Former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond will be DeKalb interim chief. “Guts, vision and passion,” says Roy Barnes.
DeKalb Schools just issued a statement announcing that former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond will be appointed interim superintendent
Former Gov. Roy Barnes, at the AJC today for a meeting with reporters, praised Thurmond, with whom he worked for years in state government.
“Michael Thurmond is one of the most inspirational speakers I’ve ever heard. If DeKalb can be brought over with guts, vision and passion, he can do it. For an interim to kind of stir things up, Michael would be an excellent choice,” said Barnes. (More later on Barnes’ view of where Georgia is on education issues.)
Michael Thurmond (AJC photo)
Here is the official DeKalb statement:
“We are delighted Mr. Thurmond has agreed to serve as our interim superintendent,” said Board Chairman Eugene Walker. “Our school district is facing significant challenges, and we need a leader with a strong record of making fundamental changes in large, complex organizations. Throughout our state, you’ll find almost universal agreement that Michael Thurmond has consistently demonstrated those abilities.”
“The board is committed to working with Mr. Thurmond,” said Jim McMahan, vice-chair of the DeKalb board. “Under his leadership, we will work to ensure that every child in DeKalb has equal access to a quality education.”
“I welcome the opportunity to serve the 99,000 students of the DeKalb County Schools,” said Mr. Thurmond. “By all of us coming together across our county – parents, employees, citizens and businesses North and South – there’s no limit to what we will accomplish for our schoolchildren.”
Thurmond is credited with transforming two unwieldy state agencies, first as director of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and then as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor. At DFCS, Thurmond instituted a shift away from a culture of dependency for welfare recipients to a new focus on employment, job-training and personal responsibility. The Department of Labor underwent a similar change under his leadership, from a department that administered jobless benefits into a statewide resource for Georgians seeking career opportunities and training at newly created Career Centers throughout the state.
“We think that fundamental change is what our parents and stakeholders are demanding,” Dr. Walker said. “We are confident that Michael Thurmond is the leader with the track record and the ability to improve education for all of our schoolchildren.”
–from Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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229 comments Add your comment
mountain man
February 8th, 2013
4:25 pm
“Former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond will be DeKalb interim chief. “Guts, vision and passion,” says Roy Barnes”
Plus he is the right color, too!.
The Deal
February 8th, 2013
4:28 pm
Are we going to have to file an open records request to see his contract? On the other hand, maybe I don’t want to see it…
Shawn
February 8th, 2013
4:33 pm
I am lost…what happened to Dr. Atkinson?
Dekalb Teacher
February 8th, 2013
4:34 pm
Here we go again……friend and family! What a joke!
Joe
February 8th, 2013
4:34 pm
Walker and Thurmond are very good friends with a long history. . Friends and family continues it seems.
Maureen Downey
February 8th, 2013
4:35 pm
@Shawn, She resigned.
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2013/02/07/dekalb-issues-clear-statement-cheryl-atkinson-steps-down-friday-from-school-chiefs-post/
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2013/02/07/under-pressure-and-deadlines-is-the-dekalb-school-board-falling-apart/
gsmith
February 8th, 2013
4:36 pm
im sure he is going to do a great job. !!!
Middle School parent
February 8th, 2013
4:38 pm
@gsmith……..let’s hope and pray so. This is getting ridiculous!!
Insider
February 8th, 2013
4:38 pm
I would have much rather seen Brad Bryant selected as interim superintendent.
Bryant was interim state schools superintendent, so he knows how to deal with a huge education bureaucracy (which DCSD certainly is.)
He knows DeKalb County – having lived and having sent his kids to school here.
And he knows the inner workings of a BofE – having been on the DeKalb BofE for years – including stints as chair.
Brad would clean house… starting at the top – which is what DCSD needs. Unfortunately, as long as this board is in place, DCSD will never get what it needs.
help_me_understand
February 8th, 2013
4:39 pm
@ Mountain Main & The Deal —
Interestingly you had no comment when Governor Deal “appointed” his croonie to run the Ga. Lottery when she had NO experience but she had the “RIGHT COLOR” but it was okay for him to do that…
@ The Deal, did you request and Open Record request to see the contract regarding the landfill in North Ga or the deal Sonny Perdue did related to the forestry? Probaly not!!!!!
But let it be known, you guys are not racist and you believe in equal treatment to all…
Tell that to someone else
Lynn43
February 8th, 2013
4:39 pm
I have heard that his sister is President of Georgia School Board Association and on the Board of Education of Decatur City Schools. Was I given correct or incorrect information.
Here We Go
February 8th, 2013
4:40 pm
While Thurmond might be a good administrator, I see this as nothing more than a desperate bunch of DeKalb BOE hacks trying to save their own necks. They figure they have scored some points with the state by hiring a “Big Name Good Guy” as the interim superintendent. I only hope this bunch of bozos can stay awake long enough at the next state meeting to hear the words, ” the entire Dekalb County School Board is being removed from office.” The DeKalb BOE needs to start over and lose the “black versus white” and “north county versus south county” stupidity before anything will change for the better.
the good doctor
February 8th, 2013
4:41 pm
Ok… I guess having a background in the educational profession is not important. I think I am going to apply to lead the “Georgia Trial Lawyers Association,” I do not have any experience in law, but I did stay at Holiday Inn Express?
Eugene Walker Must Go
February 8th, 2013
4:41 pm
If Roy Barnes and Eugene Walker are behind this you can be 100% certain he is the wrong person for the job. Incompetent,corrupt and fraudulent people can find each other anytime….anywhere.
gsmith
February 8th, 2013
4:41 pm
can the General Assembly pass a law in Georgia to give tax credits or a property tax credit to those who put their children in private schools ? if so why have they not done this if there is a republican majority in the state legislature and a republican Gov.
USMC
February 8th, 2013
4:41 pm
It seems as though Dekalb County needs some DIVERSITY. Diversity doesn’t just mean BLACK.
Lynn43
February 8th, 2013
4:43 pm
I will say that he is one of the most dynamic speech-givers on education that I have ever heard, and I have heard many.
alm
February 8th, 2013
4:43 pm
I’m skeptical at best.
12 more days. 12 very long days.
Pardon My Blog
February 8th, 2013
4:44 pm
He may be great at giving speeches but I really do not see any substance at all (sounds like someone else we know)! I agree with @Insider, what we need is someone who has the actual background to make the hard decisions that will be good for the students! This is a joke and the State should step in immediately!
Person
February 8th, 2013
4:48 pm
Nepotism is rampant throughout Government…
Here We Go
February 8th, 2013
4:55 pm
I figured Thurmond had ties to someone and it seems it is “Foghorn Leghorn” Walker. Why am I not surprised? I am praying the state does the right thing and gets rid of this whole bunch. The BOE is more rotten than an apple that fell off the tree and has been sitting on the ground for a month.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 8th, 2013
4:56 pm
Nancy Jester is sharp and concise with her latest post
Dr Atkinson and Michael Thurmond
I want to be on record as opposing both action items on today’s DeKalb BOE agenda. My observation is that the board, as a whole, does not fully appreciate the reality of our current circumstances. As I told the state board, we have three deficits: academic achievement, credibility and financial. With the actions today, I see no evidence that the board will improve on any of these deficits…
http://whatsupwiththat.nancyjester.com/2013/02/08/303/
RCB
February 8th, 2013
4:57 pm
Yes indeed it’s been a very good week for DOCTOR Walker.
The Deal
February 8th, 2013
4:58 pm
I really want to be positive about this change, but, honestly, our kids have spent years waiting to see how some unknown works out. This has included Ramona Tyson for 18 months, Atkinson for a year, the various new board chairs, the various new board members. Our track record is not good, and there are too many of the same players involved for it to not repeat itself (plus a few new ones who seem to have political aspirations themselves).
It does not look good that Thurmond has such strong political connections to two of our existing board members. The BOE should have known that this would not sit well, given all of the history.
Why didn’t this BOE look at the candidate list Don McChesney spoke of that had applicants that the entire board agreed had very good qualifications? They apparently exist; we just didn’t go very far with them. I admit I do not know the law on whether the system can exist without an interim, but it seems like we rushed into this.
Notice (read: Mandella), I am not bashing Thurmond personally. It just doesn’t look like our board gave much effort in going out to find someone who has experience with a school system. Education is a different beast.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
5:04 pm
I knew they would do it, but had hoped not. kinda like the Obama re-election
Good Job
February 8th, 2013
5:08 pm
Nice pick. Now let’s see what happens with the sharp new board members and someone capable in the driver’s seat.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
5:08 pm
-he’s the right color
-he’s the right party
-he has the right patrons
-he isn’t fit for the job
-Walker likes him
-KIng Roy likes him
only in DeKalb.
I imagine APS and Clayton are loving this. they don’t rule the bottom anymore. DCSS just took the nationwide lead in plunge thru the bottom.
DunMoody
February 8th, 2013
5:12 pm
Well, that’s that. Now we all duck and cover, waiting to see what Mr. Thurmond will do. Rainmaker? Crony? The proof will be in his actions. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll step away from personal relationships and do what has to be done.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
5:14 pm
crony or co-conspirator
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
5:16 pm
I’ve met Mike. I personally like Mike.
but I would rather see Homer Simpson in the post
One foot out the door
February 8th, 2013
5:20 pm
If they were going to hire a non-educator, I would have rather seen a business person than a politician. I will keep my fingers crossed and continue with my child’s private school applications.
Betsy Parks
February 8th, 2013
5:20 pm
Yep, its just unbelievable and another 275K. What, are we up to paying 3 now! Please join our growing community. SIGN and SHARE our petition to GABOE ans Gov Deal to REMOVE DKBOE http://www.change.org/petitions/governor-nathan-deal-and-georgia-state-board-of-education-review-sacs-findings-if-accurate-replace-the-dekalb-county-school-board
Angela Palm
February 8th, 2013
5:21 pm
@Lynn43
The GSBA President is not Michael Thurmond’s sister. When she referred to him in a speech as her brother, she meant her brother of the heart. This question came up earlier today in conversation, so I hope this clears it up.
Burroughston Broch
February 8th, 2013
5:26 pm
Just the perfect spot for a defeated Democrat lawyer and politician to hang his hat until the next election cycle, and earn a big salary + benefits in the meantime.
No history, no credentials, no experience – the perfect interim. Now the Board can kick the can down the road for a while.
“Guts, vision, passion” – notice no mention of integrity or education.
Not Johnny Brown
February 8th, 2013
5:29 pm
Some advice Mr Thurman, with all due respect:
OK, got the right students with right teachers. Great. Now when YOU look at the “Test Results” do two things: 1) look at the repeating variation from year to year over a subject. Example: there is a 10%-15% county-wide and state-wide CRCT drop from 7th grade to 8th grade science. (Every year. Its not that complex to figure out-its Harder). Factor that in. Find someone who can.
1) Don’t pack all the teachers in Dekalb on school buses out to Georgia Perimeter for our annual whatever it is, to swelter in the sun for 45 minutes until you decide you come onstage and lead us all in a cheer three days before school starts.
2) Don’t try and make all the teachers go to New Birth Baptist church for the some more rah rah the next year, even though he may be a friend. We are state-That is church.
3) Don’t skim through schools with your bodyguard in tow, looking like your’e on tour of how the other half lives.
4) Try asking the teachers what they think. I know, revolutionary concept. Maybe then you won’t give out the new Lenovo laptops to a bunch of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders next year to….take back and forth to school each day! I know its enticing, buy and give problem solved. But, if you see what the textbooks look like, that is what the laptops will look like. How about keeping one at each desk in the classroom instead? All nice and charged up. Think about it, thats all we ask, just…….think……..about it.
4) Find an IT person, please. First there was Test Trax to monitor my students CRCT, ITBS scores over the years. The only thing was that 40% of the students listed under my name on Test Trax, I had never had before. (The little Test Trax icon is still there one First Class. Ready and willing).
The central office person told me I could cull students out I never had, find the ones I did have under other teachers names, and make my own spread sheet!
So, I will know how I am doing with my students, I guess, but will anyone else?
Is it really so hard to actually be able to easily see the students progress that I have each year?
5) I know, IDMS was supposed to fix that. Sit down next a teacher and plow through that turkey with them. See how intuitive it is. Bottom Line: I cannot get the information I need.
Hear me: I can’t get the information I need.
(By the way, neither can you).
6) Now its PD 360. wow. exciting. I think its gonna do it this time. Sure of it.
7) Evidently the buzzword is “Differentiation.” Fine. I sure will. Inter- and intra-class differentiation. Heres the deal: I will if you will. I will differentiate my instruction to students if you will differentiate yours to me and the rest of us teachers. This lowest common denominator business has got to go…OK, I will if you will.
