DeKalb parents will get chance to quiz school chief finalist. They have lots of questions.
There will be a meet and greet with the DeKalb superintendent finalist on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 10 a.m. at the DeKalb administrative center at 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd, Tucker.
Here is her candidate file online.
Here is her pending contract, which lists the salary as $275,000. It gives her $2,600 for monthly expenses. It allows her $750 for her car/gas/travel each month. It gives her $2,000 a month for temporary living/relocation costs during her initial six months on the job.
Here is an interesting provision considering that the past school chief awaits criminal trial:
With respect to criminal actions, whether they involve misdemeanor or felony charges, the BOARD may, but is not required to, reimburse the SUPERINTENDENT for some or all of her defense costs if the SUPERINTENDENT is acquitted or the charges are dropped.
Here are the details from the district:
The DeKalb County Board of Education is pleased to announce that the board’s finalist for superintendent, Dr. Cheryl Atkinson, will visit with parents, community members and others on Saturday, Aug. 27. Dr. Atkinson will share her vision for the school system and meet with parents, community leaders and other DCSS stakeholders.
“We’re pleased to introduce Dr. Atkinson to our community of parents and concerned citizens,” said Thomas Bowen, chairman of the DeKalb County School System. “It was Dr. Atkinson’s desire to come immediately to share her vision with our parents and citizens, but she is rightfully focused on the start of the school year in Lorain, Ohio, where she remains superintendent.”
Dr. Atkinson will give a brief overview of her vision for the school system and answer questions submitted by community members. “We are confident that once DeKalb residents get an opportunity to hear directly from her, our parents and community members will be impressed with her creative approaches to increasing academic performance,” said Bowen.
I had raised questions earlier this week about why DeKalb parents were concerned about the selection of Atkinson. Several sent me long, thoughtful e-mails explaining their concerns with the process and the selection.
Here are some of them:
I do not care that she is from a smaller district (she’s had experience in larger districts before Lorain); however, the fact that there is some evidence that more scores have gone down rather than up in her district is incredibly concerning. There may be excellent answers to these concerns, but if we do not get a chance to ask about them, then it seems as if something is being covered up. I am very open to hearing what some of these answers might be. She may truly be the best candidate, and I’m open to learning that.
And here is another:
We need change and we need it now. Not four years from now or 48 years from now if you consider that it took Dr. Atkinson 4 years merely to improve a district some 12 times smaller than our own in a single category. We cannot afford to hire someone who will maintain the status quo with regard to nepotism and cronyism. The only highlights I have heard or read about Dr. Atkinson’s career are that she brought in laptops and e-textbooks for grades 6 through 12 and that she built a controversial new high school in her Lorain district.
I saw that one of your readers who claimed to be from Lorain listed an interesting and compelling list of her accomplishments. And if those are true, Dr. Atkinson instantly becomes more appealing as a potential leader for DeKalb. However, if those accomplishments are true, why then, can’t the members of our Board of Education give us a single reason they want her as our new superintendent rather than accusing parents of racism and being unsupportive of our elected officials?
I and most of the other parents I know are very open-minded and we welcome dialogue about this issue with our elected officials. However, they refuse to engage with us in this discussion and that, I fear, is the most troubling sign of all that Dr. Atkinson, while I’m certain a very nice and sincere individual, is not up to the task at hand.
And this final one:
When we make inquiries as to Ms. Atkinson’s specific qualifications from the BOE’s perspective, members should be able to provide justification for their own support of the candidate. So far, I and parents that I know have been directed to a Lorain newspaper piece, the same one you published in your column, as a matter of fact. Did you know that the author of this article is listed as one of Ms. Atkinson’s references on her job application?
The very reason that many people doubt this candidate is because of where her support is coming from. The two board members who have written letters of opposition were the same two members who last Spring brought unethical behavior by other board members to light. They were subsequently publicly chastised by the board chair, Thomas Bowen while the members who were actually accused of acting unethically and leaking confidential information to the press about another candidate were not. So you see Ms. Downey, when those same unethical board members support a candidate and cannot provide even a basic rationale for why it is that they do when pressed about it, it causes parents to doubt the candidate. Then when Mr. McChesney & Ms. Jester speak out in opposition, it causes even more doubt. When we attempt to get more information about this candidate, such as her employment contract and other evidence that she is qualified and none is produced, it causes even more doubt.
In a perfect world, we as Dekalb taxpayers would trust our school board to back a highly qualified candidate for superintendent, but as you well know, Dekalb county is far from a perfect world. We have a board who has run amok. They have no ethics code and no accountability for behaving badly.They are completely out of control and do not feel that they owe their constituents anything. We have less than 10 days left to impact this decision. The board is forcing our hand. We have no choice if they refuse to cooperate with us and justify this recommendation than to oppose it.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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105 comments Add your comment
Ernest
August 18th, 2011
9:59 pm
Let’s see, her candidate file and contract are both online. A meet and greet has been scheduled. Items that residents expressed concern about are all available. It will be interesting to hear what the next objections will be.
Has there ever been a superintendent candidate in GA that has endured what Dr. Atkinson has gone through this early in the 14 day state mandated period?
Ethical Mirror on Community
August 18th, 2011
10:12 pm
The meeting should reflect upon the code of ethics and accountability
of the community to respectfully listen,question, and give input regarding
the direction of the DCSS. I hope all community members conduct
themselves in a respectful whether they support, or oppose the hiring
of the Dekalb superintendent finalist.
Ethical Mirror on Community
August 18th, 2011
10:13 pm
I hope all community members conduct
themselves in a respectful manner whether
they support, or oppose the hiring of the
Dekalb superintendent finalist.
Mandella1099
August 18th, 2011
10:32 pm
@Ethical Mirror – Would love to see it happen as well, at least to give her a chance and get DCSS restarted down the right road……but, I doubt it will happen…..
harold@Distractions in DSW Disguised
August 18th, 2011
10:39 pm
Enter your comments here
Dekalbite
August 18th, 2011
10:46 pm
I think that the opposition to Dr. Atkinson has more to do with opposition to and distrust of the DeKalb Board of Education than opposition to this candidate. They want a guarantee that she will “clean house”, bring accountability to upper management, and replace the decision makers who have proven so inept in DCSS. Dr. Atkinson may or may not do this. Only time will tell.
Flabberghasted4sure
August 18th, 2011
11:01 pm
@ Ernest: It is her candidate file that has people concerned. It raises many questions – some of which Jester and McChesney addressed – that no Board member supporting her is willing to address despite repeated requests. If they are proud of their selection, shouldn’t they be bragging on her accomplishments and giving us reasons to jump on board? Doesn’t their lack of public marketing feel a little strange? I can’t think of any business that would promote a new product this way.
