It’s official: DeKalb hires Ohio school chief in split vote.

You have a winner. You will see.

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I attended the “Meet and Greet”. Dr. Atkinson was charming. The PR Fluff was what I expected. I did not go into the meeting with any sense that that was said would change my mind, so there I was not disappointed when I heard nothing that changed my view.

Oh, and David Schutten, the “Welcome to DeKalb” buttons were really silly….

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In the case of Dekalb, the community must also make a commitment to support students. The schools, no matter how good the teachers, principals, and superintendent, can only do so much. Parents, community leaders, and others within Dekalb are the ones who hold the keys to students’s success. Unless everyone, especially parents, set high expectations and hold students accountable it will not matter who the superintendent is.

I hope the citizens and board of education of Dekalb can truly step up to the plate to make the changes they need to make for the schools to be successful.

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I don’t think she said they did. But lets be realistic Tony, kids need access and those tools are very important.

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From my perspective Atkinson is a better choice than Cox. Especially after today.

Dunwoody Mom, you said almost nothing after Cox was picked, mainly Its ‘time to move on’ types of posts. Same with the school watch bloggers. The only consistent person on this blog has been Dr Trotter, he voiced his opposition to both, swiftly and for the same reasons, lack of experience.

It really is time to move on.

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@Kanarstead, I said no such thing.

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Developed a plan for Dekalb County while on Lorain’s dime?

Remember, you get what you pay for

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I don’t believe Dr. Atkinson was the right choice, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt and wish her and Dekalb Schools much success. The Ipads & laptops for every student sounds good, but this could be very expensive and very difficult to manage. Where will the funds come from to buy these items? How will the school sytem track them? What happens when they are lost or stolen? Who’s liable for payment if lost or stolen? What recourse does DCSS have if parents or students refuse to pay for lost or stolen equipment?

She needs to terminate some of those central office administrators & school principals immediately, but PLEASE, PLEASE don’t bring those hustling, con artist from the north like Beverly Hall did. There are some very capable, competent folks to hire right here in the south.

Best of luck to you Dr. Atkinson and we do expect positive results.

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Lorainite1 and Lorain Father are the same person and its obvious your promoting your website.

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Dr. Atkinson was asked WHY she answered the question on the application incorrectly?
The question on the application is very simple,

“Have you EVER been involved, or are you currently involved, or do you anticipate involvement in litigation either as a plaintiff / complainant or defendant / respondent?”

This is a VERY simple and basic job application question. It is on ALL job apps from working at McDonalds to working for the government.

It is meant to see if the applicant is OPEN and HONEST / TRANSPARENT about their past legal history.

Here is the link to her job application and the above mentioned question #5, page 7 of the PDF.

http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/superintendent/atkinson-candidate-file.pdf

You will see her answer is and was NO! She was asked the question,
“Why did you answer NO to this question?”

She did not respond directly to the question, but rather chose to say how much she loves her husband and that it was her husband’s small business that caused the bankruptcy.

She must have a performing arts background because she sure knows how to tap-dance around specific questions!

Now, onto another part of her dialogue. She stated that she will have a “Road Map” to present to the BOE after 90 days. We will see what our $330,000 tax dollars gets us in 90 days. She said she has a 5 year game plan / road map for success within DCSS. We will see in 90 days.

By the way, DeKalb County School System will have their new “Ethics / Whistleblower Hotline” open and available for use before the end of September!

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O.K. Nathan Deal is the governor of Georgia and thousands of people voted for him last fall. Is he qualified to handled trillions of dollars????????????????????????????? GO FIGURE……………………………………….

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DCSS is a joke. When I go to a PTA meeting and the first thing i hear is “we need money” or we (parents) raised 60K to hire a teacher, where the hell does my tax dollars go? Not to pay outrages admins salary. Put the money to good use and hire teachers, hold them accountable for teaching abilities or fire them. I’m one step closer to taking my kids out of DCSS and putting them in private school.

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All this talk about the central office is pure non-sense. In order to manage a large system like the one in DeKalb you must have stafff in a central office. With that said, it is the parents of DeKalb who must prepare thier children to have a strong desire to learn each day that they attend school. Let’s give the Dr. Atkinson a chance to lead.

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There are enough positive citizens in Dekalb to join forces with Dr. Atkinson and the Board to make every effort to improve our schools for all students. Folks like “Dunwoody Mon” just need to move on somewhere elsr because, her own admission, Dr. Atkinson will fail. She is a part of the peoblem not the solution. I am going to hang in ad do everything I can to make DeKalb what it use to be back in th late 90’s when we first moved here.

