Our congratulations to Clayton County and its schools
A review team for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools recommended the Clayton school system keep its probationary accreditation. However, a final vote will be made on Jan. 26.
According to the AJC story:
The review team said it was impressed by the “esprit de corps” among the administration. They found “pockets of success” emerging under the new superintendent and board members, but said that was not shared by everyone.
“District leadership must work tirelessly to regain the trust and confidence of the system – of parents, of students, of community, and of staff,” the team wrote. “Until the district can become a purposeful community with efficacy for truly making a difference in the lives of children and young people, then attempts at systemic and systematic improvements will be meaningless.”
SACS revoked Clayton’s accreditation last year, putting most of the blame on a school board that at times appeared to be a bad reality show. The SACS decision made Clayton the first school system in the nation to lose accreditation in 40 years. SACS placed the district on probation for two years and ordered it to be re-evaluated every six months.
The review team rated the district on nine improvement mandates, and issued a ranking of highly functional, operational, emerging or not evident. The team found the school system was operational in all but one of the mandates: following an ethics policy.
According to the story:
“While there is evidence of many positive areas of growth on the part of the board and district leadership, there is still evidence that prompts concern and must be rectified before the board can fully comply with this mandate,” the team wrote. “Every member of the board of education is not fully committed to the protocols and guidance of good boardsmanship.
While Clayton has a ways to go to return to its glory days, it is moving in the right direction. I hope this is the beginning of better days for the system and for the students who paid the price for a lot of foolish adults.
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22 comments Add your comment
oldtimer
November 2nd, 2009
10:07 pm
Good for all of us,I hope
Pam Stealer
November 3rd, 2009
1:19 am
Woopey Do for Clayton.
jim d
November 3rd, 2009
7:35 am
So shall we take it that once the BOE falls into line with no descenting votes they will be “fully committed to the protocols and guidance of good boardsmanship” as is Gwinnett??
FultonTeacher
November 3rd, 2009
8:04 am
I hate to be the one to say it, but did anyone really think they would permanently lose accreditation?
Let's Juist Be Thankful
November 3rd, 2009
9:22 am
For the children. All of us are come into this world innocent and have adults mess us up. The children of Clayton are no more or nor less than any other child in any other county and deserve our best. Get it together grownups. How can we expect the children to progress and succeed when we keep acting up? Children pay for the “mistakes” of grownups all the time. Give the children something they can believe in (us — grownups acting like we got some sense) and they just may follow our lead. They are following our lead regardless, so we might as well make a positive impact. Children are like sponges they absorb ALL the grownups give them. Looking or someone to blame for problems in the world: look at that man in the mirror and how you’re treating your kids.
Let's Just Be Thankful
November 3rd, 2009
9:22 am
I’m sorry, LET’S JUST BE THANKFUL . . .
Underwhelmed by the "Progress"
November 3rd, 2009
9:51 am
There was a 5 to 4 vote against taking Pam Adamson’s insistence to narrow the attorney vote to two firms, Brock Clay (ugh!) of Marietta and Fincher Denmark (another ugh!) of Clayton County. Uh oh, this is not “the protocols and guidance of goog boardsmenship” — especially if Mark Elgart’s good buddy, Glenn Brock, does not become the attorney. After all, didn’t Glenn Brock attend an non-accredited and now-defunct law school? But, he has a system set up…just serve as the “search firm,” deliver just one candidate (have him to announce early that he is a “finalist,” as in Edmund Heatley’s case — you know him, the California Reject), have that candidate totally loyal to you for selecting him, convince this new superintendent that you are tight with Mark Elgart and even the Governor, and BOOM! You are now the new school board attorney! Isn’t this what happened with Jamie Boy Wilson in Fulton County and Susan Andrews in Muscogee County? Glenn Brock is currently serving as the attorney for Clayton County and is trying to get the school board to officially confirm his “temporary” status to “official.” But, isn’t this the same law firm (Brock Clay) which keeps advising the Cobb County School Board to meet illegally behind close doors? (This school board was recently cited for meeting 57 times illegally, and it appears to still be happening, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.) They seem to like the cloak of darkness. Isn’t this the same Glenn Brock who, along with State Board member Bradley (Brad) Bryant and SACS’s Mark Elgart, illegally met with the previous Clayton County School Board behinds closed doors to tell them how to properly behave? I presume this same Glenn Brock (”Search Firm Glenn”) arranged for the Clayton County School Board members to illegally meet with Edmund Heatley in San Francisco this past summer at the National School Board Convention. Isn’t this the same Edmund Heatley whose former school board members in Chino Valley, California are apparently telling Clayton board member(s) that they were holding their collective breath just hoping that the Clayton County School Board would make him an offer? Sounds to me that it was “good riddance” time for Heatley in California.
Is this Alieka Anderson (and the real Unofficial Chairperson Pam Adamson) losing influence? They could only carry Mary Baker’s and Ophelia Burrough’s votes last night. Hurry, hurry, Bob Hartley! Come and save Alieka! Put a brother in the House! Can’t Alieka Anderson ever conduct a school board meeting without a $150 an hour parliamentarian whispering in her ear all night because she is inept with Robert’s Rules of Order? She is an embarrassment. Yes, the Clayton County School Board has really improved. Not.
