Clearing the smoke in the Smoke Rise Elementary dispute over parent-raised funds for new playground
A parent sent me this photo of a 2009 casino night and silent auction held by the Smoke Rise Elementary Foundation to raise money for new playground equipment. (Special)
On Tuesday, I received a note from Smoke Rise Charter Elementary School parents in DeKalb about what they deemed an unsavory and unfair effort to convert funds raised for a playground by a parent foundation to another use. I asked DeKalb spokesman Walter Woods about it that morning and just received his reply.
So, here are both the notes.
First, the note from members of the Smoke Rise Elementary Foundation:
Last night the Smoke Rise Charter Elementary School Principal and Governance Council called a special meeting and demanded that the Smoke Rise Elementary Foundation, a separate fundraising entity, provide them unlimited access to nearly $45,000 in funds previously raised by parents and the community over the last 3 years for the specific purpose of replacing the current dangerous playground equipment. The Principal and Governance Council want to cancel the previously approved playground upgrade project. The administrators are wanting carte blanc use of the money that had been designated for the playground; including to pay an additional salary to a current full-time DeKalb County School System employee whose children attend the school.
In addition, last spring, SREF volunteers applied for and received a renowned KaBOOM!® $15,000 grant to match funds already raised for the playground. After previously approving the playground purchase, the Principal and Council at SRE suggest to just “walk away” from this generous grant.
Nearly every fundraising event that has occurred over the last three years was advertised specifically as going to fund a new playground for the school children and local community. The $45,000 includes funds that were collected via a website established explicitly to collect funds for a new playground and to show issues with the current playground equipment built in 1969 and 1980s.
The mission of the SREF is to continually improve the educational experience at Smoke Rise Charter School by creating sustainable business and community partnerships that provide financial and other resources. SREF was established years before the existence of the SRE Governance Council and without regards to the Council. The Counsel believes SREF is forced to do as it says.
Parents who donated for the expressed cause of building a new playground for their children are outraged that their money appears to have been donated under false pretenses.
Upon reading that note, I asked Walter Woods about the allegations, prefacing my comment with the understanding that the school could not commandeer foundation funds.
Here is what Woods sent me today:
You are correct. Smoke Rise Charter Elementary School understands it has no authority over the Smoke Rise Elementary Foundation’s money. They are completely separate. The charter school’s leadership can only make requests to the foundation.
At a meeting on Monday, the school’s Governing Council presented a system for deciding priorities for requests to the foundation. Some of the requests include new technology for computer labs and professional training and materials to help teachers meet new state curriculum standards coming later this year. The school leadership believed on Monday that everyone was in agreement about the recommendation system.
Other priorities have also been discussed, including a playground and funding a school parent liaison. In terms of the playground, Smoke Rise Elementary’s building is scheduled to replaced in the next few years under SPLOST IV, and that would include $150,000 in new playgrounds, fields and equipment. A new playground was not agreed on by everyone to be the priority nor has the playground been the focus of all of the school’s fund raising in recent years.
The parent liaison position is described in the school’s charter, and has been funded over the past two years by a grant that has now expired. An employee at the school has been performing this role and committing the hours in addition to their position at the school. The school leadership asked the foundation to fund $15,000 for the extra-curricular position.
The foundation has paid $5,000 towards this position. Funding such a position is allowed under the school charter. But the school leadership can only make recommendations to the foundation, and we hope that everyone can work together to decide on priorities that are in the best interest of the students at Smoke Rise and the community.
Thanks,
Walter Woods,
Executive Director of Communications, DeKalb County School System
–from Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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198 comments Add your comment
So Sad for My Community
January 26th, 2012
6:01 pm
Both of my children attended Smoke Rise Elementary, and I am beyond horrified at what has become of our beloved school. Smoke Rise Elementary is a big part of the reason I moved here in the early 90s. It was such a source of pride, most of the students were local, and it was exceptionally well supported by parents and the larger community. The number of hours this community has volunteered to support, maintain and improve that school is astronomical (I know — I was there!) and to see what’s happened since my children went on to middle and high school is heartbreaking.