2) Look at the variation of the student year on year. (Keep in mind the big trends Factor from #1; use a scapel, not a cleaver) and see which teachers they seem to do better with. 3) And keep in mind, you cannot compare horizontally from school to school. Meaningless. 4) And remember, you have to factor in that it is harder to go from 89% successful to 91%, than it is from 48% to 55%, and natural variation may add or subtract % year on end. Little things that…you know, uh, statistics.
9) What Im trying to say is….just Be Smart. Thats all. Find someone, anyone, who is SMART. Please.
Numoney
February 8th, 2013
5:31 pm
Thurmond did NOT transform the Labor Dept. Joe Tanner gets the credit for that before Thurmond got there.
Fats Domino
February 8th, 2013
5:35 pm
agree, Thurmond is a nice man and I have met him but either Homer Simpson or Ubu the Clown maybe a better choice. More corruption and this guy will get 200K a year.
Flabberghasted4sure
February 8th, 2013
5:39 pm
If you know your constituents want transparency and a break from Friends and Family, wouldn’t you go out of your way to find someone that fulfills that simple criteria? That would send a message about the possibilities for a new future, not more of the same. The BOE failed again.
Baron DeKalb
February 8th, 2013
5:42 pm
@Burroughston, maybe you a ought to take a crack at being a school superintendent if you think it is such an easy job. Thurmond may not be the best choice, but he does not have integrity issues compared to people like Linda Schrenko (R) now inhabiting a Federal Penitentiary, or Pat Swindall (R) felon, or several Gwinnett County ex- Commissioners, all R’s and doing prison time.
indigo
February 8th, 2013
5:46 pm
I wondered if the DeKalb Schools would hire a white person.
But then, I often wonder when conservatives will fall down and worship Obama.
paulo977
February 8th, 2013
5:49 pm
Mountain Man ..” Plus he is the right color, too”
________________________________________________
In what way has that color on the board really helped the kids in the south end?Do read “BLACK SKINS WHITE MASKS ‘ by Frantz Fanon and try to understand it!!!!!!!
Bob Morris
February 8th, 2013
5:51 pm
I agree with Insider, Brad Bryant would have been the best choice. I don’t know if applied, but if he did and Thurman was selected over him the, DBOE are really a sorry bunch and ought to be removed.
bu2
February 8th, 2013
5:52 pm
@Baron
You musn’t leave out Campbell (D) who’s now out of jail. Add to that Lewis, McKinney, Hall…. Most of the ethically questionable Republicans at the state level were Democrats until they opportunistically changed parties about 10 years ago when Dems became the minority.
Old timer
February 8th, 2013
5:52 pm
B. Fransworth…too true. I will add about speeches…giving good speeches does not always result in good actions.
LittleLady
February 8th, 2013
5:53 pm
CRONYISM!!
Old timer
February 8th, 2013
5:53 pm
I bet there are qualified retired folks in many areas of the state without friends and family ties.
Lynn43
February 8th, 2013
5:55 pm
Thanks, Angela. Both are fine people, and I hope he does well in this position.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
5:56 pm
@ indigo
you’ve not met my extended family. keep in mind even if every black person in the US voted for Obama and white people sat out, he would have been a very distant second, maybe third.
Chris Matthews legs are still tingling.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
5:59 pm
bu has a great point. Bill Campbell needs a job. maybe he can do for DCSS what he did the Atlanta. Munson Steed can sell vendor space in the hallways.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
6:00 pm
shoda?
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
6:01 pm
just for giggles:
anyone here think slick Nate will “Deal” with this now?
bu2
February 8th, 2013
6:03 pm
@bootney
We could do it like stadiums. Sell naming rights to the schools. Dunwoody Elementary could become “Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwich is Delicious Elementary.” Think their HQ is in the Dunwoody Elementary zone.
Married with (School) Children
February 8th, 2013
6:04 pm
The Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) needs to immediately remove Dekalb’s accreditation, in order to protect SACS’s reputation.
Baron DeKalb
February 8th, 2013
6:08 pm
@BU2 name me ONE Democrat that became a Republican that went to jail. John Lewis has never been even remotely charged with a crime. You are just throwing out Republican BS to see what sticks. Your homeboy Broach obviously sees anyone with a D by their name as a crook. Well, as Richard Nixon once said, “I am not a crook”….right. You Repubs have VERY selective memories. And we are wise to that.
bu2
February 8th, 2013
6:09 pm
Noone is defining “fundamental change.” Speeches and buzzwords are nice. Reality is concrete ideas on the ground.
emitch
February 8th, 2013
6:09 pm
Good move forward, Dr. Walker.
Dekalb parent
February 8th, 2013
6:10 pm
I
bu2
February 8th, 2013
6:15 pm
@Baron
I don’t think Broach was saying anything about jail. You’re being hypersensitive. I read his comment as dealing with DCSS which has had education and integrity issues, but no shortage of passion. And plenty of employing friends looking for jobs.
There have been several former Democrats criticized on ethical grounds starting with Governor Deal.
Baron DeKalb
February 8th, 2013
6:16 pm
Give Thurmond a chance. To all you educators, keep an open mind. Possessing multiple degrees in education does not make a person inherently qualified to run +$400 Million school construction program, or a mass transit system (i.e., the school bus department), or the IT program or the finance department etc. at a school system with 100,000 students. That has been a big part of the problem why superintendents are overmatched. Get assistant superintendents with strong education backgrounds to deal with the core education delivery issues. Listen to teachers on the front lines and run the whole system like “Not Johnny Brown” describes above.
Dekalb parent
February 8th, 2013
6:20 pm
I am speechless (so speechless I hit accidentally hit the send button). Mr. Thurmond may have been a fine labor commissioner, but DeKalb does not need an expensive figurehead right now. As Fran Millar said, the Board should have spent the past few weeks prepping for the continuation of their hearing.
Every organization should have a succession plan in case of an emergency or the CEO has a heart attack. Why didn’t DCSS? They should have made a temporary appointment of an insider who is familiar with operations to keep the key components running smoothly. Then “if” they get to keep their jobs, they can begin a careful and deliberative search for a new superintendent.
Maureen Downey
February 8th, 2013
6:23 pm
@Baron, On that note, I question all the mudslinging without any facts. Michael Thurmond has no record of corruption. He is respected by many people, including a lot of cranks I know. He was very focused on education issues while with labor.
Most of the anonymous sniping is baseless.
How about you all use your time on this blog more constructively? (As I have said, we are moving to registration on this blog in the next two weeks. I am hoping that runs off the folks who lob snark grenades purely to see them explode.)
Why not suggest some actual actions that Thurmond might consider? What should his priorities be in the first months?
Maureen
Pardon My Blog
February 8th, 2013
6:24 pm
@Baron – unfortunately we have had too many that we have had to give a “chance”. No wonder the district is broke, we are paying people enormous salaries to go away and pay their legal bills, even though most committed crimes against the system! Split the district then the south can pay the taxes to run the system how they see fit and then the North can have their taxes to run the system as they see fit. Thurmond is just one more clown in the parade of many!
agent
February 8th, 2013
6:26 pm
Ha, I can predict the future. I knew they would hire Thurmond. Now watch, the incompetent board will stay. Nobody will sleep better than Walker tonight.
Seriously folks, a corrupt board voted in someone they know will cover for them. Dekalb deserves what it gets. Good grief. You really have to literally murder someone and eat their brain to get fired.
agent
February 8th, 2013
6:27 pm
Maureen,
Thurmond’s first priority should be to get rid of the incompetent board members. How much do you want to bet that won’t happen?
MikeDawg
February 8th, 2013
6:30 pm
Baron DeKalb I was unaware that Schrenko or Swindall were even being considered for DCSS Super……….guess you like that “unity thing” above qualifications?
Maureen Downey
February 8th, 2013
6:31 pm
@agent, I plan to say the same thing in my Monday print column — but it’s not Thurmond’s job. Voters elected these folks, so Thurmond can’t dismiss them.
However, the state board can recommend that the governor oust the members. I think the board should save the governor the trouble.
The entire broad should resign. The three newly elected members can ask the governor to reappoint them, and I think he would.
Maureen
Concerned DeKalb Mom
February 8th, 2013
6:32 pm
@Maureen…
I appreciate your comments about constructive posts. But I think you understand better than most the frustration that DCSS parents and community have had for the past 4 years. Seriously, it’s been 4 years since this merry-go-round of superintendents began.
I am looking for a fresh start. I am NOT looking for someone I need to “wait and see” about and wonder about, given past connections to current BOE members. And I’m not lobbing charges of corruption–to be honest, I know nothing about Thurmond other than what I’ve seen reported by the AJC–but it is EXTREMELY frustrating to see the board choose as interim someone who can even be questioned as being a player in the Friends and Family game.
DrDr
February 8th, 2013
6:44 pm
What happened to R. Tyson?
Dunwoody Mom
February 8th, 2013
6:47 pm
What does a “great inspirational speaker” have to do with qualifications needed to turn around a SCHOOL district that is academicallly struggling? What does a “great inspirational speaker” have to do with running a school system facing financial ruin? Seriously, what is in Thurmond’s work experience that would lead anyone to believe he can deal with and solve the very serious issues facing this school district? I am appalled that we are asked to give someone a chance because he is “nice” and a “great motivational speaker” and “has no record of corruption”.
John Friedricks
February 8th, 2013
6:47 pm
The top two issues that need to be immediately addressed are finance and teacher moral. Every school system, but Dekalb in particular, needs a full time auditor to oversee the careless spending. As for morale, LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO STAND IN A CLASSROOM AND DO THE JOB. Keep it simple new dude. Get finance in order and give the teachers what they want to do the job. They know better than the fat cat political types. Lastly, you folks that chuck grenades in this forum but have never stepped into a classroom to do the job, pick up a lesson plan and educate kids before you present your opinions here. You have no clue and the malice you cast is counter-productive…but you are entitled to speak freely.
bu2
February 8th, 2013
6:53 pm
We need to build faith in the system as CDM says. A politician doesn’t achieve that.
Education is the other key issue. Yet we appointed someone without education experience.
We need to figure out what truly is necessary in the central office so we can reallocate resources to the classroom, but we are doing it with a man who hasn’t run a school system and whose subordinates will, understandably, all be afraid for their own jobs. From reading comments by teachers, we have already cut necessary support and left the unnecessary.
We need to have a plan for magnet and theme schools and understand what their role is. Right now it seems to be merely an way to escape from unacceptable neighborhood schools by those lucky enough or connected enough to get in them. But whatever he does, a permanent superintendent may have different ideas.
We also need to get off probation. Like Elgart said, it doesn’t seem to move us in that direction, unless, the board had found Atkinson difficult to work with (but they aren’t going to comment, so we don’t know why this mutual separation really occurred).
One thing he can do is lobby for changes in the school funding equalization formula. Its absurd that Dekalb is paying $100 million in and Gwinnett is getting $140 million out. That would help in funding. You can’t keep asking more from employees and paying them less.
Concerned DeKalb Mom
February 8th, 2013
6:53 pm
@Maureen…my first suggestion to our interim would be to find a way to REDUCE class sizes back to manageable numbers while figuring out how to manage the budget. We are already $16 million behind, and despite the $10 million raised by all the cuts last summer, we’re still in the hole. And it will be worse next year.
Mr. Thurmond…want to gain the trust and support of the DeKalb community? Throw the teachers some support and right-size their classes while making a budget stick. Find a way to do that and simultaneously financially support the TEACHERS, and I’ll sing your praises far and wide.
Political Mongrel
February 8th, 2013
6:54 pm
I have no problem with Mr. Thurmond, but I will never take any recommendation from Roy Barnes.
Wilbur
February 8th, 2013
7:03 pm
If King Roy thinks Thurmond is the right man, Run! Run like…well run far and fast.
quick
February 8th, 2013
7:03 pm
thanks for hiring robert guillaume.
mike mccain
February 8th, 2013
7:05 pm
The phrase “Blind leading the blind ” comes to mind with Thurmond taking over as School Superintendent. He wasn’t even a good Labor Commissioner! Dekalb County School Board is a bunch of idiots and are probably UGA graduates. Roy Barnes our so called “Education Govenor” is the one that started Georgia on this road down to the bottom of the list in state education standings. Wake up Dekalb County! Politicains are one of the reason our education system sucks.The other is the lack of involvement of parents in the school sytem and their childerns lives.
The tax payers deserve better!
Pardon My Blog
February 8th, 2013
7:08 pm
@ John Fredricks – what you don’t realize is that many of us who voice our opinions on this blogs have spent numerous hours volunteering at the schools and can see first hand the total incompetence from the classroom to the administration. Many of us are frustrated because there are teachers who should not be certified but in the classrooms, there are people at the central office who are not doing their jobs, there are individuals who are so overpaid in jobs they are not qualified for and we have had a parade of incompetent superintendents and board members.
