Another shot for Clayton schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will return to Clayton County next week to judge the district’s attempts to win back accreditation.
The 49,000-student school district was stripped of its accreditation in September.
SACS has said the district can win it back in time for seniors to graduate with accredited diplomas provided the system meets nine improvement mandates:
1. Conduct audit of attendance records.
2. Implement comprehensive policy review.
3. Remove influence of outside disruptive groups.
4. Appoint a permanent superintendent and establish proper conditions for effectiveness.
5. Conduct a forensic audit of finances.
6. Hire outside consultants in conflict resolution, governance and organizational effectiveness.
7. Enact and commit to ethics policies.
8. Ensure board members live in their district.
9. Establish a governing board capable of fulfilling its roles and responsibilities.
Will Clayton rise like a phoenix or is it destined to fail again?
If the system fails, local leaders will have to wait at least three years before they can try again. Who is going to stick around for that?
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69 comments Add your comment
Satisfied
April 11th, 2009
10:30 am
Mark Elgart, Glenn Brock and Clayton Delegation all Eyes will be on You this time. Remember the day you took accrediation it was the day that President Obama accepted the nomination for Presidency so you all knew this would not get World Wide visibility. This time you will receive the attention. We should not be blind because the CCBOE has not done anything new or different and they did not have to fix anything because Mark knows that he cannot take accrediation again. It will have him out the door.
Betty Lu
April 11th, 2009
10:35 am
When Mark come to town I am sure Mr. Okeefe, Mayor of Riverdale, Mike Glanton, and Eldrin will be standing front and center with the red carpet. But please be advised that you no longer need to lay out the red carpet because CCBOE will receive its Accrediation. So, to the Mayor of Riverdale and Mike Glanton realize that you are free and you know longer need to kiss feet and beg. You all make all black elected officials look bad.
Dreaming
April 11th, 2009
10:50 am
First of all this entire situation is sad. Every day I look at the news, I look at CSPN, Georgia Assembly, State Legislators, and the House and Senate and they argue, talk loud, and walk out all the time therefore, all this have been a Hoax and it has truly hurt the fmilies and children of Clayton County. So, when Erica, Rod, Eddie White, Eldrin, and Mark conspried this they really didn’t think it through and the effect it would have on the entire County. They thought that the Governor would just remove the Board Members and SACS would give them there Accrediation. They didn’t think of the impact it would have on the County as a whole. Businesses left, houses became vacant, children and parents left in packs and the entire County look stupid. The next time you all need to plan better. It just doesn’t make sense and from the outside looking in it’s all Unconstitutionl and Illegal. Someone tell me what did the Children do to deserve this? I thought SACS was about children and for the children not about Adults not getting along. The overall operation of the schools were in compliance and the children have great teachers with great academic programs. So all of this has been a Sham and Farce. Again, I hear the word ethics and Mark you and Mike Glanton, Larry Okeefe, and the Governor should really research what is an ethics violation.
Justin
April 11th, 2009
11:01 am
Hey, where are the four black females the governor put off the board illegally? Will they come to Michael King rescue to help him show that the Governor, Larry Okeefe and Mike Glanton ethics, House Bill 1302 and House Bill 743 are Unconstitutional. The Governor if he has the power should be removing a lot of elected officials.
What the AJC doesn't tell you
April 11th, 2009
11:11 am
Given that there have been more stories on the Clayton County schools in the AJC than every other school system in Georgia combined during this SACS episode, doesn’t strike you as odd that the AJC hasn’t done the first investigative story into how Mark Elgart and SACS operate?
When you have an organization that has rubber stamped virtually one hundred percent of its school systems for 40 years, no matter how much graft and corruption, no matter how little academic success, and then you suddenly take away the accreditation of a system where there is documented evidence of political and personal connections, doesn’t that warrant at least one story in the AJC?
This is yet another example of why people have complete contempt for the AJC when it tries to portray itself as a public watchdog.
Love Me
April 11th, 2009
11:20 am
Hey, I see they changed the Mandate on Outside Influences to let Mark and Sid Chapman continue to Run the School District. People wake up because CCEA/GAE has just as much influence on the system than anyone else. They tell who to hire and fire. They also receive things that others have not received. Outside influences should be from the NAACP, BOC, All Teachers Organization and any other illegal influences.Believe it or not they are all Disruptive.
Influence?
April 11th, 2009
11:28 am
The head of GAE is a Clayton County school administrator. Why would you think there would be any influence there?
Influence?
April 11th, 2009
11:31 am
Those teachers who were first let go, now are being considered for being retained, are they all GAE members? Is preferential treatment being given to GAE members who were let go?
The answer to these questions isn’t necessarily yes, but the question is, why aren’t these questions even being asked?