The real losers here are the children, and just like with the cheating scandal at APS, it appears that adults acting selfishly are to blame. The school (or public park?) needed new playground equipment. The community raised the funds with the full involvement of the school administration and then the principal and Council say “we’re going to let the kids wait until some indefinite time in the future when we might get around to replacing our old, broken and dangerous equipment because we have better things planned for that money?” Outrageous! There was an agreement in place to have the equipment moved when (if?) the construction of a new school building began. The money would not have been wasted in any way, shape or form. Why on earth, Mr. Moore, would you say no to this? Why do you want the children in your care to suffer? Shame on you for that, shame on you for intentionally pitting teachers against the parents who worked so hard to help them, and shame on the Council for acting like arrogant jerks!
So Sad for My Community
January 26th, 2012
6:03 pm
@Maureen: When you’re checking on those playground inspection forms, you might also want to check the Sunshine Laws. The school Council has closed all of its work meetings to the public (and the decision to say no to the new playground was made in a closed meeting) and holds only quarterly public meetings. Is this permitted under the law? The Foundation asked Mr. Moore about this back in November, but he has never answered.
Paddy O
January 26th, 2012
7:02 pm
The Smoke Rise Elementary Foundation is obviously necessary to prevent arrogant, unethical and managerially inept principals from usurping & mispending money that they don’t legally control. Most wise principal would be ecstatic about providing kids a good quality playground. Good luck Smoke Rise, your leadership is poor, so you have a very tough row to hoe for your children. Remarkable the poor managerial skills of the principal at this school – spitting in the face of very passionate parents does exactly what to help you run the school?
Marian Kalvert
January 26th, 2012
7:52 pm
If the money cannot be used for it’s originally intended purpose (the playground), then the only fair thing to do is to GIVE THE MONEY BACK TO THOSE WHO DONATED!!!!!!!!!!! This is absolutely ridiculous!!!
David
January 26th, 2012
7:55 pm
They do not understand how KaBOOM works. I was involved with a KaBOOM playground at Hawthorne Elementary in DeKalb 7 years ago – it is an awesome program. The money IS earmarked for a playground, the school has to raise matching funds, help build it, volunteer to help other schools, etc, etc. They cannot use the KaBOOM money for anything else, if they do – KaBOOM will just go to another school. Parents need to get involved – something is not right in this school for them to do this. If they do not, there will be no money and no playground. Technogy is another fundraiser alltogether – they need to setup a different group for that. The KaBOOM money is for a playground only, if the school renigs – no money and no playground.
past student
January 26th, 2012
8:07 pm
Why can’t the children just have the play equipment? The kids deserve the new equipment, so why hold them back from having a fun recess time? The old equipment is falling apart and the children are restricted from playing on it. This condition is only going to get worse if we don’t get a new playground soon.Some of the money the foundation has raised,and some was partially donated for new play equipment. It would just be wrong to spend it on something else when it was donated for the speciffic cause.
Law requires open meetings
January 26th, 2012
8:08 pm
From: http://www.gsci.org/councils/2009%20Section%205%20-%20School%20Councils.pdf
How do School Councils Conduct Business?
Law requires open meetings
January 26th, 2012
8:10 pm
(cont)
How do School Councils Conduct Business?
- All meetings are open to the public.
- School councils must meet four or more times a year as stated in their bylaws.
- A quorum, which is a majority of the members, must be present at the meeting.
- The council may appoint committees, study groups, and task forces.
- Meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act.
- Records are subject to the Open Records Act.
Fed Up SRC Parent
January 26th, 2012
8:24 pm
I’m ready to picket. I’m ready to oust Mr. Moore. I’m ready but I can’t go it alone. I understand many folks have tried before to get him out. I refuse to remove my child from this school without fighting first. We moved here because of the great history of the school and neighborhood. Still love the neighborhood, though.
Pearl before Swine
January 26th, 2012
8:25 pm
The school wanted volunteers to clean the cafeteria during lunch. I suggested a cafeteria patrol since I felt my child was capable of learning how to “clean up after eating” “take responsibility for the mess” etc. (Funny how this is the same concept Newt recently suggested, lol)I was told the school administration would think about it. I never did see any further requests for parents to come to the school and clean up during lunch. Maybe they realized how silly that sounded to have the parents come and clean up after the kids each day. If the kids can help open a car door, they can wipe a table.
I am so proud of my neighbors in Smoke Rise to do what is best for their kids no matter the cost. Sure, having a poor school hurts our property values, but our kids must be safe. I vote to bulldoze the property. Last year was awesome for my child, but this year my child is struggling. I have tried to give the benefit of the doubt, but my child has regressed. God willing, my child will be gone after this school year ends to a better learning environment.
