering
Arms Ongoing Developmental Assessment and the Work Sampling System. An IEP
(Individualized Education Plan) or a plan for remediation and/or referral will be
implemented for every child not achieving 100%.

100% of Sheltering Arms Centers will meet or exceed national accreditation
standards and Head Start Performance Standards
Objectives:
 All enrolled children meet at least 92% of age-appropriate developmental milestones
at the end of each school year.

All Pre-K children enrolled are proficient in all learning domains.

All enrolled children who have been identified with special needs receive
coordinated, appropriate services.

The Sheltering Arms Early Care and Education Program promote the prevention of
childhood obesity.

All enrolled children are up-to-date on medical and dental screenings and checkups, as recommended for their age.
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 1
Strategies:

Explore additional opportunities to partner with universities and MBA programs, to
expand staff resources and to assist in program planning, implementation, and
measurement

Explore opportunities to enrich/enhance the Sheltering Arm’s curriculum

Meet the highest standards as set by national and state best practices/research
indicators

Implement a curriculum that aligns expectations of child progress with child
development milestones

Assess and screen every child enrolled

Cultivate/maintain public school system inclusion partnerships

Serve meals and snacks that meet 2/3 of the recommended daily nutritional
requirements to all children enrolled

Investigate state and nationally recognized obesity prevention initiatives, such as I
Am Moving, I Am Learning

All enrolled children engage in daily physical activities that are embedded in the
Sheltering Arms’ curriculum

Implement a routine enrollment process that documents the status of children’s
medical and dental health
Progress:
Hay-Silverman Center closes its’ doors for the last time. On May 26, 2011 the HaySilverman Center built and opened in 1982 closed. SA has had a long run in Rockdale
County and in many ways it is sad to think we will no longer have a footprint there. We
were able to help all of our parents find appropriate child care arrangements and most
of the staff chose to take employment at one of our other centers even though it will be
a considerable drive for them. A few elected to take jobs with other programs in the
community and stay closer to home. We will miss them.
Child Developmental Assessment Data is being compiled for the 2010-11 school
year. Diane Bellem and Amy Hobart will present the data at the board meeting along
with the results of the CLASS instrument administered by DECAL for the first time this
year in Pre-K classes.
Families
Goals:

On the annual parent survey, at least 90% of families will report regular involvement
at Sheltering Arms, at least 90% will report improved parenting skills since
enrollment at Sheltering Arms, and at least 90% will report being employed and/or in
school/job training.
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 2
Objectives:

Families of all enrolled children are supported to nurture, educate and financially
support their children

Families of all enrolled children have increased capacity for “positive parenting”.

Families of all enrolled children are supported to pursue, maintain or improve their
employment, education or job skills.
Strategies:

Provide support systems for families that build upon their strengths, build protective
factors, and increase their personal capacity, sensitive to their diverse and changing
needs

Respect families by helping them set and reach their own goals

Adhere to best practice standards in family support as outlined by NAEYC,
Strengthening Families, Parent Services Project, and Head Start

Provide opportunities for families to expand their support networks by facilitating
friendships and mutual respect

Strengthen knowledge, skill and confidence in individual parenting skills

Link families with services and opportunities in the community and assess families
needs to provide concrete help
Progress:
Our annual Parent Survey results are in. Here are some of the results that are
included in our annual report:
 89% received income-based child care tuition scholarships and subsidies.

100% of families received comprehensive support services.

98% of parents reported being satisfied with the overall program. 75% reported that
their family life had improved this school year.

92% reported regular involvement at Sheltering Arms, including daily communication
with teachers, attendance at parent meetings and center events, volunteering, and
contributing items for classroom activities.

77% reported that they speak with their child’s teacher every day.

92% attended at least one parent/teacher conference.

97% participated in at least one center and/or classroom event.

64% reported improved family communication.
July 2011 President’s Report
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
76% reported that their parenting skills had improved this school year. 68% reported
increased knowledge of child development, and 55% reported increased use of
positive discipline techniques.

