It’s official: DeKalb hires Ohio school chief in split vote.
School chief finalist Cheryl Atkinson met the DeKalb public for the first time today, wrapping up the session just a few minutes ago.
UPDATE Monday morning: The DeKalb board approved Dr. Atkinson this morning in a 6-3 vote. She is now officially the new school chief of the third largest system in the state of Georgia.
In her first meet-and-greet Saturday morning with the community, DeKalb school chief finalist Cheryl Atkinson came across as open, tough, seasoned and ready for the challenges of the fractured district.
Twice, to applause both times, Atkinson said she had no problem letting people go who are not performing. She also won applause when she said that education takes place in the classroom, not in the central office.
(You gained the sense that the DeKalb parents in the audience believe there is too much dead weight in the central office as the applause was reflexive whenever Atkinson talked about changes at that level.)
“My focus will be on our students and student success first with adults and political issues taking a distant second. Children must come first. Our decisions, my decisions, must first and foremost focus on what is good for all children. My intention is to create an internal structure that will allow effective educators to focus on the core mission improving academic performance. We do not have the luxury of allowing non-academic related issues to consume the attention and focus of all our educators,” she said
She also earned applause when she said that she didn’t believe in teaching to tests, but she did believe in preparing for them, including raising the performance of high school students on the college admission tests, the SAT and the ACT. In Kansas City, she pushed and obtained ACT testing for every student during the school day.
Atkinson called for lacrosse and fencing so more students can participate in sports. She called for updated vo-tech offerings, such as alternative energies. She called for Smart Boards in every classroom. She called for a laptop or iPad for every student.
Her strong performance probably allayed the concerns of some folks, although great rhetoric doesn’t always produce great results. Atkinson’s selection has met with resistance from many parents, who do not believe that she has the depth to manage the 100,000-student urban district and all its problems, including flagging student performance and a stubborn achievement gap.
But Atkinson emphasized that she has done this work for three decades and understands what’s required to boost student achievement and change cultures.
“It is hard work. It is heavy lifting and it will take time. When student achievement is not improving, particularly as it relates to the very foundation for what we do, reading and reading, skills, you can pretty much guarantee your foundation has crumbled and is certainly broken.”
In response to a question on bloat in the central office, Atkinson said the greater question is competency of that staff. She predicted that she would likely downsize, but said her first task would be figuring out who’s doing what and how well they’re doing it. “I have no problem saying to someone you have to go,” she said.
Asked about her husband’s bankruptcy and her failure to list it on her DeKalb application, Atkinson addressed only her own financial abilities, saying that her husband’s small business finances have never affected her abilities to be an effective manager of her schools. She said she has handled complex financial challenges, including in Lorain, and done it well.
Atkinson promised one-on-one meetings with principals, admitting that it would take a lot of her time. “I have some time,” she said. She pledged to meet with teachers and teacher groups, saying that they were critical to her plans to turn around DeKalb schools.
“I never met one kindergarten child who said ‘I am going to drop out in several years.’ Something else happens, and so we have to fix that and we have to stop it,” she said.
In her final comment, Atkinson told the crowd, “It is not all bad. There are some very good things happening in this district. We will built upon those things.”
–from Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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199 comments Add your comment
Hen-pecked Husband of Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
12:37 am
Mrs. Atkinson and Mr. Atkinson: Help me! She’s driving me crazy too. Cere, please come over and take me to the Clarkson Waffle House (the first one in the country, by the way). I need a Grand Slam Breakfast! Wait a minute…that’s from Denny’s, right? Well…just take me out of Dunwoody for the night! All she can talk about is Mrs. (or Dr.) Atkinson and the fact that Tom, Gene, & Jay leaked the info to our boy at WSB-TV about Lilly. All I can hear about is Lilly! Dang! That Hickory Hillbilly Lilly is driving me crazy! Well, she might not be a real “hillbilly” but it did rhyme, right? What alliteration! I am on a roll tonight! Cere, please come pick me up! Bootney, you and Cere come over and get me, OK? We can go down to that place on Candler Road that looks like a Waffle House but it ain’t. It’s some kind of House…with red and black decor! Red & Black? Yes, the Dogs! Right around the corner from Southwest DeKalb! The Dogs will have two of Buck’s SWD players playing for the Dogs this Saturday against Boise State. I hope the Broncos don’t jump on us like my wife has jumped on Mrs. Dr. Atkinson! But, may I let you in on a little secret? The Mom likes the Broncos too! She’s got a nickel on the game and plans to spoil my September 3 game.
Please, please help me! Chilly’s giving her a chance. I think that Dr. Trotter, the crusty curmudgeon, is giving her a chance. Why can’t the Mom let it go? She has become obsessive compulsive over this choice. Hey, she needs to get over it. The Trio (Tom, Gene, & Jay) obviously want someone whom they can control. No big deal. More pizzas coming! More jobs for Friends & Family! Who cares?! Just let it be. Don’t drive me to drinking beet juice and eating onion sandwiches! Just let Tom, Gene, & Jay croon to the sweet melodies of Jerry Butler…Only The Strong Survive…You Gotta Be Strong…You Gotta To Hold On…No Ever Feel That You Can’t Make It, Baby…
Dwight Thomas, do you do divorce law?
Atlanta Media Guy
August 28th, 2011
12:43 am
Sorry AMG, I was not talking about in-school administrators. I was talking about Palace administrators. There has been research done and many in the Palace have had huge raises over the past 5 years. The one set of DCSS employees, who should not have any cuts in salary or furloughs are the teachers. The DCSS budget has been balanced on the back of teachers for too long. Cerebration has the links about the salaries.