Contract Link
August 18th, 2011
11:11 pm
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mv8cuU6C3Y8sMVYtTXU1ULbrtylJVzbq3W-wocgKXjk/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1
suavez
August 18th, 2011
11:23 pm
She may be a fine candidate, but does anyone believe she would have been offered the job if she was non-black? Is she the best candidate for the job or is she the best black candidate for the job? Non-blacks need not apply in DCSS.
amazed
August 18th, 2011
11:54 pm
@Ernest
Well from the board itself before they even got to the 14 days:
Cox
Culver
Duron
Has there been a public so put upon by their school district board and administration ? (alright-maybe next door in Atlanta-but at least they could hire a superintendent).
Smoke Rise Mom
August 19th, 2011
12:13 am
Ernest, if you were on the board (and I wish you were), what would be your argument in support of Dr. Atkinson. Besides she’s personable and nice and gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling, what facts or data lead you to believe she is our best choice? What do you make of the number of job changes she’s had? What kind of stability do you think she could offer us? What do you see that makes you believe she can improve student achievement? I’m asking because I truly value your opinion.
howdy1942
August 19th, 2011
12:16 am
It appears that Dr. Atkinson is really trying to find another job – she had interviewed in Cleveland, Ohio; Atlanta; and now Dekalb. Those are the ones that I know about. Is it possible that the folks in Ohio have told her to find a job? You’re right – I don’t trust this school board! Given the millions in legal fees they have racked up, not knowing about and/or not knowing about the activities of Dr. Lewis and Ms. Pope who have both been indicted, having led the district into serious straits with SACS, having embarrassed the county in the public media – why would anyone trust them?
We should follow the course of Atlanta – find a reputable, strong interim until we elect a seven-member board next year and then let them find a new candidate. This school board is hopelessly divided and inept. We can only hope that the people of Dekalb County we vote this bunch out next year and let’s start again. Of those on this Board, only Jester seems to have the least idea about what they are doing.
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Augusta
August 19th, 2011
3:33 am
What are this controversy, the APS test-cheating scandal. and the Clayton County BOE fiasco doing to erode further the confidence of business and military leaders in the quality of public education provided children in Atlanta and the rest of Georgia?
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
6:23 am
Now we have the highest paid superintendent in the state, based on base salary…. And Hinojosa has lots more experience than Atkinson
Cobb County’s new superintendent Michael Hinojosa will earn a base salary of $237,000 and perks that exceed $28,000 annually, a pay cut for the Texas transplant but in line with what other metro Atlanta district chiefs earn.
● Fulton County’s Robert Avossa, who started last week, will collect $238,000 a year for three years, an $800-a-month car allowance, moving expenses, a housing allowance for six months and about $40,000 in retirement benefits.
● J. Alvin Wilbanks, who heads the state’s largest district, Gwinnett County Public Schools, is one of the region’s highest earners with a salary of about $272,249, not including perks.
● DeKalb County Schools interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson earns $240,000 along with $2,000 a month for expenses and $500 a month for transportation.
And Wilbanks has tons more experience than she does.
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
6:29 am
Ernest
I generally respect you but your inability to admit how bungled this process has been is just plain sad. Lets look at the number of meet and greets the new super for Cobb had before being finalized (Three)
http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/communications/news/2011/20110606_SuptApproved.aspx
And look at the quote from their Board chair
This is an exciting day for the Cobb County School District and we are thrilled to officially approve Dr. Hinojosa as the new superintendent of schools,” said Board Chair Alison Bartlett. “For the past two weeks he has met with the community on several occasions and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and that is obvious when you see him interact with parents, students and district employees. The Board believes it has found the right person to lead our already outstanding schools to even greater success, and we look forward to working with him to accomplish that goal.”
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
6:36 am
And let’s look at Fulton…
http://miltonga.blogspot.com/2011/04/meet-and-greet-opportunities-are.html
They had two meet and greets, but also he toured schools etc. Wonder if Atkinson has done this?
Us — We are having one and only because of those parents who you are upset about their behavior demanding one. And it is on the day the Board could officially take a vote.
This time next year — how many of the problem employees will still be with DeKalb. Because Atkinson can’t do this alone and our Board won’t let Tyson fire people, will they let Atkinson?
Ernest
August 19th, 2011
6:42 am
@Smoke Rise Mom, good question! The honest answer is I don’t know enough about Dr. Atkinson at this time simply based on her resume. All resumes highlight the accomplishments of a candidate, for any job. The Board has met with her and in my opinion, that is when you really get to know a candidate.
It does mean something that she was a finalist for two superintendent jobs this year. When you consider the likely number of candidates and scrutiny performed along with comparisons to the other candidates, that means something. Admittedly, that is not a hard measure.
She obviously was one of the initial applicants yet did not make the first cut of 3 finalists. It is possible she was in the next list of 3 to be considered. We don’t know because this was discussed in executive session.
I have to ‘trust’ our Board that she is the best candiate available that also has mutual interest in the job that can also get a majority vote from Board members. To speculate about candidates that were not presented as finalists serves no purpose, in my opinion. Dr. Atkinson will also fail if she is not given support and the opportunity to succeed by the Board and community.
I look forward to the meet and greet on Saturday, August 27th.
Ernest
August 19th, 2011
6:49 am
Write Your Board Members, I agree that the Board has bungled this process. They might agree that is true also. There should be a blueprint on how to handle introducing the finalist to the community during the 14 day period.
I will say with the exception of dissent, communication has flowed through Bowen, the Board chair. You see similar for Cobb in your post above. Does anyone know the final vote for their superintendent?
One can only speculate that given the hiring timeline that we understand from the media, Dr. Atkinson may have had some personal conflicts that prevented her from being her sooner. Nonetheless, community meeting expectations should have been set or discussed during the interview process.
Dunwoody Mom
August 19th, 2011
6:50 am
Ernest, you know much I respect you, but come on now. Parents in this district have begun to mobilize to demand a quality education for our children and now we are being criticized because we are starting to hold this board accountable? I’m disappointed.
Doris M
August 19th, 2011
6:51 am
Hey DeKalb, don’t follow in the footsteps of the DeSoto ISD down in Texas. You’ll soon be buying out the contract and looking for another superintendent. Heed the concerns of the community.
Cindy Lutenbacher
August 19th, 2011
7:01 am
Dr. Atkinson may be wonderful. It’s hard to tell.
Two things cause me immediate concern, and one has been noted, already. She’s changed jobs or location about every two years, with a stint or two of four years. As someone who has been at my institution for twenty-two years, I confess that I don’t understand such constant change.
My other concern is that her résumé and list of accomplishments speak to someone who seems to really buy the company line. For example, implementing “Success for All” is a terrible choice, in my opinion. SfA is a fine example of a make-money-off-tax-dollars scheme that is glitzy and boastful, but honors almost nothing of what we know about children, learning, literacy, and authentic assessment. Also, she’s a Broad-trained superintendent. Eli Broad and Bill Gates have proven themselves and their dollars to be true enemies of children.
