Planetarium Article Reveals Recent Developments

Thanks to Maggie Lee for taking the time to research and write this article.

What’s now Harper-Archer Middle School in far west Atlanta opened as Harper High School. Credit: Maggie Lee“You’d go in this room,” she said, “looking up at the night sky, they’d put up stars, the Big Dipper, they’d tell you all about that, the comets racing through … How could you dare take that experience away from kids?”But the planetarium at what’s now Harper-Archer Middle School on Atlanta’s western edge closed nearly 20 years ago. Williams and others want it re-opened.They talk about how these places can be used to as a sort of immersive classroom to teach not just astronomy, but chemistry, physics, history and more. Or as theaters for music, performance or visual art display.In the mid-20th century, a United States spooked by Soviet space advances started pouring big money into science education — which included planetariums.DeKalb schools took the feds up on that and put money toward Fernbank, which is one of the largest planetariums in the country, and which is part of a larger science center.Atlanta Public Schools also wanted planetariums — a brief mention in a newspaper clipping from 1972 has the school superintendent boasting about three of them. Seems the other two were at Northside and the former Fulton High School — now site of Dobbs Elementary.But fast forward to the 2001-2002 school year: that’s when Jim Summers puts the end for Harper-Archer’s planetarium.“It was really no one person’s fault. It was just that the school system ran out of money and something had to go,” said Summers, the last director of the planetarium.The building still exists, but it has no equipment.Summers is still a witness for what a planetarium can be, but he emphasized that word can.The room depends on animation by an educator — a real person who teaches to the student’s curriculum.“A planetarium with well-trained and well-motivated hands is a valuable tool … it can open a lot of doors that don’t get opened any other way,” said Summers.“Whenever a door opens for one of these children, they have an opportunity for a life that they didn’t have before,” Summers said. “Not just that they will learn an understanding of science, but that there is another world out there other than the one they encounter every day. And that is what education is ultimately all about.”The Fernbank planetarium opens for evening and weekend community programs. Credit: Kelly Jordan ” data-medium-file=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?fit=224%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?fit=769%2C1030&ssl=1″ src=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?resize=224%2C300&ssl=1″ alt=”The Fernbank planetarium opens for evening and weekend community programs. Credit: Kelly Jordan” width=”222″ height=”297″ srcset=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?resize=224%2C300&ssl=1 224w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?resize=768%2C1029&ssl=1 768w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?resize=769%2C1030&ssl=1 769w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?resize=526%2C705&ssl=1 526w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?resize=450%2C603&ssl=1 450w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Planetarium-at-Fernbank.jpg?w=896&ssl=1 896w” sizes=”(max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px” style=”max-width: 100%; margin: 0.5em auto; display: block; height: auto;”>The Fernbank planetarium opens for evening and weekend community programs. Credit: Kelly JordanIt is a kind of theatrical way to teach, said Richard Williamon, Emory physics faculty emeritus who used to teach at Emory and Fernbank planetariums. But you can go back and forth, teach at the right speed for the students, go back to certain points.“After you capture them with the beauty and the mythology … something by which they can remember the sky, they’ll get out and start looking,” he said.And that’s just astronomy. He too talked about teaching math and arts too.“You can whet a student’s appetite for just about anything,” Williamon said.And since the building’s already there, he sees it as a great deal for APS.Mary Palmer wants to see the Harper-Archer planetarium re-opened, especially as the Douglass cluster is meant to specialize in “STEM” — “science, technology, engineering and math.” A variation of the term makes it “STEAM,” adding “arts.”When her kids were in APS, she said, she felt a calling to shift from IT work in the corporate world toward K-12 education, advocacy, watchdogging, supporting kids.“My having that academic focus and seeing from a STEM basis what all a planetarium could offer, and knowing that Harper-Archer is sitting in one of the most poverty-stricken, socially, economically challenged areas in Atlanta, I cared about that,” Palmer said.Williams is the founding board chair of a nonprofit that would be a sort of booster club for the planetarium, working on things like fundraising; and Palmer is one of her board members. The nonprofit puts the cost of salaries and running of the planetarium at $227,000 per year.Expensive, Williams admits; but that’s why she wants to get private organizations to help.Williams thought this was going to be the Harper-Archer planetarium’s year, that $2.3 million from an education sales tax would be used to renovate it and an adjacent theater. But now it’s unclear.On the same block as APS headquarters, one of many painted utility boxes Downtown gives an astronomy lesson. Credit: Maggie Lee ” data-medium-file=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?fit=1030%2C773&ssl=1″ src=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1″ alt=”On the same block as APS headquarters, one of many painted utility boxes Downtown gives an astronomy lesson. Credit: Maggie Lee” width=”298″ height=”224″ srcset=”https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?resize=1030%2C773&ssl=1 1030w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?resize=705%2C529&ssl=1 705w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg?resize=450%2C338&ssl=1 450w, https://i2.wp.com/saportareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse-outside-APS.jpg” style=”max-width:100%;” />

STEM Curriculum Not Concrete!!

 

Below is a list of APS Board members and others elected who should care about how this extra $2.4 million E-SPLOST funds are being spent.  As I mentioned, this School Board vote occurred Monday, Dec. 5.  With so much going on, the media did not do a story.

