Remember those pledges DeKalb board members made to resign? Why haven’t any of them done so yet?
The Concerned Citizens for a Unified DeKalb, a coalition of parent leaders from schools across the county, is calling for the six suspended DeKalb board members to throw in the towel and resign.
(For a good place to find an aggregation of all the news about the DeKalb school drama, go to the Parents for DeKalb Schools Facebook page.
The statement calls for the six to resign and drop the legal challenges. They lost a key legal battle yesterday in front of U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story, which ought to give them more impetus to get this drama over with and step down.
But they may be waiting for the state Supreme Court to take up their plight.
As the AJC reported: The judge’s decision does not end the litigation. Story indicated he was dubious about the likelihood that DeKalb would win under their U.S. Constitution argument, but he signaled that the Georgia Supreme Court could soon consider questions in the case. He asked the two sides to agree on which questions, and gave them 10 days to submit them. “The case as a whole is not going to dry up and blow away at this point, but it will be able to be studied under a less urgent situation, ” said Ronald Carlson, an emeritus law professor at the University of Georgia.
While board member Eugene Walker has made his desire known to continue the legal battle, most of his colleagues promised to step down at the 14-hour state Board of Education hearing if rulings went against them.
Why haven’t they done so? What is stopping them from turning in their resignations?
If they continue to procrastinate, they will lose whatever good will toward them remains in their communities. Many posters on this blog are fans of Nancy Jester and Pam Speaks, believing that the two are the most selfless DeKalb board members.
So, why haven’t they resigned?
Here is the statement from the Concerned Citizens for a Unified DeKalb:
We’re grateful that U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story gave swift and careful consideration to the case and chose not to leave conditions in a long state of uncertainty. Our group takes no position on the legal merits of the law of removal in question, nor of the federal court decision itself. However, we welcomed a fast decision.
The moral question remains. How can the suspended members of the DeKalb County Board of Education think they are serving the needs of the children of DeKalb while destroying the finances and reputation of the school system with continued legal warfare over their jobs?
The suspended board members should not continue to fight for board positions in the light of their failures with the school system, not with the continued threat of loss of accreditation should they prevail in their legal quest. As long as they’re waiting in the wings, they stain the credibility of the board moving forward. Our interest is in a functional board serving the interests of the children of DeKalb.
If the suspended board members have the true interests of the children of DeKalb County at heart, they’ll simply resign. It’s the right thing to do.
Similarly, we’re asking Gov. Nathan Deal and the Georgia legislature to call for special elections to replace interim appointed board members in a reasonable time frame, regardless of how the governor uses his appointment power to replace suspended board members. We believe this would show respect for the voting rights of DeKalb County citizens and acknowledge the extraordinary nature of the moment. It’s the right thing to do.
Concerned Citizens for a Unified DeKalb is a diverse group of concerned community members, representative of all school regions within DeKalb County, working to encourage people to communicate their opinions to the DeKalb Board of Education.
We believe these three things to be true:
The majority of DeKalb County parents perceive that the Board of Education has been dysfunctional and ineffective. It is in the best interests of all stakeholders that the six board members recommended for removal be replaced by the electorate.
The citizens of DeKalb are the ones who should decide who is on the board of education.
Money is being spent on litigation initiated by board members to save their jobs that could be spent on educating our children
Our mission is to unite DeKalb and move forward to ensure that every child in DeKalb is afforded the opportunity and access to a quality education. We are attempting to resolve the issue with the DeKalb BOE with as little collateral damage as possible.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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129 comments Add your comment
Mary Elizabeth
March 5th, 2013
6:48 pm
@ bootney farnsworth, 5:54 pm
“@ Mary Elizabeth
you are entitled to crush on anybody you want to, just as you are entitled to ignore any pesky facts you want to but for Gods sake, why don’t you and Tom (and his slave mistress Sally Jennings) get a virtual room?”
======================================================
Bootney, I actually posted facts regarding Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. It was you who had made an incorrect statement about Jefferson’s writing therein, without providing any documentation to back up your statement. I simply decided that I needed to correct your erroneous statement.
I will continue to mention Thomas Jefferson, here and there, because Jefferson’s vision that “all are created equal” has had impact throughout the world, even to this day, as was presented in the 15-minute video on Jefferson at the Atlanta History Center. If we experience that tenet deeply enough within our consciousness, we will react even to the DeKalb County School System’s educational problems with greater insight – as I tried to communicate to readers of this blog in my 3:10 p.m. post.