Smoke Rise Dad
January 26th, 2012
8:38 pm
Hey Walter…..is it going to take our children getting injured on the playground for it to be a priority? So, according to your statement in the AJC the children’s safety is not a priority with the DCSS!!!!! If Dr. Atkinson is paying any attention to all of this I hope she will do the right thing, for the children. This is a big test for her!!
Dr. Monica Henson
January 26th, 2012
9:10 pm
To all the offended parents, please accept my sincere apology–my characterization of the situation was based purely on scanning a couple of news articles, and I certainly don’t have all of the facts. I didn’t intend to defend the school principal or disparage the foundation, but to offer my opinion of what happens when a group of parents bands together, makes a decision, and raises money. Look out, principals, because this is an acid test of your leadership skills in negotiating the conclusion, especially if you were not part of the planning process. It can be quite a dicey situation if the parents’ goal is in conflict with the school leader’s. This is not to say that the school leader’s goal is automatically superior to the parents’, by any means.
My description of the reading program situation that happened in my school, literally the week I was hired, was an example of a situation that had arisen long before I came into the picture. I wanted to honor the parents’ request that the reading program be used in the school, but not at the expense of forcing every teacher to incorporate it in lockstep simply because it had been purchased and a group of influential and involved parents (not educators themselves, but highly educated) wanted it in the school. That type of tactic is antithetical to effective organizational change and would have severely damaged my ability to mobilize the faculty to work with me, the parents, and the surrounding community to make needed improvements in climate, culture, and academics.
I was simply sharing my professional opinion that school foundations (and PTOs, PTAs, and the like), in order to achieve optimum results, need to work hand in hand with the school administration in order to ensure that the school’s mission, vision and values are upheld. The sentiment was expressed in a previous post that a smart principal will work together with the group in order to maximize the effectiveness of it, and I couldn’t agree more. In fact, after a couple of years in my school, we mobilized the entire community to help raise the funds and provide the labor and materials necessary to build a beautiful new playground (we applied unsuccessfully for a KaBoom grant, and I commend the Smoke Rise foundation for being able to win one, as it is a great program). The teachers themselves led and organized the effort, supported by students, parents, and the community. I was proud to be part of the effort, but more proud that we were able to distribute leadership effectively so that it wasn’t “my” project.
I feel very strongly that when a donor makes a gift to a school, it is the principal’s duty to honor the donor’s wishes as much as is possible, and if it is not possible to do so, then the money should be returned with thanks and a clear explanation of why it cannot be used. I was lucky to have worked in a community with many supporters and donors who benefited our school tremendously. One of the nicest gifts the school ever received was from the 30 or so “Hurricane Katrina” refugee families who spent the year in our community and sent their children to our school. At the end of the year, they collected among themselves about $1,500 and gave it to the school as an unrestricted gift. I was very touched and honored that they trusted me to decide how to use the money.
I went to the local historical society and asked them to help me located photographs of all the original little community schoolhouses that existed before the consolidation back in the early 1950s to create a gallery in the school lobby so all of our students could see firsthand the rich history of education in their community. We secured some beautiful pictures, printed in sepia tones, and a local photographer enlarged them and a framer framed tham. They still hang in the school lobby as a lovely historical gallery, with a plaque explaining thanking the Katrina families for making the gallery possible.
Please forgive me for hasty words in describing my first impression of your school’s situation. I wish Smoke Rise Elementary all the best in resolving what seems to be a much larger problem than how to fund the playground.
@ Pearl
January 26th, 2012
9:14 pm
The district does not allow the children to clean the tables or even spills that the children make themselves. Cleaning up the bathroom if you destroy seems like a natural consequence, but it is not permitted by the administration in DCSS, not the principals, but those above them.
Parents have to realize that a principal can only do what the administration above them will back them up and enable them to do. If you are not going to get backed, why would you put your neck out? DCSS is infamous for letting principals who don’t tow the line and do as they are told go.