So, I’m open to her possibility, but also skeptical about the directions she might find worthy for our kids.
Dunwoody Mom
August 19th, 2011
7:01 am
Dr. Atkinson will also fail if she is not given support and the opportunity to succeed by the Board and community.
My guess is those of us who do not support this hire will be the ones to step up and support her the most. It is our desire to see a turnaround in DCSS that will require us to make sure Dr. Atkinson does not fail.
IMO, many DCSS parents place a greater value on education than several board members.
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
7:05 am
Success for All is a big red flag, similar to America’s Choice. But Ms. Copelin-Woods is supporting her even though she is the one board member from S. DeKalb who consistently decries all these purchased programs.
Go figure — think she has looked at more than Dr. Atkinson’s picture?
Cindy Lutenbacher
August 19th, 2011
7:09 am
I know this is off topic a bit, but I always wonder what anyone does with a quarter-million dollars (or more) a year (plus expense allowances) if he/she is not supporting half a dozen college students, two elderly parents, and one or two special needs kids.
No, I’m not a communist, but I am sincere in these questions. Why do we accept such high salaries for public servants, when our schools are hurting so badly?
Ernest
August 19th, 2011
7:16 am
Dunwoody Mom, the respect for you is mutual! Dr. Atkinson should be vetted and scrutinized. I don’t disagree with that. My point is Maureen has offered 4 blogs on Dr. Atkinson since this announcement was made, one on the objections made that had over 200 posts. There have been over 800 posts on the AJC alone regarding this candidate, several posted by myself. We have many engaged citizens in DeKalb yet everyone should be able to acknowledge that we did not see the same level of discussions for the candidates in Cobb or Fulton. It does make one take a step back and wonder.
Dunwoody Mom
August 19th, 2011
7:20 am
Ernest, neither Cobb nor Fulton is in near the crisis mode DCSS finds itself in. As I said earlier, if this were a different time in DCSS, Dr. Atkinson may be a perfectly appropriate selection for the job. But, can we afford to “find out” if she is capable of going from a small school system with 1 high school to a school system with 22 high schools, most of which are struggling academically?
As I said, Dr. Atkinson will have my support, because there is no other option.
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
7:52 am
The Governor of New Jersey has talked about capping superintendent salaries. Atkinson was already making a really high salary for the number of students in Loraine.
Atlanta Media Guy
August 19th, 2011
7:52 am
Dunwoody Mom and Ernest, Awesome posts! I’m glad we have a meet and greet next Saturday. This process has been long and arduous for the stakeholders to watch. Except for the much expected racists comments of a few, the discussion has been spirited. I’ve also been told that Dr. Atkinson requested this meet and greet herself! Maybe she is reading our blogs and understands our frustrations. I certainly hope so.
I am going to give her a chance, however if we see the friends and family plan continue at our Palace, then we might find ourselves in this predicament 2 or 3 years from now. You know something is happening in DeKalb when Dunwoody Mom, Ernest and I agree with the vetting process of this candidate for Super.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
7:55 am
As Dunwoody Mom said, Fulton and Cobb can’t even be put in the same poor class as DeKalb. They are both in GA and both needed new superintendents and yet that is where the similarities end. It is worth noting that Fulton goes through superintendents like some women go through purses, but student achievement doesn’t suffer. That is probably because the people in the middle and the leaders in the school houses are all pretty high quality. DeKalb is SO NOT THERE.
I too will support Atkinson. For the children, I hope she can clean house and do what is necessary. If not, DeKalb, especially S. DeKalb, will continue to sink.
funny
August 19th, 2011
7:57 am
i think a more important topic is what happened to Dr. Barge and the math. during his campaign he wanted to do away with it and now Barge seems to be inline with the good ole boys and became a whipping boy of them. just when you think you vote and get a person elected for some real change and common sense solutions; they go off and stab you in the back
Ernest
August 19th, 2011
7:58 am
Dr. Atkinson will also have my support and I will do what I can to inform and mobilize those in my community to do the same. I can acknowledge that the level of parental and community engagement is not where is should be, for many of the schools in my community. Regardless of who is selected the superintendent, those challenges will still remain.
I did speak to someone yesterday that assured me that as Level 1 students are identified, small group sessions will be recommended with coaches. These coaches will provide direct instruction in the small group setting allowing the classroom teacher to work with Level 2 and Level 3 students. After school tutorials have also begun in several schools for Level 1 students. Usually this may not happen until October. There will also be checkpoints every 4 weeks regarding the progress of Level 1 students, so if different strategies are needed, they can be implemented. I see a concerted effort to address this area that needs the greatest amount of remediation.
Caring Mother
August 19th, 2011
8:00 am
An ounce of proactive action would have gone a long way here. My concerns for this candidate were born of the cryptic way that the board has handled this situation. DCSS is paying Cohn & Wolfe, a large PR firm here in Atlanta, $260,000 per year and have one in-house employee. If they’d consulted the PR agency, I feel certain they would have been advised not to announce the candidate at 11pm on a Fri. night, to have her credentials outlined clearly and accessibly, to share the criteria the board used to determine her qualifications and to have several meet & greet dates established at the time of announcement.
These small actions would not have put the parents of Dekalb so much on the defensive as the feeling that this candidate is being crammed down our throats. It likely would have allowed for the board to maintain a tight-lipped front, which seems to be what they agreed to do.
I’m very disappointed with the way they went about this, but not surprised at all.
Question
August 19th, 2011
8:27 am
“The Board has met with her and in my opinion, that is when you really get to know a candidate.” That’s right and two of them feel strongly that she is not the right person for the job.
“It does mean something that she was a finalist for two superintendent jobs this year.” I see your point. It also means that, in the end, these other systems did not think she was the right person for them.
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
8:33 am
At least one additional board member has just given up and is giving in. That is what I was told by this person. Dr. Walker is getting what he wants — based on his main criteria and I suspect his secondary criteria of being able to control the person.
Dunwoody Mom
August 19th, 2011
8:37 am
Will I be surprised come October if SACS puts DCSS on probation? No. Despite this hiring of Dr. Atkinson, the behavior of this board is as toxic and dysfunctional as APS.
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
8:39 am
You are right Dunwoody Mom, but for some reason Elgart turns a blind eye to the antics of DeKalb.
Cindy Lutenbacher
August 19th, 2011
8:45 am
I’m going to exit for a while, but I just want to say how very much I have appreciated this e-conversation, in no small measure because of the civility of the dialogue and the specificity of postings.
I confess to feeling ignorant about the “board’s behavior.” I can see some mistakes that the board has made in this whole hiring process, but I would like a lot more information about what others see in terms of the various actions of the board and its members. (With specifics, please.) Because today’s dialogue has been so calm and thoughtful, I would hope that such a conversation would maintain this ethos.