I am disappointed in the low calibre of your post at 5:54 p.m., which reflects poorly upon the quality of your mind this evening.
Maureen Downey
March 5th, 2013
6:58 pm
@Mary E, Already took down that comment, along with Trisha’s about Hugo Chavez.
Folks, Three simple rules
1. Stay on topic
2. Stay civil
3. Avoid personal attacks
Maureen
Fun Size
March 5th, 2013
7:27 pm
So the lawyers get rich, the school board duds stay put and Dekalb students & homeowners suffer the consequences. What a joke!
Mary Elizabeth
March 5th, 2013
7:44 pm
@ Maureen Downey, 6:58 p.m.
Thank you, Maureen. Your addressing Bootney Farnsworth’s condescending and erroneous remarks about my perceptions regarding Thomas Jefferson is one reason that I respect the calibre of your blog and why I continue to post my thoughts here.
Bootney Farnsworth’s further alluding to my “schoolgirl crush” on Jefferson – in the third paragraph of his 5:58 p.m. post – is not only insulting to me, personally, but chauvinistic and, again, condescending. In my opinion, the combination of his two posts, regarding my perceptions of Jefferson, borders on abuse in that he had deliberately, and with malice, attempted to produce a caricatured and childish verbal image of my thinking to readers. That you do not tolerate such harmful and erroneous images of my thought processes is appreciated and respected by me.
I believe that because you have addressed, publicly, this situation that has involved me, you will not hesitate, likewise, to address similar situations effecting other posters’ credibility because of erroneous, inflammatory personal attacks made to, or about, them. Thank you for your high standards which, no doubt, many appreciate.
Truth in Moderation
March 5th, 2013
7:45 pm
President Obama theme song:
ht tp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJsLBVb3lmw
His record:
ht tp://www.wnd.com/2009/03/91286/
Now, what was that about the Dekalb School Board member’s pledge?
They just follow the leader.
Georgia
March 5th, 2013
7:48 pm
I can stay on topic. The topic is America’s future. We are like the canary in the education mine shaft. Our children are at risk of becoming disenfranchised by a corrupt and incompetent school system. What do we do? We elect a school board that we think will work to improve the situation. Then, we rely on a fail safe system of checks and balances just in case we elect a bunch of………(fill in your own adjectives)…….
But we did elect them! Doesn’t anyone see the problem? We elected the Dekalb Board. Thus we didn’t really know who we elected. Did we? I mean, if we had only known who and what these horrid people were……..So now, if we elect a new board, we’re going to pick better pigs out of the poke? I don’t think so.
What are we doing? Is anyone in control here? Walk softly boys.
How about I throw my hat into the ring. I have no experience. No degrees in education. All I have is very common sense, and the motivation of selfless public service for all of those families in the Dekalb district. Do you believe me? Why should you? Why should you not? I think we are at a crossroads.
We need to redefine the protocol. the Paradigm. the entire system of electing or appointing a board. Obviously, what we have been doing so far is the best way to destroy our children’s future. We got that one 100%. Oh, are we good!
Can it get any worse? Honestly.
Concerned DeKalb Mom
March 5th, 2013
7:58 pm
@Maureen…something that’s been nagging at me…why were your questions directed to Marshall and not to the Board Chair? Just curious.
Maureen Downey
March 5th, 2013
8:02 pm
@Concerned, Marshall Orson had emailed me about a comment on the blog. When I responded I also added my questions on this. But I have emailed the same set to Mr. Johnson and will post his response as well.
Maureen
Jack ®
March 5th, 2013
8:11 pm
Their resigning would be an admission of failure and they ain’t gonna admit that. And they’ll fight as long as someone else is paying the legal fees.
Private Citizen
March 5th, 2013
8:40 pm
Great quote from a guy in Dallas who quit adjunct teaching after 10 years and being required to periodically re-apply and write out “What is important to me” etc. Great quote: “I care and I need to be around other people who care.” Wow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GRsSMyhc3I#t=20m40s
Dekalbite
March 5th, 2013
8:43 pm
So apparently Nancy Jester and Pam Speaks did not vote to fund this legal fight.