Thurmond is a totally political move to provide income to a Friend! I say this contract should be null and void based on the fact that this Board may not be in existence in a couple of weeks.
DrDr
February 8th, 2013
7:12 pm
How many candidates did the board interview?
living in an outdated ed system
February 8th, 2013
7:13 pm
This is really tragic. This is now on the governor. And my opinion has nothing to do with whether or not Thurmond is a respected leader, which it sounds like he is, since former Governor Barnes was quick to endorse him. But the current governor’s failure to act at last month’s state board hearing has allowed a dysfunctional board to continue to act in ways that are not going to help their accreditation case.
We should have had a complete cleansing with a new board and new leadership. Unfortunately, this will not result in the reforms that the school system needs.
Train wreck.
Maureen Downey
February 8th, 2013
7:14 pm
@Dunwoody, You have to give him a chance because you have no choice. He has the job. And there is a lot more to his resume than the few things you list — those comments by me were in response to specific postings.
I don’t know if Thurmond will succeed or fail. No one does.
Thurmond is a smart man. He has run major agencies. Someone from DeKalb told me earlier this week that the district needs a good manager.
He may be one.
Maureen
Dunwoody Mom
February 8th, 2013
7:25 pm
LOL…this district needs a heck of a lot more than a good manager.
btw, I’ve seen his resume. Thurmond has zero, zilch, nada education experience. How is a lawyer and a former Labor Commissioner qualified for this job? Please explain. And the only reason he has this job is his relationship with a few BOE members. Family and Friends strikes again in DCSS.
Meredith
February 8th, 2013
7:26 pm
Here’s what scares me the most. I somehow feel if the most desired outcome came true: DeKalb Board removed, permanent superintendent is an outsider and white, central office bloat cut to requested levels, current executives replaced with perceived better quality replacements, and autonomy granted to parents; we would still NOT have a better situation. Why? The one element left that doesn’t get addressed is the race relation issue in DeKalb County amongst stakeholders, parents, and citizens. Who will hold the latter groups accountable for laying down hate and animosity to work together to provide our children with an example of living and working together in a diverse community of people? I won’t debate this statement … just sharing what is heavy on mind tonight.
Flabberghasted4sure
February 8th, 2013
7:31 pm
A few action items for Mr. Thurmond:
1. Do a complete inventory of staff and post a complete organizational chart on the web site so staff and parents know who is in what department and what their title/job is
2. Begin using online check register
3. Reduce central office staff – we surely can’t afford them now while paying 3 superintendents
4. Reduce class size with the money from CO reductions
5. Get rid of Success for All
6. Go back to the original calendar for next year and stop the conversation about early release days for next year
7. Build a budget without furlough days.
8. Do not carry through with the plan for the SAT for all 11th graders this spring
9. Institute an electronic procedure for tracking textbooks and reparing them.
10. Spend money designated for ebooks on updated technology in the school house
11. Call us DCSS, not DCSD (that’s Decatur City School District)
12. Get rid of the ’slogan’: “Victory in Every Classroom”
13. Remind March that she is not the boss
14. Restore K-9 units
15. Post names and contact info for the SPLOST 4 oversight cmte on the web site along with meeting dates/times/minutes
16. Collect data on block schedule schools: how many students graduate in 4 years, how many graduate with 32, 31, 30 credits,etc; how many repeat 1 class, 2 classes or repeat the same class multiple times, etc – don’t do an opinion survey aout whether studnets adn teacher like it, do a fact one and then decide if students are achieving on block;
17. Do a full forensic audit
18. Assess facilities management for efficiency – how quickly are work orders done, do schools have soap, paper towels and toilet paper
19. Restore school council voice in principal selection
20. Put money in TRS
21. Get control of Dr. Beasley
That’s a start.
The Deal
February 8th, 2013
7:32 pm
Maureen, put down the Kool-Aid and realize that anyone selected by this board is going to be a loser. I, along with many others, said it about Ramona Tyson and Cheryl Atkinson. We were villified for not giving her a chance. Look where that got us. I am tired of giving people who are obviously not qualified for this specific job a chance on the backs of my children and their teachers year after year after year. Thurmond may be a nice guy, a great speaker, or a good labor secretary, but he is NOT a school superintendent.
Who else was considered? Surely they interviewed more than one person for this quarter of a million dollar+ position? What is Thurmond’s specific plan? Surely they didn’t hire him without having an idea of how he planned to resolve our problems? This county is a train wreck.
There is literally no hope for this place. The only way our children will survive this is if the state BOE recommends removal, the governor follows through with it, our current BOE doesn’t sue and stay the order, the appointed board gets rid of Thurmond, and the appointed board looks at the previous list of qualified candidates and picks the #1 candidate with a record of managing a large school system, turning around a failing school system, managing a massive budget, and being an advocate for teachers. That is, unfortunately, not going to happen.
clem
February 8th, 2013
7:46 pm
as a pensioned public servant, is thurmond doing this for free or reduced rate?
parents in dekalb need to get their act together too! as archie bell and the drells would say “tighten up”
hopespringseternal
February 8th, 2013
7:49 pm
Uh – hang on. Like it or not, Michael Thurmond is the person a majority of the Board just voted in. Since the idea is to work for the school system’s improvement, maybe we should try to avoid choking him before he even takes a breath. If his only sin is to be friends with someone on the board, and none of you have thus far uncovered any smoking guns with this man’s experience of having served at least three terms in STATEWIDE office, having proffered himself as a U.S. Senate candidate (with all the vetting that went with it) and is a practicing attorney, maybe there should be a period of calm. Please.
Personally, I already know what it would take to get me on board with this selection. I’m sure everyone has their own “what it would takes”. So how about no Friday Feeding Frenzy. How about calm deliberation? If you want some modicum of stabilization this is what it will take to get us moving in the right direction.
Teach
February 8th, 2013
7:51 pm
Ill toss the first troll grenade.
1. Maureen, stop being the DeKalb apologist…
2. Its time for protests people. Get off your lazy butts “stakeholders” and pound the pavement. Apathy is keeping the ball rolling in DeKalb against your favor.
3. Someone please do research on Thurmond and Walker connections because Maureen is too scared to do it..
Dunwoody Mom
February 8th, 2013
7:51 pm
Hopespringseternal, what makes Thurmond qualified to be a School Superintendent?
td
February 8th, 2013
7:53 pm
I worked for Mr Thurman way back in the day when he was the Director of DFCS. He was all for Personal Responsibility and directed us to show “tough love” to the welfare clients when it came to them having to get off the system and become self sufficient.
If he still believes in this “tough love” approach then he could be very good for this position.
Bob Morris
February 8th, 2013
7:54 pm
Maureen,
Don’t you think Brad Bryant would have been a good choice. Do you know if he applied?
Burroughston Broch
February 8th, 2013
8:00 pm
@ Baron DeKalb
And exactly where did I state that it was an easy job? It’s a far thing from an easy job.
You worry about your words and I’ll worry about mine.
I am a professional but not an educator, I am not qualified for this job, and I wouldn’t take it if offered. I have more sense than Mike Thurmond. He’s an out-of-power politican who wants back into the power game without having to run for election. The last time out he only polled 39% of the vote.
agent
February 8th, 2013
8:00 pm
Who else was interviewed for this position? Please tell me they interviewed other people. On a side note, I think I should be given a chance as CEO of Google because I’m nice, don’t have a corrupt background, and have no experience whatsoever as a CEO. Snicker.
hopespringseternal
February 8th, 2013
8:04 pm
@DM, I don’t recall declaring that I thought him qualified to be a school superintendent. I simply said that he is the one voted upon, therefore he’s in there now and I’d like to wait until he fails at something or several somethings before I skewer him. In any case, if he’s a good manager as some people say, he’ll be smart enough to get deputies who DO know the business of running a school system — on both the instructional and financial fronts. He’ll also be smart enough to know that parents don’t waste a lot of time piddling with poor leadership, because they have no time when it comes to their children. He was never a labor commissioner before he became a labor commissioner, and I don’t recall him stumbling over his shoes then. Leadership is leadership is leadership — and in many cases can be ported from one environment to another. We’ll just have to see (again).
bu2
February 8th, 2013
8:10 pm
@agent
Sen. Millar said he knew of quite a few people they talked to. They probably did have a hard time finding someone willing to take it. That’s the only thing positive I can say about picking a politician instead of an educator.
Georgia
February 8th, 2013
8:10 pm
Waiting for registration, the great equalizer. Good luck, Mr Thurmond.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
8:14 pm
the issue here isn’t Mike.
the issue here is how Mike got the job, if he’s qualified to do it (IMO, no) and who is supporting him
-King Roy and his Highenss Walker.
it reeks of friends and family, if not outright cronyism. and sends absolutely the worst message.
bu2
February 8th, 2013
8:19 pm
@hope
There are several issues:
1) We aren’t likely to get good lieutenants between now and June. So he will basically have to set up next year with the current staff.
2) While the district clearly needs better administrative leadership, it has a lot of academic challenges that the current staff hasn’t successfully dealt with. And he doesn’t have the background to deal with. So again, we are treading water for months as we did for a year and a half with Tyson.
3) He is starting fresh with the staff and doesn’t know their strengths and weaknesses. He will spend a while learning about them and the district while learning about leading a school district as well.
In a different situation he might be a good choice.
d
February 8th, 2013
8:20 pm
@Maureen – just one question totally off topic, but since you mentioned the registered blogs, will I be able to keep my current screen name with that?
@Flabber…. I agree with you on most points, but there are a few that I cannot….
6 – The calendar for next year is our “original calendar.” Personally, it is the one I supported anyway, so I’d like to keep it, but it did not replace any other calendar for 2013-2014.
9 – We already track textbooks with the students (although I don’t think that’s what you were worried about) – what we need in place is a strict policy about getting the books back at the end of the semester. Too many kids hold on to them until 12th grade when they find out they can’t walk at graduation if they don’t fix their book issues. Why does a sophomore need a biology book sitting at his house that he’s just too lazy to get back to the school so another student can use it?
11 – Decatur is CSD – City Schools of Decatur. Although, we did pay $5,000 to get the new logo with DeKalb County School System – how much did we have to pay to remake them?
20 – The county is paying into TRS. They don’t have a choice. What was suspended was the county Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA). Personally, I’d prefer DeKalb go back to Social Security.
Add – Don’t pay Pearson $1.8 Million to write benchmark tests. We had tests written already by DeKalb Teachers. Just imagine what would have happened if that money was put in the local economy by paying teachers to write the tests. That was RTTT money, not general fund money.
Add – look at the local supplements. New teachers and teachers with 20+ years are getting decent local supplements, look at all the teachers in the middle who are only making state minimum (which means DeKalb isn’t paying us a dime to teach). My entire salary is from the state, so it doesn’t save the district anything to furlough me.
DunMoody
February 8th, 2013
8:21 pm
I have no problem with Thurmond not having an education background. As an interim superintendent, I think that could be an asset, particularly if he focuses on redundant and oversalaried personnel in the central office, balancing the books with real numbers, and putting money back into the schools in terms of teacher salaries and student-centered education. Will he consider local control in terms of a portfolio-style model? Will he restore trust in central office management by eliminating unqualified and redundant staff? At this point, DeKalb needs someone who has the courage and the connections to clean house. Will Thurmond’s ties to Walker & Co. make him a paper tiger? Or is he the agent for change that DeKalb needs … and deserves? Hope for the latter.
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
8:23 pm
@ everybody
Maureen says you have to give him a chance because you have no choice.
like hell.
you have every choice, if enough of you wish to take it. you can raise holy hell with the county, the state, and demand Deal step in and make this null and void.
if enough of you raise enough hell, you can force the system to act. but you have to act to make the system act. and you can challenge this in court if you wish.
the one thing which school systems, especially corrupt ones like DCSS fear above all else is sustainted publicity.
not saying it’ll be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.
put up with this because you have no choice….sorry, that dog doesn’t hunt.
you still have the power, if you choose to use it.
Starik
February 8th, 2013
8:27 pm
Thurmond’s experience in winning statewide elections will be useful in handling the troublesome white minority.
Dunwoody Mom
February 8th, 2013
8:29 pm
@DunMoody, I will respectively disagree. If Thurmond was just coming in as a placeholder for a school district that was stable and providing a quality education for its student, his choice for Super may be a little more acceptable. However, this school system is in crisis, both financially and academically. We need someone who is qualified to address both issues. Thurmond, in my view, is not qualified.
Private Citizen
February 8th, 2013
8:37 pm
As long as people are making wish lists, I’ll add: have legitimate academic people in charge of academic departments. That is all. (might lead to the question: who can tell the difference?)
