An email so bizarre that I thought Copelin-Wood could never have sent it. I was wrong. And she is out on a limb.
Earlier this week, a reader copied me on an email that Sarah Copelin-Wood sent to some folks.
The email contains a long cut and paste job on the powers and duties of school boards vs. the State Board of Education. The pasted material focuses on the local board’s power to “manage and control” the school system and plays down the state’s power to intervene. I assume that Copelin-Wood sent the email to voice her displeasure with today’s reckoning in front of the state Board of Education, which is considering ousting her and five other DeKalb school board members.
But what floored me more than the body of the email was what Copelin-Wood attached to the email. (By the way, she signed the email, “Ms. Sarah Copelin-Wood, Board Member DeKalb Board of Education – District 3.”)
The attachment features an attack on SACS and Mark Elgart by longtime and vocal critic John Trotter, head of MACE and a frequent commenter on this blog where he has been quite open in his disdain for Elgart and SACS.
(Dr. Trotter, you may become a factor in today’s hearing yet. And I hope they know that you copyright all your material.)
I wondered why Sarah Copelin-Wood would send out such explosive material when DeKalb is under probation by SACS and when the board is fighting for its life today in front of the state board. It seemed so damaging that I half wondered if the email was a clever fake created to make Copelin-Wood look bad.
I couldn’t fathom that she would do something with such potential for harm to the board.
I was wrong.
Copelin-Wood just confirmed during the state Board of Education hearing that she did indeed send out the email, but said she didn’t send it to any school employees. I expect the state intends to challenge that comment after the lunch break.
In her own defense, Copelin-Wood maintained that, while an employee of DeKalb Schools may have received the email, it would have been sent to their personal email, not their work email.
Trotter has been a longtime critic of SACS and Elgart, as this essay — the one attached to Copelin-Wood’s email — shows.
Here is an excerpt of what Copelin-Wood sent from Trotter’s piece:
Forget SACS! Forget the Overblown and Puffed Up and Self-Perceived Education Zeus, Mark Elgart! Hire Your Own Local Talent for Superintendent. Look What DeKalb County is Experiencing Now with its Latest Appointee from Little Lorain, Ohio! Look What Clayton County Experienced with Another Graduate of the Broad Superintendents Academy, Edmond Heatley! Go Local, School Board, Go Local! The Field is Black Unto Harvest! Appoint a Local Educator to be the Superintendent! Reject SACS and Go With the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC)
The school boards’ cups runneth over with the great “advice” from SACS. The “cure” that SACS offers is much, much worse than any perceived aliments. (SACS’s proposal: We’ll solve the drainage problem in the sewer on 28th Street by blowing up the entire city, OK?) What are the real “ailments”? Potential loss of accreditation? Ha! This is a made-up, artificial ailment. This is only an ailment because Mark Elgart and Gang have decreed that it is an ailment.
Georgia schools boards ought to simply say, “Forget SACS!” Yes, “Forget SACS!” SACS is as full of bull as a Christmas Turkey! There’s no real “standards.” “Standards” that are not equally enforced are not “standards” at all. I have challenged Mark Elgart to a public debate (yes, public TV and everything) for many years now. What would be the topic? Topic: SACS arbitrarily and capriciously applies the standards that it espouses. I take the Affirmative, and Mark Elgart takes the Negative. What does ole Markie have to lose? Ha! He has always demurred. We call this being “a-scared” where I grew up.
DOE attorney Jennifer Hackemeyer questioned Copelin-Wood about the disparaging remarks about Elgart in the email attachement. However, DeKalb board attorney Bob Wilson jumped up and said it was not relevant. Copelin-Wood has the first amendment right to voice opinions, said Wilson.
“If she sent it to staff, it would have relevance. If she {Hackemeyer} can show it went to staff, fine. I will sit down,” said Wilson.
Hackemeyer noted that the email was signed by Sarah Copelin-Wood as a school board member. “I have a right to question her based on the policy that talks about board communications.”
More to come on this.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
54 comments Add your comment
Wilbur
February 21st, 2013
6:46 pm
Trotters comments excerpted above are silly, irrelevant and out of line. If this is the best he has to offer, he should find a new line of work. Hyperbole and personal attacks do not a cogent argument make.
Dr. John Trotter
February 21st, 2013
7:02 pm
SACS is totally out of control. I have said over and over that it stands for Still Advocating for Cronies and Superintendents. As Beverly Fraud has stated, I have offered on many occasions to engage in a very public debate with Mark Elgart about SACS and the capricious and arbitrary manner that is applies its so-called “standards.” He has never accepted. I think that he is chicken.