Been there Done That
April 11th, 2009
11:37 am
DO THE RIGHT THING! MARK ELGART ….Citizens Citizens Citizens hear yea
hear yea !!!!! Why is Mark Elgart still in office he attacks our Black Children and our Black Women and the black man stands aside and watch with accussatory stares.. black man remenber the enemy attacks the children this is call GENOCIDE… black man have you check the school system to make sure our children have books, have checked on the special Ed children have you made sure all children had a lunch today
have you made sure each child had acess to a computer… Did the school bus pick up all the kids… did you make sure that the contracts were bidded on fair and equal amongst the people because if you question these things MARK ELGART will still be ANGRY>>>
Elgart Clone
April 11th, 2009
11:40 am
I will grant probational accreditation to CCPS in May and will only grant full accreditation after CCBOE hire a white superintendent(permenent) for the 95% Black district. You folk really need to know how to vote in that county.
Influence?
April 11th, 2009
11:42 am
Why is Sid Chapman allowed to earn years in the Teachers Retirement System without actually having to teach? If any other professional organization had a sweetheart deal like that SACS and the AJC would be screaming about outside influences. But I guess it’s ok for GAE to have an outside influence given their political and personal connections to Mark Elgart.
Should teachers be the ones who get Teachers Retirement benefits, not union officials sitting in a comfy office?
Influence?
April 11th, 2009
11:51 am
Why doesn’t anyone on the board have the backbone to put an end to the sweetheart deal that allows Sid Chapman to earn years in the Teachers Retirement System, without actually having to step foot in a classroom?
Could you imagine the look on Mark Elgart’s face if that was proposed? He couldn’t say SQUAT, because isn’t he the one who came up with the phrase outside influences?
If you are earning years in the Teachers Retirement System, and unlike any other teacher in Clayton County, you don’t have to teach at all to earn those years, isn’t that the very definition of outstide influence-to have a sweetheart deal that benefits one person, and one person only?
Clayton's A Disaster Area
April 11th, 2009
11:56 am
This Republican Elgart,Sonny and the Rich white Clayton folks have really cost Clayton alot of money. 3500 kids and parent left, Home values plummeted,Property Taxes Skyrocketed,the State Cut Millions, the Fed Cut Millions, 300-400 Teachers lost jobs, the County Commission 9 million dollar Lost, County Commission Chairman Sues counterparts, Crime Skyrocketed, Depair running 100%. Boy, I’ll tell you what a clever political move. A Blantant Attack on Kids! Call Michelle Obama, she’ll stand up for black kids!!!
Spineless
April 11th, 2009
12:45 pm
The most Inept CCBOE member is Blivins. I overheard him say yea sir, missa white man I’ll give you all the school district’s money as long as you give accreditation back before my two lil black gurls graduate in 2014. OK, missa white man; I’ll take you at your word!
Where is the AJC
April 11th, 2009
7:47 pm
The AJC was all over the story earlier this year about Teachers Retirement cost of living increases possibly being suspended. Given the concern about the health of the Teachers Retirement System, where is the AJC on the story of the sweetheart deal between GAE and Clayton County Public Schools that allows a union official, Clayton GAE head Sid Chapman, to earn years of credit in the Teachers Retirement System without having to actually teach?
Wasn’t the editorial board leading the drumbeat about outside influences? Well what is more of an outside influence than letting a union official into the Teachers Retirement System? Why isn’t a union official in the union’s retirement plan? Why is a union offical in the Teachers Retirement plan?
Is this information incorrect? Is Sid Chapman, in his role as Clayton GAE President, earning years of credit in the Teachers Retirement system or isn’t he? Perhaps the AJC will ask GAE to clarify. GAE has released a statement saying the arrangement is legal, thanks to the General Assembly, so obviously GAE knows there is some concern over the deal. Is this not a question the AJC should be asking, since they are so concerned, as SACS allegedly is, about outside influences?
You would think with the AJC writing more stories on Clayton than all the other school systems combined in Georgia, they would at least want to pose these questions? Do not the citizens of Clayton deserve to have these questions posed by a legitimate news source?
Jborodawg
April 12th, 2009
8:19 am
As I understand it from reading the comments here, the AJC plasters ClayCo problems on the front pages on a regular basis; Eldrin Bell is now a rich white man; Sonny Perdue is under the dais at all the BOE meetings; and this Mark Elgart character has nothing better to do than try to run the CCPSS.
Just so some you know, this is a blog. These stories are not in the print edition. These stories are’t even on the main web page of ajc.com; only in the Metro/Clayton area. The stories that are reported on WSB, 11Alive, and mainline AJC are usually important locally, regionally, and nationally.
It’s fairly big news when one school system gets accreditation removed for the first time in 50 years. It’s big news when a sheriff has SWAT teams aiming weapons at fired deputies from rooftops. It’s at least important locally when inept DA’s, sheriffs, and commission chairmen do things that endanger public safety and costs millions of dollars in taxpayer funds. And I don’t recall an instance in which the color of the person’s skin was mentioned.
So, don’t blame the AJC; blame your selves for electing and re-electing inept people for public office. ClayCo go this way from voters voting skin color instead of qualifications. It got this way by re-electing a sheriff who thought it was more important to shut down massage parlors than to serve warrants (parlors by the way that had empty parking lots the vast majority of time) and run the jail efficiently. It got this way by electing a divorce lawyer with no criminal trial experience, and ousting the longest running DA in the state (who had the CC court system humming and running quite efficiently). It got this way by re-electing (those now-gone) BOE members that micro-managed the CCPS; tried to force hiring of their friends; tried to tell individual teachers and coaches what to do; ignored BOE protocol and mandates.
