Monday, November 9, 2009:
4:30pm Called Meeting to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter
Robert R. Freeman Administrative Center
Building A, J. David Williamson Board Room
3770 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA 30032
57 comments:
sorry, I posted before comment. Curious what this means - been trying to find out more about Pat Pope's situation and the long-term costs of using Parsons and Jacobs to manage the SPLOST III funds. Didn't we have a little problem with wasted money the last time we had a private firm managing funds. I'm guessing whatever improprieties Pope might be accused of could not possibly be as costly as the Heery losses (and as previously reported here, the $14 million in legal fees), not to mention the cost of using consultants instead of employees.
It's a lot less expensive to replace an employee and "buy out" a $200,000 contract, or just let it run out (remember Johnny Brown)than it is to balance and manage and pay consultancy firms.
If you look at the fees, I'm betting Barbara Colman isn't earning a whole lot more than Pope after her employer gets their cut. (contract pays $24,000 to Parsons for her services for six weeks)
BTW, I wonder if the contract is based on days or hours, b/c there is a two-day vacation during the 30 contracted working days - (and even tho the Wed. before Turkey day is a work day, no one ever works the full day or gets anything done!)
I also wonder if we have the full-time services of the people at Jacobs .. and if so, why are we paying to use their administrators?
That's just my witchy opinion
It probably has nothing to do with Pat Pope. If you want to fire a teacher in GA, the board has to have a level of involvement if the teacher appeals. Very often, these hearings are canceled at the last minute because both sides reach a settlement of some type. It also could be about promotions or demotions or a zillion other things.
They won't fire Pat Pope and they won't press charges either. The attorneys for Heery-Mitchell are chomping at the bit for another opportunity to depose her - and they can't - unless charges are filed. It's a legal quandary. The current best solution is to just pay her and let her pretend to be working.
Personally, even though it appears to be outrageously expensive, I have a feeling that these construction managers could possibly be very professional and actually get the work done. Let's hope.
It is going to be outrageously expensive, and its once again taxpayer funds going to non-classroom expenses.
Trust me, Parsons/Jacobs is in this to make a small profit now and a large profit down the road. They will be around for a long time.
We really, really need a superintendent and upper management from outside the system. But the current BOE knows Crawford, Moseley, Turk, Ramsey, Talley, etc. are "pliable", and stop for any BOE call and demand, no matter how insignificant and petty. We need a superintendent who can be a strong leader, and who tells the BOE to set policy and approve budgets, not to play the games they play now.
Right, there are a countless number of reasons to go into executive session to discuss personnel matters. Another of which is the Super's contract. When is Dr. Lewis' contract up for extension? I honestly don't know. But I do know if there's no more than a year left you've got a Lame Duck situation and progress in a school system comes to a halt because employees stop following the lame superintendent's mandates. If he's operating with less than two years on his contract we should expect frequent executive sessions while the board makes the decision to extend or not.
Rumor is, the board has already extended his contract again.
Anyone have any contacts on the Board that they can check with?
RECALL PETITION
If Lewis' contract is extended our students are in trouble.
I've heard that people have taken the math problems in elementary school up the ladder, but that it's stopped and that the board thinks that the elementary math program is great along with the poorly designed benchmarks.
We need true leadership that understands how to provide our students with a quality education. We also need a leader who can rally the low morale amongst the teachers who care about the kids but who are tired of the administration and lack of leadership within DCSS.
A couple more personnel matters that might be discussed...coaches being let go at two schools for using "ineligible players" and schools having to forfeit games.
Lack of leadership and integrity is trickling down!!
FYI: Parents at Stone Mountain and Lithonia, especially Stone Mt., are FURIOUS! DCSS better contact DeKalb Police and have extra security at tonight's games.
This is not going to go away. Stone Mt. hasn't made the playoffs in a while, and parents and alumni has been overjoyed about this season.
But here's the big problem: The DCSS Athletics Dept. In most counties like Gwinnett, the high school runs their own athletic dept. and most have their own stadium and other facilities, and keep most of the ticket revenue.
In DeKalb, DCSS handles most of the administrative duties and the stadiums (some of which are very poorly maintained). Each high school has an A.D,, but it's usually an overworked teacher working extra hours part-time.
DCSS takes all the revenue and distributes it (not equally, because minor sports like track barely sqeak by). Football and basketball rule the kingdom in DeKalb high school sports, and always have. Girls sports are just waiting for a Title IX lawsuit.
Anyway, if Crawford Lewis and Ron Seebree are going to run athletics and take the revenue, then they need to be held responsible for situations like this.
I guarantee Lewis and Seebree will push the blame of these two high school A.D.'s, who are part-time and over-worked. These part-time A.D.'s around the county are begging parents for funding help, and holding every kind of fundraiser possible.