———
The comment about teachers and administrators not contributing to the playground or fundraising really struck a chord with me. Why should teachers or administrators have to donate money from their paychecks for a playground at the school in which they teach? Most teachers that I know already take large sums of their own money to buy office supplies, stickers, tissues, cleaning supplies, dry erase markers/chalk, paper and pencils, etc for their classroom. Teachers in DeKalb have already taken a pay cut three years in a row, and asking them to contribute money to a playground seems very petty and childish. Teachers support the children by providing their students with a quality education. If that is not happening, and this doesn’t mean that you don’t like the teacher, we all have people that we don’t like, but that they are not teaching, than document it and take it up the channel. Good teachers are going to stay away from Smoke Rise, not because of administration, but because of the parents expecting teachers to come after school hours and contribute money to their fundraising. Teachers have lives and families, too.
Typical@Fred
January 26th, 2012
9:20 pm
Photo’s of Smoke Rise. Notice how awful the Sam Moss Center maintains the athletic field.
https://plus.google.com/photos/113149141588880516114/albums/5702043109564853985/5702043343724850930
Law requires open meetings
January 26th, 2012
9:46 pm
Unfortunately, Smoke Rise’s playground looks like those of many DeKalb elementary schools. I guess they were all done at the same time because they are all made of the same materials and in the same state of disrepair. See Brockett and Midvale.
Smoke Rise Mom
January 26th, 2012
9:50 pm
Here’s my prediction. After all this uproar, the school system will reverse the principal and charter council’s decision. But as for the real problems at SRE, they will all fade away in the thrill of the new playground. What could have been the revitalization of this school will be removed from life support. Most of the organs have already been transplanted. A fancy new building will eventually be built and the children of Smoke Rise will go to another choice school, private school, the new Smoke Rise Prep, or be home-schooled. Thank you Karen Weitzel for all you do.
Dekalb taxpayer
January 26th, 2012
10:03 pm
Thank you, Dr. Henson, for your very gracious follow-up post.
Get Your Facts Straight
January 26th, 2012
10:18 pm
I second DeKalb taxpayer… very gracious and appreciated Dr. Henson. Any chance we can get into your school?
Attentive Parent
January 26th, 2012
10:22 pm
I swear “Doctor ” Monica twinkiedom just wrote the most bizarre post above. Basically it’s an “I apologize because I didn’t know what I was talking about now that such explicit facts have been posted.”
“Look out, principals, because this is an acid test of your leadership skills in negotiating the conclusion, especially if you were not part of the planning process. ”
What on earth is ” negotiating the conclusion”? Is the clown you are describing somehow the product of your training program Monica?
I do a lot of work in what is going on in education all over the world. I peruse this site and read Monica’s original post and googled her because of its tone. And her reminder that she was a “Doctor”.
Here’s a hint. The only lawyers who use Esq are lousy ones.
I read through this entire thread because I know that area of ATL and I know what’s going on in the so- called best of schools these days. These stories broke my heart and show what happens when a needed sector of the economy gets a monopoly on services and the ability to tax you each year for funding. No matter what.
So the conversion charters were really only about temporarily accessing federal funds as a honeypot?
Is being a charter for these schools a farce? Just an interim financing ploy? Perhaps with even less accountability?
Monica- You said you did not really know what you were talking about but you showed up posting by your credentials. Hoping for a deference to authority.
Shame. Given the stakes and lives involved.
Get Your Facts Straight
January 26th, 2012
10:29 pm
@ Pearl
January 26th, 2012
9:14 pm
The comment about teachers and administrators not contributing to the playground or fundraising really struck a chord with me.
___________________________________________________________________________________
I didn’t mean to come across as though we expected teachers to contribute financially to the fundraisers. But how about donating an item for the silent auction… maybe lunch with a student or another free token of support. And no one was upset with the teachers for not contributing until a few very angry teachers joined the principal and started acting like we were not allowed to have a say in how the money was spent. Ever hear the story of the little red hen who asked for help with planting the seeds, watering the plants, picking the crop, and cooking the bread? No one wanted to help with any of that… but everyone wanted to help her eat the bread after it was cooked. We aren’t even trying to hoard the bread… just to be able to follow a recipe we believe in… I absolutely agree that teachers shouldn’t be asked for capital donations, and apologize if i came across that way!
Dr. Monica Henson
January 26th, 2012
10:50 pm
@Get Your Facts Straight
(love that screen name): I haven’t been a building-level leader for a while, but thank you for the kind sentiment!
@Attentive Parent: Wow, what a cynical and downright nasty response! To answer the question about the phrase “negotiating the conclusion,” I mean “navigating the situation until it is resolved.” Not sure why that is confusing.