93% read to their children at least 3 times per week. 89% of families had at least
one library card. 96% reported an increase in the number of books in their home
during this school year.

80% attended one or more parenting classes and/or meetings.

52% reported an increase in time spent together as a family.

79% reported having better daily routines.

71% reported better work/family balance, 56% reported they were better able to get
to work/school on time, and 25% reported they were absent from work/school less
often.

32% reported that they were better able to manage stress.

29% reported that they were more aware of community resources.

57% were employed full time, 30.5% part-time and 55% reported enrollment in
school or job training. 80% had found, maintained, or improved their employment
this school year.

74% reported participating in advocacy actions this school year.
*Results from Sheltering Arms Annual Parent Survey. 1,011 parents participated.
It is important to note that our Wildly Important Goal (WIG) for parents this past school
year was “to increase from 35% to 75% the number of parents reading to their children
at least 3 times each week.” The fact that we reached 93% is incredible and directly tied
to the Operation Story Book monthly book giveaways! Thanks to all of you who help us
make that possible. It does make a difference!
We also received lots of very positive written comments on the surveys! It is always so
inspiring to hear from parents how much this program has meant to their families.
The System of Care (SOC) grant from the Governor’s Office of Children and
Families is making a huge impact. SA has been included in a federal Neighborhood
Transformation Grant with the Fulton County Department of Public Health to expand the
SOC work at ELLRC. This grant, if funded, would allow us to add another Parent
Educator for our Parents as Teachers program and a Coordinator of Social Emotional
Wellness. This grant will be funded beginning October 1 so we should know the results
soon.
The gradual transition to our new ProCare 10 software management system is
moving ahead. We are continuing to enter data and run reports to ensure we are
capturing all the data elements needed for our myriad array of funders. So far we are
pleased with the new capabilities. It should eventually make life a lot easier.
July 2011 President’s Report
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The Transition Coach grant funded by DECAL ends July 31st. We had the
opportunity to apply for funding to continue the TC work through UW. We will hear the
results of that request on July 22nd. The additional funding allows us to keep 2 Family
Support Coordinators in our 10 classroom centers and add a second one for Norcross,
Buford Drive, Carl Rhodenizer and Mansour. Keep your fingers crossed.
Goals:

100% of Sheltering Arms centers will implement a community engagement plan and
will increase the number of volunteers, donors, and community partners affiliated
with their centers.

Before formal agreements are entered, all community collaboration opportunities will
show benefit to Sheltering Arms as evaluated by internal cost-benefit and strategic
alignment analyses
Objectives:

Every child completing Pre-K at Sheltering Arms will have in place a transition plan
that connects families with community and school resources and assures continuity
of services.

Develop and implement a community engagement plan for each Sheltering Arms
center, addressing key needs, employing resources of neighborhood families and
local communities, advocating for child and family friendly policies, and advancing
the vision of Sheltering Arms.

Generate new resources that meet ongoing and new needs through increased
engagement of community volunteers, donors and institutional partners.

Launch community partnerships that result in more efficient use of resources,
increased effectiveness in meeting outcomes, a high level of public awareness of
Sheltering Arms and progress toward accomplishment of the Sheltering Arms vision.
Strategies:

Develop a formal feeder school/school district communication plan.

Support and strengthen Parent Leadership Organization at each center

Provide the community with resources for family support and volunteering

Support and strengthen Community Involvement Board at each center

Raise visibility and community awareness of Sheltering Arms

Develop and increase community partnerships with higher education schools,
private schools, corporate and local business sponsors

Continue policy requiring turnkey facility and long-term operating support from
community for any new centers.
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 5