I hope Dr. A can cut the bloat at the Palace. Expose the entire E&Y audit of 5 years ago and get a new one going immediately. Dr. A needs to have a solid baseline to measure her successes. Cutting the staff at the Palace by 30% should be her first task. She’ll win over a lot of hearts of stakeholders if she did the trimming. Of course, the BOE and Bowen would not be happy, if she cut any friends or family. Personally, they should go first! So it will be interesting to see who runs the system, Tom Bowen or Dr. A.?
DCSS Educator
August 28th, 2011
1:58 am
As an educator in a successful Title 1 school, I am sick and tired of the “North vs. South” chatter. Successful schools happen when parental involvement, great teaching, and strong leadership work together for the common good (educating children). There are excellent schools in “south” DeKalb, and some less successful schools in “North” DeKalb, but to recognize those schools removes another layer of excuses/blame some Board members promote to keep things stirred up.
Until the citizens of south DeKalb organize and have a strategy to have qualified, educated candidates for Board positions, the BoE will continue to block change. People keep crying out for change but the same people keep getting re-elected as Board members. The last election held hope, but the vote was split b/c there were too many candidates for one district and the incumbent was re-elected.
Many are concerned Dr. Atkinson may be the next “Board puppet” and consequently, no real change. Others responding on this blog know this is a real concern, as well as the evasion of disclosure on the application. “Red flag” warning, but it sounds like it won’t be heeded. I would like for Dr. Atkinson to be given a chance if the vote goes that way.
It will be interesting to see if she really meets with principals one-on-one as stated. Many have great ideas, but no one wants to listen to them. Perhaps Dr. Atkinson will listen AND act if the Board stays out of her way. She is right to begin purging in the central office. While we are a large system and certain departments need to exist to get things done, many of the departments could easily lose half their staff. With principals charged to be instructional leaders and district level support for elementary, middle, and high schools, why does the position held by Dr. Beasley exist? With parents and schools working together, the need for coaches should be greatly reduced. The Title 1 office has too many staff.
Parents in all schools need to stop blaming teachers and all teachers need to stop blaming the parents. No one is perfect and the relationship needs to be professional and a partnership. This sends a strong message to the students when there is a united front. Kids still “play one side against the other” and parents need to stop believing the incredible tales their kids tell them. Teachers need to communicate with parents clearly and regularly. All of this to say if the BoE allows any new superintendent to do the job necessary, the schools do their job, the parents are involved, and the students do their part…change will happen and it will happen quickly. Until EVERYONE is accountable, nothing will change. Impossible? No! Likely to occur? Time will tell.
DCSS Educator
August 28th, 2011
2:03 am
I forgot to mention the Interim Deputy Supt. for Teaching & Learning is related to Dr. Brown. Surprised??
TrayNeeshia Jones
August 28th, 2011
7:14 am
The time has come to separate the students. The ones that want to learn and the ones who don’t. It is the only way to be fair. I know my child will end up in a majority white school cause she wants to learn, but that is ok with me.
All'esesy Juwan Thompson
August 28th, 2011
7:19 am
The biggest problem is the north “white’ schools take too much of the resources. Money needs to be taken from the north schools and given to the needy schools in the south.
Still Waiting for Superman
August 28th, 2011
7:28 am
I attended the meet and greet. First, the Q and A was bogus. Questions had to be submitted before 9:45 AM. After speaking with several others, none of their questions (or mine) were chosen. No big surprise there. You could see she had to refer back to her notes to anwer the supposedly “on the spot” questions read by Jenkins. Second, she danced around the question about the bankruptcy. I was not satisfied with her response. Third, did anyone there notice her response to the question about nepotism and cronyism? Her answer started off with “the perception” of these things. That worries me. THIS IS NOT A PERCEIVED PROBLEM. Before any supporters take me to the woodshed, I understand she must investigate and discover these thing for herself. However, her response sounded as though she has alredy received an ear full from someone who is leading her to believe this is some sort of public misperception.
On the positive side, if she will invert the pyramid and reduce the bloat, then she will be off to a good start. The key will be the first 90 days while she takes stock of what goes on in DCSS. Who will be her assistants? Ms. Tyson will be a vital source of information during the transitional period. Will Ramona Tyson be honest with Dr.A about DCSS and its failings? Will she meet with SACS? I don’t know. Dr. Atkinson said she wants to visit every school and have frequent round tables with parents. Will some of these things happen within that first 90 days? I also liked her idea of each school having a parent council. My children’s schools have them and they are invaluable. I like the idea of the iPads; how to implement this would be another challenge. This would be ideal for schools that have a shortage of textbooks and lockers. HINT, HINT.
Still Waiting for Superman
August 28th, 2011
7:58 am
She appears to be willing to put in the effort to do the job. Maybe it was just prepping from the handlers. However, I agree with Dr. A that she cannot do it alone. Maybe if some new BoE reps are elected she can discover what some of us already know, and maybe some significant changes will happen. I will continue to do what I always do. Make sure my children’s teachers do their job reiterate to my children that they have an obligation as students, then make sure they fulfill that obligation. I will continue to volunteer, visit, and advocate. I know the school cannot do everything for my children. I could have a nicer car, designer clothes, manicures, pedicures, and a bigger house. My husband and I choose to use that money for the college fund, tutors, SAT prep, music lessons, etc. Things will not improve until the children are made a priority at school and at home. I expect Dr. Atkinson to do everything humanly possible to provide the best learning environment at the school level for my children and all DeKalb students. She is being paid plenty of money to do so. I will gladly support her efforts to do this. I will also fulfill my obligations at home.