Maureen, does my question belong in a different day’s blog? Probably so.
Moving Fast - right out of here
August 19th, 2011
8:48 am
I agree with Maureen, it is really our distrust and total lack of faith with the DeKalb BOE for our scrutiny of this candidate. So much underhanded tactics to sink the other candidates has taken place. No punishment for the unethical behavior of board members. I wish we could have a total recall of the entire board, hire a super who could come in and clean out the mess at the Central Office. Our schools in DeKalb are hurting. The lawyers are making a killing off the mismanagement of DeKalb’s resources. Our teachers are not getting the support they need. Look at their pay and then the super’s pay and perks. If they do select this candidate, I hope everyone can get behind her and support her as she takes on a tough job. We have to support her if she is going to do the work that should be done – standing up to the board, cleaning house and raising academic standards.
Atlanta Media Guy
August 19th, 2011
9:00 am
Ernest, are the “coaches” you speak of certified teachers? I hear there are some coaches who do not have certification. I want teachers teaching our kids not coaches. If someone is uncomfortable using the term teacher at DCSS, then maybe we can call them a tutor? Coaches coach sports!
I know I’m caught in the semantics of it all. But at DCSS, teachers should teach! Tutors should tutor and coaches need to help our kids excel at athletics. Any title 1 coach of our Office of Improvement, who is not certified, should be given a chance to get certified, if their not certified within the year they should be let go.
Atlanta Media Guy
August 19th, 2011
9:04 am
Correction: In my last sentence I used “their” instead of “they’re”. My apologies to the English TEACHERS.
Ernest
August 19th, 2011
9:18 am
Atlanta Media Guy, as I understand those coaches are certified teachers. I’ll admit to getting confused during parts of that conversation. It was explained there are certain coaches that can only provide professional development to teachers. There are other coaches that can be used be a local principal to provide assistance in the classroom with small group settings. I don’t recall the designation for these coaches.
I did clarify that the after school tutorials are funded by Title 1. I recall a conversation a while back about the use of these funds and that prompted me to ask what role those funds played in the remediation efforts.
Citizen
August 19th, 2011
9:34 am
I think this is great that she is coming to speak. @ Ernest, I agree with what you have said. DCS has a lot of active parents in its system. This shows that Dr Atkinson may be up to the job ahead by proactively seeking a meet and greet before the final vote.
Dunwoody Mom
August 19th, 2011
9:40 am
Anyone have an idea who the “community members” are that get to ask the questions?
William Casey
August 19th, 2011
9:42 am
Has anyone considered that the “Board of Education” model of school governance itself may be an outmoded, antiquated method of leadership? The process of having a highly politicized “Board” choose a professional leader seems to me a throwback to the simpler school days of a hundred years ago. The fact that superintendents seldom remain in a job more than five years seems to indicate that the entire process is flawed. Even the best possible candidate would need five years to BEGIN changing the direction of a massive modern bureaucracy such as a suburban school system. This certainly isn’t a problem limited to DeKalb County. I watch the revolving door that is the superintendant’s position in Fulton County and simply shake my head in wonder. School leadership has become a bizarre “shell game” of failed slogans and panaceas that evaporate in the harsh environment that is modern public education.
Ernest
August 19th, 2011
9:44 am
Write Your Board Members, to the point of your post at 7:52, that is a situation worth following. To put things in perspective Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett are among the top 40 school districts in the country, each with over 90K+ students. We also have several 1-2 high school districts in the metro area. If you look at the salaries for the superintendents in the metro area, you will see they are relatively close. This despite wide disparities in the number of students in each of the school districts.
Should a superintendent’s salary factor in the number of students in the school district? Using simple math, we can see that if you look at ‘cost per student’ as a measure, the large school districts are getting a bargain when compared to smaller school districts. I realize you also have to consider the cost of living for that particular school district also. I’m throwing this out more for a discussion point than anything else.
Dekalb taxpayer
August 19th, 2011
10:04 am
She shouldn’t have any trouble finding an affordable house in Dekalb. The state of the school system has contributed, I believe, to the decrease in home prices in the county.
Lee
August 19th, 2011
10:07 am
Is Atkinson the right hire for Dekalb? Sorta like Pelosi and Obamacare (we’ll just have to pass it to see what’s in it), we really wont know until a couple of years down the road.
My guess? Given this lady’s past work history, as soon as the ink is dry on the contract, she will be shopping around for another school system that pays more. Her very action of signing a contract extention while looking for another job speaks volumes to her integrity.
Atlanta Media Guy
August 19th, 2011
10:12 am
Ernest, Great discussion points! You know this talk of salaries makes me chuckle. It was just 3-4 years ago, that our former Super was screaming for a raise. But as we all know, it would have been bad optics for the Super to be getting a raise, while teachers were giving up retirement promises made by DCSS. It was just weeks before the indictment came down that the BOE agreed to a salary increase. If you ask me, bad optics all around!
Salaries in all facets of education, all over the country, have risen exponentially over the past 2 years. All facets but one, TEACHERS! How about we start giving our teachers, what we promised them, first. Then we should give the teachers what they deserve, before we add another Palace dweller or any current Palace Dweller gets a raise. I’m just saying…….
Wally Ernest
August 19th, 2011
10:19 am
As a resident of Lorain, Ohio, I would be very glad to see Dr. Atkinson leave our school system. For the past six months, she has tried to leave but, failed to get hired . One was by the Cleveland, Ohio school system. She insisted that she wasn’t hunting for a new job and this circus wasn’t affecting her job performance. I would suggest that if one wants to learn more about her, read the local newspaper, The Morning Journal can be read in a limited fashion, on line. Another newspaper is the Chronical Tribune, located in the community next door to Lorain, Elyria, Ohio.
The general feeling is that Atkinson is a carpet bagger, that will leave any system for a raise. Yet, she claims that she has the children’s interest at mind. Yeah, right. Our wish here is , for the board here, to let her go now. Here it is a week before school starts and we don’t know if we are going to need a new superintendent or not. Let her go, and continue with the business of educating our kids.
DeKalb Mom
August 19th, 2011
10:24 am
Really, what this boils down to, is a PR failure. Had the DeKalb Board brought Dr. Atkinson in for a “meet and greet” prior to naming her Superintendent, rather than making an 11 p.m. announcement they thought would fly under the radar, this might not have happened. Parents might have had a chance to get to know her first and have embraced her and her enthusiasm as an educator and have then been willing to focus less on the few negative tidbits about her that we’ve been fed. Unfortunately, this Board is so corrupt and used to hiding their misdeeds that they feel the need to hide and mask everything they’re doing, and immediately get defensive when called out on it.
What they need, in addition to some ethics training and guidelines, is a strong PR person to teach them how to deal with the public in an honest and forthright manner.
