Nancy Jester resigns from DeKalb school board
Nancy Jester has resigned her seat on the DeKalb Board of Education. She was suspended, along with her five colleagues. so she was on her way out anyway.
But she is no longer a party — unwilling as she says she was — to the court challenge being led by her former board colleague Eugene Walker. So, while Jester’s actions here may be symbolic, they do undermine the legal fight to stop the suspensions and the appointment of replacements by the governor.
Her decision also helps in the public relations department as DeKalb voters are weary of this drama and want to move on. Jester seems to have a lot of good will in DeKalb and this act will only enhance her standing, setting her up for a successful return to the board if she chooses to run in the future. (There is already speculation that she may seek higher office. )
Jester told AJC political reporter Greg Bluestein that she intends to continue her education advocacy and push for broader school change including greater choice.
“We invest in failure all the time. All we do is give more money. All that does, with that extra dollar, is you just bought more failure. I support the portability of state funding to other public options, whether it’s an independent charter or another district,” Jester said.
Echoing her guard rail theme from the state board hearing, Jester said, “How do we put up more guard rails to prevent a county like DeKalb from slipping into the abyss for years? And I think it’s insane that school districts aren’t required to have more reserves and that they’re allowed to build giant deficits.”
Bluestein asked her: Will others follow her lead today and resign? (Speculation is that Pam Speaks may resign today as well.)
“I don’t know what the others will do. I know that some of them feel strongly about the legal issues. … I hope that we don’t have a long protracted fight over the issue, but there might be. And I don’t think that’s very healing for the community. That’s one reason I wanted to resign – it distracts from the focus on kids and taxpayers,” said Jester.
I am getting copied on emails that folks are sending Jester. Here is an excerpt from one:
You are so bright and you wanted to do so much for DeKalb County’s schools. We needed a strong financial leader. I am sorry the majority of the board put their own personal interests ahead of the children. With all the discord, I hope that an ethical code of conduct will be developed for the board. I hope standards are set. We need people on the school board who demonstrate their support of education by their actions and not by rhetoric.
Let us hope that something positive comes from such lessons learned from years of dysfunctional management of our school. You were only there a short time and you tried hard to enact some changes. Thank you for taking the high road and resigning. You are to be commended for your leadership and courage in a difficult situation. The money spent on lawyers would do so much if it was directed towards the classroom. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors. I hope you will run again for office.
Here is Jester’s letter to constituents explaining her decision and her timing:
I am writing today to express my gratitude and sincere thanks for the opportunity to serve you during the last two years. Please know how much I appreciate your supportive words, calls and prayers. I am proud of the work I did to expose the deceptive budgeting practices and bring a parent’s perspective to the board.
In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be blogging about various educational issues, legislation and events of importance to DeKalb and our state. We have so much work to do together. As always, I remain steadfastly committed to being an advocate for children and taxpayers.
I look forward to seeing new faces on the DeKalb Board. I hope the new board and administrative team will reflect on what I said at our February board meeting about reforming our district. My remarks are available on my blog.
For clarity, I wanted to resign from the board in advance of the hearing in February, but refrained from doing so because of the pending court case. If the ruling had gone the other way, the remaining board members would have remained on the board and they would select my successor. I wanted to prevent that. I am more comfortable with the Governor and his team selecting my replacement.
Additionally, it is a matter of public record that I voted “no” on February 1st, to the hiring of the attorney to pursue the board’s legal challenges in the first place. I did not support in any way, the filing of legal action and I expressed my opposition in board meetings. Because the court has vacated their previous stay, the board members subject to the Governor’s executive order are now, no longer on the board. Once the Governor appoints new members, the board will have a quorum and be able to meet. At that point, the board will be able to make decisions regarding the use of district resources.
I hope that the next chapter for DeKalb schools brings about a reformation that begins to fulfill our obligation to our children. I hope this next chapter offers the taxpayers a product worthy of their investment. Thank you again for allowing me to serve you. I look forward to working with you to promote ideas and strategies that will empower parents and teachers and improve the educational lives of children.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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233 comments Add your comment
Decatur Dad
March 6th, 2013
6:46 pm
@Mountain Man – You talk like a misinformed piece of trash. If you’d come out of that dirty trailer for a change, perhaps you just might learn that electricity was discovered years ago. If the truth be known, you’re probably a child molester. Just so you know, many of Dekalb County students are some of the best and brightest in the State of Georgia. We are extremely proud of our students here in Dekalb County and extremely happy that none of them are your kids.
dekalbite
March 6th, 2013
6:53 pm
Surely Mr. Thurmond cannot put Ramona Tyson in charge of answering SACS.