Anonmom
August 28th, 2011
8:40 am
To me, their are too many red flags, coupled with what I already know about various members of the BOE…..I am very concerned.
Cere
August 28th, 2011
8:59 am
“Expose the entire E&Y audit of 5 years ago and get a new one going immediately.”
Ahh – another episode of empty promises! Read Ramona Tyson’s very words from this blog post:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/05/ramona-tysons-report-on-2004-ernst_13.html
“Now today, as a part of the transitional plan, the next steps are to complete the following over the next 6-9 months with a direct focus on central office positions and administration salaries:
By May 30, 2011, we will develop a request for proposal to conduct a compensation study partnering either with a college or university or a company that specializes in organizational structure/compensation study.
By June, 2011, I will transition this plan to the new superintendent and I will include the documents that were found under the E&Y study for full disclosure and receipt to the new superintendent.
By the end of June we will ask the legal team to review the RFP.
By July of 2011, a public advertisement of the RFP will occur.
By August of 2011, the RFP will be acknowledged with vendors that will reply to that RFP.
By September of 2011, the RVP evaluation and vendor selection will occur.
And by October, board approval and award to such vendor.
All of this is subject to change dependent on the new superintendent, but I did want to give the board the complete commitment to follow through on the charge of seeing that the study is begun.”"
So, like, did any of this happen? No. It was a PR ploy to quiet the public on the issue. Period.
November 6, 2012
August 28th, 2011
9:00 am
Yeah, she said all the key words and phrases, but so did the annointed one…….and we can see where that has led us. If I were a betting man, my bet would be that “a year from now, the DCSS will be just as bloated as it is now, not because she is not a good administrator, but because of the “Morons” on the DCSS Board. Those “Morons” need to do the right thing and resign for the good of the system.
Cere
August 28th, 2011
9:03 am
In fact, if you are really interested in just how many empty promises we have been fed since Tyson’s been at the helm (which pales in comparison to Lewis’s empty promises) read this blogpost which follows up on her very first public meeting full of promises to the audience at an Emory Lavista Parent Council. (FWIW, we will follow and report on Atkinson’s promises as well.)
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/08/revisiting-past-comments-from-ramona.html
Double Zero Eight
August 28th, 2011
9:10 am
It’s “deja vu”…….the second coming of Beverly “Cupcake” Hall.
Cere
August 28th, 2011
9:23 am
@Henpecked – breakfast anytime — on you!
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
9:28 am
If there are no significant changes to the BOE next November, Dr. Atkinson will find that few of her desired changes will see the light of day. I have to ask if Dr. Atkinson even realizes how broken, dysfunctional and toxic this current of Board of Education is? Her biggest supporters are the ones who defy change at every move. Her selection was a signal that we can expect more of the same from this Board of Education.
Teacher Reader
August 28th, 2011
9:31 am
@ Blue
Socialist isn’t a new term for Black or African American. It’s actually what is happening in our country and is holding strong in our schools. Why have inferior degrees from inferior universities taken hold in the field of education? Masters and PhDs from online diploma mills over rule the field of education. Most having these degrees cannot speak or write proper English. This is fact. Look at memos from Beasley. They are riddled with grammar errors that someone in his position should not be making.
If you want to learn more about what is really happening in education Google/You Tube Charlotte Iserbyt. I am reading her book The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America, and as a former teacher, it’s all making sense. Ask any teacher who has spoken up about the policies of no zeros or why we’re allowing our children multiple chances to get work done or done correctly. Anyone who questions these policies is labeled a loud mouth and trouble maker. I’ve been told that to my face by administrators in DCSS.
Computers are not the answer that many think that they are. Computers are very questionable devices in our schools. Computers make it easy for those to promote and hide their socialize values from questioning parents.
Parents are being manipulated to think that programs, computers, and such are beneficial and necessary for their children. Slowly parental control and values have been taken away without parents realizing what is really happening. Outcome education isn’t what parents really think it is and has changed in the years that I received my teaching certificate in 1996.
Another great, eye opening series of 6 videos on You Tube is called Public Education Dumbs Down Kids. It’s by a Peg Luksik, and takes place in PA and is a real eye opener, as it shouldn’t just make PA parents alarmed, but all parents across the country.
November 6, 2012
August 28th, 2011
9:33 am
@Hen-pecked Husband of Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
12:37 am
Mrs. Atkinson and Mr. Atkinson: Help me! She’s driving me crazy too. Cere, please come over and take me to the Clarkson Waffle House (the first one in the country, by the way).
Uh, I think you may be mistaken…….and it’s spelled “Clarkston” and it may be the first one “you” remember……but not the “first one”
http://www.wafflehouse.com/our-story/waffle-house-museum
Anonmom
August 28th, 2011
9:33 am
I can assure you that this is they type of leader the majority of the BOE is interested in for DCSS… this is the pattern of what has come before. It is really very critical to replace the majority of the BOE and get “young blood” who is intelligent and educated and who doesn’t have “history” and “chips on their shoulders”.
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
9:37 am
Dr. Atkinson will be selected Superintendent. The time is now to turn our focus to turning over this Board of Education to those individuals whose 1st priority is the education of the children in this school system, not those with their own personal agendas or whose 1st thought is to protect the job of their relatives and friends.
