DeKalb protests and pickets met with silence. How is the system doing?
There is a good AJC story today on the public protest Monday of the $15,000 raise awarded DeKalb superintendent Crawford Lewis. At the end of the story is a quick rundown of what other local superintendents earn and their perks.
I am surprised at the DeKalb board of education’s silence in the face of the many complaints about the raise. Only one board member was willing to speak out on the issue Monday.
According to the AJC story:
The superintendent’s increase in salary and perks came after teachers were required to take a furlough day and lost contributions to their tax-sheltered annuity.
The loss in wages for teachers and bus drivers also came with an increase in work, namely bigger class sizes and longer bus routes, said David Schutten, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators.
Board member Don McChesney, the only board member to publicly address the workers’ concerns, said he understood the dissension but insisted that people had to understand that the cuts were the result of the economy.
“In my 35 years [as a teacher], I lost salary at least three times here in DeKalb,” McChesney said. “This is not an unusual phenomenon. Whenever the state budget goes into crisis, this happens. This happens all the time.”
While the majority of posters to Get Schooled oppose the raise and seem to oppose the superintendent in general, the e-mails from readers that I am getting are more nuanced. There are DeKalb residents who believe the schools are improving yet still oppose the raise because it’s the wrong message in this economy.
Aside from the raise, how are DeKalb schools doing?
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103 comments Add your comment
Uncle Commode
January 12th, 2010
8:16 am
Dekalb county protestors only protest if the get paid.
concerned
January 12th, 2010
9:12 am
Only 4 high schools made AYP. What does that tell you?
Welcome to our little world of Dekalb
January 12th, 2010
9:15 am
DCSS has done a lot of wasteful spending. Most of us can agree that Dr. Johnny Brown,former superintendent of DCSS, made some positive changes to Dekalb. At that time Dekalb’s infracstructure needed a make over. But after he left DCSS to the school system begin to slowly go back to its old ways. Dr. Lewis brought consultant to DCSS that were retired administrators. Most of them were making more money than they did as a full time employee. Other consultants with no experience in education were brought in as well. One person showed a demo of a presentation to present to the staff at some local schools and was paid several thousands to present it. The only experience he had with children was his own and a PTA parent. Why did Dekalb need to hire consultants? They have employees who have enough experience to write these presentations. Each school controls how money is spent or shall I say allocated. The hiring practices in Dekalb need some changes. Some people say that Dekalb is family operated business. I watched inexperience teachers with less than seven years teaching become administrators and teachers with experience overlooked for promotions. There are teachers in Dekalb who have 20 plus years teaching that is aspiring to be administrators. They have been turned down for promotions. I have seen, firsthand, APs turned down for principal positions and other leadership positions. These APs were over instructions and the schools were makeing AYP. A high school band teacher was promoted in Dekalb to an elementary school administrator. He didn’t have very much experience teaching elementary school. Most of his experiences was middle and high school. Yet, he was fired for cheating on a test. The school didn’t make AYP. I have seen other employess seeking other position within Dekalb turned down for positions that they were more than qualified for. Just because they aren’t apart of the click. Yet I see this trend time after time. There needs to be a human resource director to help with hiring in DeKalb. Too much control has been given to the local schools and departments.
catlady
January 12th, 2010
10:11 am
No matter how much “improvement” his teachers have accomplished, if there is not money to pay the contractual amounts to them, much less give a raise to the real workers, there is no money for the boss to get a raise. Simple economics.
Keep up the pressure, Dekalb teachers. Too bad the taxpayers are too lethargic to join you!
Uncle Commode
January 12th, 2010
10:36 am
Lethargic? You mean stoned?
Dr. John Trotter
January 12th, 2010
10:37 am
I want to congratulate David Shutten and the ODE leadership for organizing yesterday’s picket and protest of Crawford Lewis’s unconscionable raise in light of the bleak economic conditions for the school system’s employees. This was a job well done! We at MACE were anticipating the turnout, and we are pleased with the the response. Some of our teachers wanted for us to join in your well-organized protest, but we finally decided that we would wait; we did not want to take any chance of raining on your very successful parade. Let’s all keep up the pressure! The entire DeKalb County Board of Education needs to be erased, and, of course, as we have stated numerous times on the same sidewalk and on other fora, “Crawford Lewis Must Go!”
