UPDATED Wednesday morning: As promised, Dr. Atkinson has posted the audit. Go here to read it.
UPDATE at 3:30: I just spoke to DeKalb Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson who says she plans to release the forensic audit on the district website within the next 24 hours or sooner. She explained that the audit is only a draft and subject to change. She said she is overriding the attorney’s view that the document is privileged in its draft form since it already has been leaked to the media.
Atkinson said her goal was never to keep the audit from the public. She is sending the draft audit to board members now and then will post. She wants parents to understand that this is only a draft from the auditors and changes may be made.
Parents in DeKalb County Schools are among the most dissatisfied in metro Atlanta, in large part because of a string of ineffective leaders, one of whom ended up in indicted.
New school chief Cheryl Atkinson arrived a year ago and cast herself as a change agent. She pledged a new era of openness, but the failure of her administration to release a much anticipated forensic audit undermines all her promises of transparency.
I am not sure why public officials continue to evade the state’s open records law, as they usually lose when challenges are mounted.
I also noted that the county is losing its law firm. AJC reporter Ty Tagami reports: The DeKalb County school board voted Monday to hunt for a new lawyer after learning that general counsel Sutherland Asbill & Brennan had resigned.
I would suggest DeKalb look for a lawyer who knows and understands the open record laws. I would also suggest that DeKalb Schools release the audit to its taxpayers or expect increasing suspicions and an even greater lack of confidence in Atkinson and her administration.
A long-awaited forensic audit has been delivered to the DeKalb County school system, and it may help explain why officials there have had to cut so deeply in the classroom.
Some of the central office staff eliminations the school board ordered in 2010 were not carried out, the audit says. For that and other reasons, the system wound up paying $20 million more than budgeted for central office salaries in fiscal year 2010 and $29 million more the next year, according to the audit, which was obtained by Channel 2 Action News.
District officials refused to release the document, which is labeled as a draft addressed to Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson, Thursday. System spokesman Jeff Dickerson refused to comment, saying the audit was exempt from public disclosure under a part of the law that holds accountants’ work as “privileged.”
An expert on Georgia’s open-records law, however, said DeKalb has no legal right to keep the audit from the public.
“The code section pertaining to an accountant’s notes does not trump the state open-records act,” said Hollie Manheimer, executive director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. “In this case, the audit given to the client — a public school system — should be disclosed.”
The audit, which was produced by the firm KPMG and leaked to Channel 2 Action News, says the board ordered the elimination of 150 central office positions in May 2010 for an expected savings of $11.5 million. Records from the school system’s finance and human resources departments differ about how many of those jobs were actually cut. Of 109 people listed by human resources as laid off, 56 remained on the payroll in different jobs, either because they were rehired or reassigned, the audit says.
The 31-page document notes plenty of other issues, including excessive fees for a line of credit, the way money was transferred between accounts and how retirees got watches and who paid for them.
Amy Trocci, a mother from Tucker with three children in the system, said she has suspected for years that mandatory central office cuts weren’t happening. Instead, she said, officials have cut teachers. “I don’t think there’s a school in the county that isn’t feeling the pain now,” she said. She said she wants ongoing oversight of spending rather than an occasional audit.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
169 comments Add your comment
The Deal
November 13th, 2012
5:20 pm
If and when she releases the audit, can we not all just sit back and be so happy and grateful that she did? The point is what is IN the audit. $20 million and $29 million OVER budget for central office expenses??? What is that?
Beverly Fraud
November 13th, 2012
5:34 pm
Why is Ronald Ramsey allowed to double dip, collecting his full DCSS salary, why spending 40 days a year in the General Assembly?
Where is the AJC on this one?
RCB
November 13th, 2012
5:37 pm
I guess I wasn’t the only one to send an email to Dr. Atkinson.