Anonmom
August 28th, 2011
9:38 am
On a side note…. for those of you who think education of the masses doesn’t matter much…HItler used the education system first from 1930-1940 to “program” the kids before he could do what he wanted to do to “reform” Europe. Stalin did the same. The Imams are currently using this technique in the middle east and in Asia. If you follow some of the links that Teacher Reader is directing you to and look at the information with a critical eye towards the outcome our education system is actually producing, coupled with the tremendous percentage of our population which is landing in jail.. (shall I mention the roaming bands of thugs these past few weeks in Philly & DC?)… Are you beginning to see why you should be concerned that there is a problem with how we are doing things and why it really does matter that millions and billions of taxpayer money is being totally abused and misspent and misdirected on the “eduating” a 100,000 DCSS children? Just think about and look it over critically and take a look at history and at current politics elsewhere in the world. Try to envision what might be if it is allowed to continue. Is this what you really want for your grandchildren?
Teacher Reader
August 28th, 2011
9:53 am
@ Anon Mom 9:38 My post at 9:31 has great information about what you are describing. Charolette Iserbyt is the woman who has great documentation on what is happening in our education system in America. On her websites you can get this information for free. Videos of her speaking can be found on You Tube. As a former teacher, she is dead on. I couldn’t quite put it together, but reading the documentation (coming from the government) and knowing what I know about the rise of Hilter Germany-my grandfather was a youth at the time and my great grandfather a WWI vet hero for the German army worked to get my grandfather out of Germany before he was taken into the SS. Remembering him speaking and what my dad’s accounts of hearing him, his sisters, and great grandfather have said about the rise of Hitler, there are many eerie similarities that parents and people caring about America should no longer over look.
Did you know that most of the psychology that is being used in schools comes from that done on animals? I had never thought of it that way before, as it was approached very differently during my educational psychology classes. Your children are being trained like animals. The conditioning that children get receiving rewards for everything that they do or try is not a good thing. Is it making our children work harder? Is it helping our children to have a true positive self esteem? Is it really helping our society?
As a former teacher, I read this information and I am only into the 1930s, as I am doing my own research along with what I read from The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America, and am finally realizing why I was never able to really teach my students and provide them with an education that would allow them to think critically, solve their own problems, and be able to rely on themselves and not others.
Teacher Reader
August 28th, 2011
9:57 am
Maureen, wish you’d do a blog on Charolette Iserbyt. I believe that parents and teachers who truly care about our children would find her information, which is directly from the government interesting and scary all at the same time.
Anonmom
August 28th, 2011
10:37 am
As a History Major in college (poly sci minor) — I find the expression that “Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it” quite unnerving.
Logic
August 28th, 2011
10:45 am
Dr. Atkinson is our DCSS superintendent. Those who showed up to the Meet & Greet yesterday saw that she has the support of the majority of the county and the majority of the incompetent and divisive Board that will continue to fuel the division in DeKalb because it fulfills their selfish purposes. I am disappointed in Donna Edler and Pam Speaks for not breaking away from the noose that SCW, Cunningham and Walker employ at every turn, with Bowen yanking the rope when they tell him to. They are smart women and should see past the sorority association, the New Birth connection and most importantly, the dishonesty with which Atkinson addressed the undisclosed bankruptcy. Donna is an accountant and I know personally that she views fiscal responsibility as critical. Why did you not speak up, Donna? I hope you have not become a puppet to the idiots who sit around you in such a short period of time on this “Board.”
I have to give SCW, Walker and Cunningham credit for outmobilizing the “screamers” in the county and packing the house with supporters. We are getting a new Bev Hall in DCSS who will continue the mediocre legacy that is DeKalb. Atkinson has already proven that she is good at mediocrity and leverages her connections for her own benefit. The communal approach is not going to work. When you have the distress we have in DCSS, you need the equivalent of martial law and take no prisoners approach. I read a lot about the “socialism” equating to African-Americans, but I have to disagree with one poster who associates this with the communal aspects of the Bible. When you look at Obama’s points of redistributing wealth from those who earn more to those who are not earning as much, then that is socialism. Forced equality rarely fuels success and whoever wants to associate themselves with this statement is not looking to educate and enable children or adults to succeed, but force them to be dependent on someone else. There is an innate component of Christianity that says you are responsible for yourself. A lot of what the current DCSS BOE does is blame everyone else for the woes in different parts of the county. The blame game allows them to not take responsibility for their children, schools, homes, communities, etc. and then blame someone else. The “together” comments Atkinson kept referring to did not impress me, but cautions me that she will build a structure of no accountability, because we will not “come together.”
People who care about the ENTIRE county need to mobilize to get the noose off around our necks. This BOE is holding us hostage and unless all parts of the county come together and decide what they NEED to make their children successful. Some parts of the county are ready for new technology and other parts of the county need to have FOOD and safe havens for the kids over the weekends where they can do their homework because they go home to houses with no food or electricity.
These are the real issues that are holding our kids back. And, what about our drive towards the megaschools? No one mentioned how we are going to build these monstrocities as we “come together.”
I was sadly underwhelmed by the rhetoric I heard in person yesterday and it took away any glimmer of hope I had that this county will progress. Our children will continue to be subjected to the politics of the haves and have nots. The funny thing is, I see more posturing by those families who know how to manipulate the charter school and lottery system and know that Dr. Walker has their back and who do very, very little to help their own in their own communities. So, in the true sense of socialism, the fear is fueled by ignorance and people within their own communities pit themselves against one another and then against other parts of the county.