Point is academic people are not politicians by nature, they are applications engineers who know their specific area of application. Managers are supposed to hire /place these type persons operation positions, which is a whole different thing from management. In other words, managers should be managers, applications people should be applications people. Please do not mix up the two, putting a political or “leadership” or manager type person as the academic person per subject areas. At the very least, give teachers the dignity of having the academic person be one of their own, and this person should not be overtly directed by managers in what they do. Point is a seasoned academic person know what should be done, not be directed as a puppet by manager types.
The Deal
February 8th, 2013
8:42 pm
DM, my thoughts exactly. He is not a placeholder. Given his hefty salary, I’m going to expect action and quick. If he accepted this job and is the qualified leader we’ve been told he is, he had better have spent his last week catching up on the volumes of data available to him just in the public arena and making some solid Day 1 decisions. I don’t want any 6-month getting warmed-up period. Use the audit that Atkinson paid for and eliminate the 300+ positions from the central office. Get rid of Tyson, Howe and March. Put the calendar back to something normal. Put a stop to the middle school laptops, SFA, and magnet transportation until class sizes are reduced. We are tired of waiting. Show us your true colors now rather than later.
Dekalb Teacher
February 8th, 2013
8:45 pm
@Maureen – if you force people to register on your blog you will lose all of the educators for fear of losing our jobs. Of course I know if someone wants to find out who you are they can but I will not register at any site. Just a thought.
Dekalbite
February 8th, 2013
8:49 pm
It would appear that Walker and Johnson who are the biggest “Family and Friends” proponents are going to make sure that they have someone from the “power brokers” group in place if they are removed. The feeling of personnel outside the schoolhouse is that Ms. Tyson will be very important as Mr. Thurmond enters the inner sanctum. She will be de facto running the school system for a while.
These people see the billion dollar budget and think there is always enough money there to fund their programs and departments. What’s left over can go to the schoolhouse and the kids. They have absolutely NO idea how to move students forward and do not ask teachers for advise. They fear this would undermine their position and some are just not capable of thinking critically. They do not expect low income students to do well academically and wish all those pesky parents would go back into the woodwork so they can continue to go to meetings and conferences, generate their reports and let them continue to run the school system.
I supported and voted for Mr. Thurmond in every election I could. However, he is friends with so many of these administrators and BOE members that he will probably find it difficult to be objective. He will be leaning on the personnel he thinks have a lot of “educational” experience when in reality they have very little. For example, Mr. Beasley has 3 1/2 years of teaching experience from the 1990s and Ms. Tyson has 2 years of teaching experience from the 1980s. This is not Mr. Thurmond’s fault. He is coming into a tightly controlled situation, and in addition he has socialized and networked with many of these people for years. This is not like the job he had at the state as an elected official. They are his friends and neighbors. He has always known them as the upwardly mobile, powerful people that work for and run DCSS.
If Governor Deal replaces the BOE, the new BOE will have an employee as superintendent who will be relying on the same “Family and Friends” structure that has continually failed our children. No wonder taxpayers are frustrated.
Private Citizen
February 8th, 2013
8:59 pm
Dekalb Teacher, It is not for me to say, so to speak, but generally a person would have an extra email account (similar to having a user name in current posting system) for required registrations. You are exactly correct that as an educator you do not want to leave an expressive opinion internet posting trail of any kind attached to your name – nothing, nada, zero, zilch, not a speck ever. PS Much of the computer literate world is moving to using a VPN for everyday computer use, that way your home IP address is not pasted to every single internet site you visit, whether it is making opinion or commentary, or buying shoes at shoes.com. Using a paid VPN service means that your computer hooks up with a server in say, Sweden (home of many VPN services), and then that is the source of activity, instead of your home IP address. The good VPN services dump their logs every day, so there is no “tale” or record of activity. Perfect set-up for a crook? Maybe so, but the surveillance state is getting pretty thorough. The alternative is that practically all of your internet activity is available to those who seek to know it. Good honest people use VPNs to protect their privacy as a general safeguard. School districts prohibit logging into a VPN for computer use from a school computer, but for home use. I think it is a good idea. Information is collected and sold and stored. As far as email registration, upon examination, I am not sure I understand the utility of this, but I am certainly not questioning it. A web log is private property and a person or entity should run one any way that they wish, or have determined is productive. Check out VPNs, I think they go in the “good things” folder, but you have to get the right one, do due diligence as a consumer.
Eli
February 8th, 2013
9:02 pm
Unbelievable is all I can say.
Idiots re-electing idiots who appoint idiots..
The whole lot should go to prison ..
William
February 8th, 2013
9:03 pm
Thank God that Dunwoody will be able to leave this cesspool soon…
Dekalbite@Guest
February 8th, 2013
9:04 pm
Enter your comments here
Disgusted in Dekalb
February 8th, 2013
9:05 pm
Maureen, I always appreciate the forums you provide, but I’m appalled that you chide the taxpayers of Dekalb for being frustrated with the way this choice was made. Give Thurmond a chance, you say. Many of us were disgusted with the way the board went through the process of choosing Atkinson and we have spent the last 16 months “giving her a chance.” During those 16 months, teacher morale plunged even lower (yeah, hard to believe, isn’t it?) and the financial shape of the district deteriorated (and this was NOT due simply to decreasing tax revenues). We are tired of waiting. The board could have easily chosen someone with better credentials and NO TIES to current board members. They seem to be thumbing their noses at the State Board and at SACS. Our only hope is that the board recommends their removal or SACS removes the system’s accreditation. Maureen, until you’ve listened to Crawford Lewis stumble through a speech at YOUR child’s graduation or watched Eugene Walker doze off during a State Board meeting at which he’s been unable to account for millions of YOUR property tax dollars, don’t criticize those of us who have.
Ed Johnson
February 8th, 2013
9:06 pm
“I would have much rather seen Brad Bryant selected as interim superintendent.”
Gosh, I should have had a V-8!
Dekalbite@Dekalb teacher
February 8th, 2013
9:08 pm
DeKalb School Watch Two requires registration and that hasn’t stopped their posters. I am assuming Maureen is not going to be publishing your email address or IP so your employer can track you down.
Private Citizen
February 8th, 2013
9:11 pm
Speaking as “a friend of the AJC,” if they want to re-do the registration process, maybe look at how Slashdot does it. They’re top people over there and serious at what they’re about, probably allow you to import their whole method, so to speak (it’s likely open source, meant to be applied). For example, https://slashdot.org/login.pl?op=newuserform
Private Citizen
February 8th, 2013
9:13 pm
Mr. Thurmond is local and is not a part of the nationalised Broad Academy training (they train superintendents). That is a big difference from the person who just resigned.
Flabberghasted4sure
February 8th, 2013
9:18 pm
@ d: I agree with your 2 additions and I messed up two of mine: I meant TSA not TRS and DCSD is Douglas County, not Decatur….too long a day. As for textbooks, it is my understanding that the school system still has a manual tracking system for textbooks…could be wrong but heard it from staff; As for the calendar, it would be nice to have our 10 week summer back – not the “balanced” calendar Atkinso pushed twice to get – there was always suspicion about how that vote was recorded by staff;
Let’s add 2 more: a retention/promotion policy with teeth that will be enforced and change the BOE policy before Thurmond hires consultants for $99,999 without BOE knowledge/approval…$50,000 should be max, heck with this mess make it $25,000
Gagrunt
February 8th, 2013
9:24 pm
Indigo – there is a difference between race and political party. Well maybe for you there isn’t.
DunMoody
February 8th, 2013
9:35 pm
At the same time I’m wishing for the best from Thurmond despite his heavy baggage, I’m working proactively to support a constitutional change to allow local control (aka City of Dunwoody school system). I know, DunwoodyMom – it’s hard to hope for the best considering the friends-and-family connections of our interim superintendent with the ridiculously large salary (slap in the face to every teacher who has taken multiple pay cuts). But I can hope for the best – and work for the real best!
Maureen – chiding us for our anxieties is a bit patronizing. We have valid reasons for our worries.
Concerned Citizen
February 8th, 2013
9:37 pm
What are his qualifications? Another person to hire and give a fat severance package. Someone needs to fire this bunch of incompetent nincompoops!
Private Citizen
February 8th, 2013
9:42 pm
Solely for information purposes, my understanding that the recent superintendent was trained by the “Broad Academy.” Out in the interwebs, there is some opinion and controversy about their product: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/how-to-tell-if-your-school-district-is-infected-by-the-broad-virus/
It may be significant if anyone can comment on if the local / regional SACS accreditation agency here in Georgia has a bend or preference to “okay” or otherwise support and endorse superintendent candidates from the “Broad Academy” and one may wish to ask why an accreditation agency, that is supposed to be based on regulating / enforcing principle and ethics, state legal code and such, may be politically active in this manner to be partial or preferential or biased towards affiliates of this enterprise. One might ask, “Is this a party to their stated mission statement?”
What is the stated mission statement of SACS?
Private Citizen
February 8th, 2013
9:44 pm
Yowie! Private Citizen gets the forensics prize for 8 Feb 2013!!!!
___________________________
“How Do We Accredit?
AdvancED views accreditation through a broad lens.”
http://www.advanc-ed.org/how-do-we-accredit
__________________________
Note: “AdvancED” is SACS.
Patty O'Shaughnessey
February 8th, 2013
10:00 pm
I hope Mike Thurmond will be more effective here than he was as Commissioner of Labor. His usual practice of cronyism just isn’t going to work in Education where they are desperate for talented, skilled people in leadership. I’d like to see the entire Board replaced. I hope Thurmond’s appointment will not deter the momentum for getting rid of the Board.
Another Voice
February 8th, 2013
10:17 pm
Givie him a chance? Really? It’s not like his presence is going to change the outcome of the next trip to the State Board. DCSS is going to lose accreditation. At best, we might get another month based on change in leadership. But reality check folks – this ship has been sinking for years. It’s time to pull the life-jackets and jump.
So, when that happens, and the Gov. appoints a replacement board – what then? Do we have enough people in DeKalb who are ready to take on this challenge? I’m guessing Gov. Crook will appoint some people he needs to either 1/get out of his way in the political arena (similar to the GPB fiasco with Chip Rodgers) or 2/we’ll get some one he needs to “pay back” with a position to set them up for future political office.
A good choice would be Dan Weber – but I think he’s probably wise enough to stay away from this cesspool.
Burroughston Broch
February 8th, 2013
10:39 pm
@ Starik
“Thurmond’s experience in winning statewide elections will be useful in handling the troublesome white minority.”
Oh, really? The last time he polled only 39% statewide against Johnny Isakson in 2010.
LOL
Mandella1099
February 8th, 2013
10:50 pm
@ the Deal
I not worried one bit – you will be bashing him about something soon enough….
Maureen Downey
February 8th, 2013
11:13 pm
@DunMoody, Valid worries are one thing. Immediately pillorying someone as ineffective before he even pulls out his chair is another.
Maureen
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
11:17 pm
again, I’ve met Mike, he seems like an OK guy. the issue really isn’t him, or his potential qualifications or lack of them.
the issue is the process, and this process reeks of business as usual.
Mandella1099
February 8th, 2013
11:18 pm
@ the Deal
BWAHAHAHA – I knew it! I should have kept reading all of the posts. You didn’t even make it to the second page of postings before you started with the criticism – classic, just absolutely classic!!!
Moderation
February 8th, 2013
11:19 pm
The level of negativity from some of the people posting is amazing.
Some of you claim to want transparency,but there is a distinct
difference between discussing issues,and publicly airing the dirty
laundry of your district. You expect top tier candidates to apply
for the position of superintendent, and present the least positive
side to the district,without focusing on the many positive attributes
such as educational professionals, dedicated parents, and community
members.
Mandella1099
February 8th, 2013
11:20 pm
Maureen – Please do a blog on Dekalb School Watch 2 and how much it has hurt DeKalb and its chances of bringing in any great leader! You could call it “Who’s watching DeKalb Schools Watch 2?”
bootney farnsworth
February 8th, 2013
11:29 pm
@ another
a good choice would be someone from a state where education actually functions, who has the power to make the sweeping changes needed.
or the FBI and IRS
DeKalb Taxpayer
February 9th, 2013
12:50 am
the answer just may be to convert the whole DCSS into charter schools and get rid of the current board, top heavy administration and career rejects oftecycled superintendents hired.
Starik
February 9th, 2013
1:52 am
B. Beach – running for the senate is different from labor commissioner. People pay attention to senators, not labor commissioners or school superintendents.
Pardon My Blog
February 9th, 2013
6:30 am
@ DeKalb Taxpayer – that is what I would like the State to do. They should create the Charter Clusters with the High Schools and their current feeder schools and the individual Boards would be representative of these schools. The State should appoint a Board for oversight over all the Charter Clusters. And the taxes paid by the citizens within these clusters would stay in these clusters. We don’t need more cities in DeKalb county.
