Archive for May, 2009

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Although former Jonesboro Chief of Police Brad Johnson was recently dimissed for wearing jeans to work, he believes this situation is the result of “politics, and not performance,” according to the Clayton News-Daily.

Johnson, who served as police chief since January 2009, was initially suspended five days without pay for insubordination. Mayor Luther Maddox admits that he never ordered Johnson “not” to wear jeans, but advised via memo that the attire was unprofessional. The Jonesboro City Council subsequently cut that suspension to 2½ days.

Although Johnson wore his uniform from that point forward, according to the AJC Section 6 of the dress code states: “When necessary, the Chief may prescribe other …

Continue reading Jonesboro’s Dress Code »

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Edmond T. Heatley, Ed.D. is the lone finalist for Clayton County Public Schools superintendent, and according to news reports our Board of Education will vote tonight on whether or not he will be hired..

Aside from being a former marine and holding several degrees, Heatley was trained to run urban school districts at the Broad Superintendents Academy. He brings almost four years experience as superintendent of the Chino Valley Unified School District in California. Heatley was the frontrunner for Nevada’s Washoe County until he bowed out in favor of CCPS. During the meet-and-greet with Clayton residents, Heatley explained he prefers CCPS because he wants to lead an urban district as he’s been …

Continue reading Heatley For Superintendent? »

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One of the things that I love about my neighborhood is its local recreation center. I’ve taken classes at a couple of different locations and found the experience comparable to any chain workout facility, sans the contract and monthly fees.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that our recreation centers offered a lot more than fitness classes. Also available are student tutoring, classes teaching nutrition, word processing, Internet usage, martial arts and various dance courses. There are family events such as a beach luau, game nights, various social clubs and a huge assortment of opportunities for senior citizens. If you’re into nature, you can enjoy programs such as canoeing, fishing and gardening. Several more classes than what’s listed here are available, and many …

Continue reading Get Physical at Clayton’s Recreation Centers! »

Ending over a year of uncertainty, Clayton County Public Schools regained its accreditation last week.

There is still lots of work to be done, however.  CCPS was placed on probation for two years, and must report its progress to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools every six months during this time.

In addition, CCPS still must satisfy three of the nine mandates (3, 5 and 9) that SACS originally administered.  Further, SACS also expects CCPS to: “… conduct a comprehensive revision of its vision, mission and values; “implement immediately” a thorough strategic planning process which includes stakeholder input; review the district’s organizational structure, and establish an action plan for dealing with problems and conflicts between board members and school system staff,” according to the Clayton News Daily.

What I really found interesting is how little coverage this received.  When accreditation was revoked, I distinctly remember hearing about it ad …

Continue reading CCPS regains accreditation! »