DeKalb is getting what the voters deserve but it is a curse upon our children who have no choice. Yes, Dave, “Welcome to DeKalb” buttons were appropriate yesterday because it marks the day where we solidified our determination to be forever mediocre and rob our children of a real school system.
senseandsensibility
August 28th, 2011
10:53 am
Well I wish her luck because Dekalb is full of nepotism, waste, and fraud. Teaching staff hasn’t gotten a raise in 3.5 years, in fact they have paid more in insurance costs and have had money taken away in the form of furloughs, and just because you call them work reduction days doesn’t take the stink off of them. She will probably downsize??? It should be a given, how can you have just as many central office support staff as you have instructors. Just think of what a teacher did in a one room school house years ago??? Just her first year she will be reimbursed 327000 dollars plus 24,000 dollars for trs, plus term life insurance equal to her salary, the district will pay for growth and development, insurance for legal protection, and if she is terminated by 3/4 vote of the school board the least she will walk away with is is 275000 dollars or whatever is left of her contract for 2014 which ever is least. Motivate teachers… a good motivation would be to show your serious about cutting the central office staff, getting rid of nepotism, and reducing waste and policies that require you to do triple work. If some parents of special education students were smart enough they would really look at the law which pertains to IEP’s because this district is in severe non compliance. Huge lawsuit looming.. evaluations of students are supposed to be done every two years some aren’t done until 10 years. The data used for high school students was collected in elementary school. Kids parents who move their child to another school because their home school didn’t make AYP get .51 cents per mile reimbursement to drive their kid to a school of their choice.. waste… dekalb approves a charter school that is headquartered in Eddie Longs church for 10,000 per month while their are empty dekalb school buildings shut down…waste and what about separations of school and church.. the principal quit her job amid the cheating scandal and still collects a retirement check and now an annual salary from taxpayers.. how is she even allowed to keep her license??? caught up in a cheating scandal and still gets the money. While a teacher who wants to leave a district for another one has signed a contract in Feb
senseandsensibility
August 28th, 2011
11:02 am
So you sign a contract in February or don’t… and take your chances of an opening in May June or July in another school district to apply for seems a bit unfair… anywhere you go 2 weeks notice is fair, yet some teacher give 2 months notice and say hey can i leave my contract in the pursuit of happiness in another district could get their name turned in to the same licensing board for breach of contract and lose their license… your a bit trapped wouldnt you say. The same board which allows an accused cheater to keep her license and be principal of a charter school who pays out 120000 dollars per year to eddie longs church hmmmm
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
11:07 am
Monday morning at 10:00 a.m., the Dekalb County Board of Education will vote on the approval of Dr. Cheryl Atkinson as Superintendent of DeKalb County Schools.
Which Board members will cast their vote FOR the children of DeKalb County and which Board members will vote for the status quo, a failing school system?
Stay tuned………
MamaH
August 28th, 2011
11:10 am
No, sorry but the schools on the northside are the last to get the resources. Look at the new schools and upgrades done on the southside. Unfortunately, these schools are half empty. Students are being transferred to schools on the North for the most part so the parents can be paid the mileage fee per student. Most of those students do not even want to be there. In most cases, it is through parental involvement and hard work of the students to pay for programs that would otherwise be denied.
Yes, the socialist approach and only a true racist would turn that into a hate term. Her whole approach to make all schools equal is to the detriment of all students. It will likely mean lowering the standards so that others can feel better about themselves. This shows she has no clue as to the challenges that she will face.
There is no Superman, only kryptonite | chaingangelementary.com
August 28th, 2011
11:16 am
[...] be the next school system’s candidate inspired a storm and fury of comment among parents on Atlanta’s most popular school blog, several of whom ended up sniping at each other. It is difficult to see the light at the end of [...]
Berny
August 28th, 2011
11:45 am
MamaH please know that some of us drive our children from the southside to better schools and have never turned in a form for mileage fees. Stop it with the generalizations, please. I agree that the new high schools on the southside are beautiful and children should NOT be transferred elsewhere but should instead receive the same education opportunities at their home school. But sadly, that’s not happening. And ALL schools should be made equal in the terms of quality of teaching staff, discipline and funding. What’s wrong with that?
Jo
August 28th, 2011
11:47 am
“Perceived” nepotism and cronyism?
Go to http://www.box.net. (You will have to set up an account to access Box, but it is free.)
Access Palace Staff and Schoolhouse Teachers 2010. There you will find an Excel workbook with two spreadsheets. The first spreadsheet contains complete listing of all DCSS employees in 2010. (This is taken directly from open.georgia.gov.)
The spreadsheet has been sorted according to job title/category.
Within each job title/ category, it has been sorted alphabetically by last name.
Each category has been numbered so it is immediately clear how many are in that category.
The salaries in each category have also been subtotaled, so it is immediately clear how how much money is being spent on that category. (Please note: expense accounts are not included.)
It is eye-opening!
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
11:48 am
But sadly, that’s not happening. And ALL schools should be made equal in the terms of quality of teaching staff, discipline and funding</i?
I hear this general statement a lot. When I ask for specific examples, well, I get no answers. Berny, perhaps you could provide a specific example of this.
Exteacher
August 28th, 2011
1:09 pm
To Teacher reader..
I hear you. After attending classes at GA state for my degrees I was astounded when people spent less time earning a “Doctorate” from some goofy online, out-of- state U. Then they got paid. I did not realize how many of these were leadership…not anything useful. Mine were actually in subjects I taught!
Computers do not teach children. Period. Nobody needs a takehome laptop till teachers are able to control it. Please no.
Will look at your references…Sound interesting. I would like to know if anyone has a working plan to deal with the underclass…It seems nothing actually works on a grand scale…
Teacher Reader
August 28th, 2011
2:12 pm
@ exteacher
If you watch and read Charolette’s videos and books, you will understand how the government through education has been playing class war fair with our children through our schools.