Marie
November 3rd, 2009
11:44 am
Congratulations is due when it’s due. Congrats to Clayton for slowly turning around its ship although more certainly can and should be done.
Roman Gal
November 3rd, 2009
12:22 pm
who cares? we all moved to Henry Co
Barbara
November 3rd, 2009
12:53 pm
We care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Badger
November 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm
Clayton County Schools “The Road To Failure
prootwadl
November 3rd, 2009
1:20 pm
Nice to see an improvement. Now, if only we could see more improvement in the City of Atlanta…
Mean, Bitter People
November 3rd, 2009
1:50 pm
Y’all ain’t worn out tired by your negativity, yet?! Dang. Let it go. It’s so ugly.
Georgia Peach
November 3rd, 2009
2:37 pm
Watch out with that “who cares; we all moved to Henry.” I understand Henry is rife with crime and other problems. Watch your words; bad Karma is something else!
Don't get beside yourself!
November 3rd, 2009
3:22 pm
No, not all have moved to Henry. However, the drug dealer that rented the house in my neighborhood just bought a house in Hampton. Lucky you…..
Pointless
November 3rd, 2009
4:12 pm
I wouldn’t send my children to any school in either Clayton OR Henry County. The test scores for both districts are abysmal (and dropping) and Business Week had an article focusing on Henry as ground zero for foreclosures and all its associated problems. As for Clayton – well we all know the story….
Underwhelmed by the "Progress"
November 3rd, 2009
9:35 pm
A few years ago (before this Great Recession), there were only two counties in the entire United States where a homeowner bought a house and the very next year, the house was worth less than the year in which he/she bought it. These two counties are, of course, Clayton and Henry. Can’t we blame this on John Trotter?
BUDGET INSPECTOR
November 3rd, 2009
9:39 pm
BUT CLAYTON’S SCHOOL BUDGET IS BIG AND THIS ALONE IS PROBABLY WHY MARK ELGART AND GLENN BROCK ARE INTERESTED IN CLAYTON…THE MONEY!!! IT’S THE MONEY, STUPID!!! MAUREEN DOWNEY, YOU JUST DON’T GET IT, DO YOU???
incredulous
November 4th, 2009
8:18 am
Underwhelmed – you obviously don’t know much about education law in Georgia. Glenn Brock is the most highly respected education attorney in Georgia. Ask any school board member or super in Georgia, and almost without question, they’ll tell you the same. You also obviously don’t know how Brock almost singlehandedly steered Clayton County back in the direction where they could re-attain their SACS accrediation.
On the right track
November 5th, 2009
8:43 pm
There are many hard working teachers, students and parents in Clayton County that do care about the future of this school system. We are on the right track now! However, Clayton County is not just about the school system! It is about a community! A community that has too much poverty, crime, and lack of concern for the fellow citizen. Those hard working folks can only carry the community so far! Others have to step up and do there part!
Dr. John Trotter
November 6th, 2009
10:44 am
I agree with “Underwhelmed.” In my opinion, Glenn Brock is a joke of a school board lawyer. He almost single-handedly saved Clayton County? What? Was this after he totally trashed the previous school board in the public media? I am surprised that everyone on school board didn’t file a complaint to the State Bar of Georgia for Glenn Brock’s unconscionable behavior. Isn’t Glenn Brock the school board attorny who also advises the Cobb County Board of Education? Wasn’t this school board recently cited for meeting illegally behind closed doors on fifty-seven (that’s right, 57!) times? Doesn’t Glenn Brock advise the school superintendents to violate the State’s grievance law (O.C.G.A. 20-2-989.5 et seq.)? Glenn Brock has discovered a way to make a lucrative living off this Educational Financial Complex. Most school board members wouldn’t know their rear ends from deep centerfield when it comes to school law. Glenn Brock is a joke. Respected? You have to be kidding me! I will debate Glenn Brock any time, any place, and on any subject dealing with matters which regularly come before the school boards — whether it be the Georgia Grievance Law for Certificated Personnel, the Georgia Open Records Law, the Georgia Open Meetings Act, O.C.G.A. 20-2-1160 (the school board serving as tribunal on “any matter of local controversy in reference to the construction or administration of school law”), etc. Glenn Brock is by no means a scholar on Georgia school law, although his firm, Brock Clay, touts him as being so. Glenn Brock is a businessman. I remember when Sam Harben was supposed to be the guru on school law in Georgia. I think that Sam has retreated somehat into retirrement today. Georgia school law in not studied in law school. So, the average attorney or non-attorney knows nothing about it. When someone comes along claiming to be the Georgia guru on school law, naive marks (especially superintendents who come to Georgia from other states and school board members who have just come off the local PTA boards) tend to genulflect before this legal perpetrator. This legal perpetrator can make himself or herself much money from feeding at the government manger.
informant
June 22nd, 2010
6:25 pm
“Dr.” Anderson is a complete joke. I have it on good authority that she paid to have her Doctoral Thesis written. How else would someone so ignorant be capable of earning a legitimate degree? Oh wait, it isn’t legitimate.
http://www.argosy.edu/colleges/ProgramDetail.aspx?ID=779
Even the degree is a joke. It leads to no certification. I hope the citizens of Clayton County smarten up and see Aleika for what she really is, an ignorant, obnoxious poor excuse for an educator that she is.