That would leave only 4 ousted BOE members to vote to divert so many tax dollars to lawyers and in addition express their support of the “status quo” in DeKalb. Four members is not a majority on a nine member Board.
So what newly elected still in power Board member or members does not want a change in the “status quo”? That’s what I think taxpayers need to know. Why can’t we know how they voted? Yes or no on providing legal funding to keep BOE members ousted for mismanagement of taxpayer dollars?
Mandella1099
March 5th, 2013
10:36 pm
It is amazing to me that so many posters believe that because St. Nancy the Jester didn’t vote for the Board’s attorney that she is some kind of political martyr of righteousness amid the evil of the Walker 5.
Give me a break. She is so smart that she is now fooling the Dunwoody crowd into asking for seconds and thirds of her Kool-Aid. She knew what the vote for the attorneys would be, and she knew that she could vote “no,” fool the DeKalb School Watch II mafia, and STILL BENEFIT FROM THE DCSS ATTORNEYS!
So now her fan club is attempting to rationalize why she hasn’t resigned. How about this: She accept no salary for the time she is suspended so that her paycheck can be used to pay for the attorneys that she “voted no” against and will benefit from should the school system win.
Anyone wanna make a bet?
Jo
March 5th, 2013
10:38 pm
For those who have asked why Nancy Jester has not resigned, please go to her blog, whatsupwiththat.nancyjester.com and read her explanation.
Also, DeKalb School Watch blog has posted an article on the same topic regarding Nancy Jester and Pam Speaks. Go to dekalbschoolwatch.wordpress.com.
Neither Nancy nor Pam voted for or supported the suit — nor did they vote to hire Bob Wilson.
Mandella1099
March 5th, 2013
10:54 pm
@ Jo
Yet they somehow benefit from it.
Give me a break.
Dekalbite
March 5th, 2013
11:24 pm
Enter your comments here
Dekalbite
March 5th, 2013
11:27 pm
“Neither Nancy nor Pam voted for or supported the suit — nor did they vote to hire Bob Wilson.”
So that leaves the all important question of what newly elected Board member or members supported the ousted Board members and voted to spend our scarce educational dollars on this lawsuit instead of our students. Why can’t we know who voted yes on this expenditure? Surely that is not protected information.
Georgia
March 5th, 2013
11:34 pm
This blog. The past few weeks. The Dekalb School Board Issue: every single comment reads like poorly written epitaphs by sponsored hacks. Everyone has skin in the game. At some point it becomes a disgrace. Let the entrenched legal process churn out the destiny of those responsible for this catastrophe, and quit risking your own credibility by yelping like disgruntled coyotes. Obviously, the future of the Dekalb School Board is written in stone now. They are at the mercy of decisions made by powers that we’ll never fathom. (like our bank bailout, man, don’t go there). Smoke filled rooms. Back door deals. There’s millions and millions at stake, and if you make too much noise, maybe you end up not feeling so good after a visit from Luca Brasi. We will get a new ensemble. Eventually. But at this point, the less said the better. Words from us wont affect diddle dang piddle poo. Not any more.
I guess this is my way of saying STFU!
Have a nice day.
Dekalbite
March 5th, 2013
11:37 pm
Can a DeKalb County BOE member keep his vote for or against a large expenditure a secret from your constituents who after all are paying for the expenditure? How can taxpayers/voters draw conclusions on the fiscal responsibility of their representative when votes for or against a large expenditure are kept secret?
Here are the email addresses of the three new BOE members if you want to email them to see if they voted yes or no on this substantial and apparently endless expenditure. Please post their responses or non responses:
Melvin_Johnson@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us
Jim_mcmahan@fc.dekalb.k12.ga us
Marshall_orson@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us
Pardon My Blog
March 6th, 2013
6:10 am
I am not sure if this has been asked but how could these members even vote to give themselves legal fees in the first place? It seems to me that there would be all kinds of conflict with that knowing that they voted on it after the first State Board meeting where they knew in all likely hood that they would be removed.
Pardon My Blog
March 6th, 2013
6:12 am
@Dekalbite – my guess would be Melvin Johnson.
Mountain Man
March 6th, 2013
7:59 am
So now the AJC is reporting that the gun that the girl took into Grady High School was stolen and may have had the serial number filed off. This keeps getting better and better. I have been accused of being stereotypical in my view of urban schools (which I have admitted), but so far we have not had this sort of thing happen in our SUBURBAN schools. And this was supposedly an HONOR student? Not much honor or even much brains to not only bring a gun to school, but then to shoot yourself with it!