From the SACS report that placed DeKalb on probation:
“Evidence from interviews raised questions about the system’s and school leaders’ use of a formal, systematic process to determine the number of personnel necessary to support the district’s and schools’ purposes, educational programs, and continuous improvement…. This can also be seen in the Borad’s decision to eliminate over 200 early learning paraprofessional positions during the budget process despite all the research that supprts the importance of early learning as the foundation of future student success. According to interviews with stakeholders and board members, this decision was made with little or no discussion as to the education impact of such a reduction in staff.”
Ms. Tyson was the “school leader” who eliminated those 200 paraprofessionals. Here is a copy of Ms. Tyson’s budget that she asked the Board to approve (click on the image to see the details):
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/03/budget-recommendation.html
In addition, she eliminated over 300 teaching positions. The BOE may have approved these cuts, but Ms. Tyson came up with them all on her own (well, maybe with a little advise from Lewis who the year before eliminated 275 teaching positions):
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/11/where-have-all-our-teachers-gone.html
Thurmond must not be allowed to put the same employee in charge of answering SACS complaints when that employee was the superintendent who made the recommendations that helped get DeKalb Schools on probation. DeKalb would be a sure fire candidate to lose accreditation if this happens.
Please email Thurmond for clarification:
michael_thurmond@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us
dekalbite
March 6th, 2013
6:54 pm
Is it just me or are all comments being moderated?
DeKalb Rising
March 6th, 2013
6:57 pm
Enter your comments here
Maureen:
Would you suggest that all of the candidates be willing to take a competency test to assure they have at least 12th grade reading and writing proficiency? I’m really serious for obvious reasons.
.
Dunwoody Housewife
March 6th, 2013
6:58 pm
@Dunmoody- I completely agree that in no way can I imagine the Dunwoody Council would advocate anyone to run against Fran Millar. I doubt anyone could provide evidence.
Maureen Downey
March 6th, 2013
7:02 pm
@Dekalbite: Our blog platform automatically moderates posts with multiple links as that is usually a sign of spam.
Maureen
mountain man
March 6th, 2013
7:09 pm
Decatur Dad – why don’t you have someone explain to you what ad hominum means. You make a great representative for Decatur and for Dekalb County.
mountain man
March 6th, 2013
7:10 pm
ad hominem – sorry
sawitcoming
March 6th, 2013
7:33 pm
Glad the system is being freed to move forward. Perhaps Ms.Jester’s efforts to expose budget issues were noble but, her responsibility as a board member goes far beyond exposure and blogging. Although worthy of correcting, the budget for Dekalb schools entails a great deal more than utilities. The truth of the matter is all of the former board members failed to adequately lead and demonstrate the required knowledge of educational issues and the full functioning of a school district. Exposing mismanagement and blogging about it falls short of serving as a competent board member. I would be very careful before assuming that there is a board member who stayed in their lane completely while serving the DCSD. i am sure there is enough blame to go around, some to a greater degree than others,but blame for ALL none the less. Let’s get a fresh start, for the sake of the children.
Pardon My Blog
March 6th, 2013
7:33 pm
@Decatur Dad – I mean, really? Anyway, if you are in Decatur you don’t have a dog in this fight. I suspect you are a minion for the exalted Eugene Walker.
Let’s get real. There are some real problems beginning with the Board and Central Office. If we were to look deep enough, the long fingers of Eddie Long will be all over this mess (with the blessing of Vernon Jones, Burrell Ellis, and others). Time to flush the toilet, clean the bowl, and start fresh!
Decatur Dad
March 6th, 2013
7:36 pm
mountain man – why don’t you have someone explain to you what “to catch a predator means”. I agree that I’m a great representative of Decatur & Dekalb County. Thanks for the compliment. And I think that you are a great representative of the back woods.
Decatur Dad
March 6th, 2013
7:42 pm
@Pardon My Blog – I’d take the long fingers of Eddie Long, Vernon Jones and Burrell Ellis ANY DAY before taking the dirty fingers of Nathan Deal, Nancy Jester and Fran Millar. Why do you think the State of Georgia is so screwed up?