However, all metro Atlanta educators and residents should be ANGRY that for more than four years APS said they did not have funds to restore the Harper-Archer Middle School Planetarium and Theater.

Now that extra E/SPLOST funds are available, they have voted to use this $2.4 million to upgrade the building exterior (concrete), parking lot (asphalt), and windows (functional, not damaged; GA Power will fund).  Instead, these tax payer funds should be used for STEM/STEAM academic curriculum Resources for our kids…for access for all 52,000 APS students to have their Planetarium and Theater restored.

Please use, this list.  Wear it out!!  Copy and post this list on ALL your social media so people can express their outrage and DEMAND this $2.4 million be reallocated and spent on the four year old STEM/Planetarium curriculum plan that will help improve student academic achievement and test scores.

Let’s overwhelm their emails and phones all next week.  AND, do it again January 7-21 to as we honor Rev. Dr. M.L.King, Jr. We must persist for equity in education, not in concrete!!

This APS decision is NOT ACCEPTABLE!!

However, we can make it happen… WE CAN HAVE THIS DECISION REVERSED WHEN WE CONSISTENT WORK ON AND ISSUE:  Case in point…The Montgomery

Bus Boycott.

LET’S DO THIS!!

In Montgomery, they did not have social media.  We have social media.  LET’S USE IT TO HELP SAVE OUR KIDS by getting this STEM PROJECT funded!!

Thanks in Advance!!

—-

APS BOARD MEMBERS 2018-2021

Jason Esteves, Chair; At-large, 9

Jesteves@atlanta.k12.ga.us

404-802-2200 ofc      (404) 802-1204 fax

Cynthia Briscoe Brown, At-large; 8

Cbriscoe_brown@@atlanta.k12.ga.us

404-802-2297 ofc

404-376-6080 cell

Kandis Wood Jackson, At-large; 7

Kandis.woodjackson@atlanta.k12.ga.us

404-802-2296 ofc

Eshe’ Collins, District 6

Epcollins@atlantapublicschools.us

404-802-2295 ofc

770-765-3802 cell

Erika Y. Mitchell, District 5

Erika.mitchell@apsk12.org

404-802-2294 ofc vmail               404-709-5515 cell

Nancy M. Meister, vice chair; District 4

Nmeister@atlanta.k12.ga.us

404-802-2200 ofc vmail               404-488-9014 cell

Michelle D. Olympiadis, District 3

Michelle.olympiadis@apsk12.org

404-802-2292 ofc vmail               404-502-0825 cell

Byron D. Amos, District 2

Bamos@atlanta.k12.ga.us

404-802-2200 ofc vmail               404-587-6811 cell

Leslie Grant, District 1

Lgrant@atlantapublicschools.us

404-802-2255 ofc vmail               404-643-9652 cell

Dr. Meria Carstarphen, Superintendent 

Suptoffice@atlanta.k12.ga.us

404-802-2820 office

Other elected officials we can get to use their influence to get this STEM/Planetarium funded with our E-SPLOST tax dollars.  As elected officials, our tax dollars also pay their salaries:

State School Superintendent 

Richard Woods

404-657-1175 ofc           404-651-8737 fax

state.superintendent@doe.k12.ga.u

State Senator Horacena Tate

Horacena.tate@senate.ga.gov

404-463-8053 ofc            404-893-2119 cell

State Senator Nan Orrock

nan.orrock@senate.ga.gov

(404) 463-8054 ofc

State Senator Nikema Williams

nikema.williams@senate.ga.gov

(404) 656-5035 ofc

State Representative Sheila Jones

sheila.jones@house.ga.gov

404-656-0126 ofc

State Representative Pat Gardner

fran.gardner@house.ga.gov

(404) 656-0265 ofc

State Representative Marie Metze

marie.metze@house.ga.gov

(404) 656-6372 ofc

State Representative David Dreyer

david.dreyer@house.ga.gov

(404) 656-0265 ofc

State Representative Park Cannon

park.cannon@house.ga.gov

(404) 656-7859 ofc

U.S. Congressman John Lewis

john.lewis@mail.house.gov

aaron.ward@mail.house.gov 

(404) 659-0116 ofc

Atlanta Mayor 

Keisha Lance Bottoms

404-330-6100 ofc

Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore

fmoore@atlantaga.gov

(404) 330-6052 ofc         (404) 739-9240 fax

Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens – Post 3 At-Large

Adickens@atlantaga.gov

(404) 330-6041 ofc         (404) 739-9250 fax

Atlanta City Councilman Matt Westmoreland – Post 2 Large

mwestmoreland@atlantaga.gov

(404) 330-6302 ofc         (404) 979-3682 fax

Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond – Post 1 At-Large

mbond@atlantaga.gov

(404) 330-6770 ofc         (404) 739-4852 fax

Atlanta City Councilwoman Andrea Boone

aboone@atlantaga.gov

(404) 330-6055 ofc         (404) 979-3680 fax

Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts

robb.pitts@fultoncountyga.gov

(404) 613-2330

Fulton County Commissioner Emma Darnell

emma.darnell@fultoncountyga.gov

(404) 612-8222 ofc       (404) 224-3775 fax

Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall

natalie.hall@fultoncountyga.gov  

 404-612-8227  ofc