Citizen
August 19th, 2011
10:35 am
Has anyone seen this? This group is supporting Dr Atkinson. Maybe they know something as well.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wabe/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1841361/Atlanta./Educators‘.Group.Supports.Dekalb.Superintendent.Pick
yes i am worried
August 19th, 2011
10:39 am
ODE is one of the least effective advocacy groups on the planet. Shutten never stands up to the school system and their support means virtually nothing. He doesn’t like some of the board members and this is how he handles it.
Teachers generally don’t like change, so Shutten finds it critical that a superintendent is hired rather than a interim with a backbone to make changes.
Disgusted
August 19th, 2011
10:52 am
I just, I will always be disgusted by such astronomical salaries and perks while teachers are being laid off en masse.
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
11:06 am
DeKalb Mom
This board has had a tremendous amount of training. THEY JUST DON’T CARE WHAT THE RULES ARE. Far too many of them believe they are above the rules, etc.
Dunwoody Mom
August 19th, 2011
11:10 am
Didn’t the Board members just get certificates at the last board meeting for completing their required state school board training? My guess is that certain members continually sleep through this training because they keep on ignoring the rules.
alm
August 19th, 2011
11:12 am
I would give the board a big fat F on the superintendent search. Not because of who they picked but because they are very unprofessional.
I can’t comment on Dr. Atkinson because I have not read everything yet. To the people that complain that she’s not the best candidate well guess what? DeKalb will never get the best because the best can pick and choose. Would you choose to work for 9 dysfunctional bosses?
To Cindy from Good Mother
August 19th, 2011
11:17 am
You asked a really good question ” Why do we accept such high salaries for public servants, when our schools are hurting so badly?”
Parents for DeKalb County Schools
August 19th, 2011
12:16 pm
We’re engaging and connecting parents across DeKalb County to ensure that parents are engaged and informed about this and future issues so that the best possible education can be provided to our children. Please join 700 of your fellow residents who have completed the online approval rating poll of DCSS and get in the loop! http://ParentsForDeKalbSchools.org.
The Deal
August 19th, 2011
12:46 pm
I hope the new Parents for DeKalb County Schools group is going to stick around after this superintendent selection has passed? It’s obvious that most of our frustration at this point is directed at the board, and we could use a neutral group (not PTA, not ODE) that can include anyone, like neighbors, people who don’t have kids, as well as parents, to take action on any number of things related to the schools.
dekalbed
August 19th, 2011
12:55 pm
Ernest and Dunwoody Mom,
Isn’t providing “support” what got us into this mess? It seems that no matter how disingenuous educational “iniatives” are, how much DCSS ignores administrative culpability, and how much DCSS invests in its top-heavy salaries outside of the classroom, we concerned parents and teachers provide this support by teaching our students in spite of self-interested, inept board members and administrators. If this were a volunteer initiative that would be fine. But it’s not; we’re talking about the mismanagement of millions of dollars. Worse, we’re dooming all those students who lack a support system at home to a life of minimum wage or unemployment.
In good conscience, I cannot support someone because a mediocre resume (how many career administrators exist in our country? where is the stand-out hallmark of her educational, leading , pecuniary prowess?) and the dysfunctional board that got us into this mess says so.
Ernest, coaches are not the answer. Small classes are. How can we put the 50% of 8th graders failing the social studies CRCT, as one example, into 9th grade classes and expect these teachers (with a maximum number of students at 175 in schools that offer seven periods) to individualize lessons for 87 students? Lets not forget that this is in addition to recording the multiple intelligences of each student, tracking ways in which you appealed to them, writing up individualized plans, creating data walls, calling the parents of all failing students, calling the parents of all late students, calling the parents of absente students, and recording the grades for all 175 students.
I don’t want platitudes; I want action.
Real innovation involves meaningful collaboration with the community; smaller, remedial classes;using the many certified “educators” employed outside the building to work with students in substituting and instructional capacities.
amazed
August 19th, 2011
1:05 pm
@William Casey
I think the biggest problem with the BOEs is that aspiring politicians have discovered they can be used as stepping stones to other offices. We have too many people who want to be politicians instead of wanting to help govern the schools. And in Dekalb we have members wanting to sell pizzas, books, get jobs for relatives….
Ernest
August 19th, 2011
1:15 pm
dekalbed, no one disagrees that smaller class sizes can be the best remedy for helping students that need the greatest amount of help. The reality is there is a limit in tax dollars that citizens are willing to pay to have this. When you consider the declining property tax revenues along with the increasing cost of goods and services, you can see how we’ve reach the point where every dollar is scrutized.
I saw someone post that using simple math that there are approximately 17 students per teacher in DeKalb. You look in most classrooms and see far more than that. Government regulations specify the teacher-student ratio for some students such as special needs and gifted. As a result, some schools may have classes with upwards of 30+ students. Title 1 dollars does help but DCSS has not realized a significant impact from them.
Take a look around the country and you will see that teachers are being laid off. I read that over 200 teachers were scheduled to be laid of the Dr. Atkinson’s district prior to her arrival. Given the size of that district, one would think that would significantly impact class sizes however she was able find grant money to retain many of them. The class size problem is not unique to this school district. There is a cost associated with adding more classroom teachers
dekalbed
August 19th, 2011
2:42 pm
Ernest,
You’re right. There are many school districts laying off teachers. Sadly, though, this is because education has become a business. As a teacher who works more each year despite less pay and more hassle, I cannot support tax increases or the request for more money. Dekalb gets enough. It just spends it on the wrong things: pr firms (student achievement is the best pr), lawyers (often unnecessary if we were doing the right thing), expensive administrative complex, useless computer upgrades, packaged curricula, and superfluous adminstrators (aren’t we spending 40% of our salary budget outside the school building?).
According to public records, last year Dekalb employed 20 transportation directors (5 made +$100,000), 16 transportation secretaries and clerks (wouldn’t it be nice if teachers or departments had these? how much do these directors do each day? how many students do they interact with and how much paperwork are they required to fill out?): 3 directors of curriculum/instruction making +$105,000, 59 instructional supervisos (21 made +$100,000 and 19 made +$90,000), and 41 other instruction (curious title); 19 finance/business personnel (6 made +$100,00 and 3 made +$85,000), and another 34 IS personell in finance/business.
That’s alot of money for teachers. In fact, those overpaid administrators are making more than a phd-holding teacher who maxes out. Are dollars really being “scrutinized”?
catlady
August 19th, 2011
2:42 pm
So, about $23,000 per MONTH for salary, plus about $5300 Per MONTH for expenses for the first six months, (which drops to “only” $3350 after six months)? My God! This must be the richest school system in the country! Oh, no, it is Dekalb? The county that has not kept its word with its teachers regarding retirement pay-in?
Folks, NO ONE not doing the work in education does anything to earn that kind of money! She should be rejected and the board recalled immediately for gross misuse of funds!
catlady
August 19th, 2011
2:45 pm
” Title 1 dollars does help but DCSS has not realized a significant impact from them.”