Dunwoody Mom
January 12th, 2010
10:47 am
Way to promote yourself John Trotter!!! Also, did anyone notice on the picket signs that “ODE” was very prominent? And that John Evans was right smack in the middle of it all? As I’ve said before, MACE and ODE are all about themselves and offer little to nothing in the way of educating our children.
MillieMother
January 12th, 2010
11:10 am
“Dunwoody Mom” (er, I mean “Disgruntled English/Latin Teacher Who Has Made His Presence Most Annoying With Every Education Organization In DeKalb”): You probably just need to take up tennis or some other diversion other than hiding behind your acid anomymity and criticising those who are actually doing something productive. I actually appreciated Dr. Trotter’s kind words of encouragement to David and ODE. Only someone bitter and brittle like you would find something negative to say. Everyone in ODE, MACE, and PAGE know who you are and avoid you like a plague.
BlackBerry School
January 12th, 2010
11:19 am
As a proud ODE member. I appreciate Dr. Trotter’s encouragement. Its time we all come together and stop this outta control school board and Crawford Lewis.
Maureen Downey
January 12th, 2010
11:19 am
Milliemother, I need to point out here that these unmasking posts are out of place, mostly because they are usually wrong. There are several posters here who have sent me regular e-mails over the years and called me to talk about education issues. It amuses me to then see posts here accusing them of being somebody else. I think it is a mistake to assume that you know the person behind the post. Again, in a few cases, I know for a fact that the unmasking is way off base. I would prefer we not engage in it because it detracts from the debates.
Thanks, Maureen
MillieMother
January 12th, 2010
11:24 am
Maureen: Who three the first brickbat, “Dunwoody Mom” or me? That is the prior question. Why would you admonish me when “Dunwoody Mom” chose once again to be caustic without any provocation?
MillieMother
January 12th, 2010
11:28 am
Maureen: Who threw the first brickbat, “Dunwoody Mom” or me? This is the prior question which needs to be addressed. Why would you direct your admonition toward me without also issuing a word of caution to the one, “Dunwoody Mom,” who chose once again to be caustic without any provocation? Dr. Trotter, it appears to me, was simply trying to be nice to a competitive organization which I thought, quite frankly, was very big of him.
KickCrawfordLewisOutFanClub
January 12th, 2010
11:30 am
Too much time wasted on this man, Crawford Lewis. He must go and soon! A pay increase? For What????
Kathy
January 12th, 2010
11:31 am
This is quite interesting because I have not read anywhere about the number oif “assistant superintendents” there are for the DeKalb school district. For instance, in Houston County we have about 25,000 students. We have the superintendent, five assistant superintendents, and then an executive director of secondary and primary education, about 12 directors for a specific program, a principal for each school, and then we have assistant principals. All allegedly needed for a child to learn the curriculum outlined at the GDOE and can be accessed with a click of a mouse…after all, that is the main objective of the school system right?
South-End Mom
January 12th, 2010
11:32 am
@ Dunwoody Mom…Unless you actually work for the system you would possibly NEVER understand that these organizations are established because moms like you NEVER find anything wrong with the system UNTIL it EFFECTS DUNWOODY!!!! I applaud Dr. Trotter for the encouragement that he is giving to the ones who are finally ready to say that enough is enough…So many times these workers are down-trotten by parents and have no backing with in the system on the correct decisions that are made in the best intrest of the CHILDREN! (Oh wait they are suppose to be the reason of the school system) So please go and bake some cookies, cake or pies to sale at a yard sale!!! Please sale your negativity to someone who will buy that!!!
BlackBerry School
January 12th, 2010
11:44 am
I agree with. Millie. Dunwoody Mom is always negative. We DO know who he is!
badpav
January 12th, 2010
11:49 am
wonder why everyone who cares about educated kids in DeKalb sends their kids to private schools?
Dekalb Coach
January 12th, 2010
11:58 am
I agree with Dr. Trotter let’s work together to oust the school board and Crawford Lewis!