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As a professional employee in this system and a parent, I KNOW Dr. Atkinson or whomever they would have selected has their work cut out for them! There is the North/South Battle in full swing, racism in both directions prominent, nepotism and jobs based on ‘who you know’ filled with online Ph.D’s is rampant, money wasted ridiculously (ask to see a schools bookroom…it will amaze you!), principals consumed with the CRCT and their jobs, screaming kindergarden teachers and those who can’t handle a child because “Shemika and Jessica” come from very different backgrounds….I could go on and on but the bottom line is there is little or NO FOCUS on the children! Forget WHAT their address is….as one reader stated, learning takes place in the classroom and not Central Office. Downsize PLEASE! Get rid of some of those ‘dead head’ supervising staffers sitting on Memorial Drive and Mountain Industrial Rd. How many of them does it take to empty a garbage can???? Good Luck….No, may God be with you Dr. Atkinson, I hope you just wanted to get away from the harsh winters of the north…..it is Hotter down here then you are able to even imagine Hell to be…put on your “blinders and put up your dukes”…..there will me many bloody/nasty fights…hopefully you will win a few….for the children ‘red and yellow….black and white’…

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I will give Atkinson my full support because she will need it and we all need her to succeed. However, I was less impressed after the Q&A. She did not answer several questions even though they were selected in advance and she had time to plan what to say. I fear that she gave responses that were coached by her “handlers.” This does not sit well with me.

Maureen, the question was whether she will reduce the administrative bloat at the immediate office. She responded that she thought the issue was more one of competence and she might remove people she found to be incompetent. But that is only part of the issue. What if there are 5 “competent” people doing a job that could be done by one or two competent individuals? Parents and teachers think the resources need to be reallocated to the classrooms. Period.

She did not answer the Q about filing bankruptcy. The underlying issue is understandable but why not just say that it was an error?

Her response to providing more resources to gifted children was interesting. She said that in Loraine the students were sprinkled throughout the system so she brought them together to provide common resources to a group with similar needs. Open more magnet schools? or increase the size of the existing ones? not sure what she meant.

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lorain father look at your comments they came one minute after the other. How ironic. Your grammar sucks. Yep, you are that lady trying to promote her site. LOL

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The facts are in Dunwoody over half the kids who graduate from public elementary(Austin, Vanderlyn, DES, and Kingley) go into private school. Austin and Vanderlyn are to 10 elementary schools in the state every year.

Peachtree Middle drops all the way back to the bottom of all schools in the state. I believe it is ranked in the 400’s. Most people here just give up and move after elementary or send to private.

This new Superintendant has already stated that their will be no prviledge schools and she will work to re-allocate resources to make all schools the same.

In these blogs everyone thinks Dunwoody is this priviledged area. Cut Dunwoody resources or LaCrosse is a WHITE KIDS sport and Dunwoody gets everything.

Everything we get in Dunwoody is due to parent involvement and years of effort just to try and achieve what Gwinnett, Forsyth, Cobb, and Fulton already have. If you want an example just research how long parents have been fighting for LaCrosse and how little it will actually cost.

We need to work together and not throw stones. What we are getting in Dunwoody is unexceptable and needs to be improvement. The same with the county as a whole. Lets work together and try and support this new person.

She seems to have good intentions but if she decides to ignore us like most have done in the past and cut our resources than all those tax dollars will end because I have never seen more homes for sale and prices drop as much as they have in the last year.

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Met with an old classmate for a reunion. His finace’ is from Ohio. I told her what was happening in Dekalb. She said Deklalb is getting a good super. It surprised me.