Goodteacher
November 13th, 2012
5:55 pm
Dr. A is as crooked as the rest. What they are doing in the county office is criminal. Teachers that are staying are teachers that need their jobs. Go to a new system and you run the chance of being last hired and let go as soon as budget cuts hit. SFA is a sham, the entire month of Oct. was lost to testing. ELL students are not being served. Our heat is not on yet (they do not turn it on til after Thanksgiving) I wonder if it is warm in the Palace. AJC is just as guilty because they have known all along that Dekalb was and is running a crooked game. Teachers have had a paycut every year for the last 5 years. They took us out of SS and started a retirement fund that they have now quit paying into. Insurance …no help there. Yet Dr. A is driving a new car, has a raise, and has employed her friends while keeping the other criminals employed. The children are suffering, the teachers are stressed beyond belief, my taxes are going up and my home value is going down….Do we have anyone that will step in and stop this madness?
dekalbed
November 13th, 2012
6:10 pm
This teacher is continually frustrated by the number of adults-central office employees, school administrators, SACS officials, and board members-who ignore the very problems this audit proves. Our students wallow in over-crowded classes and have access to fewer programs while over-paid, indept adults profit.
indigo
November 13th, 2012
6:44 pm
“this is only a draft and changes will be made”
I’m sure we can definitely count on that being done.
Pride and Joy
November 13th, 2012
6:49 pm
Dekalbed says it right “Our students wallow in over-crowded classes and have access to fewer programs while over-paid, indept adults profit.”
What is particularly frustrating is when teachers complain that schools are not “fully funded.” Schools are fully funded. Schools have more than enough money, especially Dekalb County. The problem isn’t a lack of money, it’s how it is used and stolen and misused and abused.
My taxes in Dekalb went through the roof. We fought back and won but the steady mantra of “more money, more money” is like a monster demanding human sacrifice.
I understand teachers aren’t getting the money and I understand school houses and students aren’t getting the money — but teachres need to look and criticize their own bureaucrats for stealing the money and misusing it instead of bashing we parent tax payers that we aren’t paying enough nor doing enough.
I pay two sets of property taxes AND send my kids to private school and it is killing me. I am emptying my retirement funds because Dekalb and APS schools are pathetic. There rae some good teachers in them but they are fighting an uphill, losing battle.
Teachers needs to realize that we parents aren’t the enemy. Their own “leaders” are the enemy. Crooked, lying bureaucrats with my money are the enemy and they need to go — vote em out!
I’ll continue to lobby for charters to get away from the thieves — and all good teachers will have a job in them.
clem
November 13th, 2012
7:12 pm
ever follow a car with educator plate in dekalb. if they teach as bad as the drive…
red herring
November 13th, 2012
7:27 pm
It is my belief that the state of ga. should perform the same type review that was performed in dekalb and either require the counties to follow the recommendations of the audit or lose some of their state funding. From all I have read in the AJC over the past several years our county schools are top heavy—way too many administrators and at way too high salaries. We need our education dollars to go to teaching our kids and not to overpaid administrators and their staffs. Hopefully charter schools will help bring some of this change –most private schools already run their schools with minimal administration costs (esp. compared to the administration costs in public schools). Our state colleges that receive tax payer dollars should also have their administrations put under a review.
Call Me Missouri
November 13th, 2012
7:44 pm
@ Pride and Joy 4:56pm You make a valid point about conference by phone. However, please know that some (and I mean more than a few) students are in a household without a working cell OR home phone. These are the some families that do not have computers or internet access at home and the parents may work jobs that do not communicate with employees via email. Some teachers send letters home with students or via snail mail and hope for a response. I am sorry that your child’s teacher is inconsiderate of your time. Just know that Fondu is probably frustrated, too. Let’s not judge all teachers by the actions of a few. There are some excellent educators in DCSD who really want their students to achieve and value parental involvement and feedback- if they can get it.
Jan
November 13th, 2012
7:51 pm
Before the audit can be release, we all need to put on our rose colored glasses. See!!! Now things don’t look so bad. In fact, everything is just dandy!
Pride and Joy
November 13th, 2012
8:37 pm
Call Me Missouri — the issue is that a teacher cannot expect parents to be able to have a PT night and everyone shoow up. I didn’t hear that teacher say she made ANY attempt to try to reach the parents any other way.
I know there are poor people and I realize some parents don’t care but to your point — you cannot paint any group as lousy. Too often, it’s the teachers who bash the parents as if all of us are pathetic.
RCB
November 13th, 2012
9:14 pm
What I don’t understand is I thought an audit was an audit. I’ve never heard of a “draft” of an audit. What is its purpose? Is this common in education? (I’m not, so I don’t know).
Mom of 3
November 13th, 2012
9:30 pm
RCB-,It is customary to have a draft 1st. This is not an education thing. It is an audit thing. That is why this is so important. KPMG is a highly respected firm that audits all types if industries. This may be one of the times the system is treated as any other entity would be. We should be able to see exactly what is going on because competent people have audited and prepared the report. This will not be the the same type of poor preparation that we are used to seeing from the county.