Concerned
January 12th, 2010
11:59 am
Pleae review the ITBS, CRT and other test scores in DEKALB prior to giving in future raises. It is a time for action, our KIDS are not being educated.
gary
January 12th, 2010
11:59 am
badpav: this certainly appears to ba a hairy reid type statement. so, in your biased opinion, if a parent does not have enough money to send his or her child to private schools, then he or she does not care about his or her child’s education? we still have the race pimpers out there, i guess…
Welcome to our little world of Dekalb
January 12th, 2010
12:02 pm
Kathy,
Each school system in Georgia is ran on its own under the guidelines of Department of Education in Georgia. Dekalb has all those administrators and more into play. The problems are they not being ultilized in the most effective way to help the improvements of our school. Are experience administrator being placed in these positions? The answer is No. Dekalb prefers less experience and paying less money. The board rather give a superintendent a 15k raise for not performing to high standards and high expectations. Dekalb needs administrators that are willing to go into schools and work with our teachers. The Board members need to be more visible in our school as well.
lmno
January 12th, 2010
12:11 pm
Dr. Lewis missed a huge opportunity. In the end, $15,000 is a drop iin the bucket in the overall budget and not directly an isssue at all. However, had he played it smart, he could have used this opportunity to rally the teachers behind him. Think how he would be praised and appreciated had he publically stated, “While I appreciate the offer from teh school board, I am declining the offer in an effort of solidarity with our Teachers.” He could have had the Teachers respect and admiration. He could have taken that and made big changes. Unfortunately, he has created ill will and will likely be less effective going forward.
Its not the money, its image that has changed.
Maureen
January 12th, 2010
12:14 pm
Am I the only one confused by the board member’s response? Is McChesney’s past salary issues relevant to this one? The issue, as I understand it, is that teachers are concerned because the school board made them take furloughs, etc., due to the economic status, yet turned right around and granted such a huge salary increase to Lewis. McChesney, in my opinion, never did address the issue.
Education benefits all
January 12th, 2010
12:15 pm
Blackberry School: You are incorrect. Anyone who truly cares about educating kids invests in the public schools, because we will never have an economy that allows all parents to afford private schools. People who really care about educating kids understand that educating all kids benefits society through providing an educated workforce and citizenry, regardless of their parents income level or lack of life skills. People who actually care about educating kids may, in the face of a tragically flawed public school in their district, send their own kids to private school, but must, if they truly do care, remain engaged in school improvement and reform by getting involved in that school and the school district, both in volunteer service and in political action. This is a major justice issue, and if you can just stand by and say, “at least my kids aren’t in that school/district” you are saying that you don’t care if your future nursing home attendant, child care worker, city utilities employee, or medical technician is undereducated and less able to take care of you. So even in the face of the profoundly narrow self-interest that is rampant in our society, good people are able to care about the education of kids other than their own.
James
January 12th, 2010
12:16 pm
“if a parent does not have enough money to send his or her child to private schools” and wants to then we should give them a voucher and let the money follow the child….
KJ
January 12th, 2010
12:29 pm
DeKalb schools and Crawford Lewis are a joke. Far too many admins at the county level have little or no classroom experience. As a result, their terrible decisions drive away good teachers and APs. But what do you expect from a county where the sheriff-elect gets murdered by the outgoing sheriff and the rec department can’t fill out paperwork for a youth swim team. Nothing in this county works.
lmno
January 12th, 2010
12:36 pm
Its not just the furloughs, its that the teachers are not receiving a match into their annuity. I actually am a little confused by that. Unless the Superintendant is employed by some entity that is not the teacher’s employer, it would seem discriminatory to offer a match to him and not the teachers. I’d like to find that out actually as that sort of discrimination is expresssly forbidden in our tax code.
ROFLMAO
January 12th, 2010
12:42 pm
I’m wondering if the posts with all the grammatical and spelling errors are from people who were educated in the DeKalb Schools, or whether they’re from teachers and other staffers. Either way, it reflects poorly (but perhaps accurately) on the educational system. I was shocked the first time my daughter came home with a graded report where the teacher’s comments were full of errors and incorrect word use, and shocked the first time I heard a teacher say “axed” instead of “asked.” How do we expect our kids to excel when so many teachers don’t even know how to speak or write in English? (In fairness to the system, I’m glad that most of my kids’ teachers were great and very dedicated despite the inadequacies of their peers and the administration). I am grateful that one child has graduated (albeit after being homeschooled the last year of high school) and that my other child now attends a first-rate public school in another state. Our local high school is a cesspool of unruly, disruptive kids who don’t want to learn and the great teachers have all either retired or moved to other districts in part because the principal is a former football coach with no prior administrative experience.