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I am a South Dekalb parent. While some on this blog thing that parents on the southside don’t care about our children’s education and are all on free lunch, etc., I know there are others who understand that we are struggling just as hard as the rest of the county to get a decent education for our children. My daughter goes to school with and has many white friends. Many of their white parents have no idea what is going on in the school system. I take the time to inform them. There are many parents – black, white, hispanic and asian – who have checked out or don’t have a clue how their child is being education (or the lack thereof). Let’s please try and stop with the race-baiting. The sad truth is that there is enough racial politics on the school board and its destroying education for ALL of Dekalb’s children. I want my children to have the best education. I want them to learn to think critically, to read and enjoy the classic novels and to be challenged to acquire as much knowledge as humanly possible. Laptops, Ipads, etc won’t do this – but good old-fashioned teaching can. All children are NOT going to college and we need to prepare those with a solid start to a vocational education. All children are NOT going to come to school prepared to learn due to having sloths for parents or just being troublemakers themselves. We have to get serious about discipline. I have seen the problems that one or two bad apples can cause in a classroom. Get them out so that the others can learn. Parents must be held accountable. The urban public school system has become a pipeline directly to the city/county jail. All will not be saved by education but Dekalb has an obligation to those who seek it to provide. Fighting each other, whether it be North vs. South or Black vs. White will NOT resolve anything. That’s the wrong battle. OUR battle is with the Dekalb school board and the educational leaders to ensure that our children receive the best education that our tax dollars can buy. Let’s stop fighting and pointing fingers and use this forum and others to improve education for all Dekalb.

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same crap, different person.

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Berny,

Over a decade of status quo and failing schools. I agree our battle is with the board and the admin within the system. My question to you is, When do we throw them ALL out? I’ll give Dr. Atkinson 90 days to get her plan in order and then I’ll help her execute her plan. But in two years from now and we find ourselves in the SAME situation, do you think it will BE TIME to throw them all out?
I would like to hear your opinion from the southern part of the county. When are excuses not tolerated anymore?
Thanks.

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@Berny Have you checked out the new Parents for DeKalb group? There’s an article on them in the latest Champion newspaper. They seem to be calling for just what you are talking about. Parents from all over the county need to use social media to come together.

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Sam in GA. The Central Office expenses are not nonsense, unless you work in the Central Office. There are too many 6 figure salaries, for people who have nothing to do with the actual education of students. These teacher “coaches” who travel from classroom to classroom, but do not educate students, should be the place where we start trimming. Let’s hire two folks for each of these “6 figure” coaches and get them into the classroom. Get the teachers some more help and rehire the para’s that were laid off. Start paying the teachers what they were promised, in regards to the pension plan. Teachers have gone two years without a cost of living raise and the DCSS match in their pension plan. However, during the same time, administrators and these “teacher coaches” salaries have increased immensely. All you have to do is use the state websites to find out what they’re paid. It’s public information and it’s a disgrace that Central Office people got raises while the DCSS budget was balanced on the back of teachers and para-professionals.

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Tony research indicates that technology improves academic achievement.

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@Real Talk….please no need to be silly, really….

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If our system is going to improve….it is time out for the blame game and personal agendas………I was impressed with the presentation and satisfied with the responses to the questions. I know that talk is cheap ….but it appears that some of us are still willing to focus on the small issues opposed to doing what’s best for children……It seems that the Dunwoody Moms of the world simply care about their small world and small minded issues……the system should benefit all of the children of Dekalb…..It appears that experienced, well educated African American’s need not apply for Superintendent for Dekalb …….This appears to be the real issue……What year is this?……Should a disgruntled minority decide the the fate of an entire system……Wow how did we get to this point? Why can’t we all just get along…..for the sake of the kids………No one person can fix Dekalb school system’s problems….Dr. Atkinson appears to be up for the task if we all support her and do our part…….

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@ Anonmom – “take a look at what happened to Dr. Brown and how Dr. Lewis handled his tenure and how they controled Ms. Tyson…”

The clause in her contract requiring a 3/4 vote to terminate her was criticized for making it more difficult to terminate her if she proves to be ineffective. However, doesn’t this clause also make it more difficult to terminate her if certain board members become upset because she is stepping on toes by doing what we want her to do (i.e., get rid of incompetent staff and reduce the bloar)?

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Correction…reduce the bloat

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“However, doesn’t this clause also make it more difficult to terminate her if certain board members become upset because she is stepping on toes by doing what we want her to do (i.e., get rid of incompetent staff and reduce the bloar)?”

Excellent, excellent point! I was thinking about that today.

If she is another status quo superintendent the board will love her, no need to fire her.

If Atkinson does some real house cleaning and ends up on the wrong side of the status quo they won’t have the votes to fire her.

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Dunga Din,

Are you serious? You should not make a generalization like that. I have not lost hope for our children. All of our children deserve a fair chance. We can not decide that it is not worth the effort to provide educational opportunities for ALL children….It is up to the adults to set the examples and provide opportunities to help our children find their way……..
What group of children are you referring to? I think you have been watching too much reality TV….In this country every child has the right to a first class education….regardless to who thinks they do not value it or deserve it………You can’t change that!

