DeKalb school board: Resign to allow district a fresh start
The state Board of Education gave the DeKalb County school board a month to straighten up or risk dissolution.
Rather than pull itself together, the school board overseeing the state’s third-largest district appears nearer to falling apart.
With accreditation at risk, the superintendent out the door and an interim taking the reins today, the situation in DeKalb is dire, and the board bears a lot of the blame.
All nine members of the DeKalb school board ought to resign en masse. They’ve lost the trust of the community and the confidence of employees and are risking the welfare of students.
Under the policies and management of this board, DeKalb has experienced constant political intrigue and churn. For the third time in three years, DeKalb schools have a new leader after Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson, hired amid great fanfare 16 months ago, resigned Friday. Former Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond was appointed interim superintendent.
While Thurmond is politically adroit and a proven manager, he lacks an education background, making it all the more vital that those elected to shape education policy in DeKalb are united in a vision to enhance education quality and assure equity.
DeKalb needs stability after a chain reaction of damaging crises, including the 2010 indictment of former Superintendent Crawford Lewis on conspiracy and fraud charges.
But it also needs reinvention and reinvigoration. It needs dynamic school-based leaders. It needs an intense student-achievement focus that addresses both the district’s high performing and struggling students.
This board has not demonstrated the capacity to provide either stability or innovation.
In a scathing critique of the DeKalb board, SACS noted, “There was frequent mention of board members who make special requests of district office staff, bus drivers and teachers, making threats to fire them if they do not comply with their individual requests. These interviewees used terms like fear, harassment, and intimidation to describe the behaviors of board members. Those interviewed consistently expressed that board members have created a level of animosity, and that both teachers and principals operate in fear.”
When the state board ordered the DeKalb school board members to report back on Feb. 21, DeKalb Chairman Eugene Walker promised there would be measurable progress on the required improvements outlined by SACS to avoid losing accreditation.
“We pledge our total commitment to staying fully accredited, ” he reassured the state board.
But, despite its pledge to work collaboratively, the board couldn’t muster five votes last week to elect a new chair, which means Walker keeps the top job for the moment. Walker received four votes against two other nominees and four again in a runoff when two board members abstained.
“What appears to be the dismal and total lack of integrity and transparency of the present DeKalb Board of Education is endangering the future of the DeKalb school system, ” said David Schutten, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators.
Some board members counter that they’re not the problem. It’s their self-serving colleagues who’ve allowed personal agendas, petty politics and a penchant for litigation to endanger the district’s accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which placed DeKalb on probation in December because of mismanagement, meddling, nepotism and fiscal failings.
The three newly elected members can rightfully insist that it’s unfair to freight them with the wrongdoings of the board’s veterans.
But it’s an all-or-nothing deal under a 2011 state law that allows the governor to oust a dysfunctional school board and appoint a new slate (Those DeKalb members who feel wronged and desire another chance on the board can ask the governor to reappoint them, which the Department of Education assured me was permissible).
At the state board meeting in January, DeKalb school board members presented four hours of reasons why they should retain their seats.
But here are 99,000 reasons why they should not: The students of DeKalb have been shortchanged by the inability of this board to put their needs first.
After emerging from a private meeting with the board a week ago, Thurmond told reporters, “I’m here today because I’m interested in the future of public education in DeKalb County. I made it clear. I’m here to help.”
That’s good. Because if anything is clear in this mess, it’s that DeKalb needs help.
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137 comments Add your comment
Dekalbite@Dr. John Trotter
February 12th, 2013
9:04 am
IMHO – gerrymandering I.e. redrawing district lines specifically so your opponent is defeated and your politician gets elected is not an exemplary practice, but as ou point out it is legal. That’s what happened in DeKalb in the last election. Removal of the BOE by the governor is also legal. The democratic process is not always fair, but it’s the best of the lot.
Maureen Downey
February 12th, 2013
9:12 am
@Watch, Under the law allowing the ousting of a board, the governor has to remove the entire board even the three board members recently elected. Nancy Jester and any other board member could ask for their jobs back. Deal can name former members to the newly constituted board if he chooses.
I think DeKalb needs a fresh start.
Maureen
DeKalb Educated
February 12th, 2013
9:22 am
@ Disgusted in DeKalb
How right you are about our Interim Superintendent. I believed the exact same thing when I found out they had talked to him about the job. First, they forced out a person THEY HIRED, then rather than look for a qualified person to take over this train wreck, they hired nothing more than another politician who knows how to work the system on the state level. His priority is to keep his buddies in place on the DeKalb BOE.