Pardon My Blog
March 6th, 2013
7:47 pm
@Decatur Dad, “Why do you think the State of Georgia is so screwed up?” It is due to dadgum liberals such as you! And would you really want to be connected with the likes of them?
Looks like we need to flush that toilet and fast!
Pardon My Blog
March 6th, 2013
7:49 pm
And please, please get rid of Walker’s daughter-in-law as Secretary for the Board. There is a definite issue there!
Private Citizen
March 6th, 2013
7:53 pm
That mountain man, he’s cold like ice tea. Decatur Dad, I don’t exactly include Mountain Man on my valentine list, but why are you so territorial? You made you point and tell-off in the earlier post. Decatur / DeKalb is a diverse place. No need to be so unfriendly and exalt yourself as “thuh mayor” which is usually a little more welcoming. Now, go shut down the streets and make a “Rainbow Parade” or whatever it is you do over there. (ha ha). PS DeKalb county has several distinct demographics. I expect that you, whoever or whatever you are, are one of them. I doubt you have much in common with my business owner friend from Eritrea (ever heard of the place?) who knows how to make a very good cup of tea. hey take a chill pill.
Private Citizen
March 6th, 2013
7:56 pm
Mountain Mountain, in the city that would be “ad condominium.”
Atlanta Media Guy
March 6th, 2013
8:06 pm
Hey Decatur Dad! Deal is only doing what the law called for. Nancy changed Dr. Walkers game, she will get hammered by few and celebrated by most. Fran Millar got some state funds reinstated to DeKalb, when Tyson’s crew missed a deadline. Vernon Jones… really! Vernon is one of the reasons Dunwoody & Brookhaven voters went city! Long, DCSS needs to cut all ties to Eddie Long. No more DCSS direct deductions from payroll tithes to New Birth and no funds for renting space, DCSS has lots available. Let us not even bring up his out of court settlements for the good bishops deeds. So after comparing your names I will stick with Jester, Millar, and Deal for now.
Educator for Life
March 6th, 2013
8:14 pm
@Private Citizen, it sems you are responding to people who voice their opinions as weel, so why call me out on it? Seriously, I made it a point to say that Rockerbabe has the ability to go and get information, but chooses to wait for someone to give it to her online. I said it is silly to complain when you can actually do something about it. Sounds like I was not attacking someone’s opinion, but questioning their judgment.
Science Teacher
March 6th, 2013
8:31 pm
As an employee of DCSS I am encouraged to see a board member finally do something that is really in the best interests of our students. Parents and teachers are fleeing DeKalb- I have stopped counting the number of teachers who are seriously considering leaving the county.
I live in the City of Decatur. Every house that I see go on the market in my neighborhood is under contract in less than a month. My salary sucks, but thanks to Lewis, Romona and Dr. A the value of my City of Decatur home is higher than ever!
Dekalbite@Maureen
March 6th, 2013
8:38 pm
Thanks for the explanation. I actually wondered if comments so close together from the same poster triggered “moderation”.
Confused
March 6th, 2013
9:20 pm
@Maureen- can you please clarify- Had Jester resigned before the judges Monday ruling, and the judge had ruled against Deal, would the other board members (Walker, etc) appointed her replacement? If not, who would have?
Maureen Downey
March 6th, 2013
9:34 pm
@Confused, Under what you have set out, if a judge ruled in favor of the DeKalb board by invalidating the state law allowing the governor to oust board members, the board would remain in place. If Jester was off the board by then via resignation, the eight remaining board members would have chosen her replacement.
Maureen
Dunwoody
March 6th, 2013
10:51 pm
“Dunwoody Housewife
March 6th, 2013
5:25 pm
Just wondering..why would Jester not run for State House where most of her constituents would be from Dunwoody area if she wants to help Dunwoody get their own school system vs the State Senate where her district area is much broader into Ptree Corners/Brookhaven/Chamblee?”
Tom Taylor is House Rep from Dunwoody and he is leading the charge for a Bill to,allow new school districts for Dunwoody, johns creek, Milton, peachtree corners, Brookhaven etc. He is doing the work of the people.