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@Real Talk…just another diversion…..

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@Dunwoody Mom. I am not a Dunwoody elite but very active in my child’s school. I do agree with you that even the meet and greet has not convinced me Dr. Atkinson has the qualifications to turn things around. But I would also like to inform you that Dunwoody schools are not the only schools in DeKalb County and most of us who live outside of Dunwoody don’t have the financial resources you in Dunwoody have but we work darn hard on behalf of our kids and the schools. You are no better than we are even though you seem to think you are. You put your britches on the same way as the rest of us – one leg at a time. Your kid is no better than the kid in a Title 1 school who is busting their butt to learn every day but aren’t lucky enough to have wealthy parents who can afford to get them the extra help they need. Oh wait a minute, Dunwoody kids never need extra help because they are automatically smarter than any other kid. You truly are pathetic but typical Dunwood snob interested only in your cozy corner of DeKalb. When is the last time you spent any volunteer time in a Title 1 school to see for yourself what actually goes on. Look around you lady – there but for the Grace of God it could be you struggling.

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The fact that you consider people that live in Dunwoody “elite” is just an indication of your lack of understanding about the citizens of Dunwoody. Most of us are not “elite”.

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The 3/4 firing clause seems like a good deal for us at first blush, but it also is unilateral on the part of the Board. That is, they have the right to unilaterally fire her without cause. Dr. Cox wanted a clause in her contract that required a hearing for cause before she could be fired. This would have kept the Board from firing her if she cleaned house and got rid of their friends and family. I guarantee you that if she goes after their own, the Board members will rally to scratch each others backs and threaten her with firing.

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Quite frankly, I was not impressed. She is not significantly different. Nothing new!

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Support is needed. Give the supt. a chance.

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Several issues I see and some really trouble me. She wants to add more sports programs, cha-ching. Smartboards in every classroom (I think this is good) but a laptop or tablet for every student? Cha-ching. She has to remember that the system will be required to pay this cost, she can not do for one without doing for all. Let’s also not forget how these kids treat their textbooks much less an expensive piece of equipment which the kids will depend on to do the thinking for them. And she wants to “spread the wealth”? To take from the schools that are working hard to do well to support some schools who have teachers, parents, and students who simply don’t care is just wrong.

Please BoE, she and her “vision” are wrong for DCSS. She will simply destroy what little hope we have left.

@Gunga Din – you are so correct with your statement.

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At her last job, she left them with a hugh mess. Why do we need to bring in another diversity loser. When is Dekalb and Fulton County going to get real about educating our children instead of playing politics. When’s the last time we had a qualified school superintendent that wasn’t black?

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I have no problem with iPads – they are a great idea. However, the only way the district can afford that type of cost at this point is to do away with something else. What would that be?

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It is interesting — and revealing — that Atkinson still will not answer the simple question of “why” she knowingly lied on her job application. When the question was asked today, she ignored it and said that her husband’s bankruptcy would not affect her ability to manage the DCSS [billion $$$] budget.

Hello?? That was NOT the question. Take a look at a documented comment that appeared on DeKalb School Watch blog on August 23, 2011 at 7:25 PM:

“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.”

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For those prepared to work together to move forward, connect with us at http://ParentsForDeKalbSchools.org
We’re connecting parents across DeKalb County to ensure the best possible education for all of DeKalb County’s children.

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I agree race baiting has no place in any of this but the biggest race baiters has been member of the School Board and a former School Board member. My child has had EXCELLENT black teachers and I wish they could move on to high school when he does. All I expect and want out of a teacher, any teacher, is do your job, educate my child and God has blessed me tremendously from kindergarten all the way to the present with OUTSTANDING teachers. Our incompetents on the School Board are the ones who has brought race into the equation and make a big deal out of it.

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One of my many issues is my fear of losing the many great teachers we have in this system. If the culture and atmosphere of this school district, i.e. furlough days, cutting teacher salaries as being the first to go during a budget crunch while an overstaffed, overpaid central office staff continues merrily on their way, does not change, once this economy turn around, I am fearful we are going to lose our best teachers. All classes in our district should have a highly qualified teacher. I fear we are losing this battle. I know we’ve already lost a couple to private schools.

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GODSPEED to Dr. Atkinson.

