AJC breaking news: Eugene Walker gives up chairmanship of DeKalb school board
Some breaking news on AJC.com out of DeKalb County schools
DeKalb County school board Chairman Eugene Walker announced Monday that he will be stepping down from his leadership role over the troubled school district.
Walker will remain on the board but will relinquish his chairmanship so someone else can lead.
“I will be stepping down as chair and we will elect a new chair,” Walker said at the close of a meeting that was called over the weekend.
Last year, Walkers’ colleagues selected him as chairman. This year, though, during the annual vote, the board couldn’t muster a majority for a new chairman. That left Walker in by default. The 9-member board is expected to meet again at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday for another try at selecting a chair.
Critics contend Walker’s leadership is at least partially at fault for DeKalb’s problems. In December, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools dropped DeKalb’s accreditation to probation and threatened to eliminate accreditation altogether. A report assembled by the agency is sprinkled throughout with references to Walker, and notes a recommendation he made to former superintendent Cheryl Atkinson to hire someone.
Atkinson’s successor, interim superintendent Michael Thurmond, praised Walker’s decision.
“For him to voluntarily step down, and not seek re-election, I think is a significant statement,” Thurmond said.
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98 comments Add your comment
MiltonMan
February 18th, 2013
9:14 pm
So replace as chair one incompetent clown on the BOE and replace with another??? DeKalb County – you truly are a joke.
MiltonMan
February 18th, 2013
9:17 pm
“DeKalb County is doing the best it can TO beat out Clayton & Fulton for the title of ” Worst County in the Metro Area ” and seems to be winning, will the last sane person turn the lights off when you leave?”
All have in common – majority democrat controlled. Just wait until North Fulton breaks away. Maybe Atlanta, South Fulton, Clayton & DeKalb can merge into one dysfunctional county.
Taxpayer and Teacher
February 18th, 2013
9:37 pm
@Beverly Fraud–Boss Hogg would be a better choice.
alm
February 18th, 2013
9:45 pm
Too little too late.
I can’t believe they hired ANOTHER law firm!! Are we paying for 4 or 5 now? It better not come from the general fund!
DunMoody
February 18th, 2013
9:51 pm
I see more political gamesmanship than pushing-up-the-sleeves hard work by Mr. Thurmond. He’s so focused on saving the Board he’s letting even more precious time pass by. We can’t afford to wait until another Fall for change to happen.
Mr. Thurmond: take care of your teachers and students. The BOE is on its own.
bootney farnsworth
February 18th, 2013
9:51 pm
a good first step. now if it were followed by several more leading out the door….
this is a misdirection tactic, nothing less.
dekalbteacher
February 18th, 2013
9:51 pm
This teacher and taxpayer is outraged (but not surprised) that the board has decided to spend even more money on Dekalb’s leaders.
Since the last meeting with the SBOE, Dekalb has agreed to pay at least an additional half million on a new super, more lawyers, and now training. And wasn’t financial mismanagement one of the findings in the SACS report?
I just don’t get it.
Dekalbite@alm
February 18th, 2013
9:52 pm
Well, the legal expenditures are out of the General Fund so they are just moving it from the legal fund to this. Kind of like a shell game. It’s like Mr. Orson is saying – well, the kids wouldn’t have gotten the money anyway so we can take it from the legal fund. If the legal fund doesn’t really need it, why wouldn’t it have been redirected to the classroom?
Mom of 3
February 18th, 2013
9:56 pm
I’m hoping that this new $150,000 for attorneys is the nail in the coffin. They continue to shock me with their lack of being in touch with reality.
bootney farnsworth
February 18th, 2013
9:57 pm
I wonder what the record is for most law firms hired by a single school board?
bootney farnsworth
February 18th, 2013
9:59 pm
what I’m worried about is this obvious dog and pony show will be exactly the cover SACS needs to let DCSS off the hook.
for that matter, did SACS telegraph this move to DCSS?
The Deal
February 18th, 2013
10:20 pm
Really, truly, how many law firms are currently being paid by DeKalb School District? Why do we even pay lawyers to work in the central office?
Grasshopper
February 18th, 2013
11:10 pm
What does this line from the cover story on AJC mean?
‘Also Monday, Walker and four others voted to pay former Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker and his law firm at least $150,000 for “governance training.”’