Ernest, too busy buying books written by an administrator with those Title 1 dollars.
redweather
August 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
As I have posted in another blog, and as others have continued to note, Dr. Atkinson never stays anywhere very long. If I’m considering hiring her, that is about as red as a red flag can get.
catlady
August 19th, 2011
2:49 pm
My proposal: No superintendent should be paid more than twice the rate for its most highly-paid, hands-on, instructing teacher. In my system, that would be less than $150,000. No additional bennies that rank and file teachers don’t get, other than a limit of 2 professional association memberships.
Disgusted
August 19th, 2011
2:49 pm
So with the meet and greet scheduled after the 14 day waiting period this must mean she is hired, no matter what. What is truly sad is the total destruction of our system under Lewis and the continued destruction under Tyson. The Board should have let her leave, not given her a raise. Clean house and get rid of the total incompetance at the Central Office all the way to some Administrators at some schools. When, as a volunteer, I am having to oversee certain activities that DeKalb has a paid staff member that is supposed to take care of, I question the whole system.
Dekalbite@ Ernest and dekalbed
August 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
Let’s look at Marietta City Schools which is almost identical to DCSS in demographics except they have a greater poverty rate.
Look how Emily Lembeck, the Marietta superintendent of school system feels about the “core business of educating students”:
From the AJC June 20, 2011:
School officials said the budget process has been challenging since 2008. Lembeck said privatizing custodial jobs was a difficult decision based on the economy, which has driven school systems to look at business and staffing practices….
…It becomes more difficult to protect what happens in the classroom without looking at some services that are not directly related,” Lembeck said. “Reducing days of instruction through furloughs and larger class sizes is not in the best interest of our core business of educating students.”
50% of Marietta City School personnel are teachers. They have preserved their teaching personnel at all costs.
Compare class sizes for Marietta City and DCSS:
Ms. Tyson has stated DCSS has around 6,400 teachers, but I’m going to go with 6,500 figure. Let’s use 97,000 for student numbers (that’s the figure on all of the DOE sites).
Regular Education teachers in DCSS have around a 28 to 1 ratio of students to teacher while Marietta City Schools have around a 19 to 1 ratio of students to teacher. Regular Education teachers are the teachers who teach students math, science, social studies and language arts.
For Parents interested in how their child can sit in a class of 30+ in DCSS, read on.
DCSS:
97,000 students divided by 6,500 teachers = 15 to 1 students to teacher ratio.
DCSS has quite a few Special Ed teachers (around 1300+) and Media Specialists (160), Gifted, Coaches, etc. They add up to around 3,000. When you take out the almost 3,000 teachers that are NOT grade level and content area teachers, you are left with around 3,500 grade level and content area teachers (also called Regular Education Teachers).
97,000 divided by 3,500 Regular Education teachers (the ones that teach math, science, social studies, and language arts to every child) = 28 to 1 student to teacher ratio.
Let’s remember that the Primary teachers cannot have 28 in a classroom and the thousands of magnet students cannot either. So now the teachers in grades 4 – 12 in the Regular Education classes have to take on extra students. That’s how we see 34 and 35 and even higher in high school classes.
Marietta City Schools:
Marietta City Schools has 653 teachers and 7,800 students per the state DOE and state salary and travel report.
7,800 students divided by 653 teachers = 12 to 1 students to teacher ratio.
418 out of 653 Marietta City Schools teachers are grade level or content area teachers (i.e. Regular Education teachers).
7,800 students divided by 418 Regular Education teachers (the ones that teach math, science, social studies, and language arts to every child) = 19 to 1 students to teacher ratio.
Interestingly enough, I didn’t see any Pre-K teachers in the Marietta system so perhaps the Pre-K is being done by the private day care systems.
Dekalbite@ Ernest and dekalbed
August 19th, 2011
2:57 pm
Look at Marietta City Schools low income concentration of students per school as contrasted to their Adequate Yearly Progress. We are always told we have so many students in poverty that little can be done to move them forward. But this system with a greater concentration of poverty than DCSS has had consistent progress.
Marietta City Schools
Title 1 schools:
Burruss ES – 45% low income – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Dunleith ES – 100% low income – Met AYP for 2 years (Did Not Meet this year)
Hickory Hills ES – 100% low income – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Lockheed ES – 100% low income – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Marietta 6th Grade School – 64% low income – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Marietta High School – 45% low income – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Marietta Middle School – 66% low income – Met AYP for 2 years (Did Not Meet this year)
Park Street ES – 100% low income – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Sawyer Road ES – 100% low income – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Westside ES – 42% low income – met AYP for the last 3 years
Marietta Charter School – 20% low income – Met AYP for 2 years (Did Not Meet this year)
Non-Title 1 Schools:
Marietta Center for Advanced Academics – Met AYP for the last 3 years
Not to take away from the accomplishments of Dr. Atkinson, but her school system is almost the exact same size as Marietta City Schools. I wish we were looking at a similar student achievement record.
Disgusted
August 19th, 2011
2:58 pm
Actually, disgusted is an understatement. I have teacher friends in Dekalb that have not seen a meager 2% cost of living increase in over FOUR YEARS. Same salary for several years, yet here these jokers are getting thousands in monthly expenses stipends ON TOP OF their six figure salary??? Have mercy.
Happy Feet
August 19th, 2011
3:11 pm
So it appears she worked in Rockdale County for a couple of years (did not stay in any one place for a decent amount of time), has anyone bothered to check there?
teacher reader
August 19th, 2011
3:25 pm
Besides her high salary and expenses each month, her salary cannot be lowered unless she agrees to it. Teachers on the front line have not had that option. They have had retirement benefits taken away from them as well.
The entire way this was handled was poor. Hopefully if she does keep things as they are, that people will wise up and elect better people for our school board. Something in education has to change. Our children are falling further and further behind.
Write Your Board Members
August 19th, 2011
3:31 pm
This Board does not want change– they are very interested in protecting the status quo, at least the majority of them.
Happy Feet, at most of her other jobs, she was so far down the food chain, that people don’t have a reason to remember her.
Wrong person for the wrong job — but she will be hired anyway.
Dekalb taxpayer
August 19th, 2011
4:07 pm
She gets more in expense money than some DCSS employees get in salary. If we lowered the amount of the salary and benefit package, would we get lower caliber applicants? It’s hard to imagine. I think it would be worth a try. We might get fewer professional job-hoppers applying.