I’ve worked for many years in many roles, with nothing but the best interests of children driving what I do. I’m proud of earning my title with years of research & hard work and don’t apologize for going by it, as I never apologized for going by “Coach” in my beginning teaching days, when I had the energy to coach girls basketball after teaching all day long. In my daydreams, I like to picture myself as the “Dr. Sanjay Gupta” of education one day.
I guess he’s less of a physician for going by his title, too.
Dr. Monica Henson
January 26th, 2012
10:52 pm
“I do a lot of work in what is going on in education all over the world.” As do I–if you’d post under your real name, I’d be interested to see if our professional paths have crossed, particularly if you’re in metro Atlanta.
Get Your Facts Straight
January 26th, 2012
11:59 pm
@ Dr. Monica, I just sent you a messsage on FB. Would love it if you would read and reply.
To Get Your Facts Straight from Good Mom
January 27th, 2012
5:21 am
GYFS you wrote about contributions to the playground “I absolutely agree that teachers shouldn’t be asked for capital donations, and apologize if i came across that way!”
I disagree, especially when teachers have their own children in the school. Why should we exempt them from participating? There is a teacher in my child’s school who lives outside our school zone and lives far outside our district in a low-tax area. She doesn’t pay our high property taxes, but as a benefit of her job she is allowed to put her student at our school. I agree tht is a wonderful benefit we should offer. My issue with her is that she never ever even volunteers to work at a fundraiser, much less contribute money. When 2:30 p.m. rolls around, her butt is out the door and you don’t see her again until the next school day.
Teachers are parents too and when they have children they need to participate and care just as much as anyone else in that school, particularly when they don’t even have to pay the taxes to educate their own child. Volunteer to do anything to show parents they care. Trust me when i say, we parents know which teachers put some effort into fundraising and who the teachers are that feel entitled.
WHAT A CROCK!
January 27th, 2012
7:12 am
I think it should be stated again that the school administration, DCSS and the Charter Council ALL APPROVED this playground venture and the fundraising involved. It wasn’t like we, as a Foundation, came up with our own cause and then got pissed off when they wouldn’t let us build what WE wanted to build.
They all knew of it. They approved of it. They allowed us for raise funds FOR YEARS for it. And, only when they realized that they were out of cash did they come to us with open hands. When we refused to give them cash for a salary for an employee, they pouted and squashed our whole project all together.
The Foundation was made up of less than 8 people. We had meetings every month and they were posted online and notices were emailed to every parent in the school, too. Still no teacher nor parent other than the original 8 of us ever showed up. The school has about 450 children. See the problem here? The same parents did all of the work year after year after year. We BEGGED for more people to join us and nobody ever would. For one event, two teachers called me to tell me that they wanted to attend our event and would pay for their tickets when they arrived. The event was a Low Country Boil and the tickets were $25 per person. Food was purchased for these teachers. They never showed up nor called nor mentioned it again. THEY SIMPLY DO NOT HELP WITH A THING. We provided teachers with money every year to buy classroom supplies, we painted classrooms, teachers came to us looking for money when there were kids in their classes who couldn’t afford field trips – WE DID ANYTHING THEY ASKED US TO DO!
It just seems that people who don’t really know the details of all of this think that the Foundation is some random building sitting somewhere with a vault of cash in the back that just magically replenishes itself. That’s not the case at all. We’re just a few moms trying to raise money to better the school.
Here’s the question to ask the Charter Council now: HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE YOU RAISED THIS SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE FOUNDATION? I know nobody will answer because 1. they were told to NOT speak on this “very sensitive issue” and 2. THEY HAVEN’T DONE ONE THING TO SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION AT ALL AND HAVEN’T RAISED A DIME!
Maybe I’m crazy but in MY life, if I want something that I can’t afford to have – I DON’T GET IT. If there is no money left to pay a salary to the Parent Liaison then you had better get out there and START RAISING MONEY FOR THE CAUSE JUST LIKE WE DID FOR OUR PLAYGROUND! You can’t take OUR hard work and use it for something that a volunteer should be doing. Let’s just face it – we ALL have to work for free at our school whether it’s private or public. GET OUT THERE AND GET INVOLVED!
WHAT A CROCK!!!