Governance training? As in parliamentary rules? Can anyone explain?
bu2
February 19th, 2013
12:07 am
@concerned
Speaks is one of the 4 longer term members. None of those should be chairman.
bu2
February 19th, 2013
12:08 am
I’d be curious who proposed Baker’s firm and who were the other 4 yes votes besides Woods.
Burroughston Broch
February 19th, 2013
1:17 am
@ Grasshopper and bu2
The strategy is to staff up the Board with out-of-office Democratic politicians who once held elected state-wide office, so as to impress the Governor. This will allow politicians to preen their feathers in public.
Beverly Fraud
February 19th, 2013
5:23 am
Also Monday, Walker and four others voted to pay former Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker and his law firm at least $150,000 for “governance training.”’
Governance training? As in parliamentary rules? Can anyone explain?
I can; see much like the Honus Wagner baseball card, there are only six Robert’s Rules of Order books left in existence. Baker’s firm has one of the six and as such they can charge a premium for their services.
Feel better now?
concernedmom30329
February 19th, 2013
5:51 am
bu2
I hadn’t thought of that angle. Not that the Board will think that way as well.
I am guessing 7-0 for Johnson (which is like replacing the wolf with the fox) by they way.
Pardon My Blog
February 19th, 2013
6:58 am
I remember when a white principal at Stone Mountain High, one that was well liked and did a great job for the students, was forced out by the black parents because they felt only a black person could work with their students who had become the majority.
Being divisive? It goes both ways and will not get us anywhere but with the current Board and Administration we keep going down the same path. Race seems to be a factor with this district whether hiring teachers, secretaries, administrators, etc. All I want is the best regardless of race!
And what a joke that Burrell Ellis is interjecting himself in on the school issues! He should focus on how he is going weasel out of his own issues!
Pardon My Blog
February 19th, 2013
7:02 am
Y’all are shocked that Walker is spreading the wealth as fast as he can? I think he knows his days are numbered so he is working to ensure that friends profit as much as they can so they will show their “gratitude” later.
Private Citizen
February 19th, 2013
7:33 am
Even Kananga’s hook-handed henchman, Tee Hee, met his end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiE9OwOocOg
Private Citizen
February 19th, 2013
7:47 am
Even the evil Colonel Jacques Bouvar with his fireplace poker met a terrible end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XvRMJML7gc
Private Citizen
February 19th, 2013
7:51 am
Even the dreaded Necros fell from the sky, with only a boot for a parachute. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17SP5sAM5do
J Throckmorton Malcontent
February 19th, 2013
8:54 am
I’m going down to Manuel’s Tavern, down a half dozen Zombies, and hold a seance to try and raise Manuel Maloof from the dead. He’d fix this mess.
Seriously: Governor & GABOE, nuke the board.
Flabberghasted4sure
February 19th, 2013
8:55 am
@Ray: Those on here calling for the 3 just elected to be removed have been watching what they have done since Jan. 1st: they have voted to hire Wilson’s law firm to help with SACS and the hearing, they have participated in the failed attempts to elect a chair, they have voted to give Atkinson a severance package, they have voted to hire Thurmond and give him a very nice salary and $2600/month for personal expenses – no accountability required; they have voted to spend $150,000 for a law firm to teach them Board governance (interesting that Thurmond, Baker and Walker all served at the state capitol together) except for McMahan who abstained from the Board governance vote (telling), they have renewed their code of ethics oath (a joke!), gotten rid of standing committees (per SACS recommendation), and obviously forgot to tell Thurmond his efforts were to be directed at the day to day operations, not spending the 1st 2 weeks saving them……which of these items helps the students in the classroom, recognizes the way they are treating staff, improves morale and trust or acknowledges their awareness of and concern for how dire things are at the local school house?
DeKalb Inside Out
February 19th, 2013
9:30 am
Flabberghasted
You and everyone else here may strongly disagree with that laundry list of McMahan’s and Orson’s actions, but they are all legal. District #2 and #4 are getting exactly what they asked for. Please correct me if I’m wrong when I say this is the will of a majority of the people.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 19th, 2013
9:38 am
bu2 and ConcernedMom
Pam Speaks – Check out Dr Speaks’ voting record and website. She’s well educated, not from the south and not associated with New Birth. She nominated Jester for chair. The only person Walker hates more than Dr Jester, is Dr Speaks.