Abandon hope all ye who enter here
August 20th, 2011
7:49 am
Well, it would appear that we are entering an even lower level here in DeKalb. At this point, I don’t believe it will improve until SACS takes away accreditation from what passes as a school system here in DeKalb County. I doubt that will happen, though. Do I want that to happen? No, especially since I have a child that is in the 11th grade. I liken the whole DCS crisis to a wound on the body. Currently, we are in the inflammatory phase and the wound will not improve until some strong medicine is applied (I don’t think Dr. Atkinson is what any good doctor would prescribe). Perhaps losing accreditation may do it. Maybe then self- proclaimed communtity leaders, silent county and state government officials, apathetic parents, and uninformed citizens who re-elect ineffective, unethical board members will sit up and take notice of the pain that is inflicted on our children. Only then will we be able to move on to the proliferative and remodeling phases of the healing process. I am amazed at how seven out of nine people can choose to ignore the concerns of the public and appoint this candidate as superintendent. I am angered by the arrogance of board members who can subject us to one poor decision after another, yet they are relatively unchecked by the state accreditation agency, or even chastised by our governor or county commissioner. I wonder just how desperate or greedy this candidate must be to come here knowing how little support she would have from the parent base. Do not expect anything different from Dr. Atkinson; that is why the board wants her to have the position. I feel bad for the schoolhouse employees; the people who work directly with, and support our children each school day. As with Ramona Tyson, when it came time for layoffs, those layoffs did not come from “administrative obesity.” Shamefully, (most) layoffs came from the lowest paid employees in DCS. Statistically, it is very likely some of these same people are still looking for a job, given the current economic climate. Yes. business as usual will continue in DCS. However, when it comes time for more SPLOST money, I wll give to them what they have given to me and mine. NOTHING.
Abandon hope all ye who enter here
August 20th, 2011
7:51 am
Sorry, I meant to say how our board can go unchecked by our county commissioners and CEO.
WAKE UP
August 20th, 2011
8:53 am
“As I said, Dr. Atkinson will have my support, because there is no other option.”
This is truely the saddest statement of sentiment I have see! I guess your children have “no other option” beacause you are giving up?
If Atkinson was the right person for the Dekalb super job, then …
- Lorain, OH would be begging her to stay and not created a this cheesy PR campaign (they seem to be happily kicking her to the curb).
- The several other school systems she has interviewed with would have gobbled her up.
- The Dekalb Board would not have had to hire her so in such mysterious circumstances.
She seems to be climbing all these ladders and jumping from school district to school district and yet she is known as someone who “cleans up” districts? C’mon people, WAKE UP!
Public school -- NOT!!
August 20th, 2011
9:03 am
Off topic, but regarding a related AJC article — “No Child Left Behind forces transfer decisions on school systems, parents”, every day my wife and I are grateful we have the resources to be able to send our children to private school, since K and now high school. Though we are double paying for their education, e.g., our property taxes are approximately $6500 per year, these continuing stories about the public school systems in “Atlanta” only confirm that our decision to avoid the public school systems is spot on !!!!
Ari Silverstein
August 20th, 2011
9:04 am
Until the DeKalb residents, including those on the board, can get past making every decision based on race, regardless of whether an invidivual is qualified to hold an office or be our school supt., then why should we expect to receive the best from our efforts?
Ponder
August 20th, 2011
9:14 am
Ari Silverstein at 9:04 am — welcome to the world of Atlanta politics, political correctness, and the mentality and voting block of the generational government dependents….
John
August 20th, 2011
9:17 am
Let’s send a clear message to the school board and not re-electing them next year. I have become tired of county and government officials being paid hansom salaries to destroy the fabric of our community. Dekalb County was once the best school system in the state 30 years ago and one of the best counties to live. Now we are noted for have one of the worst school systems in the country? We as constituantes need to be more thorough in our decision process when we put people in public office. Our school system speak loud when try to attract new business opportunities and jobs. We need to take back control of our county and put THE BEST qualified person in office, not who is the easiest to find.
Reality
August 20th, 2011
9:21 am
Ari and Ponder — funny (maybe not), but you just described the process and outcome of our Presidential election of 2008!!!
Jacquie
August 20th, 2011
9:46 am
The last thing we need is another superintendant to come in here and bleed the school system and can’t produce. Just because the school system is majority black does not mean we have to have a black person fill that position. I have several friends who have moved from Dekalb County schools to either Gwinette & Cobb to offer their children a better education. Not only are some parents failing their children but our school board is failing us also. Let’s get this mess cleaned up & get it right.
DeKaldEdukated
August 20th, 2011
10:44 am
Administrators in DeKalb are bought and paid for. Anyone who understands the dynamics in the buildings on the south side understands this. Most of the administrators are painfully incompetent and very, very poorly educated. They make money that they could never make anywhere else. By all appearances, this new super will be no different. Anyone who knows and deals with the Bowens, Womacks, Walkers, Cunninghams, and Copelin-Woods knows that they likewise are way, way out of the league. Why would they get a good super, since they themselves are so incompetent? Maybe citizens will mobilize now and work for real change through the ballot box. My fear as a south DeKalb resident who has spent a lot of time in developing countries is that, for my part of the county, it is too late. We are becoming like an Atlanta version of Soweto. The money is fast drying up, and white folks are about fed up with the all corruption that infects our black-run institutions. It is embarrassing to me that I drive along roads overgrown with weeds by schools that do not teach basic reading and writing knowing that white people on the north side foot the bills.
starlight
August 20th, 2011
11:02 am
@WAKEUP-you are right on target. Cheryl Atkinson is the wrong choice, only to be found out in the coming months at the expense of our children. Does the fact that she has not be able to stay on any job more than a couple a years despite being mid-50ish mean nothing? I think it’s very telling of professional flaws/running cover-ups. Despite the flashy smile and fancy clothes, she is a very nasty person who does not hesitate to name call and belittle people who do not see things her way. Tragic choice. Phony. Incompetent. Lazy. Can’t get along with people long-term.
Duluth
August 20th, 2011
11:03 am
Agree w/ WAKE UP
I hope these FAILING SCHOOL BOARDS (because lets ADMIT they are THE problem) realize that they are creating a DOMINO EFFECT that will ….
KILL THE RECOVERY FROM RECESSION IN THE METRO ATL.
No one will want to move here and companies will look at this CRAP that is OUR public schools.
The DOMINO EFFECT started with Clayton, then Dekalb and Atlanta. Do the powers that be on these school boards realize that they will be INFECTING Gwinnett, Cobb, etc, etc, etc. Your bad decisions and receckless behavior are killing ATLANTA METRO and any chances of a quicker recovery.
WILBANKS better watch out because we will be getting more of Dekalb’s CRAP. We already are taking much of their failures and look at what is happening with AYP in Gwinnett. GCPS parents and taxpayers need to bombard Wilbanks and others making them realize we don’t need anymore of Dekalb’s or Atlanta’s leftovers SNEAKING over the border. Illegal Immigration is still alive and well!
DO NOT SETTLE! Your neighbors are watching and should have a say about the FIASCO you continue to create from them!
Theft Alert
August 20th, 2011
11:45 am
“I have several friends who have moved from Dekalb County schools to either Gwinette & Cobb to offer their children a better education.”