What a sad state of affairs. Time to put my house on the market and move. But, wait… no one in their right mind will want to move into DeKalb County unless they are sterile and will never have children or are over 80-years-old.
DeKalb Educated
February 12th, 2013
9:26 am
@Maureen Downey
I am sure the lobbying of the state school board and anyone else who has any interest in this has already begun in full force. Thurmond, Barnes and who knows who else is already working on this more than we will probably ever know.
I am heading to Las Vegas to take this bet: the state will not remove the DeKalb BOE. Mark my words.
bu2
February 12th, 2013
9:27 am
I’m not sure the Thurmond/Walker ties aren’t overstated. They worked together on redistricting over a decade ago. Mr. Thurmond is from Clarke County, not Atlanta. Rep. Oliver and Rep. Mosby are both Democrats in Dekalb and have worked together. Yet they were on opposite sides in redistricting the school board. Working together on one issue doesn’t mean they are friends. Maybe they are, but that one item doesn’t mean there is some Walker led conspiracy.
Rather than convulted conspiracy theories, often the simplest explanation is best. Orson came up with the idea as he claimed and they thought political/leadership skills and a lack of educational background was a good combination. I don’t agree that is what we need most, but I can understand it.
Pardon My Blog
February 12th, 2013
9:54 am
Well at least he confirmed his (and Walker’s) agenda last night. He intends to use all of his “influence” and contacts at the Capitol to keep the current Board in place. And don’t you just love it, he preempts his job performance by saying “I don’t have a magic wand!” At $315,000 maybe you should!
Rod Johnson
February 12th, 2013
10:10 am
yet in November,2012, Downey clearly felt that parents should NOT HAVE ANY CHOICE but to accept shenanigans, nonsense, and mismanagement like this.
This is what Maureen and others of the “NO” Crowd refer to as “local control”.
what a joke. Glad Downey removed her head from her rear on this one, at least temporarily.
Shock and Awe
February 12th, 2013
10:38 am
I am shocked and in awe about the DeKalb BOE. Walker and crew certainly don’t seem too worried about being booted out by the state now that they have hired Michael Thurmond. While Thurmond might be okay as an elected state bureaucrat, he certainly is not what the students and teachers in DeKalb County need. His hiring exemplifies what is wrong with this board: politics, cronyism and more politics while not giving a damn about the type of education (or lack thereof) in the classrooms across the county.
I am totally surprised Thurmond came out and admitted his first priority is keeping this sorry bunch known as the DeKalb Board of Education in place. I suspected this was the reason he was hired, but I am surprised he and the board are being so aggressive and arrogant in their approach. Any respect I had for Thurmond, went right out the door when I heard his statements. This board obviously has no clue how to run a “respectable” school system and has shown they only want to save their jobs while the system itself collapses at their feet.
Come on DeKalb parents and employees! It is past time to wake up and put a stop to all this nonsense. We need to fill the state hearing room with people and let the state know we have had it with this bunch. We need to jam the streets around the building with people who are fed up too.
bootney farnsworth
February 12th, 2013
10:47 am
if Deal appoints anyone from the existing board, he may as well leave it as is.
clean sweep or nothing at all.
Prof
February 12th, 2013
11:52 am
I may sound like a broken record, but I persist in thinking that House Bill 115 approved yesterday changes the game. It amends the “provisions relating to suspension and removal of local school board members.” (SouthDekalbParent provided a link to it yesterday at 4:10 pm.) The underlined sections in the Bill are the additions, and those struck-through are now eliminated.
The hearing by the State Board of Education is now extended from 30 to 90 days, and the majority of the members of a local BOE may petition for this extension. This is not open to the public, although the testimony and recommendation is to be announced at a later open meeting.
The section stating that Code section shall pertain to all local BOE members no matter when elected has been amended. Now it pertains to “a board member who was serving on the local board at the time the accrediting agency placed the local school system or school on the level of accreditation immediately preceding loss of accreditation.”
Now, I think that would exclude recently elected local BOE members, but am not sure. I’ll leave it up to those more seasoned in this battle to decide.