We are all frustrated because we volunteer numerous hours to fill the gaps that should not be there in the first place but are there due to incompetence and mismanagement. Mr. Thurmond will have a learning curve to get up to speed because he has not been involved in any way in the school system and does not have the background in education to understand many of the issues. How long will this take? We do not have that kind of time!
And by the way, I am a DeKalb taxpayer and last time I looked, the constitution still grants me the Freedom of Speech even though many of you don’t agree with me.
sandy22
February 9th, 2013
6:46 am
Same old same old in Dekalb.
Fed up
February 9th, 2013
7:12 am
DeKalb BOE – DeKalb BOI…. The hiring of Thurmond is purely political: He has ties to some of the corrupt / inept DeKalb BOE and they are simply trying to earn brownie points with the state BOE. Now the DeKalk BOI (bunch of idiots) can show up at state and say, “We hired Michael Thurmond. Let us keep our jobs.” King Roy Barnes is proof of this plan as he is already in the media praising this farce. This board needs to go.
Ella Smith
February 9th, 2013
7:26 am
Thurman is a good guy. I am concerned with his lack of experience and lack of education in this area. However, he is surrounded by educators at the Palace. Being a politician is a good thing as far as the preception of the DCSS. However, I am not for sure this appointment will have any affect on the consequences at the state board hearing.
However, I am concerned as Dr. Atkinson actually told the truth regarding the disfunction of the board and now she is out. I am not sure any superintendent is safe around this school board. Dr. Atkinson (good or bad) is the scapegoat for the school board. They may be blaming her for their disfunction and the problems they are currently having. There is enough projection to go around.
Fed up
February 9th, 2013
8:34 am
The parents of DeKalb County students need to hold a rally to get rid of the board the day of the next state hearing. Show the state how you feel about this corrupt and inept bunch of clowns known as the DeKalb BOE!
dekalbteacher
February 9th, 2013
8:37 am
This teacher would be more convinced of Thurmond’s abilities and the board’s committment to its students if these things had happened:
1. Thurmond was making less money. The Decatur super declined a bonus a few years ago. Even if the smaller amount was just for the duration of Atkinson’scontract,Thurmond might have suggested that he is one of the few “leaders” working for Dekalb who is motivated by more than dollar signs.We teachers are expected to keep doing more for less. And I don’t need to reiterate our dismal finances.
2. Dekalb’s oficial statement included an honest acknowledgment of Dekalb’s serious financial crisis and how Thurmond will turn this around.
3. Ramona Tyson’s resignation was announced. Do I need to explain this?
4. If Barnes had said anything about Thurmond’s actions. I’m tired of visions. I don’t need any more passion. Guts? We’ll see.
If these things happen in the next two weeks, then I’ll start feeling better.
1. Ramona Tyson resigns.
2. All Academic Data Coaches (former instructional specialists and coaches),SFA Facilitators (former instructional specialists and coaches, and Instructional Coaches making more than teachers with the same qualifications and teaching experience are assigned specific students to teach. After all, they already have the “data” and Dekalb touts differentiated instruction as its pedagogical underpinning, so this change would take little to no effort.
3. Benchmarks and SLOs are suspended. Has anyone looked at the coveted “data” posted on the school’s website in the “Balanced Scorecard”? The small number of students passing these tests indicates many problems. Packing classes with students of low ability does not provide students “quality education” and these tests are not forming any practical function. Instead, they are eating up heaps of valuable instruction time.
4. A new school calendar reflects financial and environmental responsibility. Unless there is a financial assessment proving this calendar will save money-not cost more, this calendar is another instance of short-sightedness.
5. Dekalb announces that instead of paying for all juniors to take the SAT, it will use that money to pay for at least one AP exam per student. College Board already allows financially disadvantaged students to take two SAT exams for free. It does not give such a discount for the AP exam, and it is good performance on these exams that can save students and their parents thousands in tuition.
Another Voice
February 9th, 2013
8:57 am
@DeKalbTeacher – I agree with all but your last point. Many colleges have changed their policy regarding AP credits, so that instead of getting a college credit (saving money, graduating sooner), the student is instead granted advanced standing in that topic and can take a higher-level course. That means the college still gets the full course-load worth of tuition money.
I’d rather see students taking the SAT once in junior year as a baseline to determine the areas that they need to improve. Higher SAT scores are more likely to get a student into college, and for our majority-minority disctrict, that’s a higher goal than a perhaps getting one freebie course in college.
However, I’d definitely be in favor of saying that the free SAT be applied only to Title 1 schools, or to kids who qualify for the federal lunch/meal program.
dekalbteacher
February 9th, 2013
9:27 am
@Another Voice,
In an ideal world in which Dekalb’s students enrolled in college-prepatory classes were actually given a college preparatory education, I’d agree with you about the SAT. Unfortunately, though, this is not what is happening. In fact, I’d bet that an analysis of students’ courses and college admissions would show that the majority of Dekalb’s students who go straight from high school to college have taken at least one AP class. And most of these students are going to UGA, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, West Georgia, Georgia Southern, and Georgia College. All these schools give a semester’s worth of credit for passing AP exams. In some cases, a high score will allow a student to exempt two classes.
In the short-term one option would be to allow students to choose.
mountain man
February 9th, 2013
9:42 am
“Interestingly you had no comment when Governor Deal “appointed” his croonie to run the Ga. Lottery when she had NO experience but she had the “RIGHT COLOR” but it was okay for him to do that… ”
I don’t know anything about that. If it was nepotism or cronyism, it should be condemned. I had not heard that there may have been a more qualified black candidate for that job and the Governor explicitly chose a white person solely for the reason of being white.
In Dekalb County, it SEEMS like being black is a requirement for being hired into the job of Superintendent. Are you saying that out of all of the candidates that they have gone through in the last several job searches, that the most qualified candidate ALWAYS happens to be black? Why is that not the case in Cobb county? Thurmond may have excellent credentials and may be a great choice for INTERIM superintendeent where his job should be to fire half the administrator staff in Dekalb. When they get down to hiring a permanent superintendent, they should concentrate on getting the best candidate, whether that be white or black. By the way, my major reason for wanting to see Atkinson fired had nothing to do with her color – it had to do with hiring a friend who plagiarized and then defended him, while NOT firing people the way the Board had instructed her to do. If she had been doing a great job, I would have been supporting her. Of course, if she had been doing a great job, we would not see Dekalb County in the shape that it is in.
Educator
February 9th, 2013
9:48 am
Dekalb teacher, you’re reading my mind. The army of non-teaching staff is the worst financial drag on this county and the greatest impediment to bringing down class sizes to allow for real instruction. The benchmarks are a vast waste of time and resources, and the school calendar shoved down our throats is an insult.
As for AP exams, that’s a good thought, provided AP classes are allowed to admit only those students truly ready to take a college level class.
mountain man
February 9th, 2013
10:01 am
“However, I am concerned as Dr. Atkinson actually told the truth regarding the disfunction of the board and now she is out. I am not sure any superintendent is safe around this school board. Dr. Atkinson (good or bad) is the scapegoat for the school board”
Did Atkinson say the Board made her hire a friend who plagiarized? Did the Board tell her to defend him when it came out? Did the Board order her to rehire people they had told her originally to cut?
But I agree with you, this Board needs to be replaced by the Governor.
mountain man
February 9th, 2013
10:29 am
“Interestingly you had no comment when Governor Deal “appointed” his croonie to run the Ga. Lottery when she had NO experience but she had the “RIGHT COLOR” but it was okay for him to do that… ”
The other thing is that if a story came out about a “white” county turning down a clearly superior black candidate over a lesser white candidate, it would cause rioting, protest marches, and generally all kinds of charges of “RACISM”. So where is that when a “black” county does it? That is all I am saying. RACISM works both ways.
Married with (School) Children
February 9th, 2013
10:38 am
Maureen,
Thurmond may be a good guy, but look at his resume and ask yourself: why did the DCS board hire him?
His positives are that he gives incredible speeches, was a very successful criminal defense attorney and is an accomplished politician – which is good because Superintendents really need to be effective at politics.
Thurmond has the exact skill set the DCS *BOARD* needs in the Superintendent that will represent them in their next hearing before the state DOE. He will go before the state DOE, give a great speech, and will argue well that the DCS Board should not be removed.
The big negative is that Thurmond has zero experience as a teacher – he has never even been a substitute for a single day. I think he even lacks the qualifications to get himself on the DCS substitute teacher list!
He lacks the skill set needed to make effective decisions about education. Since he has never actually managed a classroom, he has no clue what is effective and what is not. He is going to be at the complete mercy of BSers…. and “The Palace” (DCS Headquarters complex out on Mountain Industrial) is full of great BSers .
dekalbite@Mandella1099
February 9th, 2013
10:39 am
EVERY child deserves:
1. A safe and clean learning environment
2. A competent, decently compensated teacher in a reasonably sized classroom
3. Abundant access to cutting edge science and technology equipment
After these three components are funded, then any money left over can be used for Directors, Coaches, Coordinators, Parent Coordinators, canned educational programs, complicated data systems, etc. If it takes outsourcing of security, custodial, staff development, groundskeeping, etc. then that should not be off the table. Not a dime should be spent on anything else until these three components are met.
EVERY parent wants this for their child:
1. A safe and clean learning environment
2. A competent, decently compensated teacher in a reasonably sized classroom
3. Abundant access to cutting edge science and technology equipment
Go into the schools in DeKalb you will see how few students have these three components that are absolutely NECESSARY for ALL children to be successful. This is not rocket science. The classroom is where children spend almost all of their day and where content mastery takes place.
Ensuring ALL children have these three components should be driving this train. It does in Decatur City Schools and Marietta City Schools and Rockdale County Schools. That’s why they have good achievement regardless of race, immigrant status, or socioeconomic level. Give students what they need to be successful, no matter what their background. These three components are not happening for ALL students in DeKalb.
I have always been a supporter of Mr. Thurmond, but I doubt he realizes these three components MUST be in place for students. There are NO shortcuts and NO other options. You can’t place students in dirty, unsafe overcrowded classrooms with poorly compensated teachers that have low morale and scant learning materials and expect them to be successful just because an Instructional Coach or canned educational program is in place. Right now that is the case for too many of our students.
If DeKalb was ensuring that EVERY child had:
1. A safe and clean learning environment
2. A competent, decently compensated teacher in a reasonably sized classroom
3. Abundant access to cutting edge science and technology equipment
……parents would be flocking to our county and this would be among the first picks for good teachers to come and stay.
Married with (School) Children
February 9th, 2013
10:40 am
Mandella1099 @ February 8th, 2013 11:20 pm said: “Please do a blog on Dekalb School Watch 2 and how much it has hurt DeKalb and its chances of bringing in any great leader!”
Welcome to the blogosphere, Dr. Atkinson!
dekalbite
February 9th, 2013
10:48 am
Hopefully, Mr. Thurmond will take a page from former Governor Barnes. He lowered class sizes and then told the superintendents to deal with it – no exceptions. That is the ONLY time I ever saw DeKalb County cut the Central Office and non teaching area. They HAD to live with the low class sizes and simply didn’t have money to continue funding the highly paid non teaching side. Central Office personnel were actually sent back to the schoolhouse.
Of course, Barnes lost the election and the first thing Governor Perdue did was allow superintendents to raise class sizes. Lewis had a field day. Read the BOE minutes and see how many times he raised class sizes to pay for all those non teaching departments he filled with friends and family. That is how he established his power base.
It’s ironic that Barnes is so vilified by teachers. How has lifting those limits on class sizes and ceding all control to local leaders like Lewis, Tyson, Atkinson and the DeKalb BOE worked out for them and their students?
Dunwoody Mom
February 9th, 2013
10:58 am
@Maureen, so voicing an opinon based on Mr. Thurmond’s resume and background is “pillorying”? Hardly….sheesh. Taking sides and insulting your readers and blog participants is the quickest way to lose them.
Mandella1099
February 9th, 2013
12:14 pm
@ Married with (School) Children
Its good to see you here too, Ms. Jester….
Private Citizen
February 9th, 2013
12:44 pm
Is this fellow related to Strom Thurmond? He seems to possess a certain pedigree of political success.
__________________
If Governor Deal wishes to install a “charter district” map, the coming weeks would certainly be the time to act.