Moved just their kids (by driving them to say S Gwinnett from Lithonia) or done the right thing and sold their home and bought a home in Gwinnett. Something tells me the 1st scenario described is an accurate assessment of what has taken place. GCPS needs to be on the lookout for enrollment to swell. Gwinnett tax payers will continue to be robbed by Dekalb. BOLO for Dekalb license plates to increase dramatically at Gwinnett schools.
teacher reader
August 20th, 2011
1:39 pm
@ DeKalb Edukated
I hope that you’ll take a look at the latest entry in DeKalb County School Watch Blog.
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/
I believe that it will open your eyes to what is going on in education. As a former educator, it makes perfect sense to me and is the reason that I left teaching. Not sure what we can really do about it, as the government is entrenched in education now.
Dunwoody Mom
August 21st, 2011
10:28 am
We already are taking much of their failures and look at what is happening with AYP in Gwinnett</i?
Gwinnett County School System has never made AYP.
Dunwoody Mom
August 21st, 2011
10:32 am
We already are taking much of their failures and look at what is happening with AYP in Gwinnett
Gwinnett County School System has never made AYP.
Duluth
August 21st, 2011
10:45 am
“Gwinnett County School System has never made AYP.”
No more sneakers / cheaters with Dekalb plates sitting in carpool at ANY GCPS!
Dekalbite@Theft Alert
August 21st, 2011
12:30 pm
Dekalb Schools (along with APS, Cobb Schools, and Fulton Schools) LOSE literally tens of millions of tax dollars every year under the “equalization” formula as the state redistributes the money to “poorer” rural systems. Gwinnett Schools continues to be classified a “poorer” rural system, so they GAIN tens of millions of dollars from the rest of us. Since Gwinnett is so populous and therefore heavily represented in the legislature, nothing ever gets done to rectify this. That is one reason my property taxes are so much higher in DeKalb – we have to make up the difference that flows out of the county. I would say any DCSS students who slip through the cracks in Gwinnett can’t even come close to the “equalization” inequity (FYI – that’s an oxymoron).
Write Your Board Members
August 21st, 2011
1:12 pm
Dunwoody Mom
Gwinnett system has never made AYP but most of their schools do. They absolutely do a better job than DCSS even with their most challenging students. From hiring principals to professional development for the teachers, GCPS is heads above DeKalb.
Dunwoody Mom
August 21st, 2011
1:27 pm
@Write your Board Members…I don’t disagree. However, to those who think AYP is the only thing that matters, I was just pointing out that the fact that GCPS has never made AYP.
Dr NO aka Mr Sunshine
August 22nd, 2011
7:09 am
$275K annually plus expenses, plus gas allowance etc. Geesh!! Where is her free cadillac? Why not just give her a blank check.
Dunwoody Mom
August 22nd, 2011
9:22 am
I know that many people will have questions about the ideas Dr. Atkinson has for turning around DCSS academically. I, for one, would like to ask how she plans to handle Board of Education members who will attempt to entrench themselves in the day to day running of the school system.
Dunwoody Mom
August 22nd, 2011
10:37 am
Charter schools which are part of an LEA can be a “receiving” school. I think the rules are a bit different for stand-alone charter schools as they are not part of an LEA.
Dunwoody Mom
August 22nd, 2011
10:37 am
Oops…wrong thread.
Ernest
August 22nd, 2011
6:33 pm
Dunwoody Mom, I understand what you are suggesting however we must remember, the superintendent is the only employee of the Board. If a subordinate believes their boss is doing something contrary to their duties, they should inform the Board member and entire Board, if necessary. If the behavior continues and no action is taken on that Board member, the superintendent could appeal to SACS. I recall Dr. Brown did that while he was superintendent.
MedlockMan
August 23rd, 2011
9:11 am
It is great to see so many voices getting involved in this process. I have to agree with “howdy1942″. The sad part of all this is that no matter who is selected for Superintendent, he or she will have to contend with the inept board. Unfortunately the public can not be trusted to vote out the members, so our best bet is is a unpopular one, be put on probation by SACS and follow in the steps of APS. The board has to be removed in order for the next Superintendent, to actually be “super” in that job.
Improved performance for district run by DeKalb school chief finalist | Get Schooled
August 23rd, 2011
1:12 pm
[...] Lorain city schools improved this year on the annual state of Ohio report card. That is relevant because the DeKalb County school board has chosen the superintendent there to lead its system. (Cheryl Atkinson comes here Saturday to meet parents.) [...]
SHS
August 24th, 2011
3:11 pm
Apparently Cheryl Atkinson follows only the rules that she chooses to follow. Question #5 on the DCSS job application is clear: Yes or No; if Yes, then attach a separate page of explanation about litigation.
Husband’s construction business bankruptcy? Really? Take a look at the bankruptcy papers. Go to http://www.box.net.
Nowhere is the construction business named.
Why is Atkinson’s name the only one on Bankruptcy docket #1? Why is Atkinson’s name the only name on the related adversary proceeding?
Why is Calvary Academy of the King named as a creditor? Does Atkinson send her children to private school? (BTW — a bit of investigation reveals that Calvary Academy of the King also does business as Calvary Revival Church which is part of The Father’s House, a nationwide network that tithes to Eddie Long and New Birth.)
Other creditors include Haynes Furniture, a dental practice, and a resort timeshare to name a few.
Construction business bankruptcy — or personal bankruptcy?
Hmmm … Alpha Kappa Alpha, New Birth connections, changes grades for the well-connected, follows only the rules she chooses, doesn’t take calls from principals, maintains silence and/or half-truths in the face of questions and concerns. Yep. Fits right in with the BOE and Palace people.
Claude Jilia
August 24th, 2011
10:38 pm
Interesting…
In addition to the bankruptcy, Cheryl Atkinson also had a foreclosure at 7135 Howell Ridge Road in Huntersville, NC in May 2008; one year after she moved to Ohio to take her current Sup. job. Isn’t a foreclosure a legal action which she was a party to? Did she list this on her application in Dekalb County? And who at Dekalb Co. vetted this candidate? This is public knowledge (see below).
http://meckcama.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/relookup/
http://meckcama.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/RELookup/PropertyDetail.aspx
BOE Product
August 24th, 2011
11:22 pm
Excuse my math here: at least two bankruptcies in a short period of time and you are going to hand over a system with an almost $billion budget. Let her manager her own expenses first before we hand over the keys to the store to this woman. What a lesson to instill in our children, huh. I bet Wells Fargo Mortgage wouldn’t support her candidacy (or maybe they would so they could get some of the money she owes them). Something is fishy here. Why all this discussion if she is a shoe in? Why all the jumping around? If she is hired, this won’t end good. She got moral risk all over her face. If she lied on her application, this is all a moot point anyway.
Talk among yourselves for a year and lets meet right back here in 2012. I can hardly wait…