Target partnerships that align with Sheltering Arms strategic plan and that make the
best use of Sheltering Arms’ resources and intellectual capital
Progress:
Now may be the time to consider a strategic alignment with Birth to Five
Education Fund and its Educare Centers. To update from my last report, we have
scheduled a meeting with Educare personnel on July 28th. They will spend the entire
day with us at the ELLRC. We will see how it goes from there.
Representatives from The Annie E. Casey Foundation in Atlanta and Baltimore
along with a team from Johns Hopkins University visited the ELLRC. A group of 12
from Baltimore visited to better understand how the partnership at ELLRC works and to
glean information about building design, budgeting, staffing, professional develop, etc. It
was a great meeting and our team did a fantastic job of sharing what makes our
program so special. It is the hope that we will continue to meet as they proceed with the
development of their Early Learning Center. They are considering becoming an Educare
Center as well. It will be nice to have this peer support group.
Community Volunteerism continues to increase.
In the last two months, we registered over 250 first-time volunteers. The Atlanta Girls
School completed their 4 months of volunteering at the Model Center (20 students) and
will return in fall semester. They have committed to sponsor 16 children in the Ferst
Foundation’s book program, which mails a new book to the child’s home every month
through their fifth birthday. The Young Professionals of United Way held two volunteer
days each at East Lake and ELLRC. Sixty band members from a Huntsville, AL, prep
school performed at the Model center and held an instrument “petting zoo” for the
children after their performance. Advocate Networks continued to be a strong
supporter, bringing 14 employees to work at a beautification day at the new Buford Dr.
Center. Twenty-four JumpStart summer volunteers are at multiple locations, and the
Cobb Center hosted 10 readers from Walton Village. Fourteen Fulton County School
employees volunteered at Oakley, and two large groups from Siemens and UPS
volunteered at Norcross.
Video created for UW site visit was shared with the community. This video that
comes from the perspective of a child at SA is available on our website as well. Thanks
to Tonja for creating this for us.
The 2010 Annual Report will be hot off the press at the board meeting. We are
awaiting some last bits of data to complete the report but hope to have a copy for
everyone on Tuesday. I think you will be pleased with our accomplishments.
July 2011 President’s Report
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The Operation Storybook Committee continues to work hard. Lovette Russell has
created a great team of volunteers who are helping us make this year’s event bigger
and better. Many thanks to Lovette and all of her committee.
Georgia Training Institute/Professional Development
Goals:

At least 450 Georgia professionals will hold Family Development Credentials and/or
Child Development Associate credentials earned through GTI training programs.

95% of participants in GTI programs will report increased knowledge on leveled
evaluation instruments.

Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute will generate a return on investment of at
least 25%
Objectives:

The Georgia Training Institute (GTI) offers effective professional development to
early care and education and family support professionals throughout the region.

GTI is highly regarded for its capacity to provide high quality professional
development

GTI offsets ongoing agency operational costs by 25%
Strategies:

Create and implement a GTI Business Plan

Align professional development opportunities with state and nationally recognized
standards and competencies (i.e. the Strengthening Families Initiative, licensing
standards, Head Start standards, NAEYC guidelines, the Child Development
Associate competency areas, etc.)

Refine and expand professional development offerings, including
-
All skill levels – Beginner, Intermediate & Advance
-
All programmatic roles – teachers, directors, family support staff
-
Region-wide access

Employ an instructional team that meets the highest professional standards

Align professional development opportunities with state and nationally recognized
standards and competencies (i.e. the Strengthening Families Initiative, licensing
standards, Head Start standards, NAEYC guidelines, etc.)

Assess and document outcomes, meeting best-practices in research

Promote GTI’s opportunities and successes among key stakeholders, such as state,
regional, and national funders, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers
July 2011 President’s Report
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
Families Initiative, the Early Comprehensive Child Service (ECCS) Steering
Committee, the Stronger Together Network, the Family Development Credential state
coordination delegates, etc.

Secure a diversified funding base

Explore potential for producing and marketing “customized” resources (i.e. tool kits,
management systems, assessment tools, etc.)