Another Ex-Smoke Rise Parent
January 27th, 2012
7:42 am
As has been stated here multiple times, there are many things that have not been said about the whole environment and events of recent years. ‘What A Crock’ is bringing some of that out and, from a first hand observer (who was one of the parents that did not participate in these activities as much as they would have liked), I can say that ‘What A Crock’ is telling it exactly like it was. Hopefully those deractors in this blog are starting to get an idea of the atmosphere that has permeated that school for years now. And all as a direct result of the poor leadership there. It all rolls down from the top.
Please Please Maureen, you have a well documented case study here of how a great school has been basically destroyed by DCSS through poor leadership and lack of response to parents trying to turn around the downward trend… Please get the real fact from the county (open records) and shine the spotlight on this. It is only through being exposed to the light of day that these things ever get addressed….
Get Your Facts Straight
January 27th, 2012
8:09 am
OK, I’m eating Crow! The foundation was formed in 2007, not 1997. I counted back five years in my mind and skipped the whole 2000’s! Thanks to my friend for pointing that out and making sure I really WAS getting the fact straight! Note that my point is still the same… 2007 was long before SR Elementary considered becoming a charter school.
Another Ex-Smoke Rise Parent
January 27th, 2012
8:23 am
@GYFS: I was wondering about that….
Dr. Monica Henson
January 27th, 2012
8:44 am
@Get Your Facts Straight: I don’t see a message in my Facebook email inbox. Please feel free to contact me directly at Monica.Henson@edisonlearning.com. I’ll be glad to talk with you.
Another Ex-Smoke Rise Parent
January 27th, 2012
8:55 am
Spellcheck: deractors => detractors
Kaitsmom
January 27th, 2012
9:39 am
I just read the AJC article. Go Karen! Does the foundation have a website or any means of contact for others to get involved? Or have you guys decided to throw in the towel?
Smoke Rise Mom
January 27th, 2012
10:03 am
http://schools.dekalb.k12.ga.us/smokerise/files/4D9D4B8CCD66411C84168EFDC90DAD41.pdf
Do I understand correctly from these minutes that the Parent Liaison who was appointed by this Charter Council is herself a voting member of the Charter Council that appointed her and approved the $15,000 salary. Usually bylaws prevent members of these kind of bodies from using the position to benefit themselves. No wonder the meetings are closed.
@ What a Crock
January 27th, 2012
10:37 am
Parents continuing to bash teachers isn’t doing anything for your cause. IF two teachers called you for tickets to an event, than take it up with those teachers, but don’t bash all of the teachers. Also, I feel that parents are expecting way too much from teachers. Teachers have very little time to use the bathroom or eat lunch each, let alone the required paper work, grading papers, and everything else that is required of them.
I understand what parents want from their teachers, but they have to remember that it’s a public school and teachers are only contracted to work the hours each day. Many spend time before/after school, at night and on the weekend grading papers, writing lessons, and contacting parents, but this is on their personal time. I won’t even go into the fact that teachers have taken a pay cut over the last three years and no longer have a fully funded retirement.
The teaching profession is not attracting the best and brightest, because smart people want to work in a job where they are respected, make more money, and actually make a difference.
I was raised that you give people gifts (for example the teacher supplies) without expectations or strings. If there were strings attached, than that should have made clear to the teachers, so that they could decide if they wanted to accept such gift.
Raquel Morris
January 27th, 2012
10:40 am
Let me guess. The principal is Black, the foundation parents are White, and the principal has made himself out to be the victim because “those” parents, the helicopter, crazy, gentrifying parents, are “trying to takeover his school.”
Any committed principal would be happy to have an involved and capable group of parents and would gladly use them as a resource. What a shame for the children.
fact checker
January 27th, 2012
12:06 pm
@kaitsmom, yes on a foundation website: http://gosmokerise.org/
Minutes and bylaws are posted there as well (under “Links” tab)
FYI
January 27th, 2012
12:06 pm
The student demographics at Smoke Rise: 20% white, 57% black, 16% Hispanic (from the school’s website). No faculty racial demographics are given. The Smoky Rise Foundation website has no pictures of its members so their race cannot be determined, although the accompanying pictures are of white plus a few black adult faces.
Maybe SOMETHING in DeKalb is not about race, and this is one of them????
Dedicated Teacher
January 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
Accusing teachers of lacking integrity and professionalism so much so that they actually mistreat the CHILDREN because of issues with a FEW parents is hurtful beyond words. My responsibilty to provide a warm, positive and safe environment for my students is one that I do not take lightly.