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She also did not list a suit that was a pending US District Court employment discrimination case against her in Lorrain — this case was a 2010/2011 case and was easily found on PACER records. It appears that the case was resolved by her in a “brilliant” manner that was “win/win” for both plaintiff and defendant and she probably could have “spun” the story of the litigation in a very favorable way. This litigation was pretty contemporaneous with this job application for a county school position in a system that spends millions on attorneys fees. Her answer most definitely should have been “yes” with an explanation. The troubling thing is not that there is litigation — what is troubling is that it wasn’t disclosed and explained. It goes to veracity in a situation where DCSS deperately needs to move forward in a positive manner with a strong leader of good moral character with strong leadership skills.

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Her socialist approach to education should scare all parents. She is also hiding alot about herself from certain members of the Board while others could care less. Dr. Atkinson is not appropriate for DCSS, she will be the final nail in the coffin. I would love to see DeKalb County have two school systems, the logistics would warrant that. South DeKalb can have Dr. Atkinson to run that system and North DeKalb could run a proper search for someone who actually comes with no baggage and who knows what needs to be done.

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Come on people lets give Dr. Atkinson a chance, I am so glad that no one was promoted within DCSS and glad that she’s from the outside. It can’t be no worst than what we had. Hopefully she’s fair and do not fed into the existing crap. DCSS in no difference than APS hurting our children. instead of cheating, they steal money (Dr. Lewis) from our children new and renovated schools, etc.

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@Dunwoody Mom
Real Talk told you to agree with him or shut up. You insulted him by not complying. Real Talk talks an awful lot like our BOE member Walker (or at least the quotes I have seen attributed to him).

There sure seems to be a lot of that APS Beverly Hall attitude around here lately. Just tow the line and shut up. If you don’t agree you are the problem and we’ll try to get rid of you. That type of narrow minded attitude allows disasters like APS, Crawford Lewis, Enron, the bank derivatives meltdown to occur. Its disturbing that DCSS is generating so much of that type of thinking (or more accurately lack of thinking).

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@MamaH – Exactly what do you mean by “socialist”? I hear that word used a lot describing our President and his policies. In my simple mind, it represents a new code for “African-American” or “Black” or some other choice racial epithets that you’ve hidden behind the word “socialist.”

Seems like the early Christians established “communal” refuges for believers. Yes, “communal”, the root word of which is the same for “communist.” Since in our simplified understanding of “socialism” we’ve tended to associate it with “communism,” can we agree that the first Christian communities were socialist?

So…if you think that “socialist” is a pejorative, racially-masked epithet for a black Democratic politician, a black superintendent candidate, or our President, then I guess you’re really paying that person a profound compliment.

And I don’t even think Dr. Atkinson should be our new superintendent! Not because she may or may not be a “socialist,” (especially given the racial garbage now associated with that word), but because I think she’s unqualified and not truthful.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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To me, their are too many red flags, coupled with what I already know about various members of the BOE…..I am very concerned.

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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.

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It’s “deja vu”…….the second coming of Beverly “Cupcake” Hall.

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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.

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@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

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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.

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@ 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.

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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.

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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

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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………

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[...] 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 [...]

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“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!

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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…

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@ 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.

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@ 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.

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@ 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.

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@ 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!

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@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.

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Sorry about the typos, I have a few “sticking” key on my keyboard. I think a child with sticky fingers is the culprit.

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@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.

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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.

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@Amazed – I do not believe that neither Ally(however you spell it) Thompson and Trayneesha (I get it, I really do) Jones are who you think they are. I could be wrong, but I believe those are trolls who post racially divisive commentary to further divide. Trust me, educated, thinking parents on the southside know where the money has been spent as it relates to high school buildings and infrastructure. That’s why we ALL have to make sure that a good education is being provided in those nice, new, pretty buildings.

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@Ed Johnson – Standing and Applauding. People are being bamboozled by what is going on in education and it will swallow us all whole if we don’t fight back. Children are being dumbed down all over this country – moreso with poor and minority children. Do any of you think it is by accident? That’s why I get so frustrated with people who make everything about race or socioeconomic status or how much their property taxes are, etc. Their heads are so far up their own butts that they can’t see we all should be fighting the same fight.