Jo
August 28th, 2011
2:13 pm
@ Berny
” I agree that the new high schools on the southside are beautiful and children should NOT be transferred elsewhere but should instead receive the same education opportunities at their home school. But sadly, that’s not happening. And ALL schools should be made equal in the terms of quality of teaching staff, discipline and funding. What’s wrong with that?”
Here’s what’s wrong with that, Berny:
Strong schools are a function of strong parent and community involvement. Basically every DCSS school receives the same amount of per pupil funds for each full-time enrolled student. South DeKalb schools — many of which are Title I schools — receive even more money. (If those schools are getting less in per-pupil funds, it is because YOU are pulling your children out of your neighborhood schools insread of making them better.) Yet, South DeKalb taxpayers continue to return the same sorry BOE members and tolerate the family-and-friends scam and fraud with federal funds that puts money into the pockets of incompetent, undertalented, over-paid, do-nothing staff INSTEAD of putting the money in the classroom.
I pay nearly $8,000 in property tax, 70% of which goes to DCSS where it is promptly misspent. I spent more than 20 years as an active parent volunteer making sure my children’s North DeKalb schools were the best they could be. I didn’t do that just because I was looking for something to do. I could have made a lot more money by spending that time on my career. But, my children were worth the financial sacrifice.
Here’s where it really goes way off into the underbrush: You probably pay 50% or less of the property tax I pay. (Former BOE member Zepora Roberts pays $300 per year in property tax, none of which is school tax (highly questionnable and possibly illegal) and her house is labeled “DeKalb County Schools” on Google maps.) You drive your kids to “better” (though comparatively underfunded) North DeKalb schools and just drop them off instead of using and improving your neighborhood schools. And that’s where it ends. You don’t spend your time volunteering in North DeKalb schools. Often your kids aren’t willing to conform to the behavior standards in North DeKalb Schools. And, your kids are overcrowding North DeKalb schools, leaving behind empty classrooms in their neighborhoods.
It is up to you to make your neighborhood schools better and I resent paying top dollar taxes to educate your children because you won’t take responsibility. At the very least, people who choose to send their children to North DeKalb schools instead of making their South DeKalb neighborhood schools better should be paying the same amount I (and my neighbors) do on the school tax portion of their property taxes.
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
2:39 pm
NOW, here is a Superindent that “gets it”….
Some people give back to their community. Then there’s Fresno County School Superintendent Larry Powell, who’s really giving back. As in $800,000 — what would have been his compensation for the next three years.
Until his term expires in 2015, Powell will run 325 schools and 35 school districts with 195,000 students, all for less than a starting California teacher earns.
“How much do we need to keep accumulating?” asks Powell, 63. “There’s no reason for me to keep stockpiling money.”
Powell’s generosity is more than just a gesture in a region with some of the nation’s highest rates of unemployment. As he prepares for retirement, he wants to ensure that his pet projects survive California budget cuts. And the man who started his career as a high school civics teacher, who has made anti-bullying his mission, hopes his act of generosity will help restore faith in the government he once taught students to respect….
http://news.yahoo.com/school-superintendent-gives-800k-pay-150206667.html
Teacher Reader
August 28th, 2011
2:54 pm
@ Dunwoody Mom He can only do this because he has been a wise steward of his own money through the years. As we have seen, many running our schools have not been wise stewards of their own money nor our tax dollars.
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
3:38 pm
Let me add some numbers to Jo’s point. I will use my alma mater, Chamblee, as an example. We all know that Chamblee has been overcrowded for many years. Happily in 2 years time there will be a building that can handle the current enrollment + more.
HOWEVER, and I am using the statistics from Sept. of 2010, of the 1420 students enrolled at Chamblee as of last September, 444 of those students were from schools located in the southern portion of DeKalb – 31% of students from schools 20+ miles away!!!!. Now, as a disclaimer I do not know how many are magnet vs AYP transfers, but still, something is not right here.
Still Waiting for Superman
August 28th, 2011
3:41 pm
@ Berny When it comes to discipline, I am amazed by the bad behavior that some schools (and parents) will tolerate. If a discipline problem exists and is allowed to persist, then the school administrators should be held responsible. Of course, we know how much accountability is valued in DCSS. Parents who complain are labeled as troublemakers. Which brings up another concern for our new superintendent: the new policy concerning bullying. Now, the employee is required to fill out a report of the incident, then give it to an administrator who will investigate and “decide’ if bullying has occurred. Ask a teacher. Laughable, isn’t it? I think that policy needs some work.
Berny
August 28th, 2011
3:54 pm
@Jo – YOU make good points however, YOU don’t know what I do in the school that my child attends. YOU don’t know if I drop my child off and go or how much I volunteer in the school that my child attends. YOU don’t know if my child has a behavior problem or is one of the top students in her grade in the county, now do YOU? NO, I don’t pay $8000 in property taxes but neither do many in Dekalb. Just like YOU, I am not happy with the direction of DCSS and have done my part in attempting to rid ourselves of the tumors that sit on the Board representing S. Dekalb. However, I will not allow my child to have a substandard education even if that means driving my child to a better school and neither would YOU. And by the way, YOU are not paying for my child’s education. YOU and people like YOU are a big part of the problem and why WE are in this situation. That type of rhetoric and generalizations only further divides and you see the result of that. YOU are no better than ME – I can guarantee that. DCSS is a mess that neither I nor my child created.