Private Citizen
March 6th, 2013
8:06 am
Nice bit of poetry, Georgia.
Private Citizen
March 6th, 2013
8:09 am
Mountain Man, Do you think a regular student is going to be smart enough to get a Dremel tool and remove a serial number?
Private Citizen
March 6th, 2013
8:17 am
Guns are dangeous. I’ve got a $10. spring loaded BB rifle and I almost put a kid’s eye out with it. I had the rifle levelled and aimed and the kid comes out of nowhere out of sightline on a bicycle right into the path of it. Hey Mountain Man, don’t forget your pal, Dick Cheney. You probably voted him and then you come back and want to “take the high ground” with the urban adolescent kid.
Boy, that President Cheney guy was scary during the military coup when he took over the country. He shot his friend the lawyer, and then the victim apologised to Mr. Cheney for being shot by him. “My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family have had to go through this past week,” Whittington said at the time.
Dekalbite@Pardon My Blog
March 6th, 2013
8:46 am
“@Dekalbite- my guess would be Melvin Johnson”
But there needs to be more than guesswork. There needs to be a public record from a credible source showing who voted for and who voted against this expensive lawsuit keeping Dr. Walker and the rest of the ousted Board members in office. Nancy Jester says on her blog that is a “matter of public record” that she voted against funding the lawsuit. If it is public record, then that means the public should be able to have this I formation made – well – public. This is extremely important information to the voting public next summer for BOE elections.
catlady
March 6th, 2013
11:10 am
Ms. Downey, how long will the suspended members be paid?
Maureen Downey
March 6th, 2013
11:18 am
@Catlady, Law is silent on that in any direct way, but I read the law below to mean that the person is paid through the reinstatement/appeals window. Once the governor declines to reinstate, the person is then permanently removed. I would assume pay would then stop.
a) Notwithstanding Code Section 20-2-54.1 or any other provisions of law to the contrary, if a local school system or school is placed on the level of accreditation immediately preceding loss of accreditation for school board governance related reasons by one or more accrediting agencies included in subparagraph (6.1)(A) of Code Section 20-3-519, the State Board of Education shall conduct a hearing in not less than ten days nor more than 30 days and recommend to the Governor whether to suspend all eligible members of the local board of education with pay. If the State Board of Education makes such recommendation, the Governor may, in his or her discretion, suspend all eligible members of the local board of education with pay and, in consultation with the State Board of Education, appoint temporary replacement members who shall be otherwise qualified to serve as members of such board.
(b) Any local board of education member suspended under this Code section may petition the Governor for reinstatement no earlier than 30 days following suspension and no later than 60 days following suspension. In the event that a suspended member does not petition for reinstatement within the allotted time period, his or her suspension shall be converted into permanent removal, and the temporary replacement member shall become a permanent member and serve out the remainder of the term of the removed member.
(c) Upon petition for reinstatement by a suspended local board of education member, the Governor or his or her designated agent shall conduct a hearing for the purpose of receiving evidence relative to whether the local board of education member’s continued service on the local board of education is more likely than not to improve the ability of the local school system or school to retain its accreditation. The appealing member shall be given at least 30 days’ notice prior to such hearing. Such hearing shall be held not later than 90 days after the petition is filed and in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 50, the “Georgia Administrative Procedure Act,” except that the individual conducting the hearing shall have the power to call witnesses and request documents on his or her own initiative. For purposes of said chapter and any hearing conducted pursuant to this Code section, the Governor shall be considered the “agency” and the Attorney General or his or her designee shall represent the interests of the Governor in the hearing. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the local board of education member’s continued service on the local board of education improves the ability of the local school system or school to retain its accreditation, the member shall be immediately reinstated; otherwise, the member shall be permanently removed, and the temporary replacement member shall become a permanent member and serve out the remainder of the term of the removed member or until the next general election which is at least six months after the member was permanently removed, whichever is sooner. Judicial review of any such decision shall be in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 50.
catlady
March 6th, 2013
3:05 pm
So, at least another 60 days?
catlady
March 6th, 2013
3:06 pm
Oops, at least 90 days? So, at least 4 months in all?