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@Dunwoody Mom – I agree with you wholeheartedly! It is absolutely unfair to the receiving schools. I had this same conversation with a bunch of women complaining that Chamblee, Lakeside didn’t want them because “they were black”. I told them NO, it’s because they don’t have room for you. DCSS is the problem. Too much focus is put on transfers – and paying parents to take their own children to school is disgusting. I personally believe that providing tutoring at the home schools is a better option. I believe in Saturday school for those that need it. Parents of children who consistently lag behind should be forced into the education process WITH their children or keep them behind – but absolutely do not let them go elsewhere. But to do that, DCSS has to clean house first and rid itself of those who benefit from the current status quo. We have to get rid of the No-Zero policy. We have to let those that fail, FAIL. We have to ensure the we have quality teachers who can at least spell on the grade level they are teaching in each and every classroom. And STOP teaching to tests. We have to make students read and write real research papers. If things were to improve, I’d be the first to send my child to her home school because I believe it is the right thing to do. Education is very important to me. My grandmother could not read or write very well. I did not grow up in an environment where education was stressed. I wanted to be educated. My children want to be educated. I want every child who wants to be educated to be educated. Dunwoody Mom, I know you care about your children and want them to have the best. I do too. We’re fighting the same battle – against DCSS – not each other.

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@ Berny What can we do, to get other parents in your area to better understand what is really happening in our schools? How can we get them to wake up, elect better board members, and demand better for their children and stop the current agenda in its tracks?

These are serious questions. I am really not sure how we can get others to see what is really happening to their children and in their schools.

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Berny — thank you for taking the time to figure this out — please help your friends and neighbors to see this! Thank you! Please take a look at a book/New York Times article on the Tiger Mom… It addresses how Western moms (not white versus black but Western American versus Asian) do a tremendous disservice to their children by rewarding everything… the children never gain a true sense of pride in true accomplishments. If you reward everything there is never any feeling of satisfaction or success … the kids know that they can’t always win a game. When you artifically don’t keep score on a baseball or soccer field, they still keep score and they still know who won and who loss. Life has winners and losers. Al Queda knows who is going to win and who is going to lose. You can’t master a piece on the piano (a story the Tiger mom tells) without really practicing and if you don’t have stamina and patience and confidence, you will never master the piece. There is a tremendous amount of self satisfiction (that applause and “yeahs” can’t “buy” a child) that comes from mastering that piece. Eastern society wins on this front and we, and DCSS with it’s no zeros policy and nothing is worth striving for, loses in spades.

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Berny, that was a fantastic video. It baffles me that more people are not ANGRY at their elected leaders for the state of the schools. Who else do they think is responsible? Hopefully we can leverage the power of the Parents for DeKalb Schools group next election and have the largest candidate education campaign this county, particularly South DeKalb, has ever seen. Flyers with each candidate’s schools and the trend of their test scores under that person’s watch, quotes that tell the story of how that candidate has NOT been watching over his/her district, and facts, facts, facts.

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Many years ago, when Elizabeth Andrews was still alive, parents did put together a flier that showed the decline in test scores during her decades long terms on the board. She won anyway and at least a big part of her district were highly educated parents.

It is important that we start to recruit now, strong candidates who can make a difference and that those candidates begin to attend board members now. Donna Edler is a disaster in part because she was one of those S DeKalb parents who used N. DeKalb schools but participated not at all. She knew nothing coming in, she only won because she wasn’t Zepora and she is a disaster. Not as bad as Zepora was but terrible all the same.

It isn’t enough just to change the person sitting in the seat, we have to elect higher quality people to begin with.

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@Dunwoody Mom
I would have no problem with your saying the buttons were really silly if you respected yourself and your opinions enough to use your real name rather than an anonymous screen name. But then this is an AJC blog where people can hide behind these cutesy anonymous screen names and lob grenades at other citizens while they cower behind their rocks, i.e., anonymous scree names. I don’t mind you criticizing me by name. I am accystomed to dealing with internet bullies. At least respect yourself and your opinions enough to use your real name when you criticize others who stand up for what they believe. Until you use your teal name, your opinions are meaningless. Call me if you want to have a meaningful discussion about issues facing the DeKalb school system. Nicest thing I can say it is really “bad form,” as the British would say, to criticize another citizen by name while hiding behind an anonymous screen name.