Call Me Missouri
February 9th, 2013
1:33 pm
So we get a gutsy, passionate, former head of DOL who is a visionary. Wow. Will he have the guts, passion, and vision to tell his old buddy, Gene, that the taxpayers are footing the bill for THREE superintendents too many and do something about that? Will he have the guts, passion, and vision to remove the remnants of the Atkinson administration still loitering in the “Palace?” Will Mr. Thurmomd have the passion, guts, and vision to get real educators with THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CHILDREN (note to MT: Ramona and the other Clew-less parasites do not) to advise him since he has no background in education? Will he have the guts, vision, and passion to clean out the top heavy administration? Will he have all that and whatever else he needs to regain the trust of the DCSD educators and parents? That alone will require more than guts, vision, and passion. I hope you are a praying man, Mr. Thurmond. Will he restore what has been taken away from those who work with our children IN THE CLASSROOM EVERYDAY because they (and their families) are HURTING!! Will he, especially as the former head of the Georgia Department of Labor, heve the guts, passion, and vision to say, “How in the heck are you guys NOT making TRS contributions and/or NOT withholding for Social Security for your employees???” Will he right that wrong and take steps to restore and reimburse those funds? Will he have the guts, passion, and glory to tell that Board of Miseducation they are largely responsible for all that is wrong with our school system? Will Mr. Thurmond be able to cut my son’s social studies class of 40 students by at least 10 students? Can our students have soap, papertowels, and toilet tissue every day? Can every elementary school have a full time art teacher and music teacher? Can we have band and orchestra again in all of our schools???? I could go on and on but what would be the point? I think we all KNOW the answer to these questions. This name was not pulled out of a hat, although that might have been preferable. Mr. Thurmond was approached and approved because he has probably assured the powers that be that he will not derail their gravy train. More of the same. I will take it back when I see something different; until then I am still from Missouri. You can show me better than you can tell me.
Call Me Missouri
February 9th, 2013
1:42 pm
Also, Mr. Thurmond, whatever they are telling you about SFA, it is only giving the illusion of success for all and victory in every overcrowded DCSD classroom. BTW, most of us would appreciate a new slogan for whatever it is you will be selling. “Victory in Every Classroom” has left a bad taste in our mouths and a stench in our schools.
Call Me Missouri
February 9th, 2013
2:30 pm
Enter your comments here
Beverly Fraud
February 9th, 2013
6:07 pm
Time to heed the clarion call. It’s time to bring back Beverly Hall, with the educational passion and desire and most of all integrity to bring (as Maureen would vouch for I’m sure) a much needed “stability” to the system and ably assist Michael Thurmond with the “research based best practices” aspects of the job.
Pay her on par with Thurmond of course.
bootney farnsworth
February 9th, 2013
6:15 pm
I’m getting a sense some parts of the AJC are dusting off the defend Beverly machine and are making the proper alterations to defend Mikey.
bootney farnsworth
February 9th, 2013
6:18 pm
I remember when Bush 43 was allegedly “selected”, there were few columnists at the AJC saying its done, you have no choice, give him a chance.
wonder what changed here?
Disgusted in Dekalb
February 9th, 2013
7:04 pm
I must have missed the part of the SACS report that said the Board had failed to select a superintendent with guts, vision, and passion.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 9th, 2013
7:20 pm
Michael Thurmond gives GREAT speeches. Maybe if Thurmond doesn’t work out we can get Tony Robbins in here
bu2
February 9th, 2013
8:44 pm
The AJC article does a good job of explaining what they were thinking with regard to Thurmond. Unfortunately, we won’t know why they felt it was so urgent to get rid of Dr. Atkinson. I guess it was necessary to be silent, but sure leaves a range of speculation for the reason. And that’s not good for faith in the board.
bootney farnsworth
February 9th, 2013
9:00 pm
@ bu2
not to mention they don’t want to get sued.
there’s a decent chance this could end up in court at some point
bu2
February 9th, 2013
9:14 pm
And if the SBOE asks them that question in a couple of weeks, they will have to answer that they can’t answer. That won’t make SBOE happy.
Burroughston Broch
February 9th, 2013
10:01 pm
@ Starik
“running for the senate is different from labor commissioner. People pay attention to senators, not labor commissioners or school superintendents.”
Excuses on top of excuses on top of excuses.
Thurmond was slammed the last time he ran in 2010, and was the last Democrat elected statewide in 2006. If he had any political legs and guts at all, he’d be offering for the US Senate in 2014. But he’s not, which proves my point.
reduce class sizes,bloat in schools&county offices
February 9th, 2013
10:16 pm
It’s a crap shoot! We now have Thurmond, let’s see what he can do. He must…..Reduce class sizes NOW! Reduce excess staff in schools, or assign them a homeroom teaching position NOW! Reduce the bloat of the county offices NOW! They are mainly teachers who left the classroom because they weren’t teacher material in the first place, and are now doing nothing in the county offices but collecting a paycheck and awaiting retirement. The Ethicsline(Whistleblower) must be anonymous and inform staff of its location. Principals need proper training on effective management of schools and resources. Get control of the sororities and friends and family nonsense that has caused incompetence and neglect to be rampant in our schools. Morale is LOW!
reduce class sizes,bloat in schools&county offices
February 9th, 2013
10:30 pm
The board decided that Atkinson had to go, or they were to be replaced by the governor. (I’m sure some on the board and Atkinson made a deal for her severance package.) It will now be extremely difficult to remove them, or the county will end up with lawsuits, as they hold elected positions and the governor cannot overide an elected office. They now will use Atkinson’s firing and replacement for their SACS report, claiming required changes have been met to restore accreditation.
dekalbite
February 9th, 2013
11:09 pm
2012
We spent around $10,000,000 (including benefits $12,000,000) on non teaching (certified to teach) personnel entitled Instructional Supervisors.
We spent around $7,000,000 (including benefits $8,000,000) on non teaching (certified to teach) personnel entitled Instructional Specialists (not to be confused with the Instructional Specialists P-8 who are the art, music, etc. teachers).
We spent almost $500,000 (including benefits $600,000) on non teaching (certified to teach) Literacy Coaches.
We spent $650,000 (including benefits) on six Special Education Directors. They do not teach even though they are certified to teach.
We spent $1,200,000 (including benefits) on Special Education Specialists. They do not teach even though they are certified to teach.
We spent $1,800,000 (including benefits) on Staff Development Specialists. They do not teach even though they are certified to teach.
We spent $2,900,000 on Parent Coordinators who never teach a child.
We spent over $10,000,000 on Security, an amount that in is so in excess of other metro Atlanta school systems, that it is hard to compare them. We have close to 200 Security employees for 48 schools and centers. We have no Security personnel in our elementary schools. They are “on their own”. The adults in the Bryant Center, the Central Office, Sam Moss, etc. have Security personnel, but not our elementary children.
$1,244,000 was spent on travel.
2013:
This year 2013, legal fees are expected to be close to $10,000,000.
It looks like there is plenty of places for Mr. Thurmond to “cut” the budget so that ALL of our students can have:
1. A safe and clean learning environment
2. A competent, decently compensated teacher in a reasonably sized classroom
3. Abundant access to cutting edge science and technology equipment
We need to remember all of these expenditures when the next “budget shortfall” comes up or when our children sit in classes of 40.
sources:
Open Georgia
http://www.open.georgia.gov/
Open Records Request:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.wordpress.com/dcss-files/legal-civil-case/
Daily Report:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/daily-report-article-dekalb-school-bd-budget.pdf
Product of Dekalb
February 10th, 2013
12:10 am
Brad Bryant did not apply or want to be considered for the job. He is still extremely dedicated to the schools and students of DeKalb but has the intelligence to stay out of the “lions den” in the palace. I’m sure when he left he was glad to close the door and never look back. He is now in a leadership role at the SBOE. Bet it’s difficult watching what has become of the system he worked SO hard to improve for all stakeholders. Maybe he should give MThurmond some excellent insider advice!
AnonMom
February 10th, 2013
8:39 am
Brad isn’t quite as “innocent” and perfect as he’s being painted. don’t get me wrong — I like Brad and he’s been very involved for a very a long time — but that’s just it — given where we are now in DCSS I don’t think you could have been involved for that long and not have have been at least a part of the problem…..
Ella Smith
February 10th, 2013
9:24 am
I wish Mike Thurman luck in his new job. I know they approached several people who were not interested due to the situation. In the current situation many professionals who not consider a temporary job like this for a year when the school board is on probation.
I am concerned that when and if the board is removed that the new board members and many older school board members will vote for the board to take the governor and state school board to court to stop or slow the process down. If this happens I would bet that these new members and will not be placed back on the school board. At tjhat point it will not be about what is best for the students but the school board members will be showing a very selfish side which is the problem to start with. I do agree with SACs that the biggest problem is that most of the school board members have their own selfish agenda. I also think that a few of the board members see this as their full time job and they do not want to give up the income. This again may shows selfishness on their part.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
9:35 am
“Unfortunately, we won’t know why they felt it was so urgent to get rid of Dr. Atkinson.”
Uh, HELLO? Where have you been? Have you heard about hiring a plagiarist friend and then DEFENDING his actions? SACS would have crucified the Board if they had not acted against Atkinson.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 10th, 2013
9:51 am
There will be no more State Board hearings for DCSD. Bob Wilson of Wilson, Morton & Downs, LLC has been retained to make sure of that. The State Board is preparing for this meeting, but DCSD is not. I’m guessing Bob will file a “restraining order” this week. In legalese I thought it was an “injuction” but the term “restraining order” keeps coming up.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
9:53 am
“I am concerned that when and if the board is removed that the new board members and many older school board members will vote for the board to take the governor and state school board to court to stop or slow the process down. ”
Yep, that sounds like this Board. Cause the expenditure of large amounts of money on legal fees for a fruitless cause. Then complain that education is not “funded”. The sooner this bunch of imbeciles is gone, the better.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 10th, 2013
9:54 am
Mountain Man
The plagiarist was icing on the cake. It was the destruction of those text messages. She’s just trying to stay out of jail right now.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
9:57 am
“There will be no more State Board hearings for DCSD. Bob Wilson of Wilson, Morton & Downs, LLC has been retained to make sure of that.”
And if a lawsuit fails, then thew will cry “Racism!” and organize rallies and marches to make sure their ability to operate a jobs program for their friends is uninterrupted.
Pardon My Blog
February 10th, 2013
9:57 am
I still don’t understand why people classify Thurmond as an inspirational speaker. His intelligence certainly doesn’t show in his deadpan non-answers while being interviewed now as well as when he was the Labor Commissioner. We are now officially the laughingstock. Perhaps if he is so inspirational he can convince Eugene Walker to stay awake when meeting with the State BoE.
Speaking of Walker, he thinks he is doing great things for DeKalb and that it is all the divisive parents that have caused the system to be put on probation. He seems to feel that we should support all of them because “we haven’t done anything unlawful”.
Pardon My Blog
February 10th, 2013
10:00 am
Bob Wilson should be ashamed of himself!
dekalbite
February 10th, 2013
10:05 am
Caught in the filter. Not sure why. Here it is again:
2012
We spent around $10,000,000 (including benefits $12,000,000) on non teaching (certified to teach) personnel entitled Instructional Supervisors.
We spent around $7,000,000 (including benefits $8,000,000) on non teaching (certified to teach) personnel entitled Instructional Specialists (not to be confused with the Instructional Specialists P-8 who are the art, music, etc. teachers).
We spent almost $500,000 (including benefits $600,000) on non teaching (certified to teach) Literacy Coaches.
We spent $650,000 (including benefits) on six Special Education Directors. They do not teach even though they are certified to teach.
We spent $1,200,000 (including benefits) on Special Education Specialists. They do not teach even though they are certified to teach.
We spent $1,800,000 (including benefits) on Staff Development Specialists. They do not teach even though they are certified to teach.
We spent $2,900,000 on Parent Coordinators who never teach a child.
We spent over $10,000,000 on Security, an amount that in is so in excess of other metro Atlanta school systems, that it is hard to compare them. We have close to 200 Security employees for 48 schools and centers. We have no Security personnel in our elementary schools. They are “on their own”. The adults in the Bryant Center, the Central Office, Sam Moss, etc. have Security personnel, but not our elementary children.
$1,244,000 was spent on travel.
2013:
This year 2013, legal fees are expected to be close to $10,000,000.
It looks like there is plenty of places for Mr. Thurmond to “cut” the budget so that ALL of our students can have:
1. A safe and clean learning environment
2. A competent, decently compensated teacher in a reasonably sized classroom
3. Abundant access to cutting edge science and technology equipment
DeKalb Inside Out
February 10th, 2013
10:17 am
Bob Wilson will not fail. Lawyers were clamoring over each other to represent DCSD on this one. The merits of the case are reason one Bob will win. Reasons 2, 3 and 4 relate to Bob’s past performances and his connections. I’m not comfortable going into that. Hopefully somebody will research the players involved.