RCB
November 13th, 2012
9:57 pm
I guess I’m not trusting what happens between the draft and the final report.
Atlanta Media Guy
November 14th, 2012
12:08 am
Tyson should not be allowed in the Palace tomorrow. Heads should roll immediately, time to do what should have been done over a year and a half ago as Tyson continued the Clew Crew gravy train. Board Chair Walker even mocked citizens for questioning if the cuts had been made. Did you read the auditor had trouble finding minutes to meetings…had to clean my screen when I read that. There is so much more to come out. Time for whistleblowers to start singing. This is almost criminal. Central Office 20 million and 29 million over budget for 2010 and 2011 respectively..
Tyson must resign NOW! HR needs to be fundamentally transformed, boot everyone out and start anew! Total Palace Cleaning needed!
Atlanta Media Guy
November 14th, 2012
12:21 am
We can all rest easy… DeKalb District Attorney James says the DCSS BOE and staff can police themselves. No Grand Juries needed…. Really………….
Sandy Springs parent
November 14th, 2012
1:31 am
My child has an ADD and is on a 504 plan in Fulton. In have told them repeatedly they must mail my child’s report cards to me via snail mail to my house, not book bag. Do not send anything you want signed home with her, I will not get it. She refuses to let me go through her book bag or planner. We have gone over it repeatedly in her therapy sessions, that I pay for. But she shuts down on the doctor if confronts her repeatedly. now today she discovered on line that a vet makes $200-300k a year. So after taxes she will have a monthly income of $24,000. She started asking me what are mortgage, utilities and expenses where, and then decided after she asked me what the most I ever made, that she could life pretty well on that. She could even have a husband who worked from home, so he could watch the baby. She also decided that she definitely didn’t want to be a music teacher. Told her she just had to get all A’s to get into Vet school. So maybe she will do better.
but why can’t the schools send the report cards home. They send the SPLOST crap home.
Private Citizen
November 14th, 2012
6:04 am
Just to say, at the best schools I’ve attended (and I’ve attended some rather good schools, sorry if that makes anyone uncomfortable) there were no parent conferences. My parents never went to a school for anything ever and wanted it that way. Meanwhile, every kid went to college and most with advanced degrees and distinction. Working as a teacher I was introduced to this “parent conference” fiasco, I call it “the gurgling seance.” What do people expect of us? Staying until 8pm with a line of parents seated in the hall for their time with the seance – no my idea of fun. I think parents and students should have a little stronger sense of themselves and not need all of this “counseling” support to talk through the “support issues” and “what can be done” to further their kid. What can be done? Read some books and do your work!
And just to say, in successful high end environments, school teachers are hardly any source for anything. In poverty environments, teachers are waaaay up there on a pedestal or something. Personally, I’m not interested in the role playing, and I think it would be healthier and more productive for parents and families to sort of get their act together and leave teachers alone. Many say “Call the family….” This is now a requirement of work review. Well, if you have 140 students and you are spending your time “calling the family” your teaching is going to be a vacant joke. And I know the difference.
Private Citizen
November 14th, 2012
6:15 am
Pride and Joy Sorry you are paying double because you want something good for your kids. It sounds impossible and you are raiding your savings to do it. Maybe you can locate a good quality charter school (?) and have a little relief on the pay-out, get something for what you are paying for.
I don’t know any teachers who villify parents, not one.
Private Citizen
November 14th, 2012
6:44 am
Sandy Springs parent In a perfect world, report cards should be digital.
Pride and Joy
November 14th, 2012
6:45 am
Bootney wrote “the public will be distracted by something shiny.
I am the public, Bootney, and i am not distracted by something shiny. to say so means you think the “public” is stupid.
I am the public and I am not stupid.
Dunwoody Mom
November 14th, 2012
6:51 am
I quicky skimmed over the draft. It’s astounding the amount of financial incompetence and malfeasance went on in just that small time frame. What, if any, penalty is there for using SPLOST monies for non-SPLOST items?
catlady
November 14th, 2012
6:55 am
So, she still hopes to convince the auditors to change the audit, or marshall ways to “prove” it is wrong. Wouldn’t time be better spent in compliance with what they promised?
Pride and Joy
November 14th, 2012
6:56 am
Excellent question “What, if any, penalty is there for using SPLOST monies for non-SPLOST items?”