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Thank you. Why won’t DCSS succeed? Just reading all the pointless, cynical, ill-informed, bigoted, and in some cases libelous posts on this blog tells you why. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Presode is right. Your stupid opinions are meaningless to the majority of citizens since you are too cowardly to back up your thoughts and opinions with a real name. Some of you need to GET A LIFE! @Dunwoody Mom: When do you have time to pay attention to your children since you appear to spend all your time posting ignorant and pointless remarks on this blog? You give new meaning to the concept of latch key kids. And anyone with a brain knows that the DeKalb Schools Watch is nothing more than a propaganda tool by a little, mean spirited, clique in one part of DeKalb. DSW will eventually be sued for slander. How easy it is to assassinate people and their characters on Internet blogs without identifying yourself or being able to prove anything. Do you people have a conscience? What goes through your hearts and minds when you attend your church, synagogue or
mosque? I feel so very sorry for those of you who have nothing better to do than post cynical remarks on blogs. I feel even more sorry for your children who are exposed to and infected with your day to day mental illnesses and stupid opinions. Does it feel good to insult other people with baseless, false, and slanderous, accusations? Does it make you feel important to post anonymous, uninformed comments that you don’t have to back up with your real identity? Who cares what you think? If you could back up your posts with facts, you woul use your real names. But that would be no fun now, would it? It is no wonder we have so many discipline issues in the schools when there are so many unmannerly, undisciplined, opinionated adults. People who have nothing better to do than spread baseless rumors and slander other people on blogs really lead pointless lives devoid of true humanity. Kind of reminds me of the Stalinist era in the Soviet Union where you could do away with your enemies by making anonymous, false, accusations to the Secret Police. And Dunwoody Mom, we hope you can tear yourself away from your computer long enough to remember to feed your children and get them to school on time.

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For those fair-minded people who are interested, here is Dunwoody Mom’s blog: http://dunwoodyschooldaze.blogspot.com/

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Geez, I need to get a new keyboard….sorry about the typos.

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“Atkinson called for lacrosse and fencing so more students can participate in sports.” and an iPad for every student. Interesting. Simply tell the voters, or in this case the parents, what they want to hear.

She comes from a failing school system and you expect great things from Ms. Atkinson?

Will there be positive change in the Dekalb School System in the next 5-10 years? Probably not.
Until there is accountability or school choice, don’t expect any great improvement in the education process in Dekalb County.

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No nonsense Mom

August 29th, 2011
2:15 am

PS…I also do not take advice from child molesters like MJ.

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Want to know why so many posts don’t use names? Take a very hard look at DeKalb County and its history. BJ Bernstein had guards 24/7 because she receive death threats and was followed for representing the boys who filed those suits against the “kind” bishop. Liz Carter had guards for the death threats she and her supporters (large/vocal ones) received for supporting her for challenging Hank Johnson. There were some murders involving a sheriff and his challenger and a county attorney wound up dead of a ’suicide’ but the gun is in the wrong hand. Our county, for anyone really paying attention is run by a gang of thugs intent on taking our money and not doing right by it — the kids and taxpaying citizens are suffering. It isn’t much different from other examples in history (both in the US and elsewhere in the world). This is the truth. It isn’t racist and the AJC is too afraid or on the take or under the thumb of someone in on the scheme to do the proper journalist investigating (as did the journalists at USA Today). At the DSW Blog — the facts are upwards of 90% accurate, because they are by anons who are okay in sharing what they know because they can’t be bullied — live and in person — by those who are trying to do the ‘bad deeds” — the trick is really figuring out how to stop it all. My solution: a very thorough audit (too many stories about off shore accounts); on line check registers and p-card registers and vouchers. It’s time to put the dollars back into the hands of the parents and to force the parents to chose how the dollars are used. Let the state school superintendent be responsible for checking on the actual usage of the money. Doubt what I’m saying? Take an hour or so and do an AJC and Fulton County Daily Report search and just look at what DCSS has spent on attorney’s fees and see what the students have received in exchange for the fees (include Heery Mitchell and the Jaheem suicide and the pending prosecution of Dr. Lewis and any others you run across). Then ask yourself from which school house pocket and teachers are they paying said fees? Then come back and accuse me of slander and tell me that I don’t know what I’m talking about… I’m crying out for help for all of these kids who want a future.

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If the North Dekalb schools worked for this woman’s child, that’s all well and good. However, I know several parents whose kids attended South Dekalb schools and did very well. Their test scores were very high (although I think we put too much weight on some of these worthless test), they graduated from high school with honors and received scholarships from very good colleges based on their classroom work & SAT scores. I also know several parents that transferred their kids from the North Dekalb Schools to the South Dekalb Schools because in their words “the environment was hostile and the schools were morally corrupt”. So, parents must decide for themselves, but the key is “well behaved kids” and active, regular parental participation ( and I don’t mean just attending ball games).
If a kid doesn’t want to learn and disrupts school all day long, kick his a$$ out of the school and lock up his no good parents.