Concernedmom30329
February 19th, 2013
9:47 am
It is important to point out that Orson voted to spend 150K on board governance training (and McMahan abstained probably because he didn’t want to irritate Orson or his constituents.. The proverbial stuck between a rock and hard place).
For those of you who voted for Orson and McMahan, you need to be letting them know how your feel. McMahan is busy telling everyone who complains to him, that “relationships are important” and he has to play along to get along. Are you kidding me? He needs to grow a back bone and speak up and not go along with Walker and others. UGH>
bu2
February 19th, 2013
9:59 am
@DIO
Speaks is probably #7 of the 7 members of last year’s board elected before 2010 I would want off. But she was part of the board that let Lewis steal. The Walker/Speaks animosity is another good reason for her not to be chair. We need people working together, not going off and doing their own thing.
bu2
February 19th, 2013
10:01 am
@Flabberghasted
Orson and McMahan voted against some of those things you are blaming them for. And despite you wanting Walker out, you are blaming them for trying?
DeKalb Inside Out
February 19th, 2013
10:14 am
bu2 and ConcernedMom bring up a very important issue
Go Along To Get Along
bu2 is defends McMahan and Orson for trying to get along with the Walker 5. ConcernedMom says McMahan and Orson need to grow a backbone and speak up for what is right.
Who is right??????
Orson and McMahan – First 30 Days … for posterity
* voted YES for lawyers to fight the State BOE
* voted YES on Edler for chair
* voted YES to bring in more lawyers regarding the Atkinson messages
* voted YES for Michael Thurmond as interim Super
bu2
February 19th, 2013
10:39 am
The either/or approach of Jester and Walker is a big part of what is threatening the accreditation. We need a different approach. First priority should be saving accreditation. That means getting most of the board working together. It means breaking up old groupings. And working together doesn’t mean you have to agree. The rest of the things in the accreditation report are easy (doesn’t mean they will do it, but they just need to stop interfering in day-to-day operations).
concernedmom30329
February 19th, 2013
10:47 am
I am sorry, the first priority is not saving accreditation. The first priority is having a well run school system. That starts with a competent superintendent and a functioning, high performing school board. If you have those two things, accreditation is not an issue.
However, the hiring of Baker is just more of the same. He worked with Thurmond and Walker before.
Tomorrow the DeKalb BoE goes to the GA school board association for training. That doesn’t cost 150K. Why in the world is it ok to spend that kind of money on Board governance training.
This Board doesn’t need training to work together. They need a common goal of strong schools for all. You can’t train that into people. I agree with you about Jester, her constantly voting No isn’t helping.
But McMahon and Orson need to NOT go along to get along in order to try and make things better This BOE needs to go, the three new board members can appeal to be placed back on.
My friends, McMahon’s and Orson’s constituents, expect them to use good judgement when casting votes. They do not want to see poor decision making for the sake of getting Cunningham on their sides. We expected better. Are we disappointed? Yes. Am I surprised? No.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 19th, 2013
10:50 am
bu2
What do you mean the board needs to work together? The board votes on things.
A majority of the board wants to bring in lawyers to fight the State BOE for their jobs. Do they all need to work together on that, or speak up in opposition?
A majority of the board brought in Chery Atkinson and Michael Thurmond. Do they all need to work together on that, or speak up in opposition?
The board votes on things. The administration works on the day to day issues of DCSD.
Dunwoody Mom
February 19th, 2013
10:54 am
Maureen just tweeted this:
“Hearing that DeKalb Schools in front of Judge Lee in Fulton seeking injunction to stop Thursday state board meeting. Chasing down”.
And this BOE continues to put themselves first….
DeKalb Inside Out
February 19th, 2013
11:00 am
ConcernedMom
You said Nancy needs to vote ‘YES’ more. Can you tell us which action items would have been good for her to vote ‘YES” on? Here are some of her ‘NO’ votes this year
* lawyers to fight the State BOE
* lawyers regarding the Atkinson messages
* Michael Thurmond as interim Super
thanks.
concernedmom30329
February 19th, 2013
11:01 am
The question is “at what cost” do they work together?
BU2, I suspect, based on your postings, that you are a DCSS family that has choices. You are protected somewhat from the bad decision making that this Board does because you are a Fernbank family and that means that the school foundation can make up for some of what is missing.
For about 95K students in DeKalb, public schools are the only choice. And for about 90000K students there is no buffer.