Tucker mom
February 12th, 2013
11:55 am
Well, now Mr. Thurmond is declaring he will do “everything in his power” to prevent the hearing scheduled for the 21st! — Just what Walker wanted to hear.
bootney farnsworth
February 12th, 2013
12:19 pm
“I am totally surprised Thurmond came out and admitted his first priority is keeping this sorry bunch known as the DeKalb Board of Education in place”
you shouldn’t be. after all, the AJC approves of him, King Roy approves of him, and he has “guts passion and vision”
Ray
February 12th, 2013
12:56 pm
The problem in large portions of DeKalb, APS, and Clayton schools is not really the school boards, but rather with the home and parenting situation with many, many of the children they serve. The AJC ran a story over the weekend about a viral video of a downtown Atlanta shopping area security guard who had to use a taser to subdue a wildly out of control mother who was screaming and cursing and hitting the security guard. What was perhaps most disturbing about the video was that this woman, and an equally belligerent woman she was with, had 5 young kids with them, all around 3-5 years in age. These poor kids, with abusive, uncivilized parents, are what DeKalb, APS, and Clayton must try to educate. The women in this video may be an extreme example, but there are wide swaths of homes within Dekalb, APS, and Clayton with uncaring parents who do not take an interest in their child’s school or education. Last week at Inman middle school (a good APS school), two middle school girls were tased after getting in their second fight of the day. One of the girls’ mother’s reaction was to go to the local TV news and complain about her daughter being tased, but said nothing about her daughter being in two fights at school that day. During the first few weeks of school in DeKalb, APS, and Clayton, the schools must scramble to register scores (thousands) of students who were not registered prior to the first day of school because their parents apparently didn’t care or were unaware that school was starting. It doesn’t matter who the school board members are with kids and parents like this.
If certain school board members (Mr. Walker? Ms. Copelin-Wood?) need to be replaced, fine — work to have them replaced. But insisting that all 9 board members resign — including 3 that were just elected — is just trying to blame someone for what we all know is the real problem.
Prof
February 12th, 2013
1:06 pm
@ Ray. Please see my 11:52 am post above. I think that House Bill 115, approved yesterday but still to be approved by the Senate, will take care of the problem noted in your last sentence of replacing BOR members just elected.
kaitsmom
February 12th, 2013
1:16 pm
@Ray, You finally stated what is missing from this discussion. Replacing the board and superintendant is a start, but it will not solve the probably of apathetic parents who are not interested in their childs education. you will get the same test results with lack of parental involvement. My child’s teacher is always sending notes homes asking the parents to address their child’s behavior in the class. Fortunately my child is not contributing, but I often wonder how she is able to teach with ongoing discipline issues. It concerns me that my child is missing out on instruction due to the other unruly children.
Ray
February 12th, 2013
1:18 pm
Yeah, Prof, that may be a good step in the right direction with the law on this. Good to know some in the legislature are paying attention.
But even for some of the board members who were in place when SACS placed DeKalb on probation, as I said in my previous post, I still think we are scapegoating some board members for the true problem that no school board member can fix.
Ray
February 12th, 2013
1:33 pm
Yes, kaitsmom, I too shake my head at the notes that are sent home from my kids’ APS schools that talk about problems like absenteeism, or excessive tardiness, or not being dressed appropriately, or not generally being ready for school — a sort of code for behavior issues — when you know that the parents who really need to be reading this note are not reading it and don’t care.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 12th, 2013
1:59 pm
Prof
House Bill 115
DCSD is on probation partly because of the BOE members elect according to the SACS report. Doesn’t seem right that they get out of jail free when they are partly to blame … according to SACS.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 12th, 2013
2:05 pm
It’s hard to put all the blame of failing schools on kids, parents or socio-economics when KIPP and Ivy Prep has schools right down the street doing much better.
Prof
February 12th, 2013
2:30 pm
@Ray, 1:18 pm. HB 115 provides that the board members removed by the Governor can petition for reinstatement, and have a hearing where both sides present testimony and evidence for whether or not the board member “improves the ability of the local school system to retain or reattain its accreditation.” So if they really haven’t damaged the system’s chances for this and can prove it, they should be OK.
@Dekalb Inside Out. So you think that the newly elected Board members, according to the SACS report, are as much (or almost) to blame for the probation as the longtime members? Why do you think that HB 115 would amend the former section stating that all board members–without any distinction–would be subject to dismissal by the Governor? It seems clear to me that this House Bill is tailored to the present DCSS situation.
Ray
February 12th, 2013
2:34 pm
DIO: The parents at KIPP and Ivy Prep actually do care enough to enroll those kids at those schools, unlike the masses that DeKalb, APS, and Clayton serve that don’t even bother to enroll anywhere until after the school year starts. The KIPP and Ivy Prep kids, and parents, are also much less likely to need an occasional tasing to keep in line.
As far as the school board members elect being cited by SACS, I think I know what you are talking about, and I can’t believe you even bring it up it is so ridiculous, but since you do, please explain what the school board members elect have done that you think warrants their resignation or removal from the board.
Finally, aren’t you Nancy Jester, or her alter ego? I’d think you would thank me for pointing out how wrong it is to scapegoat you for things you can’t possibly control.