As I stated earlier this morning on another thread, SACS’s so-called “reports” are full of innuendo, hearsay, and unnamed sources. I must admit that I have not read through all of the one on DeKalb, but the one on Clayton was laughable.
SACS is subject to the Open Records Act, unless the law has been changed recently, because it receives State monies. It dips deep into the coffers of the public school systems in Georgia and nationwide, and as the Invisible Serf has ably pointed out, I believe that it is in on the agenda to essentially wipe out the local school systems nationwide. It is the enforcement mechanism that Arne Duncan and the Feds really need because public education is not even mentioned in the Federal Constitution; it is a State and Local issue. The foundations like the Gates Foundation and the Pearson Foundation and the Broad Foundation need a SACS to scare the sh-t out of local school boards so that they can get their way of running schools in the U. S. Mark Elgart seems to be so willing to cooperate with these non-educator educational gnostics who apparently think that they have all of the answers in education.
About those who want to anonymously criticize me or MACE. Have at it. Knock yourself out. I have noticed one thing, though. I haven’t seen many people — superintendents, principals, or know-it-all parents — criticize me openly or to my face. Ha! I don’t back down or scare easily. We don’t threaten anyone with harm. We just do our job, and our members seem to enjoy the protection and empowerment. By the way, MACE, unlike GAE and PAGE, still does not do spelling bees or give out tote bags! But, we do devour administrators who abuse teachers.
Sorry that I have been away from the blog today. Just got back from the MACE Office.
Concerned Dekalb resident
February 22nd, 2013
6:58 pm
How sad that it has come to this in Dekalb County. However, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the squabbling among the board members had to cease. I tuned each meeting to see our board in action, and many times all I saw was bickering, posturing, grand-standing, and disrespect towards fellow board members and even disrespect of the Chair. You cannot continue running a board this way. By their actions in the past, this board demonstrated little regard for the children welfare and a total disrespect for the past Superintendant, Dr. Atkinson. She tried to do her job and was brilliant! If it takes getting rid of the 6 incumbents, let it be. They have caused this on themselves and only have themselves to blame. The arrogance of Nancy Jester in particular is repulsive. And there are others, but it seems that she caused a lot of division and only wanted the spotlight. I have watched from afar at several school board meetings via live television and I was embarrassed by the constant bickering and very childish behavior displayed by few on the board, namely those mentioned as the 6 who should be relieved of their duties. And a person should not be allowed to serve 10 years on a board. These are just my thoughts. Change needs to happen expediously for the sake of our children. But the next question is: Who will be appointed in their place? That will open up a new can or worms if the appointments are not done fairly and not representative of the districts being replaced. In other words, if you have 5 minorities being replaced, they should be replaced with another 5 minorities. Simply because the people elected these board members for their district; and their replacement should be of color, from that particular district. If not, there will be even BIGGER PROBLEMS WITH REGARDS TO RACISM….
Threeperros
February 25th, 2013
11:43 am
The DeKalb BOE just doesn’t get it. The reason they are in this mess is lawsuits which has led to extreme mismanagement of money. This is unethical behavior. We did not give them our tax dollars to defend themselves or criminals or cell phone towers. This is/was NOT their money to use. It is obvious to me that all the voters are fed up and that was apparent in this last election. 3 seats were up for election and 3 incumbents were voted out. I know that two of them are good men but the voters were sending a message. A school board even having to be called before a Grand Jury in itself is disgraceful. Dr. Walker is what is wrong with this board. He has bullied and led the former board down a path of self-interests, nepotism and total incompetence
My husband and I both grew up in a young DeKalb School System, headed by visionary, honest Jim Cherry. When we graduated in the 60s, we all had our choices of excellent colleges because of the education we had received in these public schools and the majority of us have done very well in life. We still credit our success with what we learned and experienced in DeKalb County Schools. My children also attended Dekalb Schools and now I have 3 grandsons who are or will attend DeKalb Schools, or at least I thought they would. Now, I am not sure. We own 3 properties in DeKalb and I am so angered that this board–9 people along with several criminal or incompetent superintendent have taken this school system down so low it may not come back, no matter how much money WE put into the system.
We can’t fix what is broken with the same group who doesn’t see or understand what they were charged wi when they received our votes. The idea that they see it as their God-given (Dr. Walker) right to use my money to save their seats is beyond comprehension. The fact that they don’t see what is wrong with this is the reason they need to go. I have two grandsons who are part of a group of 70, vying for 22 pre K slots in their neighborhood school. How many new pre K classes could have been created with the money squandered on attorneys and lawsuits and unrealistic severance packages? Does it not come down to that? The BOE needs to resign their seats, withdraw their TWO lawsuits and go volunteer helping children in their district schools–if it is REALLY about the children.