Political Spectator
April 12th, 2009
9:41 am
I want to preface my comments with the following thought: I am not sure absent of the loss of accreditation we would have been able to rid the county of such an ignorant board of education. A majority of the board was ill equipped, corrupt, unprofessional, and simply an embarrassment.
I think that Mark Elgart seized an opportunity to piggy back on the ignorance of such a board to push his political agenda. Dr. Elgart understands first hand that stupid boards of education are not exclusive to Clayton County. He needed the public shenanigans of Clayton’s board to push his GEORGIA SCHOOL BOARD REFORM BILL. The bill would give the governor an opportunity to intervene when school boards go WILD!
The sad thing is even with the public dismantling of Clayton’s previous board, the school board reform bill FAILED in this year’s General Assembly. Dr. Elgart’s plan backfired!!! He thought that stripping Clayton’s of its accreditation would scare school districts to take preventive measures and support the school board reform bill (just call Clayton County “TOBY”).
Dr. Elgart grossly miscalculated the rest of the state! 1) He did not count on the rest of the state thinking they were better than Clayton County and 2) He did not count on local governments fighting to keep control and 3) He did not count on the rest of the state being suspicious of an outsider such as SACS delving too deeply in school operations.
We are now left to clean up the collateral damage of this political war in Clayton County. The collateral damage includes 3500 students leaving the county, job loss for teachers and administrators, and other staff members, and federal funds being decreased.
There is enough BLAME to go around starting with but not limited to the idiot board of eduction that played right into Elgart’s hand, the electorate for electing such an ignorant board, the special interest groups for the ontinuous exploitation of the school district for financial gain, and our county commissioners for being in bed with developers as they over developed this county with low end homes.
To all that question the quality of instruction in Clayton County, you can not convince me that APS, south Fulton, Dekalb, south Cobb,parts of Gwinnett, Meriwether County, Griffin-Spalding, Troup county, south Georgia schools, mountain schools to name a few have highly superior instructional techniques than Clayton County. Give me a break!
BullMom
April 12th, 2009
6:33 pm
Happpyy easger, boys and girsl.l I ;am nwpo usinga a lop toap computer but theyh keys ar emore sensijtivel. I sho do olike what osje have said about the outsdie influednc crap ….hwat what it is ….crpa of elgart (mark) and this boys. Yeahh, look at sid chapman and jeff hubbard….sdtil getting retirement but not efen eworking lin the school system. lHeyk, VAl, you are going to get the supserinfentg job…bjut will you corredcft the situatioj with the GAE management folk gtting TRS retie;rmemtn. I know johntotorrer cgnoneag wanty thjis tool!!! hED HAS All rights to get lit tooo. I am in ;miammi and tghis lap top is fun but the keysa are swo sensgtivie. Hee da beeda HOO HHO!!!!I anm tghe Bull Moom, and I goona ask rev burboon tg oget lme a “rev” tilte. REV BLULL MOM. MARK ELGART ADN MONEY MAKINGG SACS SI BIG FAKEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GLANTON YOU TOOO BEING PLAYED LIKES A BANJOOO!
Political Spectator
April 12th, 2009
9:07 pm
I want to preface my comments with the following thought: I am not sure absent of the loss of accreditation we would have been able to rid the county of such an ignorant board of education. A majority of the board was ill equipped, corrupt, unprofessional, and simply an embarrassment.
I think that Mark Elgart seized an opportunity to piggy back on the ignorance of such a board to push his political agenda. Dr. Elgart understands first hand that stupid boards of education are not exclusive to Clayton County. He needed the public shenanigans of Clayton’s board to push his GEORGIA SCHOOL BOARD REFORM BILL. The bill would give the governor an opportunity to intervene when school boards go WILD!
The sad thing is even with the public dismantling of Clayton’s previous board, the school board reform bill FAILED in this year’s General Assembly. Dr. Elgart’s plan backfired!!! He thought that stripping Clayton’s of its accreditation would scare school districts to take preventive measures and support the school board reform bill (just call Clayton County “TOBY”).
Dr. Elgart grossly miscalculated the rest of the state! 1) He did not count on the rest of the state thinking they were better than Clayton County and 2) He did not count on local governments fighting to keep control and 3) He did not count on the rest of the state being suspicious of an outsider such as SACS delving too deeply in school operations.
We are now left to clean up the collateral damage of this political war. The collateral damage includes 3500 students leaving the county, job loss for teachers and administrators, and other staff members, and federal funds being decreased.
There is enough BLAME to go around starting with but not limited to the idiot board, the electorate, the special interest groups, and our county commissioners being in bed with developers as they over developed this county with low end homes.
To all that question the quality of instruction in Clayton County, you can not convince me that APS, south Fulton, Dekalb, south Cobb, Gwinnett, Meriwether County, Griffin-Spalding, Troup county, south Georgia schools, mountain schools to name a few have highly superior instructional techniques than Clayton County. Give me a break!