If this Board stays in place, your world won’t change much. But for much of the system, the problems will continue.
Orson and McMahan need to be principled. They need to expect to sit with board members who are capable, competent and ethical. Right now, that isn’t the case.
bu2
February 19th, 2013
12:13 pm
Accreditation is the first priority. Without it, everything else is pretty much irrelevant. Dekalb could be sent on a downward spiral from which it could never recover. Students could fail to gain admission to their chosen colleges. Scholarships could be lost. Everything else takes time to fix and time to cause problems. Losing accreditation is a quick disaster.
bu2
February 19th, 2013
12:15 pm
Redistricting is a perfect example of what is wrong with the way the board works. The Walker group (although noone claimed credit) did a plan that eliminated voting this year and entrenched the Walker group. Jester/McChesney/Speaks did a plan to try to promote relection of McChesney and Speaks. Healthy districts like Cobb hold public hearings. In DCSS two different groups went off and did their own thing w/o public input.
bu2
February 19th, 2013
12:18 pm
As Jester said, SACS criticized her for saying how she was going to vote before the meeting. You can vote no while working together. Undermining it is a different matter.
Beverly Fraud
February 19th, 2013
12:26 pm
$150,000 for governance training? Why for that money, they could have hired Skip Rogers!
Beverly Fraud
February 19th, 2013
12:27 pm
Or is that Chip Rogers? So many groups, so many cronies, it gets so confusing.
Concernedmom30329
February 19th, 2013
12:34 pm
Actually, no college bound students were hurt by Clayton’s loss of accreditation. But I didn’t say we should lose accreditation. What I said was what is needed to keep accreditation, a functioning school board and a strong superintendent. We have neither.
In a year, if this board is the same members, we will be worse off than today. The members who misbehave will be empowered to misbehave more because of a lack of action.
Again, you may not care quite as much because of your personal situation, but two years with a mostly appointed board might be the difference between a subpar education and a decent one for thousands of DeKalb students.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 19th, 2013
12:39 pm
Redistricting The Board
Drawing the board districts is not in the purview of the DCSD board. The DCSD board was asked to come up with a map. Walker, Jester and a majority of the board came up with and agreed on a map. The legislature went with Mary Margaret Oliver’s map.
dekalbite
February 19th, 2013
12:40 pm
“Maureen just tweeted this:
“Hearing that DeKalb Schools in front of Judge Lee in Fulton seeking injunction to stop Thursday state board meeting. Chasing down”.”
Thank you Dunwoody Mom.
So they are using tax dollars meant for student achievement to keep from going in front of the State Board of Education.
Please write the Governor, your state Senator and House representative, and every State BOE member asking for their support to replace the DeKalb County BOE members. Here are the links to their emails:
State Board of Education members:
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Pages/default.aspx
Governor Deal:
http://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form
Here is a link to find your legislator (Senator and House Representative) if you do not know who they are:
http://votesmart.org/
(type in your 9 digit zip code – for example: 34321-3405. Click Search>scroll down and click on State Legislative)
bu2
February 19th, 2013
3:53 pm
@DIO
Cobb County had public hearings and approved a redistricting map to be sent to the legislature for approval.
The DCSS board missed the deadline for coming up with a map. The “Walker noone gets to vote” map was the only one discussed at the legislative hearing. Ms. Oliver and Ms. Benfield had a map, but the legislative committee head ruled it could not be considered. Same for the Jester/McChesney/Speaks map. The “Walker noone gets to vote” map was not approved and so the district missed the deadline.
After that fiasco, missing the deadline and running up on filing dates for the election, everything was done behind closed doors and not in public. Maybe you have information that the board did finally come up with a map, but they definitely didn’t do it in public. What was approved was very different from the map Ms. Oliver proposed to the legislative committee, so if your information is correct that they used “her” map, she created an entirely new map from her earlier one.
bu2
February 19th, 2013
3:56 pm
@DIO
That legislative hearing video is out there on the internet where the Dekalb delegation failed to approve a map.
DeKalb Inside Out
February 19th, 2013
4:30 pm
bu2
I assume it was MMO’s map. I don’t know anyone else drawing maps for DeKalb. I’m getting my information from Dr Jester’s old blog via Google…
[The final reapportionment map] is not the map that the Board sent to the delegation, upon their request. To my knowledge the delegation didn’t communicate with the Board about why our map wasn’t discussed or approved.