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@DunwoodyMom, most people who can’t debate an issue on fact, turn it into an emotional issue or throw out a red herring like race baiting.

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We know who on the board really cares about the kids, is able to critically think and look at the facts, hopefully the other board members will be replaced.

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On August 29, 2011, the following DeKalb County Board of Education members voted to keep the status quo for the students of DeKalb County Schools by supporting the selection of Dr. Cheryl Atkinson as Superintendent of DeKalb County Schools:

Tom Bowen
Jay Cunningham
Donna Edler
Eugene Walker
Sarah Copelin-Wood
Paul Womack

These individuals voted for the status quo , a school system in crisis. You have failed at your job as members of the DeKalb County Board of Education and violated the trust the parents and voters of DeKalb County placed in you. I look forward to November 6, 2012 when we can refer to these individuals as “former” members of the DeKalb County School Board.

We also should send our thoughts and prayers to Dr. Atkinson because she is going to need everyone in dealing with this Board of Education.

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The only way to go is vote NO on any SPLOST for any reason, anytime. The govt has more than enough of our tax dollars. The problem is they keep wasting it.

NO MORE SPLOST!!

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Hmm. Is 6 to 3 the kind of ringing endorsement that SACS is looking for? A 6 to 3 vote on a superintendent from a dubious at best little school system (one high school). I just mop the floors in one of our big high schools here in DeKalb. I am not known to be a scholar but I know that I have a lot of common sense, and I am a deacon in my church. I know something about leadership and what moves people. I also know when the pastor is more interested in what is in the collection plate than what is in a man’s heart or what food is on the family’s table. Something is just not right about this superintendent selection. Something in the milk just ain’t clean.

Did Dr. King and heroes like Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers, Rev. Hosea Williams, and others fight for our civil rights so that we could act like the avaricious white man? Was the purpose of the fight that our leaders could selfishly act like the whites who ran our school system for years? I remember those years. They were pretty rough years for us. But now that we are in control, why are we acting just as rapacious as the man acted toward us. Has “us” become like the man?

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I DO NOT want more ipads and technology in the classroom because they are misused. What teachers will do is park students in front of a computer and call it “self-directed” learning. That’s a big fat excuse not to teach.

I naively assumed a teacher would be at the head of the classroom and teach the students while they used the computer. They do not at APS. They sit there with their headphones on, the computer on and they get ignored.

This is not what technology was intended to do.

So more of this lame approach is not what DCSS needs by Dr. Atkinson.

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@Geter in the Gym. Wonderful post. I would just add that also looking on are the spirits of those old-time black teachers who saw their teaching of black students as a Mission to keep the childrens’ intelligence growing and their spirits intact, even in the crushing society around them.

They were not in it for the money.

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@mr. geter in the gym, i have much respect for you. and @remember the children, let us go back a little further and also remember those who taught slaves to read and write under threat of death.

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MamaH, you may be right. Only time will tell as far as the “final nail in the coffin.”
Given the prior record of Ms. Atkinson’s school performance under her governance, I find her appointment highly questionable. As to the Dekalb County BOE that voted to extend her the contract for employment, I have one statement. May fortune favor the foolish.

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To: The Dekalb County School board members,
I was in a school that had Promethean boards in every classroom and 4 student computers — in addition to a computer lab. That school was closed. I am now in a school where very few classrooms have Promethean boards,(my room does not have one), and there is only one student computer. Even though, as some people have mentioned, technology doesn’t equal student acheivement, it sure does give students more access to information and gives a visual picture of what they are learning, Additionally, the interactive component of the smart board helps to engage the students and give them a focus, which helps them to retain information better. My classroom in this school is a little more than half the size of my former classroom and I have more students this year. Please explain the logic in closing a school that had a larger student body, more technology, and bigger classrooms than many of the schools that remain open. Board members, were you thinking of students when you arbitrarily closed 3 schools in the same area? Were yhou thinking of the students when you decided that they would be bussed to schools out of their neighborhoods? Were you thinking of the communities that now have no elementary school within close proximity to their homes? I guess the big question is were you thinking?
I remain disappointed in the board and I have no confidence in the decisions you make. I sincerely hope this new superintendent will be able to work effectively …….but that remains to be seen.
A very disappointed teacher

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