Please PLEASE do not make accusations and/or assumptions about an entire body of teachers.
WHAT A CROCK!
January 27th, 2012
12:35 pm
Whoever wrote that last post to me: First, I hope you’re not an English teacher. Secondly, I was merely pointing out that the Foundation was there to HELP THE TEACHERS in any financial way we could help yet they never helped US with any of our fundraisers by way of buying tickets, volunteering, spreading the word, etc.
I ADORE TEACHERS and could never in a million years do the job that they do.
You took my point the wrong way. There, of course, have never been REQUIREMENTS from the Foundation that anybody help out. We would have appreciated SOME help, though. Instead we worked hard for years to help out the children and the teachers by providing things that were needed and now we’re being talked about like we are just a bunch of crazy mothers who want to rule your jobs. THAT’S INSANITY!
WHAT A CROCK!
January 27th, 2012
12:38 pm
I would also like to point out that these issues, to me, are not race issues and I think we need to be careful about this.
The only color that’s in debate here is the color of money – GREEN!
The Few
January 27th, 2012
12:41 pm
“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”
-Margaret Mead
I’ve had a front row seat for all of this. I’ve read all the comments. I’ve heard the stories. It’s a complicated mess that no blog will ever be able to cover in its entirety. But the one comment I must make is that when I hear the word “few” thrown around, it is cast in a negative light. Few, meaning, no one else agreed with them, no one else supported them, there was no research, no understanding, no attempt to bring others in to get their point of view, crazed, delusional, and the like. Believe what you want (you will anyway) based on whatever information you’ve had access to. But I know the “few” have at times been small in number, yes. But not in scope, not in perspective, not in information and careful consideration, not in support. A stadium cheers on a “few” players on the field. And those seated in the stadium of Smoke Rise were vocal, and they cheered on the “few.” No one’s perfect, mistakes will be made, but don’t think for a minute it was about the priorities of the “few.”
Another Ex-Smoke Rise Parent
January 27th, 2012
1:06 pm
@The Few: Well said and thank you. You are so right.
@What A Crock: Yes.. this is definitely a ‘color of money issue’ (and maybe a little bit about power)….. not racial.
RE: my previous comments using the term ‘less affluent’… I did not mean that in an elitist way. Many of the children being brought in *are* from economically disadvantaged homes. Which would be OK *if* the parents would do what they could to help and support the school. Sadly this is not often the case. And I think this has as much to do with ‘proximity’ to the school as anything else…. It would be hard for *anyone* to be very involved in a school that is far from their neighborhood. I personally don’t know a good answer to this issue. I understand the desire of the parents to have their children in a good school, unfortunately, the lack of involvement by so many parents (both from a participatory and from a discipline issue) hurts the school.
Pearl before Swine
January 27th, 2012
1:38 pm
Wow, just catching up with the posts. Sorry to hear that the kids aren’t allowed to clean up after themselves. The schools really suffer when common sense is missing. I did my volunteer hours and it was fun, but I had to draw the line on having my child see me wiping up her messy table. Not allowed at home, you see. Have to model the behavior and all, kinda old fashion.
I saw that one post says that teaching is not attracting the best and brightest, I think that may be true for government schools, but Homeschool/Private has the teachers that can take over when the government fails. School vouchers are sounding better and better. I give kudos to those teachers that are in government schools trying to save the next generation. I think they have their hands tied in some cases. I am sorry I never got involved with the Foundation, sounds like a heck of a group.
@Smoke Rise Mom
January 27th, 2012
1:51 pm
“Do I understand correctly from these minutes that the Parent Liaison who was appointed by this Charter Council is herself a voting member of the Charter Council that appointed her and approved the $15,000 salary.”
Not only does it look like the Parent Liaison voted for herself. It also looks like if they don’t get the money from the Foundation, they will use part of a Teacher position to give her this job. A “point” is a teacher. A half point is a part time teacher or a paraprofessional.
Where were the quantitative measurements that showed the effectiveness of the Parent Liaison?
The Smoke Rise Elementary Parent Liaison was supposed to establish very specific quantitative goals:
Track Volunteer hours
Manage Parental agreements
Implement programs to increase family attendance at meetings, functions and school activities
Increase PTA membership
http://www.smokerise.org/uploads/ss110110.pdf
What are the statistics? By what percent did the Parent Liaison meet or not meet these goals? Did the principal present the data showing these goals were met before deciding to consider using a 1/2 “Point” (teacher or paraprofessional).