It galls me that the system is so top heavy with administrators, which is just one reflection of DCSS priorities. How many millions did the board spend on the new wellness facility and computers for HQ administrators? Maybe they should try investing in the teachers. I’m not holding my breath — between the Pope inquiry, refusing to assist the DA’s office in the inquiry it asked for, and the cheap car deals for the high and mighty, it’s pretty clear where the administration’s priorities lie. It’s not with the kids or the teachers. Throw ALL the bums out, I say!
Jason
January 12th, 2010
12:43 pm
We send our kids to a private school at great financial sacrifice, because there is no way we are putting our children’s future into the hands of DeKalb’s government school system. We care too much for our children and their future.
Dunwoody Mom
January 12th, 2010
12:49 pm
Oh, please – you think John Trotter formed “MACE” because of me. That’s too funny. No, he formed MACE to make a name for himself – all you have to do is visit the website to understand that. I was educated in the DCSS system, so please don’t tell me what I know and don’t know. I know that there are wonderful teachers in DCSS and I know there are some teacher’s who have no business teaching WHATSOEVER – and believe me, the schools my children attend hear about it.
Native Atlantan
January 12th, 2010
12:50 pm
I’m a former Dekalb teacher, so glad I got out a couple of years ago. I took a pay cut to gain some sanity. I always tell people that asked me about Dekalb, that its like the tree in the woods of the story, “The Devil and Daniel Webster”, from the outside the tree looks great, (payscale in dekalb, technology, athletic accomplishments) but the system is like the tree in the woods, its rotten to the core! Dekalb has many problems and Crawford Lewis is definitely at the top and all else simply rolls down the hill. I will say that parents need to step up to the plate, if you as a parent do not take care of your business at home, there is only so much a teacher can do. Dekalb has been top heavy for years and I’m not going to go too deep into the people getting jobs they are not totally qualified for, like Zepora Roberts’ daughter becoming a math coach before teaching a class and 3 years later becoming an AP. The whole damn system is corrupt, Crawford gets a raise, what a crock of crap, I will also be wearing black to support my former coworkers!!!!!
ron
January 12th, 2010
12:51 pm
the schools in south dekalb are terrible,the school administrators are horrible,students undisciplined,disrupts classes,teachers spend more time tending to disciplinary matters compared to actual teaching.south dekalb is not a place to send ones kids if a parent values education.northern dekalb schools rate much better with fewer disciplinary problems.
A DISAPPOINTED MOM
January 12th, 2010
12:58 pm
I HAVE A CHILD IN THE MAGNET PROGRAM AT SWD HS. A CHILD WHO GRADUATED FROM LHS LAST YEAR. THE THREE RING CIRCUS GOING ON WITH THE DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM IS NOT ENTERTAINING TO SAY THE LEAST; IT’S EMBARASSING TO THE RESIDENTS, STUDENTS AND DCSS. THE STUDENTS ARE IN LOSING A BATTLE DUE IN PART TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND INCLUDING A FEW OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.
WHY WAS A RAISE “SALARY COMPENSATION” EVEN CONSIDERED FOR AN ADMINISTRATOR MAKING OVER $200K PER YEAR? THE GREED CAN NOT SIMPILFY THE REASONING FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS TO MAKE A JUSTIFIABLE DECISION TO APPROVE A $15K RAISE AND EXPECT THE PARENTS AND TAXPAYERS TO ACCEPT THIS DECISION BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. THE LEGISLATION/BYLAWS AND PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE SCHOOL BOARD NEEDS TO BE REVISED IMMEDIATELY TO INCLUDE A CLAUSE; IF THE ADMINISTRATORS ARE RECEVING RAISES EVERYONE EMPLOYED BY THE DCSS SHOULD RECEIVE A RAISE. I WAS AT THE MEETING AT MLK HIGH SCHOOL ON JANUARY 4TH ANDTHERE WAS ONLY ONE BOARD MEMBER WHO DISAPPROVED THE “$500” RAISE. NOW, MR. WALKER’S CREDIBILITY IS IN QUESTION BECAUSE HE SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW HOW MUCH DR. LEWIS WAS RECEVING AS A RAISE.
OTHER ISSUES WITH THE DCSS INCLUDE THE EVALUATION PROCESS FOR SELECTING PRINCIPALS NEEDS TO BE REVISED. I TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROCESS WAS USED TO SELECT THE PRINCIPALS AT SWD HIGH SCHOOL AND WITHIN THREE YEARS THREE PRINCIPALS HAS BEEN APPOINTED AT LITHONIA HIGH SCHOOL ;TWO SCHOOLS THAT ARE AYP FAILING SCHOOLS. PLEASE HELP ME AS A PARENT UNDERSTAND, WHY I SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH A PAY RAISE FOR DR. LEWIS.