Pardon My Blog
I understand your frustration, but even murderers deserve a lawyer. I’m disappointed a majority of the DeKalb Board voted to use tax dollars to fight this. Of course Jester and maybe Speaks were against using tax dollars for this.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
10:45 am
“Bob Wilson will not fail. Lawyers were clamoring over each other to represent DCSD on this one. The merits of the case are reason one Bob will win.”
In that case, I hope SACS revokes Dekalb’s accreditation. Hopefully, then the parents will file their own lawsuit. Or maybe new cities will be formed and an amendment will be introduced to allow them to form their own schools.
bu2
February 10th, 2013
11:55 am
@MM
There are a lot of reasons they could want Atkinson out. We don’t know what motivated them and why they thought it was urgent. You could do a long list of reasons, but it doesn’t mean it was what they considered. That’s what we won’t know. Just a selected list of possible reasons:
Her defense of the plagiarist
The terminated employee lawsuits
Teacher morale
Lack of turnaround in academics
Chaos with the calendar
Chaos with the budget
Chaos with the faciltiies plan
Lack of books in schools
Lack of responsiveness to board information requests
Possibly attacking the board with SACS (contributing to putting accreditation at risk)
3 new board members with different opinions
Atkinson wanted out
Ella Smith
February 10th, 2013
12:00 pm
I am hopeful the school board with not take the legal route to show down the process of removing them. If this happens I would be suprised if nay of the ones in support of this are placed backed on the board. This just shows selfishness on the board members part who would be in support of legal action. If they truely care about the students in DeKalb they would not interfere with this process. They would be willing to step down.
I agree that some of the members will scream racism. However, just like the lady who has been recommended to fill the empty Ga State Board DeKalb Seat race will not be a factor as there are very qualified members in the community to replace the board members who are of all different races. I do feel sensitivity will be a factor in replacing the DeKalb County School Board if the board is removed. Sensitivity to this should be a factor but again there are qualified individuals to replace the school board. I am fairly certain that the Governor and politicians already has resumes from extremely qualified candidates from all sides of the county.
I am just sad that things got so out of control. I am sad for the students, employees and taxpayers of DeKalb County. I do not think changing school superintendent will change the outcome of the hearing. I see the DeKalb County School Board reactions to the hearing as only hurting the students of DeKalb. I see SACS as possible taking away accreditation if the board takes legal action against the State Board of Education or the Governor. I personally do not see keeping the current board as more important that keeping the school systems accreditation. Do you?
DeKalb Inside Out
February 10th, 2013
12:34 pm
bu2
I don’t think Atkinson will be able to find another super job after this. Her husband doesn’t work. I’m guessing they are on food stamps in 18 months. That’s the only reason I think she could put up with everything except jail.
Ella Smith
DCSD and Sumter County are going to win their lawsuits against the state. The State BOE hearings will never happen and the board reps will not be removed. Bob Wilson, representing DCSD, is uniquely qualified for this task.
If anything comes out of this, it will be a referendum on oversight of school districts and not the districts themselves. We continue to elect these board members and they are running the school districts like their constituency wants them to. The unhappy are a vocal minority.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
12:37 pm
“We don’t know what motivated them and why they thought it was urgent.”
My personal opinion is that they wanted to do this to demonstrate to the State BOE that they were capable of solving their problems – starting with Atkinson. I even urged them to do this in this blog.
But I still think they need to go.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 10th, 2013
1:06 pm
A number of board members wanted Atkinson gone but not enough to fire her. She quit on her own volition. DCSD board doesn’t care about the State BOE. They aren’t making any preparations whatsoever regarding their next hearing.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
1:54 pm
“The unhappy are a vocal minority.”
Then the unhappy should get the heck out of Dekalb and let it rot and fester like APS. Our representatives should introduce an amendment this year to allow cities to run their own school districts. Then cities could get out of Dekalb and let Dekalb continue. I hope SACS revokes Dekalb’s accreditation. The people of Dekalb county would get exactly what they deserve for electing that school Board.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
1:56 pm
And people wonder why “white flight” happens? It is not just whites not wanting to attend school with blacks. It is about wanting a decent education for your kids. It is why we always checked the school system before we bought a house.
mountain man
February 10th, 2013
1:57 pm
Too bad the State can’t just pull all its funding from Dekalb.
Oh goody
February 10th, 2013
2:45 pm
Has anyone introduced the bill to amend the constitution to allow city school systems yet?
WOW!
February 10th, 2013
3:29 pm
I am floored beyond comprehension! Michael Thurmond as interim superintendent?!
My view on him putting himself into this arena is that he is very selfish and greedy, knowing fully well he does not have the knowledge base in this industry of what is required to manage a school system that is in CRISIS. He is lacking the qualification to do this job even for a short time. I get that he now needs a pay check, but not at the expense of other people’s children. Who is supposed to respect this decision? He cannot be the most qualified candidate that this Board can find in all of these United States. With any job offer, prospective employers have an expectation that the potential candidate for the job has some knowledge base to be efficient and effective in the position the employer is trying to fill. How can this Board think that they can present to him to parents as an indication of having the children’s best interest at heart?
I do not live in DeKalb County, but as a resident of Georgia and parent who is/was invested in my child’s education I feel for all the parents who are invested in getting their child/children the best education available to them. If I were in their shoes, I would be beside myself with outrage. To be stuck in a school district that is in CRISIS; owning a home that is difficult to sell or losing value; without the resources to pay for private school; with a job that daily one wonders if the job will be there the next day, reduced family income or without a job; not being able to move and rent or buy in a better school district must be maddening for the parents who really care about their children’s future.
If the amounts of unnecessary spending that were quoted in an earlier post are accurate, it seems to be the tip of the dysfunction, financial mismanagement and corruption that exist in DeKalb. Now this Board wants to engage taxpayers’ funds in another round of costly litigation, so that they are not removed from office in order to continue their dysfunction, corruption, and stupidity? The money should be spent on the children, not fostering a bunch of self-absorbed greedy and overly ambitious adults many of whom are on the back end of their careers. They need to be gracious and resign.
The Georgia BOE needs to remove all of them from this board. Further bar them from ever seeking re-election to any positions within the DeKalb County Public School system. The Georgia BOE needs to remove them before they spend what little is there in the budget to cover up their own foolishness. Aren’t these members the same Board that had faith in Crawford Lewis and the taxpayers’ of DeKalb are dealing with the financial fall out from that episode?
Mr. Thurmond needs to be honest with himself and decline the position in the best interest of the children of DeKalb County as well as the State. He is an attorney, surly he can go back to the practice of law? At least, it is hoped that he has the necessary training and knowledge base to have that pay check he so needs in the legal industry and not at the behest of these children who did not ask to be in this situation.
WOW!
GrD
February 10th, 2013
4:24 pm
Maureen do not become DSW2 by filtering, blocking, opposing opinions. You allow Dekalbite to copy her blog and post on yours, with her ranting and spewing. She (Dekalbite) allows no one to post opposing views on her blog.
Private Citizen
February 10th, 2013
4:34 pm
Ode to Paulo977,
I just order a copy of BLACK SKINS WHITE MASKS by Frantz Fanon (Grove Press, 1991), also a copy of the Fanon Reader (ed. by Azzedine Haddour)(Pluto Press, UK, 2006). So I should be soon read-up on the man from Martinique.
PS Not to be confused with:
White Skin, Black Masks by Gail Ching-Liang (Routledge, 1996)
or
Brown Skin, White Masks by Hamid Dabashi (Pluto Press, UK, 2009)(interesting, meant to be a follow-up to the Fanon Reader, same publisher)
Although, I am certain these works are readily available in your local library Ahm COUGH COUGH ahem
Thank you, Paulo.
Concernedmom30329
February 10th, 2013
4:48 pm
bu2
I don’t think Orson and McMahan wanted Atkinson gone. Johnson did as he is close to Walker. No, in fact, both Orson and McMahan publicly supported her.
Atkinson didn’t want to leave, she HAD to leave. She had misled or lied to the board about the text messages. And she was going to get caught.
Prof
February 10th, 2013
5:33 pm
@ Private Citizen. FYI. An Algerian psychiatrist, Franz Fanon originally wrote “Black Skin, White Masks” in 1952, although it may have been translated from the French in 1992. Incisive and passionate, it’s a classic of anti-colonialism. So is his perhaps more famous work, “The Wretched of the Earth,” 1961. Very influential writer/thinker.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 10th, 2013
5:35 pm
Mountain Man
You and Nancy Jester are on the same page. Here are her recommendations for immediate consideration to the state department of education and to our legislators.
One day, my friend …. one day soon.
Concernedmom30329
February 10th, 2013
5:47 pm
DeKalb Inside Out
For you to know all you seem to know, it clearly means that someone is violating executive session rules. Just another strike against the BoE,
Prof
February 10th, 2013
5:53 pm
This is a very interesting blog thread to read, and I am in Fulton.
Ella Smith
February 10th, 2013
6:10 pm
I foresee if the DeKalb County School Board takes this situation to court then SACS will take action. There is nothing good going to come out of this court case.
The children in DeKalb County will lose. It will cost the taxpayers a great deal of money also that will be taken away from the students in DeKalb.
I think we have some very good school board members. However, I also think we have some very bad school board members which have corrupted the school board and they need to be gone. I think the citizens of DeKalb will raise up strongly and recall the school board members also if they take this situation to court. I think the citizens of DeKalb are way over the problems this is causing our county and our students.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 10th, 2013
6:19 pm
ConcernedMom
Marshall and Jim don’t tell me anything that isn’t public knowledge as far as I know. I try to be objective.
You’re the one with all the estute observations. You seem to know that Marshall and Jim support Atkinson’s severance package even though they voted it down. You seem to have executive knowlege of who was on the list of potential interim Superintendents etc ….
Charles Douglas Edwards
February 10th, 2013
6:35 pm
We would like to wish Michael Thurmond the best of luck and success as interim superintendent of Dekalb County Schools.
Dekalb county has some of the best schools, teachers, staff and students in the state.
We urge SACS to work with the citizens of Dekalb County.
We believe that this is a fresh new start for the school system and their students.
bootney farnsworth
February 10th, 2013
6:40 pm
Patton had guts, vision, and passion.
got a lot of people killed unnecessarily.
his troops often said: our blood, his guts.
bu2
February 10th, 2013
6:46 pm
@Concerned
I’ve heard the same rumors from system employees, but that doesn’t mean its true. All it takes is one person hearing part of a story and it gets everywhere. I have no opinion on whether it is true or not. It would be nice to know what the board considers important in such a major decision. But again, they often have to do these sort of keep quiet agreements to settle these things.
Concernedmom30329
February 10th, 2013
7:19 pm
Mr. Edwards
Would you support your board members resigning? Have you asked them to do so?
Call Me Missouri
February 10th, 2013
7:20 pm
@mountain man: I agree with you. If the Board of Miseducation takes the SBOE to court on the taxpayer dime then SACS should revoke accreditation. All these legal fees for former superintendents (and possibly Atkinson if this text message fiasco doesn’t go away) are STEALING from our children! They have to know it. They just don’t care about the students. It is all about THEM! The students have so little left now. Have the board members seen the science labs in our schools? The lack of functional labs that enrich science instruction is shocking. Who the heck takes chemistry without going in the lab to conduct experiments? DCSD students that’s who. Did you have your own frog or cat or fetal pig in high school to dissect in biology lab? I did when I was in high school, but my child did not. If a student is lucky, he or she will WATCH their teacher do the dissection. Have you talked to parents of former DCSD students taking science classes in college? The kids feel like fish out of water because they have so litte, yet necessary and practical lab experience. Field trips? What are those? Heaven help the children whose parents cannot afford trips to the High Museum, the ballet or orchestra, the Bodies Exhibit, Fernbank, the Georgia Aquarium, or even the World of Coke. Trips that provide exposure to science and the arts and enhance classroom learning and stimulate intellectual curiosity.
I just wonder, what do these people see when they look at themselves. Certainly not what is there. I surely hope Mike Thurmond (who was shielding SCW from questioning), Mark Elgart, Governor Deal, and the SBOE saw that Fox 5 report on the two “Sleeping Beauties,” and then watched as Walker denied that he was sleeping. That is what he does best: deny, deny, deny and then blame the parents and employees. I keep wondering when he will get around to blaming the students for being a drain on the budget.
dekalbite@GrD
February 10th, 2013
8:17 pm
“You allow Dekalbite to copy her blog and post on yours, with her ranting and spewing. She (Dekalbite) allows no one to post opposing views on her blog.”
LOL
I don’t even know who runs the DSW2 blog. My understanding is that it is several moderators and that seems logical given that moderator comments are sometimes conflicting voices.