Investigate alternative venues and methods of delivering professional development
(e.g., symposiums, forums, distance-learning, satellite locations, on-site mentoring
and coaching, etc.)
Progress:
We have just received the first nationally normed scores on the CLASS
Instrument now being used by DECAL and Head Start to observe and rate
classroom environments and teacher effectiveness. Diane Bellem and Amy Hobart
will present these scores for our Pre-K classrooms at the board meeting. We are excited
to have these results to help us better analyze where teachers might need more training
and technical assistance to improve their practice.
The transition to our new assessment, Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) in our
infant through Preschool classrooms is well underway. Training is being offered for
four days in August before we begin implementation on August 15. This on-line system
requires that each classroom have a laptop and teachers capable of entering accurate
data into the system. Needless to say, this is a mammoth undertaking and will require
careful planning as we move forward. Curriculum kits have been ordered for all
preschool classrooms and study guides for Pre-K. These additional supports should
give teachers the hands on resources they need to successfully implement the
curriculum. Curriculum Specialists and Instructional Lead Teachers at each site will be
available to coach and mentor as needed.
A complex wide Social Emotional Plan will be launched at Dunbar Elementary and
ELLRC. Our GTI team along with staff from the Casey Foundation in Atlanta and in
Baltimore has spent the last year designing a plan to improve the ability of teachers and
parents to promote positive social emotional development. A new curriculum called the
4 R’s, Reading, Writing, Respect and Responsibility will be implemented in all Pre-K,
Kindergarten and First Grade classes in the complex. One of the goals is to set a
culture throughout the complex that provides positive supports for children. This will be
a paradigm shift for some teachers and parents. Casey is providing funding for this
project. We will have technical support from experts in the field from GSU as well as the
developers of the 4 R’s. It is our hope that this model of collaboration with an
elementary school around SEL will be a national reform model.
Leadership
Goals:
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 8

100% of Sheltering Arms staff will have a Professional Development Plan and an
identified path for advancement if they so desire.

Sheltering Arms staff compensation and benefits package will be competitive and
allow the organization to attract and retain the best candidates available.

Sheltering Arms’ new CEO will be hired and oriented.

85% of Sheltering Arms board members will report they are satisfied with their
performance on the bi-annual board effectiveness survey.

Board member participation at board of director meetings and committee meetings
will average at least 80%
Objectives:

Hire a new CEO to be in place upon Elaine Draeger’s retirement in December 2012

Increase engagement of board members and income from board giving and board
generated gifts

Improve cross training of key staff
Strategies:

Employ more strategic approaches to filling board slots, training board members,
and engaging board members in fundraising, advocacy, and decision making

Prepare staff for future growth and leadership
Progress:
The transition committee is moving forward. The committee decided during a
conference call meeting this week to hire Boardwalk Consulting as the executive search
firm. A representative from Boardwalk will meet with the committee at their next
scheduled meeting in August. Boardwalk has indicated they will need 4-6 months for the
search process. Their first step will be to assist the committee in developing the
candidate profile.
The Non-Profit Resource Center holds a Board Leadership Conference. Thanks to
Ben Boswell for attending this all day conference on June 21. I am sure he represented
SA well. He brought back some interesting materials and we will share as appropriate.
The 10% decrease in salaries for certified Lead Teachers will be effective the first
pay period in September. Another cost cutting measure the board approved in May
was the decrease to 16 teachers. I spoke personally with each teacher and explained
our reasoning. They were all very understanding. So far we are only losing 2 of them for
this school year. They both are taking jobs with school systems in higher grades. Even
school systems are seeing attrition in Pre-K teachers as they are cutting as well. It is my
hope that if we have a surplus at the end of the year that some can be earmarked as
bonuses for staff.
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 9
Consultative opportunities are increasing through the Casey Foundation. Steve
White, Center Director at ELLRC and I attended a consultative session at the Casey
Offices in Baltimore on June 28 and 29th. The topic was Early Childhood and Family
Economic Impact. Next week, I will attend another session on Family Centered
Community Change on July 21 and 22. Alicia Phillip from the Community Foundation of
Atlanta will be the only other attendee from Atlanta.
Work to revise job descriptions and performance evaluation system is set to
begin. A team is being established to begin this work. Because of the different
demands and programs being offered at ELLRC, we are struggling to manage using our
typical structure. The first task for the team will be to re-configure the management team
roles and responsibilities at ELLRC and then use that process as a foundation for
revising the remainder. ELLRC is being used as an incubator of “next” practice and
promising practice ideas. We will use the experience there to improve practice in all of
our other sites. The Casey Foundation is very interested in helping us figure out how we
can best replicate what we are learning at ELLRC.
Teach for America Summer Institute comes to a close. We have been pleased to
once again host the Teach for America Pre-K Summer Institute this summer. Last year
the institute was held at the ELLRC and the participants then took jobs in Louisiana and
Mississippi. This summer we are hosting a double sized group at the Stonewall Tell
Center and the Oakley Township Center. These participants will stay in Atlanta. It is an
honor for our staff to have the privilege of being mentors and coaches for these new
teachers. It is a real morale booster for them.
Resource Development and Finance
Goals:

Sheltering Arms will have a balanced budget.

Administrative overhead will remain at 8% or below.

$8 million will be raised for Sheltering Arms’ endowment and capital needs.

All Sheltering Arms facilities will be maintained to meet the highest possible
standards.

100% of Sheltering Arms board members will be donors and will be engaged in
resource development.
Objectives:

Complete capital endowment campaign to fill funding gaps created by increasing
operating costs, stagnant giving from major funders and aging facilities

Increase the amount and percentage of income from unrestricted sources, including
individuals and special events

Increase self-generated income
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 10

Maintain administrative overhead at 8% or less

Improve retention of key staff

Evaluate administrative systems annually (technology, risk management, etc.) to
ensure the most effective, efficient operations at the most reasonable cost
Strategies:

Align endowment plan with succession plan

Position Sheltering Arms as a go-to investment for invitation-only foundations

Strengthen relationships and increase year-round involvement with foundation,
corporate, and individual donors

Increase the number of Sheltering Arms donors

Increase giving through Parent Leadership Organizations

Increase and stabilize summer enrollment

Look for and implement cost-saving strategies

Accurately reflect the ratio of administrative to programmatic costs

Create a plan for replacement or upgrade of oldest facilities

Analyze increase in turnover and implement strategies to reverse the trend.

Assure Sheltering Arms systems are up-to-date, allowing for the most efficient use of
time and resources and full compliance with local, state, national regulations
Progress:
The 2010 Fiscal Audit is complete. The audit was completed just before the June 30,
2011 deadline and there were no findings. The auditor did have a few recommendations
that will come out in a letter soon. The most significant is that we DO need more
personnel in the Finance Department. As you recall, we put a Senior Accountant into
the budget this year but had frozen that hire as we waited to see what some of the
funding decisions might be. A draft budget revision will be presented to you on Tuesday
but we will not be able to finalize until we know what the result of our UW funding will be
on July 22nd. It is our hope that we will be able to move forward with this critical hire.
The Department of Human Resources grant will leverage other community
investments. We were able to come to an agreement with DHS to match an addition
1.2m this year. We have not yet received the final grant for signature but have been
alerted that it is on its way. DHS has also asked if we were interested in continuing this
arrangement next fiscal year, beginning October 1. We, of course, responded in the
affirmative.
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 11
ARRA Expansion funding for Head Start and Early Head Start has so been
preserved. Last month we prepared a supplemental grant to HHS for half of the funded
ARRA funds. This essentially will cover the first six months of our fiscal year. The
remaining half was added to our base funding request that will be submitted on August
1.
Buford Drive Center in Lawrenceville opened for business right on schedule,
June 1, 2011. It was an incredible Memorial Day weekend. We closed and moved the
DK Center to Buford Drive and closed and moved quite a bit of furniture and equipment
from the HS Center to Buford Drive. That is a lot of moving for four days. We closed
both centers on the Friday before Memorial Day in order to allow us a little extra time.
Licensing came on the Tuesday after Memorial Day and we passed with flying colors. It
was amazing! I hope you will help me show appreciation to some of the key staff who
went way over and beyond to make all of this happen. I have invited them to the first
part of the board meeting so you can congratulate them on a terrific job. The center is
lovely and final punch list items should be complete by the end of this month. We hope