LET ME ALSO MENTION THE PROBLEMS WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, THE CONTRACT PROCESS, THE INVESTIGATION OF SCHOOL OFFICIAL PATRICIA POPE, CULTURAL EXPERIENCES AND AYP… THE LIST GOES ON.
I’M NOT ANGRY JUST TIRED OF SETTLING FOR THE STATUS QUO.
One Left...
January 12th, 2010
1:03 pm
I have one (out of 5) left in DCSS. Johnny Brown – when he backed down from the “mandatory uniforms” he lost his credibility. He had a wonderful opportunity to straighten out something in the school system that is still a problem today….. Crawford Lewis – needs to go….
DCSS has such wonderful teachers out there who could do so much more but are stuck under the thumb of nonsense and egos no wonder the system is a mess!
I applaud all those teachers/cooks/bus drivers yesterday who protested! So proud of you all and we are praying and cheering for you!
Jan
January 12th, 2010
1:13 pm
I agree with Jason. Private school at great financial sacrifice on our part. Over $100K in 13 years and we still have one in high school. Best investment in our kids’ future we could have made.
hoodtechie
January 12th, 2010
1:13 pm
I work for a fortune 100 company and the following question was asked of 750 12th graders from across dekalb,fulton,cobb and gwinnett.a train travels 20ft every 1/5 of a second.approx. How many miles will this train travel in 12 minutes. This is one many questions posed w/o multiple answers given. Only 8 students got this particular question correct. This is what we in the corporate world have to deal with. Most students wanted to Google and try and get the answer. But you parents keep buying these kids the latest cell phones and allow them face book pages and twitter, tweet and text message in school when they are supposed to be learning how to solve logical problems. I challenge anyone to answer this question with the correct answer. Its no wonder the foreigners are getting the jobs
Bill
January 12th, 2010
1:16 pm
A pay raise for the superintendent when everyone else gets nothing is just poor leadership. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only instance. The Dunwoody 4th and 5th grade academy has lots of empty classrooms, while the surrounding elementary schools still have students in trailers. Why? Because Lewis and the board are a bunch of cowards who won’t do the right thing – redistrict. They were supposed to redistrict in 2010, but guess what – the cowards postponed it again. For this, he deserves a raise?
The reason the board is silent on his raise is they don’t have any reason to justify it. This board is an embarassment, along with Lewis.
Lisa
January 12th, 2010
1:17 pm
I am a product of DCSS. I attended in the late eighties when several schools were considered Schools of Excellence (Robert Freeman was Superintendent). I still live in Dekalb and my daughter attends 2nd grade at a theme school in Dekalb. I encourage everyone on this posting to get heavily involved in their schools, attend Board meetings, and strongly consider running for School Board. They need to be voted out. Plan and simple. I just don’t understand why they don’t get it! Our teachers are suffering, are children are suffering and yet the Board decides to give a raise to s superintendent who they feel is doing a good job?! Really now. Let him go. Let the administrators go. Dekalb needs a clean slate!
lmno
January 12th, 2010
1:19 pm
Just to relay something positive about the DCSS, I will post my experience. I live in Dekalb County in a district that I would consider to be unacceptable for my child’s education. When my child was to enter School, I applied for admission to Dekalb County’s Magnet Program, the Montessorie Program, and requested 2 transfers to regular schools. I was granted every request for which I asked. I realize my anecdotal story is not evidence of anything in the larger population, but I found them to be very accomodating. So, we had four elementary schools from which to choose. Since then, my wife has become employed by DCSS and I now have even more options. However, I choose to stay with the school we chose originally. My child is only in the first grade, but I truly do not believe I could buy him a better education than he has recieved so far. I will probably move him out of DCSS when he reaches middle school unless some changes are made, but for now, they have been really wonderful.
Interested Life Long DeKalb Countian
January 12th, 2010
1:24 pm
My opinion, for whatever it’s worth, I would place the DeKalb School System alongside the Clayton and City of Atlanta School Systems. All three are not schools systems where you would want your children educated. The current DeKalb School Administration needs to go somewhere else to cause misery. Rise up parents and demand action…..if you really care that much.
dumber than a rock
January 12th, 2010
1:28 pm
13.64 miles approx.