DCSS Educator
August 28th, 2011
4:08 pm
@ All’esesy Juwan Thompson
“The biggest problem is the north “white’ schools take too much of the resources. Money needs to be taken from the north schools and given to the needy schools in the south.”
It is obvious you know nothing about the demographics of the north end schools. It is also obvious you believe a socialist approach is the answer rather than assume the responsibility as a parent and actually WORK to improve your school on the south end. “Per pupil” funds are equally distributed throughout the district. South end schools actually have MORE resources, more staff, newer buildings, and upgraded technology. I know because I teach in a Title 1 school on the south end. With a few exceptions, the tax base on the north end supports most of the district. There is a correlation between good schools and property values. Get involved and build your neighborhood school. Doing so will, over time, build your home’s value and ultimately, the tax base. Benefits would include more self-respect, fewer discipline problems, and higher graduation rates. It’s time to step up or shut up. Which will you choose to do for children? Please surprise me and do the right thing!
Berny
August 28th, 2011
4:09 pm
@Waiting….. Yes, it blows me away at the things that are tolerated in the schools. I have no problem removing a child that does not belong in school (as demonstrated by his/her behavior) from school. But, plenty of people do! I do not believe in coddling and placating those who are disruptive and are not in school to learn. School administrators absolutely should be held responsible. And speaking from experience, I know for a fact that parents like me are labeled troublemakers (by the middle school principal where my child was bullied, had an arm fractured and sexually harrassed) when we want a better learning and social environment for our children. The bullying policy is a joke and they all know it and don’t care. I have friends who are teachers and counselors who have either retired or quit the profession because of the work environment in some of the schools and the ridiculousness that is Beasley.
Discipline is not just a problem in South Dekalb. I’ve seen in “other” schools with “other” children. The difference is the way the problems are handled. I will always seek the best for my child regardless of if Dunwoody Mom or Jo wants us in their schools are not! They don’t realize that we’re fighting the same battle and where they live does not make them “superior”. Get over yourselves!!!!
Berny
August 28th, 2011
4:42 pm
@Dunwoody Mom – When I say ALL schools should be made equal in the terms of quality of teaching staff, discipline and funding, I mean exactly that. Regardless of the school’s location (northside/southside) the same funding as it relates to structural improvements, amenities, etc. I was shocked the first time I saw Lakeside HS and compared it to the new schools in the southern part of the county. And Chamblee, my goodness – it doesn’t make any sense the number of trailers on that property. It is obvious these schools are overcrowded while there’s plenty of space on the southside. Teacher quality. I mean exactly that. I have encountered teachers on the southside and where my daughter goes to school now (not southside) that have NO BUSINESS in a classroom. These people are unintelligent, inarticulate and one that was just plain lazy and yet they are charged with teaching children and helping to prepare them for the future. They should not be there. The same with administrators. Quick story – during my child’s first grade year they moved to a new school second semester. The principal assigned to this school was someone who had been in the system for many years (30+). I heard that she was really tight with the movers/shakers in DCSS (at that time Andrews, Halford, Bryant etc). She was a nice lady, but the worst thing to ever happen to that school. She was past her prime. She absolutely could not handle the day to day leadership/administration of a 1000+ elementary school and our chlidren suffered. I will also add that this lady was WHITE in a 99% BLACK school – not that it matters to me but it matters obviously to many of you. I make that point to only say that I am tired of these comments from people who seem to think that we in South Dekalb do not care and are a bunch of lazy, uneducated folk who have no idea what’s going on. I complained about this principal because I saw what was happening and WHO would be ultimately hurt by her inability to effectively lead this school. I had the opportunity to sit on a panel to select a new AP for this school. I immediately saw that it was a sham and she already had her AP “picked” out. There were a couple of good candidates and some that I was shocked were even teachers. The good candidates were MALE – one black and one white – which in my opinion this school needed a strong male in administration due to it being over 50% boys being led overwhelmingly by women. She did not want males. I saw test scores plummet at this school, parent participation sink (she was an autocrat and even tried to run the PTA), and overall morale hit rock bottom. She even had a heart attack (or something similar) and still DID NOT RETIRE. I make this point to show that what happened early on at this school was not something we parents did or didn’t do. It was something done TO us. We were victims too. While many friends pulled their children out and sent them to other/better schools, I stuck it out, stayed involved and did my part to make things better. But, I am not the Superintendent or BOE and had no say-so in this matter although I saw what was happening and was helpless to do anything about it.
To Dunwoody Mom, Jo and the others who think we South Dekalb parents want something from you, etc. Please know, I don’t need anything from YOU. However, my property taxes also pay for DCSS and my child is entitled just like yours to a good education and I will continue to see that she gets it whether YOU like it or not.
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
4:49 pm
Berny, please tell me why you think your child will receive a sub-standard education in S. DeKalb Schools?
A co-worker of mine ad I had a long conversation about this on Friday. Her oldes child attends Cedar Grove High School, one of those so-called “failing” schools. My co-worker denies that Cedar Grove is a “failing” school and that her child has received a great education. The Cedar Grove principal was beside herself that #1 she was not allowed to explain to the parents the “statistics” over Cedar Grove’s non-AYP status, 2) the principal was livid that due to the los of 100 students she had to lose teachers in her building.
There is something terribly wrong with a syst system that punishes schools , and subsequently, in such a manner.
Berny, you don’t feel that by your child attending an overcrowded school that you have jeopardized not only your child’s education, but those of the resident students of that school?