It appears that if the Foundation doesn’t pay, they will take a teaching position and give that money to a non-teaching position.
Taking classroom teaching positions to fund non-teaching positions as been the norm in DeKalb. And then parents wonder why the class sizes are so large.
@Name One
January 27th, 2012
1:56 pm
Guarantee the principal and no one from the DCSS Central Office is measuring the clear and specific goals of the parent liaison. No one evaluates. No one holds non-teaching staff accountable.
–
The Smoke Rise Elementary Parent Liaison was supposed to establish very specific quantitative goals:
Track Volunteer hours
Manage Parental agreements
Implement programs to increase family attendance at meetings, functions and school activities
Increase PTA membership
http://www.smokerise.org/uploads/ss110110.pdf
@Smoke Rise Mom
January 27th, 2012
2:04 pm
“Not only does it look like the Parent Liaison voted for herself. It also looks like if they don’t get the money from the Foundation, they will use part of a Teacher position to give her this job. A “point” is a teacher. A half point is a part time teacher or a paraprofessional.”
Here are the 3 options:
Parent Liaison (PL)
Mr. Moore provided 3 options to fill this position:
1) Take current ½ point out of SREC budget to provide funding for PL
2) Foundation pay salary of PL
3) Use additional ½ point to fund PL and other ½ point to fund a para-professional
http://schools.dekalb.k12.ga.us/smokerise/files/4D9D4B8CCD66411C84168EFDC90DAD41.pdf
@Smoke Rise Mom
January 27th, 2012
2:20 pm
Well, if the employee named in the minutes gets the extra $15,000, they would put their salary at $47,413 ($32,413 per the state salary and travel audit +$15,000).
A DCSS teacher with 12 years of experience teaching makes $47,419.
@Name One
January 27th, 2012
2:26 pm
The person named in the meeting is not certified in teaching or social work according to the Georgia Teacher Certification site. The other metro school systems all have certification requirements for Parent Liaisons. For example, in Gwinnett they all have teacher certification. In Clayton they all have paraprofessional certification. Only in DeKalb do we hire them based on – what exactly are the requirements?
Bhutrasgolly
January 27th, 2012
2:52 pm
Perhaps the playground can be built and once the SPLOST money and construction starts then the 150,000$ that would have built the playground can be applied to other school improvements or come in under budget and free money for some other repairs in the county.
Another Ex-Smoke Rise Parent
January 27th, 2012
4:09 pm
If there could possibly still be any doubt as to the poor leadership skills of the SRCES administration, apparently they have informed the SREF that they will no longer be allowed to hold meetings in the building after hours. What a way to respond…. This is a *perfect* example of all that everyone has been saying…..
Realistic
January 27th, 2012
5:19 pm
This is about kids having safe playground equipment and honestly, not much else. Now that Womack and the principal realize that they can’t tell the foundation what to do with the money they worked very hard to earn, I’d bet that the uproar of everyone who’s heard this story will result in the kids getting their much needed playground (although probably not right away). The kids deserve it.
With that said, there is definitely an undertone of classism (and probably some degree of racism) running through this thread. I don’t believe this is necessarily a result of the principal being African-American, but it’s rearing it’s ugly head because of the rapidly changing demographics of the students. Smoke Rise Elementary used to serve a primarily middle to upper-middle class student body, which has been pretty racially diverse for years (but also pretty financially well-to-do). Now there are children from outside the neighborhood who are in large part coming from lower-income homes and it’s creating an “insider vs. outsider” attitude. I have personally had a new parent (an “outsider”) tell me she liked the school and her child was doing well, but she only volunteered once and found that the parents (probably “insider”) weren’t all that friendly towards her and she attributed it to her living outside of Smoke Rise. Perhaps she’s overly sensitive or perhaps there is some truth to her comment. The truth is that you can’t isolate your kids from people who aren’t like you and don’t live in nice, big houses. Not all of these kids are trouble-makers, just like not all of the neighborhood kids are angels. Painting that false picture only causes more division, and we have enough of that already.
I’d be happy to sign any petition the foundation members would like to circulate, to urge the school to go ahead with the playground ASAP. The other issues people have with the school administration should be addressed separately and don’t really shed any light on this discussion. The task of getting the playground issue resolved may prove to be enough of an uphill battle. My two cents.