This should be a crime punishable by jail time.
I vote no on SPLOST because the people receiving SPLOST steal it and spend it on things it wasn’t intended for.
The bureaucracy in metro Atlanta schools absolutely cannot be trusted.
catlady
November 14th, 2012
7:00 am
SSP: Sorry to be cold, but it isn’t the school system’s fault you have no control over your child.
Private citizen/GM/P and Joy: I don’t say this lightly, but I simply don’t believe you.
fondu
November 14th, 2012
7:32 am
Teachers at my school don’t decide when and how parent conferences are scheduled, the administrators do. My personal phone number is on every syllabus.
Entitlement Society
November 14th, 2012
8:03 am
@ Sandy Springs Parent – our private school is able to send report cards digitally. Not hard to do and more secure. Surprised public schools are still printing them when we hear teachers complain that they don’t even have enough copier paper to go around!
Lee
November 14th, 2012
8:16 am
Okay, the code section referenced in the article is OCGA 43-3-32 Ownership of Accounting Work Papers; Confidentiality of Communications to Accountant
The code above does two things:
1. Any work papers, schedules, datafiles, etc remain the property of the accountant and cannot be disclosed to third parties except with the consent of the client.
2. All communications between accountant and client are privilege and the accountant cannot be compelled to testify with regards to the communications in a court of law, or other regulatory proceedings.
There are several exceptions, including the report is not considered privileged under this code section.
Most likely, Dekalb spokesman Dickerson was interpreting the DRAFT report to be part of the communications between accountant and client. In a strictly legal sense, he is probably correct. Draft reports are the initial communications of audit results and are subject to change.
In any case, the concept of “privilege” only applies to the accountant. The client is free to disclose any information they have at.
By trying to use Privilege as a means to block disclosure, Dekalb only muddied the waters and made it appear they were trying to hide something.
AnonMom
November 14th, 2012
9:31 am
Here are some things to ponder (1) why were the budgeted changes not made? (I don’t really believe that Tyson/Atkinson really ever had the authority to make them.. I think there are others with the real power preventing such changes…. ) (2) How many budgets are there (I understand that the BOE didn’t really know that the changes weren’t being made… (e.g. the costs of the non-changes were being buried into other costs… e.g. electricity … and when certain BOE members were to question why certain of these costs were out of line, they were the ones mocked); (3) why aren’t forensic audits and long tax returns (a l a charitable organizations) absolutely required of public, tax funded entities, such as school boards on an annual basis? (4) Let’s be very clear about what the school system is supposed to be about and send the FBI in to investigate (e.g.why is the DA still languishing with his investigation?) — the school system is about the use of taxpayer money to educate children so that they have a future in society that is something better than prison… it is not (let’s repeat, not) about jobs for central office employees at the highest possible salaries — it is about educating children in the schoolhouse at taxpayer with the use of taxpayer funds. In Dekalb the emphasis appears to be on the maximization of salaries for central office (regardless of skill and qualifications for employment). So when does the real investigation of abuse and “takeover” by the state occur so that the children may actual get what they are supposed to get from the expenditure of taxpayer’s money?
Lee
November 14th, 2012
9:42 am
Below is the link to the audit report:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/news-and-info/press-releases/KPMG-draft-audit.pdf
A quick scan of the document, but a few things jumped out at me:
1. The district has several bank accounts, which is a common practice. However, they also used numerous banks – at least six banks in addition to the primary bank (Bank of America).
2. Transfers to/from a “closed” account.
3. No support for transactions.
4. Transactions booked to invalid accounts.
5. Lack of reconciliations between accounts.
In the accounting/auditing world, the above are considered “red flags” for fraud. Taken together, they constitute a lack of internal controls over financial transactions.
Dunwoody Mom
November 14th, 2012
9:46 am
I wonder if the final audit will be turned over to D.A. Robert James – who will then call a grand jury who will recommend an indictment and Robert James will, again, ignore the wishes of the grand jury.
Lee
November 14th, 2012
9:47 am
Clarification:
My use of “account” may be confusing.
Item #2 refers to a bank account.
Items 4&5 refer to accounting codes.