to include this site on our bus tour this fall. I cannot wait for you to see it. DECAL
allowed us to move a Pre-K class from HS and the class from DK to this site so we have
2 funded Pre-K classes. In addition, for the first time we have a school-age class for 5 to
8 year olds before and after school and in the summer. Gwinnett County Schools has
agreed to pick up and drop off children from the closest Elementary School. Enrollment
is progressing gradually with the goal of being 100% full by August 15 th.
The closure of the Hay Silverman Center affords us the opportunity to benefit
from the sale/lease of the property. We are currently working with the Partnership for
Community Action in DeKalb County who provides Head Start services in Rockdale to
purchase the facility. They have for years occupied modular classrooms on property not
too far from our site. They need to occupy by August 1 so we are in negotiation
regarding a possible lease/purchase agreement that would close by year end. We are
asking $588,000 to purchase and $10.75/sq. ft. to lease during the interim period before
closing on the sale.
United Way moves to Zero Based funding decisions. We completed our UW site
visit on June 21, 2010. Paige did a masterful job of preparing the presentation. Because
of the changes in how UW is making decisions this year we will not know the results of
our grant requests until July, 22nd.
SA has been selected to apply for Grants to Green. The CFGA is offering
organizations opportunities to apply for funding up to 50k for renovations that will
improve the energy efficiency of facilities. We have gotten through the evaluation phase
and been given approval to apply. We will be applying for the Dorothy Arkwright Center.
An agency wide recycling program has been initiated. We were able to negotiate a
new trash removal contract that not only consolidated centers but reduced rates and
added recycling that will begin in July. ELLRC, LW and EP are handled differently due
to their municipality or facility. ELLRC is recycling already and is LEAD certified.
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 12
New software systems will improve efficiency, effectiveness and communication.
The Angus facility management software used to manage repair requests and
preventative maintenance as well as asset management is launched and working well
so far. The new ADP time clock module has had some glitches but will allow us to send
info directly to ADP with re-keying. It also will give us the capability to use the home
page as a newsletter or bulletin board for communication with staff. We are excited
about all the advances and upgrades in hardware and software.
We reached our goal of 100% participation from the board for the Teach
Today/Reach Tomorrow campaign. Thanks to all of you for your commitment to this
important work.
In addition to the accomplishments and updates above, I include all of the major
activities and meetings that also occurred since we last met:
Activities and Events:
May
18
24-26
27
31
Salute to Women Achievement Luncheon
Regional Office Grants Management Meeting
Staff Development Day
Opened Buford Drive Center
June
6-10
7
8
9
13
13-17
15
Head Start Leadership Academy (San Antonio, Texas)
Rich Foundation Meeting
Stephanie Blank Tour with Ed Manigault
Commissioner Clyde Reese, Department of Human Services visits ELLRC
Visit Morningside Center (New York City) to see 4 R’s in action
GTI host NAEYC Accreditation Institute
Baltimore Group from Casey Foundation visit ELLRC to replicate site in
Baltimore
16
Children’s Health Care of Atlanta State-wide meeting on Childhood Obesity
20-23 Region IV Head Start Conference
20
Public Policy Luncheon
21
United Way Site Visit at ELLRC
Board Leadership Conference
22
Pre-K Cross Functional Leadership Team Meeting
23
GAYC Board Retreat
28-29 Early Childhood and Family Economic Impact Meeting (Baltimore, MD)
28
United Way and SunTrust Execs Tour Model and Video
28-30 Teaching Gold Strategies Assessment Training
Respectfully submitted,
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 13
Elaine P. Draeger
Elaine P. Draeger
President/CEO
July 2011 President’s Report
Page 14