Fran Millar has not come out in support of a dunwoody school district and has not put in legislation in the senate, thus the reason many in dunwoody are seeking a replacement to Fran Millar. Not once has Millar been quoted or publicly said he wants a school district for dunwoody. He also did not put in a bill for city hood either and he cost the city a year on obtaining its parks.
Now you know why people are e ginning to question Millar and Jester is only person with name recognition to defeat him.
Dunwoody
March 6th, 2013
10:54 pm
Instead of working on legislation to remove CEO position from DeKalb Millar’s time at Capitol would be better spent working on legislation to allow new school districts.
ShooShee
March 7th, 2013
12:02 am
If the people of Druid Hills would band together on this issue like they did on the redistricting issue, they could easily succeed in recalling Gene Walker. Easily.
Private Citizen
March 7th, 2013
4:48 am
having to say the same things over and over to people who apparently don’t have any ability to read or understand.
Hey-yoo! I’ve figured out what is going on with Mountain Man. He is operating on two levels. There is nothing deliberate about it, no manipulation. Level 1 is that he works in the market, in business, and expects a straight balance sheet, work ethic, literacy, etc. Sounds good. But Level #2… this is where things get interesting. He’s programmed and here’s how, as told by Frantz Fanon:
“Unless we make use of that frightening postulate- which so destroys our balance- offered by Jung, the collective unconscious, we can understand absolutely nothing. A drama is enacted every day in colonized countries… it was “the consequence of the replacement of the repressed spirit in the consciousness of the slave by an authority symbol representing the Master, a symbol implanted in the subsoil if the collective group and charged with maintaining order in it as a garrison controls a conquered city.”
(Fanon, “Black Skin White Masks” Grover Press, 1967, pp. 144-145)
In other words, Mountain Man is programmed to act like “Master” toward the city that he is compelled to assume “conquered.” He is programmed to take the role of authority figure in a system of colonization. This is different than neighbor, equal, peer, mentor, or friend to the urban dweller.
__________________
Private Citizen
March 7th, 2013
5:11 am
Educator for Life, I was chastising you for being crude toward someone voicing their legitimate opinion. See, I’m a populist and stand with the peoples. This sets me well apart from many Georgia education professionals who are content to join a mafia and reap from their elevated position to the commoners. And there are plenty of commoners who live in fear of this arrangement. Meanwhile, to an educated urban person, a school teacher is right above shoe-shine person at the airport. They’re a service person expected to do a job – a reasonable assumption. But somewhere along the way, superintendent with distance learning degree gets paid more than the vice president of the United States and they get this culty band of “follower” employees. The whole mess is tawdry, but the corrupted methods are at the top of the management structure. I’d sure appreciate someone above them in the power structure pulling rank and straightening it out. It is possible to put the Jack-in-the-box back into the box, but it takes some effort. And the likes of SACS are well content to keep the commoners dumb as a rock, which is probably their true strategic aim, being coordinated by rich in what has become a rich / poor system for the populace.
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
11:09 am
@Decatur Dad I assume this thread is pretty much spent, but in case you return: “I’d take the long fingers of Eddie Long, Vernon Jones and Burrell Ellis ANY DAY before taking the dirty fingers of Nathan Deal, Nancy Jester and Fran Millar.”
I think that’s pretty good evidence that the Decatur you live in must be on a different planet from the one here in Georgia on planet earth.
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
11:24 am
@DunMoody come on, lighten up, “Dunwoody Housewife” takes me back to a the late 70’s/early 80’s & AJC columnist Rod Hudspeth, at least once a week he’d have a joke based on “Dunwoody Housewives” & frankly the punchline was based on the premise that while not “rich” in the manner of a Buckhead housewife, they were certainly spoiled & bored busybodies based on the standards of other suburban housewives in Atlanta area at the time – Marietta, whatever. The fact the moniker survives today . . . well take it how you will. Always seems to me that teasing that riles people the most is often is what hits close to home. You got jokes for Chamblee housewives, fire away, I’ve got a few we share amongst ourselves – my wife included. Can’t take yourself too seriously.
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
11:26 am
Hey Private Citizen you’ve broken down Mountain Man, please do me, do me!
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
11:27 am
@Private Citizen BUT you can’t quote or cite any outside source
Dekalbite
March 7th, 2013
1:53 pm
Coming in fine on my iPhone
Dekalbite
March 7th, 2013
2:13 pm
Oops! Wrong post.