Prof
February 12th, 2013
2:39 pm
Here’s the link to HB 115,provided here by SouthDekalbParent, February 11th, 4:10 pm:
This was passed by the GA House today, regarding BOE and local school boards:
http://legiscan.com/GA/text/HB115/id/711108
Shock and Awe
February 12th, 2013
2:46 pm
It is stil a total farce to me to think the interim superintendent was hired mostly to allow a board that includes ignoramuses and crooks to maintain their positions. Too many injustices have been allowed to continue for way too long in DCPS.
Walker does not even know how to properly run a board meeting and we expect him to be a leader? Copelin-Wood can’t wrap her head around even the most basic concepts and we wonder why we are in the mess we are. According to McChesney, some board members wanted pictures of the superintendent candidates. Gee, I wonder why that is? Does anyone else in this county think that might have been a serious racial issue and highly illegal?
I do agree that the voting public and the parents do play a role in the mess too. They keep electing the same air heads and too many parents expect the school system to do the parenting for them.
Fed Up
February 12th, 2013
2:56 pm
For those of you hoping something will change on 2/21/13 when the DeKalb BOE goes before the state board again, forget about it.
The hiring of Michael Thurmond has been acknowlegded as nothing more than a ploy for the current board to stay put. His stated goal is to use his influence to avoid the board being removed and the system losing accreditation with SACS. Let us not try to fix the problems by improving the school system, let us use influence and politics to maintain the status que.
Only in DeKalb can this be allowed to happen without total public outrage. The long standing members of this board have ruined what once was truely a great school system. Nepotism, incompetence and corruption have brough the system to it’s knees and sadly it appears nothing is going to change. Under the current administration, it will be business as usual in DCPS… sad, really sad!
DCPS Parent
February 12th, 2013
3:08 pm
I agree with many of you are saying about the board definitely not having the best interest of the students in mind. I have witnessed too much division in this county over the years based on race and what part of the county you live in. The black south versus the white north. Why else do we still spend money on magnet school transportation? This was something that should have been stopped not years ago, but decades ago. It is nothing but a continuation of the old court ordered M to M busing program. No other school system in the state provides magnet school transportation, but DeKalb would rather furlough teachers and increase class room size so a select few can leave their “under performing” school and get a free ride to one that might be okay. Time to be rid of all of this old baggage by getting rid of the existing board and appointing one that can work as a team for ALL of DeKalb’s schools.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 12th, 2013
3:19 pm
Teacher Reader, thanks for your thoughts.
Ray
Do I talk like Nancy Jester? Quite the compliment … thanks. Please explain the scapegoat reference.
Ray and Prof
SACS cites the BOE elect as one of the reasons for being put on probation. SACS doesn’t rate the seriousness of the infractions.
Personally, I think SACS and their report is a load of crap. It’s crap producing crap. That still doesn’t change the fact that SACS put DCSD on probation and they cited the BOE elect as one of the reasons.
HB 115 says that a BOE elect can run around the county with impunity until they are sworn in. That doesn’t seem right either.
DCPS Parent
February 12th, 2013
3:26 pm
The current board MUST go if anything is going to change. If the governor wants to re-appoint the newly elected ones, then fine.
If you have never sat in one of the DeKalb BOE meetings, you owe it to yourself to go and see it first hand. You will see the absolute dysfunction and incompetence on display. The current board MUST go. If they even think about spending a dime on a court battle about maintaining their positions, the voters need to rise up and remove them immediately.
Prof
February 12th, 2013
4:00 pm
@ DeKalb Inside Out. Yes, I knew about SACS giving the actions of the BOE as a reason for possible lack of accreditation. The issue for many is that 3 of those member are newly elected and have nothing to do with those past actions of the other BOE members. It seems to me that HB 115 is addressing that, among other things….although I understand you’re putting a different spin on it: “HB 115 says that a BOE elect can run around the county with impunity until they are sworn in.”
I must say that I can understand Ray’s suggestion that you’re really Nancy Jester. You do sound like one of the BOE members undercover.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 12th, 2013
4:20 pm
Prof
It’s FUBAR any way you look at it. I don’t think the board’s replacements will be any better, so I don’t care if the board is replaced or not. Deal would get recommendations from the DeKalb Delegation and we could end up with a far worse board than we have now.
I’m more concerned with independent school districts and parent trigger type laws.
I speak for a number of people at the palace, so I’m relatively well informed. I understand where you guys are coming from. I like Dr Jester and wish we had more like her.
Prof
February 12th, 2013
4:59 pm
@ Dekalbite Inside Out. Agree with you on all points. Glad I live in Fulton, and my child is grown and in Chicago.