Another disappointed mom
January 12th, 2010
1:28 pm
This is the last semester for my child in the Dekalb School System and I am thankful. It has gone from bad to worse over the years. Magnet programs being down graded in the name of budget cuts, I guess what they cut from those programs they are giving to Crawford Lewis. He need not be concerned with his image as long as he has the school board in his pocket. Please do not relect those that voted to give him this raise. He threatened them with offers he said he received from other cities around the country. They have no idea that we would be better off without him. Actually it now looks like we need to do some house cleaning and replace the school board and the administration over at the Dekalb County School Administration building which by the way is new also even though we have schools all over Dekalb in need of repair. The 2 high schools that had no heat when we were in the middle of a freeze. Oh yeah did Crawford have heat? Tucker still under construction, Redan, Druid Hills, Dekalb School of the Arts, Avondale never did get what they were promised by Crawford and his administrators. It is really sad.
Jackson
January 12th, 2010
1:29 pm
@ Lisa: Seriously? Your post shows you are a product of a “quality” DeKalb County Schools education. Seriously? Re-read that post.
Jevon
January 12th, 2010
1:34 pm
Dekalb County Schools are the worst.. They let my child down, so I moved her to Gwinnett.
EducationCEO
January 12th, 2010
1:42 pm
I think what everyone forgot to mention is that Johnny Brown didn’t ‘leave’ DeKalb, he was voted out/fired in a secret meeting. He was getting too close to the skeletons and he realized that people were being paid to do nothing-that made a lot of people uncomfortable so they gave him the ax. Keep in mind that even though he was fired, DeKalb’s BOE still had to pay his contract and the salary of Crawford Lewis. That’s where the raises went….It’s time for us as parents and community members to start paying attention to and asking questions of the people who want out voted to represent us on the school boards. We also need to hold them accountable. If they were a part of teh destruction and demise, why do we keep re-electing them? Let’s wake-up before they run the schools into the gound. BTW: I was glad to see the teachers and staff members picket. I couldn’t believe that some of the employees make $12-18 per year and don’t have any benefits!
Disgusted
January 12th, 2010
1:42 pm
On the magnet schools: My daughter went to Kittredge when academic achievement and standardized test scores were the yardsticks by which admission was measured. She got a GREAT education. My son also went to Kittredge, but it was after the Board changed admission standards to include “motivation” (whatever that is) in order to correct perceived racial imbalances. He ended up in class with kids that couldn’t read and kids that couldn’t do math. It probably wouldn’t have made that much difference to him except that he was required to do a lot of group projects and he either ended up doing most of the work or getting a bad grade because his classmates were illiterate. We ended up pulling him out and sending him to private school. Way to go, DCSS! Take one of the brighter spots in the system and ruin it in order to avoid hurt feelings. (And don’t even get me started on what the DCSS taught my kids about self-esteem, to wit, that it’s something you’re entitled to, not something that you earn by setting goals and achieving them.)
Taxpayers and voters: make your voices heard. Vote the Board out of office.
Teachers: I’m with you, and am proud that you’re standing up to those self-serving bozos that are large and in charge. I hope they’re listening.
Momof2
January 12th, 2010
1:42 pm
Well ,until the effects of these issues hit my local schools how should I know about the issues? As a single parent I cannot get to the DCSS meetings. I send emails to the board which are completely ignored. I am appalled to see the way my tax dollars are spend by DCSS – but somehow it seems like I’m the only one who sees it that way. I think there is far too much bureaucracy – there are too many people writing procedures and policies that don’t mesh and don’t seem to make sense. To me that’s a symptom of poor management. This part of the ajc.com site is interesting and helpful – but it doesn’t have the effect of making bringing the DCSS board to heel. I can vote against my rep. but there isn’t a lot I can manage to do otherwise. What next? How?
Ann
January 12th, 2010
1:43 pm
What about the kids being left behind?
Say what?
January 12th, 2010
1:49 pm
Ann, NO CHILD is left behind. Didn’t you know that?
Vince
January 12th, 2010
1:49 pm
Some of Dekalb’s schools are among the very best in the state. Many have test scores much higher than the national average and are recognized for their good work. It isn’t fair to lump all of the schools together and give the very false impression that all Dekalb’s schools are poor.
Many parents find Dekalb schools preferable to the area’s finest private schools….and with good reason.