DeKalb Inside Out
November 14th, 2012
11:07 am
AnonMom,
You’re on the right track, but your choice of words doesn’t characterize the situation accurately:
why were the budgeted changes not made? (I don’t really believe that Tyson/Atkinson really ever had the authority to make them.. I think there are others with the real power preventing such changes…. )
The Superintendent is the ultimate authority. The board members can ask her to do things, but she doesn’t have to. The board can pass motions and order her to do things, but ultimately she doesn’t have to. She can, which is the case at DeKalb, get A LOT of pressure from various groups to do their bidding. Those groups can tell her they have the votes to fire her. Those groups are very persuasive. Here’s a secret … they don’t have the votes.
So, Tyson/Atkinson were/are the ultimate authority. If Tyson/Atkinson believe those groups don’t have the votes to fire her, there is nothing anybody else can do to stop them.
Dunwoody Mom
November 14th, 2012
11:20 am
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there existed a Superintendent that would tell all of the “special interest groups” to shove it. I’m going to do what is best for the students of this district. I am NOT going to increase class size, I don’t care how many non-school based employees I have to RIF. I am NOT going to lay off teachers, I don’t care how many non-school based employees I have to RIF.
Sadly, as in DCSD, the students and teachers, are the last people these school BOE members and school admin types think about. Instead, oh, we’ve got to cut the budget, let me see how many students I can cram into a classroom and how many teachers that would let me RIF.
PSDad
November 14th, 2012
11:31 am
A couple of observations
1) Pay close attention to the last line in the first paragraph of the cover letter to the report: “We have completed our forensic accounting and investigative services for DeKalb County School District (DCSD or District) as outlined in the May 15, 2012 Engagement Agreement. This report to you represents our final report with respect to our services.
In my experience, most forensic audit or due diligence reports that are prepared for something other than a transaction or financial reporting purposes, will never go from “DRAFT” formant to “Final”. I have prepared dozens of these reports and marked less than 10 as “final”. I’m sure that this report will never go final.
2) It appears that the scope of this audit was limited to specific areas of inquiry and the report only reflects observations from sample transactions were pulled from each account and tested or reviewed. Based on the results of this limited audit, if a true comprehensive forensic audit were conducted across all accounts I suspect that the resulting report would contain hundreds of pages of examples of mismanagement and fraud.
3) The author of this report did not expect it to be review or released to the general public. The document contains grammar errors, spelling errors, and a general lack of rigour that I would expect from a product that had been vetted by a senior audit partner and the typical internal review process.
Dunwoody Mom
November 14th, 2012
11:53 am
Yep, the cover letter indicates that is a final report. But, there is a DRAFT Watermark. There are a couple of places in the audit where it mentions having receiving information from the school district, but it does not mention what that information is. Is KPMG going to reissue the report with those updates?
Dunwoody Mom
November 14th, 2012
12:03 pm
The document also indicates that KPMG investigated only those items DCSD requested them to “assess”. It makes one wonder what other items there are TO assess. Still, all in all, it does not appear to delve too deep into the financial mess that is DCSD.
Private Citizen
November 14th, 2012
12:45 pm
PSDad You make a real contribution. Thank you.
Claudia Stucke
November 14th, 2012
3:07 pm
@Pride & Joy and Missouri–I just left teaching two years ago, and we were required to make phone calls home (and document each call in a log) in addition to e-mails and notes home. Although most parents (but not all) have Internet access to see their children’s grades online (via the “Parent Portal”), we were still required to mail hard-copy documentation and make phone calls to the parents before we were allowed to enter a failing grade on a student’s report card.
Private Citizen
November 14th, 2012
4:21 pm
Claudia It makes to notify parents of failing students. I’ve just seen the whole conference and phone thing go way beyond that, as if we are caretakers or counselors in addition to being teaching. Point is, a lot of conferencing goes round and round on kids who do not pick up the ball. It seems like I’ve had ten conferences on some kids instead of something a little more concrete. This sort of “facilitator” thing can de-power teachers. It can turn into “let’s make a deal” or somesuch. The multi-conference thing probably has something to do with trouble-making kids staying in the classroom for good, bad, or otherwise. Had one of these determined kids – very bright, ended up repeating grade level due to behavior and wanting to play. Conferences did not help and we sure had enough of them. (file in the: “you can’t win everything” file).
Private Citizen
November 14th, 2012
4:22 pm
pardon the dropped words. moving too quick. “It makes sense to… “
FORMER DeKalb Parent
November 14th, 2012
5:14 pm
This is confirmation that I’m sooooooooooooooooooo GLAD we LEFT DeKalb County!! We short sold our house, and got the heck out of there!!! I just hope and pray they dont pull the accreditation, but sadly, you and I both know,, that is highly likely.. Good luck to yall that stayed!! CRAZY!!!!