Dunwoody Mom
August 28th, 2011
4:50 pm
Sorry about the typos, I have a few “sticking” key on my keyboard. I think a child with sticky fingers is the culprit.
Jo
August 28th, 2011
4:54 pm
@ Berny
It’s not that I don’t want you and your children in North DeKalb schools. Not at all. I welcome parents and students who are serious about education.
You are correct that I don’t know how much your volunteer in your child’s North DeKalb school. But, based on extensive experience over the years with parents of transfer students and magnet students from South DeKalb, I am willing to bet that you aren’t doing much volunteering in your child’s school.
You say, ” I will not allow my child to have a substandard education even if that means driving my child to a better school …” So, why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and move to the North DeKalb attendance area where you want your child to be in school?
The issue is that you are paying far less taxes than those of us who chose to live in a North DeKalb attendance area. You are freeloading. You are not paying your fair share. Worse, you are teaching your children that kind of behavior is okay — and it is not.
Berny
August 28th, 2011
5:10 pm
@Dunwoody Mom – I do not believe that ALL of the schools in the south are bad. I’ve never said that. I believe that the middle school my child was to attend who have provided her a substandard education in addition to probable physical harm due to my experience with an older child. I had to do what was best for my child – which was having her in a different school where I could provide transportation to and fro (no mileage money from the county, thank you) and still get to work and I did that and make no apologies for it. Did you know that Cedar Grove High School did get a new principal second semester 2010? So I am happy to hear that things are improving because that wasn’t always the case. Have you been to Cedar Grove High School? I believe it has been grossly neglected by the county. While my child does not attend an overcrowded school, I agree it would be unfair to the resident students and would jeopardize all of their education. I am an advocate of improving the neighborhood schools. I want my child to get up in the morning and catch the school bus and arrive at a location where she will be provided a great education in a safe environment. I don’t like doing the 285 drive every morning before work. Can you imagine how stressful that is? I will continue to fight and push for better schools in South Dekalb. I will also continue to fight and push to get qualified, educated people as the BOE reps for my district and the other South Dekalb districts. Until then, however, I will continue to seek out a good education for my child in a safe environment even if it means doing the 285 drive every morning.
Berny
August 28th, 2011
5:12 pm
Please excuse my typos – “who” should be “would” and the new principal came second semester of 2010-11 school year – so it was actually in 2011.
amazed
August 28th, 2011
5:12 pm
To Thompson
Your info is 30 years out of date. As has been said by DCSS educator, the facilities are much better in South Dekalb. They are in embarrassingly bad shape in North Dekalb. If you look at per student funding, there is almost a direct correlation between how poorly a school does and how MUCH money it gets. The “worst” schools get about 50% more per student than the “best” schools. Even without Title I, the south Dekalb schools get more per student. There may not be any majority white HS or MS in north Dekalb. Lakeside is right around 50% minority and Dunwoody, Chamblee and Druid Hills are 60-70% minority. Tucker and Cross Keys are 80% + minority.
Its that attitude that contributes to the failures of DCSS. Its not that resources are all going to powerful white people. Its that the school board and administrators aren’t doing their job. And they keep their job by leading people like you to believe that its somehow racism and discrimination in funding that is keeping the poorer schools down.
Ed Johnson
August 28th, 2011
5:14 pm
@ Teacher Reader 9:53 am (“Did you know that most of the psychology that is being used in schools comes from that done on animals? I had never thought of it that way before, as it was approached very differently during my educational psychology classes. Your children are being trained like animals. The conditioning that children get receiving rewards for everything that they do or try is not a good thing. Is it making our children work harder? Is it helping our children to have a true positive self esteem? Is it really helping our society?”)
Yes, I know. And B. F. Skinner is the principal source. And in the opening chapter of his book, “Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes,” Alfie Kohn exposes Skinnerian psychology.
Quoting Kohn a bit…
“Classical conditioning begins with the observation that some things produce natural responses: Rover [the dog] salivates when he smells meant….
“Operant conditioning, by contrast, is concerned with how an action may be controlled by a stimulus that comes after it rather than before it. When a reward – Skinner preferred the term ‘reinforcement’ – follows a behavior, that behavior is likely to be repeated….
“Once self has been dispatched, it requires only a minor mopping-up operation to finish off the features of being human that we treasure, such as creativity, love, morality, and freedom.”
Let me be frank one point: The “African-American” community is the sole community that can least afford Skinnerian psychology, yet it seems “African-American” adults are the ones most inclined to embrace and subject “African-American” children to Skinnerian psychology. Witness former APS superintendent Beverly Hall and her minions. And then people wonder why the “achievement gap” persists, why “African-Americans” disproportionally represent the U.S. prison population, why … etc.
When Alfie Kohn appeared at a Trinity School event in Atlanta a few months back, “Whites” came in a drove and “African-Americans” were relatively few.
But when Michelle Rhee – arguably, like Beverly Hall, a leading practitioner of Skinnerian psychology – appeared several weeks later at Spelman College, an HBCU, “African-Americans” came in a drove and “Whites” were relatively few.
Kohn’s book “Punished by Rewards” should be required study for all educators, but especially “African-American” educators.
Please, no comeback about the silliness of “self-esteem.” I have never met anyone lacking self-esteem. On the contrary, I have met many who haven’t the capacity to esteem others simply because much of their humanity was sacrificed to Skinnerian psychology.
DCSS should consider that graduates of The Eli and Eythe Broad Foundation’s Superintendent Academy, such as Cheryl Atkinson, have been trained in Skinnerian psychology especially for placement in “urban” school districts. Eli Broad says as much in his foundation’s mission statement.