Johnny
February 12th, 2013
8:39 pm
DKIO,
If you think the SACS report was crap, maybe you have not been involved with the antics and hiring in the actual schools. We tried to work within the system we raised issues, followed procedure and pushed until the true nature of the corruption became apparent. Even school administrators, under pressure of facts would admit the insanity of the system and honest county employees were undermined by the lying and corruption and which the board played here no evil, see no evil speak no evil over. Everything in the SACS report is more than believable and the BOE was unable to provide evidence to the contrary. I amazed at folks like yourself who find this level of incompetence, politics violation of the public trust acceptable. It is not. Research other states, they have set standards and held their elected officials ACCOUNTABLE. BOOT THE BOARD! Oh and on Nancy Jester- she continues to be used by the Gang of 5 to provide the BOE credibility. If she wants to help resign! Call them out and ask the GOV to re-appoint her. Her praise and begging of Thurmond was disgusting. How many superintendents do we need to pay while teachers leave and don’t get raises? the BOE hired itself a very expensive LOBBYIST instead of addressing issues and Nancy may have voted NO, but that is not enough.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 13th, 2013
10:56 am
Johnny,
I’m well aware of many of the antics regarding hiring, but apparently SACS is not. There are hundreds of incidents much more egregious than the one SACS cited. Why did they cite that piddly incident?
SACS had a real chance to go in there and really expose the lying and corruption, but they didn’t even scratch the surface. SACS, the pronoun police, spent most of their ink covering for the DCSD administration.
Dr Jester resign? Discard our only ace … you’re funny! You said voting NO is not enough. I’m not sure what it is you expect a single board member to do, but I don’t believe you are thinking it through at this point.
Let’s not forget that District #2 and #4 voted out two members of the Jester 4. People who align with Walker is what those districts want. I’m not sure why you want to take your frustrations out on Dr J.
Prof
February 13th, 2013
12:49 pm
It seems pretty obvious at this point that the Dekalb school board has no intention of resigning en masse. As for one or two individuals resigning as an example to the others, I have always staunchly believed that one should never resign in protest. Then one leaves the field to the opposition, with one less fighter to worry about. Stay while you still have some voice in the outcome.
I grant that this can leave you feeling pummeled and defeated. But it has always seemed like the easy way out to resign.
Johnny
February 13th, 2013
10:28 pm
Prof Dkio,
And who is Nancy’s one vote influencing? The Gang of 5 is not influenced by her one vote, and as I said earlier, her protest gives legitimacy to their actions. Her resignation followed by a scathing public statement and a pledge to work with anyone to help our kids would greatly increase public pressure on the board.
As far as SACS, get over the messenger and focus on the facts. You don’t really think they could list all their findings?
DeKalb Inside Out
February 14th, 2013
9:05 am
Johnny,
I don’t expect them to list all the findings, but I would expect them to prioritize them. PRONOUNS ?? They spent how many pages on PRONOUNS ?? SACS isn’t “the messenger”. Taxpayers pay SACS to oversee the health DCSD and they have failed miserably.
Nancy publishes weekly scathing reports. That’s where SACS gets half their material. You said she should resign and “pledge to work with anyone to help our kids”. That doesn’t make any sense to me … sorry.
I don’t think any amount of public pressure will affect the powers that be on the board. The board didn’t think twice about hiring Michael Thurmond and giving him $300K. That hasn’t gone over very well, but does the board care … heck no.
Johnny
February 14th, 2013
7:41 pm
DKIO- and that is why Deal is going to remove them. Nancy does come out and post, but during the meetings she sits up there and comments as if she represents them. It may not her intent, but too often the cameras go to her because she is articulate and to the TV audience she represents the entire board. You can continue to complain about SACS, help yourself, but their current actions are the medicine for a patient which has consistently refused care. Meanwhile the kids and education slips to new lows. _ I want them in JAIL- I believe an investigation could uncover criminal activity by Walker during Lewis is time as Super, which is one reason he is fighting so hard. INMHO
DeKalb Inside Out
February 14th, 2013
10:07 pm
Johnny
I don’t understand what you are saying about Nancy, so I’m not going to address it.
I hear ya, man! Education in DeKalb is terrible and getting worse. There are a lot of people not doing their jobs and SACS is one of them.
I’m trying to be objective. Doing a terrible job is not against the law.
On a side note, I swore up and down DCSD was going to seek an injunction and they haven’t done it. They hired Robert Wilson for that exact reason, but they haven’t done anything. WTH?? The next 7 days are going to be fascinating!