Pride and Joy
November 14th, 2012
7:11 pm
Claudia Stucke — sounds like a good plan to me.
Communication is important.
Pride and Joy
November 14th, 2012
7:16 pm
catlady, of course you refuse to believe me. I am a parent and all we parents are just lazy good for nothing liars and all public school teachers are saints.
Dekalb parent
November 14th, 2012
8:18 pm
I read the report – twice.
The audit only focused on 7 areas that the DCSD identified. (My guess is that the new CFO picked these areas because he kept seeing discrepancies). The audit is draft- there are several areas where the author indicates that they are waiting for additional information.
Yes it confirms that despite a big show before the BOE, the former acting superintendent in 2010 did not furlough or eliminate 150 staff from the central office as promised. The auditors seem to find lots of sloppy accounting although not all the instances reflect misconduct.
The audit identified a number of items paid for with SPLOST III funds, including a $1.6M payment to SchoolNet. I don’t recall this being on the SPLOST III list, but these lists usually include technology so I don’t know if this is illegal. However it is suspicious that this vendor was first paid from the General fund then on the last day of the fiscal year, the expense was charged to SPLOST.
The auditors also questioned whether the fee paid to Merchant Capital for placement of a large textbook financing device was excessive. In addition, like most tax payers I thought the $23M was to fund future textbook purchases only to learn that a good chunk of the money was used to pay for past textbook purchases.
Overall, it looks like lots of sloppy accounting, shuffling funds between accounts and lack of documentation or BOE approval of large expenditures.
Atkinson has taken a lot of bashing and deserves if for her own shenanigans with transferring hundreds of positions from the Central office payroll to the school payrolls and then claiming to SACs that the positions were “eliminated.” However, I give her credit for bringing in a real CFO (please don’t leave) and releasing this audit. I also give her tons of credit for opposing Gene Walker’s weekly insistence that the school system go into more debt by borrowing against the future tax collections.
AnonMom
November 14th, 2012
8:58 pm
I understand that the “buck stops here” with the superintendent. I also believe that Tyson was being sold a bag a bull to get her to “cooperate” with forces on the BOE and, therefore, was given limited authroity to really act — e.g. they told her that the job was really only a very ’short term’ one and that they were actively seeking a replacement — I think that they really weren’t they wanted status quo and got status quo and she was cooperating — had she known what the end result was going to be I’m not entirely covinced it would have played out the same way (but I could be wrong). I think Ramsey does not have the kids best interest at heart and he’s been promoted up rank and file and this is not good for DCSS. I recall to eveyone’s attention that 2004 audit — remember it? We asked and asked about it… it showed that many, many foks were over paid back then (some under paid but many over paid). Then Dr. Brown was bought off (tax payer money) at 150% of contract about 15 months before his contract would have expired according to terms (he’s “forgotten” most things about this time….). Dr. Lewis took over and the audit has disappeared… it couldn’t be found… not even the accounting firm had it. An audit was supposed to be performed every 3 years… this current audit is the first one since then. It shows real problems with fiscal responsibility and integrity. Between 2004 and now, there’s been a major recession — the worst one since the 29 crash … but salaries have escalated…many for folks not qualified for the jobs they’re in. But, it’s okay — it’s taxpayer money. Scores have plummetted. That’s okay too — it’s just about jobs… right? The kids don’t matter at all. It’s okay if the media doesn’t dig. It’s okay if the FBI and US attorney doesn’t dig. It’s just okay becuase folks kept their jobs.
Private Citizen
November 15th, 2012
9:57 am
In tight budget time, it is appropriate to cycle capable directors to jobs in the classroom working with the kids. I am not an advocate of throwing people away, children of adults. Generally, one should use the cycle of attrition to shape the work force. In plenty of countries, workers have their jobs for 50 years and consideration of worker wellness is a part of management. This neo-liberal “you’re going to have five careers in your lifetime” is not how it is done in most developed countries.
Private Citizen
November 15th, 2012
9:58 am
children or adults
Dunwoody Mom
November 15th, 2012
3:14 pm
The audit has been removed from the DCSD website. According to Jeff Dickerson KPMG “made” the district take it down. Exactly, how could they do that? That was an audit paid FOR by the taxpayers of DeKalb County.