I post data and cite credible sources. If you do not agree with the data or data analysis, then you should post data and cite the credible sources from which you obtained the data. That’s why I cite the sources – so other readers/commenters can view the data and form their own opinions as to my data analysis.
Readers and commenters deserve to see as much data as possible and view the sources of the data so they can make up their own minds based on facts rather than opinion.
I would not have the inclination or time to run a blog. I have had posts deleted from DSW2 by moderators who do not agree with my opinion. Since it is their blog and they take the time to run it (unpaid BTW), it’s cool with me. The blog belongs to the moderator/owner.
Patty
February 10th, 2013
8:56 pm
They are doing the same thing in Dekalb that they did in Clayton County. Please fire the whole school board before it’s to late.
Jolie
February 10th, 2013
9:46 pm
I predict a mass exodus by teachers especially if DeKalb does not start contributing to the retirement fund again; does not restore teacher pay; continues to cut pay and have furlough days. DeKalb has not giving teachers any incentive to stay in DeKalb.
TM
February 10th, 2013
10:18 pm
I think the top three problems facing DCSS are issues of 1) credibility, 2) accountability, and 3) direction. The credibility issue flows from improvements in #2 and #3. I hope and believe Mr. Thurmond’s hiring is a credible first step to begin addressing the credibility gap.
To address these I suggest that Mr. Thurmond needs to quickly develop and implement robust, traceable accountability system. The board needs a vision plan to pursue the DCSS mission. The two need to develop a joint strategic plan to achieve the vision. Mr. Thurmond then needs to develop a measurable operations/ business plan to make the strategy operational. The board needs a reporting plan to frequently measure superintendent achievement of goals and milestones in order to identify progress and the need for additional support.
Robust, verifiable accountability practices with possible punitive measures for gross negligence, misleading, or fraudulent staff reports could allay board concerns about the credibility of staff reports, mitigate interference in operations, and address some of SACS concerns. Additionally, it could better enable DCSS to identify and manage operational and financial management issues. It would also create vehicles to give tax payers and SACS some assurance that decision are more reliably traceable, and thus lead to greater board accountability.
I believe the biggest opportunity facing the system is a board led plan to achieve a common vision to fulfill the DCSS mission and set direction. This would drive the strategic plan and a supporting, measurable operations plan for academic and financial performance.
I believe this approach would better establish board priorities, set tone for conduct and governance, and give cleared directions to interim and future superintendents. It would better focus the board, minimize turf battles, and provide for progressive guidelines and tracks of accountability for the board and superintendents. Without a board level plan to guide Mr. Thurmond’s efforts, I believe there is continued risk of unaligned and uneven board, superintendent, and school system performance, and undermined community support.
whatever
February 10th, 2013
11:51 pm
D=the calendar that was implemented by Atkinson’s calendar crew may be the one you voted for, so what. What the other poster was saying was the board had already approved a calendar for next year, last school year. They approved two years of calendars at one time. This calendar started a week later, etc. So yes, there was a calendar already in place when she came in. She decided that the summer slide could be fixed just by shortening summer this year by a week/two. Hogwash, stupid and completely without merit. She just wanted what she wanted and that was what was gonna happen.
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
6:19 am
prof, the dreaded Wikipedia says that Fanon wrote the first work, the one Paulo is all worked up about, in Lyon. It is basically a college thesis, maybe that explains the edgy title. The Wretched of the Earth was written at the end of his life when he had leukemia. Fun times for Fanon.
question: pronunciation of his last name, accent on the first syllable or the second (with a proper French syllabic fall / grunt)?
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
6:34 am
The great irony, got to love a guy who goes to school in Lyon (the best agriculture / food region) to write about French oppression, kind of like 20 year old Mitt Romney going to the top post in Bordeaux (the wealthiest region) to do his “missionary” work.
And that, folks, is what Frantz Fanon has in common with Mitt Romney.
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
6:54 am
bootney, Patton was killed because he had too much bandwidth / power and went against the system (you’re welcome to read up on this and get the facts) and then after his death Hollywood used his name and person and made a profitable propaganda movie starring George C. Scott. Sort of the one-two-three punch for Patton, wind him up and use him for patriotic service, eliminate him, and then use his notoriety as a commodity. Oh, yes, good times for General Patton, not unlike David Kelly, and then a Parlimentarian legally closed the case, sealed the file, on investigation countering the dopey magic-story that “he went into the woods and killed himself” even though the evidence says otherwise. Well, a decade later his family sued to open the case. Nice, huh, when a politician can seal a case on a hit job on a scientist. (And this, my friend, is why it is a good idea to not have clearances. The minutes you violate them, you’re a target.). Oh and what about the gleeful and oh so serious and popular Ms. Clinton and Mr. President Peace Prize doing a contracted murder on Mr. bin Laden and then dumping the body in the sea exactly like a mafia hit job? Not going to be any testimony now, is there? Not going to be any record of Q & A, when due process is ignored. And let’s not forget the true believer Pat Tillman who actually wanted to get bin Laden, who no one else wanted to get, especially anyone official, and then a bunch of special forces guys showed up and killed Tillman and then left, quick as making a pancake on a griddle, op done, what’s next? move on. Message being: leave the political object Mr. bin Laden alone, that is until a decade later, a new president who wants a little credibility boost so he goes and finishes off the patsy, who was uninvolved to begin with and said as much. Someone online from far away commented the United States has a history of attacking itself.
What were you saying about “Patton?” Hey if you think Patton got a lot of his soldiers killed, look into the human price paid by Russia when they defeated the Germans in WW2. They do not (emphasis) teach this in US schools, it would go counter to the US WW2 war department propaganda films (there were many).
bootney farnsworth
February 11th, 2013
9:24 am
Patton died in a car wreck. he isn’t rooming with Jim Morrision, Elvis, and the 2nd gunman.
the point is simply this: Patton had an out of control ego and pushed ahead recklessly, getting a lot of soldiers killed needlessly. Ike had to intercede twice to save Patton’s stars. there was a reason he was not included in D-Day plans – he couldn’t be trusted to act in a matter which wouldn’t jepordize others.
blood , buts, vision and passion are easily negated by a lack of basic honesty and common sense.
so when King Roy starts invoking these traits -especially considering his term in office – it should make every sane Georgian do a major double take.
flipper
February 11th, 2013
11:51 am
Haha… when I first glanced at the title I thought it said, “Guns, Vision and Passion.” Guess I need more coffee.
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
11:51 am
SO bootney, you’re going to tell me that a guy can who lead a battalion through WW2 does not know how to drive a truck on his own military base? And after laying in a hospital bed for three days, presto! (finger slid across the throat, like Latino gang sign. PS You should read-up on his activities, assignment, and his loud-mouth immediately after the war. He was in direct disagreement with big power and he was getting pretty vocal about it. Let’s just say that his idea of playing along was about like Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France. Patton had a point, the US was commanding him to basically abuse the locals and peasants post war and he said, “Huh? That’s not right, that’s not what I signed up for.” Yes, they didn’t put that in “the movie” did they? And they didn’t ask him if they use his person to make a super-patriot for profit propaganda movie, now did they?
Prof
February 11th, 2013
12:40 pm
@ Private Citizen. Fanon (accent on the second syllable because it’s a French name) may have written “Black Skins, White Masks” as a college thesis, but he certainly rewrote it substantially before he published it in 1952. Born in the French Caribbean colony of Martinique, he was prominent in the Algerian Freedom Movement of the 1950s; and “Black Skins” really was a sort of manifesto of anti-colonialism. I can see why “Paolo was all worked up about it.” I can also see the sly relevance of Paolo’s allusion to the present situation of the DeKalb Public Schools, and even possibly the emergence of Thurmond.
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
1:29 pm
Prof, I look forward to reading the work. I also bought / ordered a copy of The Wretched of the Earth. I’m due for a new author / reading interest. I welcome the information, will follow-up with you / Paulo re: the subtle relevance to the Dekalb events.
On a different note, I see this book, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Jacobins , said revolt credited with being the blueprint used by other revolts after it. However, to try and juxtapose this with Dekalb County leaves me with an abstract comical feeling. The idea of the playahs in Dekalb County having the moral seriousness of revolt to better themselves just does not seem to fit the modern era of NFL and QuickTrip Disneyesque wall of soda fountain.
Hey, thank you for the tutorial. The price is right. (or is it, considering time investment?)
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
1:32 pm
repost:
Prof, I look forward to reading the work. I also bought / ordered a copy of The Wretched of the Earth. I’m due for a new author / reading interest. I welcome the information, will follow-up with you / Paulo re: the subtle relevance to the Dekalb events.
On a different note, I see this book, “The Black Jacobins” about Haitian revolution against the French, said revolt credited with being the blueprint used by other revolts after it. -Looks like it may be a good read. However, to try and juxtapose this with Dekalb County leaves me with an abstract comical feeling. The idea of the playahs in Dekalb County having the moral seriousness of revolt just does not seem to fit the modern era of NFL and QuickTrip Disneyesque wall of soda fountain.
Hey, thank you for the tutorial. The price is right. (or is it, considering time investment?)
d
February 11th, 2013
2:08 pm
@whatever – Actually, the board approved a calendar for 11-12 and 12-13, but until the most recent calendar, nothing had been approved for 13-14. There was a big uproar because she did propose changing 12-13 before this school year started (back in April, I believe), but that was quickly squashed. Please go back and check board minutes and agendas.
Angela
February 11th, 2013
2:55 pm
@Not Johnny Brown,
You made some great request and points. However, Teachers are NOT charity workers. Well, all work for pay. If this county can still shell out money to those who just come in for a second to do nothing, surely they can give us back at least 10-15% of our pay.
Where is all of this new found money coming from? We are hiring new people at a quarter of a million and still paying those who are gone. Where is this money for us. We the teachers are the real backbone. As for academic growth as the old saying goes “you are now getting what you are paying teachers to do.” AGAIN, we are NOT charity workers.
Prof
February 11th, 2013
4:15 pm
@ Private Citizen. The point of Fanon’s book is clear enough–the black colonized try to follow the culture of their white colonizer due to their inferiority complex instilled by the colonizer–in its relevance to the DeKalb schools. Not so sure that James’ book about the bloody Haitian Revolution works so well. Though it might be instructive about what can happen when the truly poor and outcast are pushed against the wall.
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
4:44 pm
Prof, Makes me think of Stockholm syndrone, when the victim falls in love with their kidnapper / oppressor. That’s the thing about these authority systems, they take everything away from like sucking the life force from you, and then promises, promises, and then leave you nothing, an empty shell.
A doctor once made a joke to me about paying taxes in the US and the lack of services in return, doctor said, “Yes, just keeping paying… (the future services are a promise not yet delivered)… yes, just keep payin’ (smile).” Doctor lives in a million.5 house with private security at the neighborhood gate.
___________
from the other thread: without economic conditions, surely the state will followthrough with removing health insurance supplementing from TRS. I guess that means teacher health insurance policy cost will be supplemented and then minute they stop / retire, game over on that, full price in the open market. The health coverage thing is a mess. Obama is on camera saying, “Health coverage? Fixed.” Meanwhile, they’re saying Obamacare will cost, I forget, way over what most people can pay, $20k/household annual or something. It’s a mess mess mess.
Private Citizen
February 11th, 2013
4:46 pm
‘Looking forward to the Fanon works.
Prof
February 11th, 2013
5:41 pm
@ Private Citizen. Great. No MOOCs here, though.
GrD
February 11th, 2013
7:23 pm
GrD@Dekalbite…..still your emotional slanted spew. Funny you left out Fernbank Science Center. Post their positions and salaries and how they still have their jobs while field trips to Fernbank Science Center have been nixed.
GrD
February 11th, 2013
7:38 pm
The various so called paleontologists, ornithologist, and other “research scientists”, they too with their $100K plus salaries. Operating cost – about $2 million plus, seeing no students and sporadic, once a semester trip to a few schools. The only schools benefit are private schools in the Dekalb because they have the funds/buses.
Private Citizen
February 12th, 2013
6:54 am
GrD, Do you mean to say that in metropolitan Atlanta, they do not take government schools students to see the symphony, as well?
longterm
February 12th, 2013
9:53 am
great choice. hope he sticks. how many superintendents are we already footing the bill for. the rest of the board needs to go.
Dekalbite@GrD
February 13th, 2013
4:02 am
“Funny you left out Fernbank Science Center. Post their positions and salaries and how they still have their jobs while field trips to Fernbank Science Center have been nixed”
I totally agree. Fernbank Science Center needs to stop being funded by DCSS. DeKalb students do not have any funded field trips there so the remaining 20 teachers are Lways in the schools. Yet they left in place 20 non teaching support staff to do – what? Who do they support. – certainly not the teachers and students since so few come to Fernbank. That’s still two or is three million that is being spent n a center that really is not a center anymore.