It's the DCSS Athletics staff who should be double-checking every athlete's eligibility. It's very easy with some basic software applications (unless you get Ron Hunter and DCSS MIS involved).
Ron and Crawford, you can't take all the revenue, and not do some of the tedious work, like checking eligibility.
Again, Crawford Lewis and Ron Seebree are going to definitely displace the blame. They'll tell the media and parents and alumni and the poor players that they are faultless with this. The part-time A.D's and maybe even the head coaches are at fault.
If DCSS Athletics staff are not going to be competent and professional, then give athletics back to the high schools. Let them run their programs and their facilities and bring in their own revenue.
Expect to see this on all the local news tonight. I pray there are no incidents at the football games tonight. Please be on alert DeKalb Police!
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/two-dekalb-high-schools-187569.html
Two DeKalb high schools violate eligibility rules, forfeit games
By Ty Tagami
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
4:45 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2009
The football teams at Stone Mountain and Lithonia high schools will each forfeit four games as punishment for fielding ineligible players.
The Georgia High School Association issued the sanctions, which include a $700 fine for Lithonia High, in the wake of an investigation last week by the DeKalb School System, a system spokesman said Thursday.
"We take great pride in our athletic programs and are very disappointed to learn of these violations," the spokesman, Dale Davis, said in a news release. Stone Mountain High played one ineligible athlete and Lithonia fielded several, he said.
Coach at Miller Grove High did the same thing. I heard he is back. He never really left for he was giving instructions to coach at school. The basket ball team did win state championship.
What does SACS stand for? I know who they are.
Southern Accreditation Commission
Nah, they may fire the coaches. DCSS never holds its incompetent central office employees accountable. Why do that?
Nope...
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
SACS + Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Headquarters are on Southern Lane, right next to VA Hospital on Clairmont Rd.
If a head coach blatantly knows a player is ineligible, that coach has a responsibility to make sure the player does not participate until he/she has been cleared by GHSA.
However, if the coach doesn't know about an eligibility concern, and there are 40-70 kids on the football team, the coach should not be helf responsible in any way.
The AD's are part-time, and have a ton of responsibilities to do. The GHSA is very strict on eligibility. And it's a well known fact that the GHSA leadership is dominated by rural school systems. GHSA is extra hard on the urban school districts, whether Atlanta, Fulton, Savannah, Macon or DeKalb. Ask any longtime coach or A.D., and you'll hear stories about the differences in GHSA rulings when an urban high school commits and infraction and when a rural school like Valdosta commits the same.
It ain't right or fair, but it's the way it is. Why do we pay high salaries of DCSS Athletic Dept. administrators when they don't do a good job with needed admin taks like eligibility?
Teams have been practiving since late July. This should have been caught weeks ago, not on the last day of the regualr season. This is crushing for all those student athletes and their families who are eligible and do play by the rules.
P.S. There is a clear need for a DCSS Athletics Advisory Board, with a rep. for each school board member, and preferably someone from the local colleges like Georgia Perimeter (great baseball teams), Agnes Scott and/or Emory and someone from county Parks & Rec.
DCSS Athletics needs to step up and take responsibility for this fiasco.
"We take great pride in our athletic programs and are very disappointed to learn of these violations," the spokesman, Dale Davis, said in a news release. Stone Mountain High played one ineligible athlete and Lithonia fielded several, he said.
One, just one ineligible player, and this awesome season for Stone Mountain football is over. How does this happen? And why so late in the season?
Typical Dale Davis response (when he actually gives one).
This is really horrible for Stone Mountain. Those kids earned it.
They played an awesome season. This one kid never even scored the whole season.
My son plays for Miller Grove who are not in place for the playoff. Miller Grove sucked!!
They dont want it this way. They know they did not earn it.
We are rooting for Chamblee!!
Check the Tucker team. There are a lot of kids from City of Atlanta. This is nothing new. Word on the street is... Last years winning Tucker team starting line was not from Tucker...
If that is true, why has Tucker not been effected?
Also, the principal at these schools let this happen. If the Coach has to go then should the principal. That's the way I see it.
Tucker HS is famous for sneaking kids in outside of their attendance zone for football and basketball. Been that way for a looooooong time. Not sure why GHSA has completely ignored Tucker but came down so hard on Stone Mountain for ONE ineligible player.
I have the superintendent's contract extension somewhere. i've been meaning to post it. let me dig around for it...
Crawford Lewis signed a contract extension in April that takes him through Oct. 2011. $250K/yr plus a little bonus (maximum 10% of salary). I will post it at AtlantaUnfiltered this weekend.
Lets take a poll of what this Mondays meeting is about.
1. Pat Pope Scandel
2. Cross Keys
3. Lewis Contract
4. School Closing
5. Walker Conflict
6. Ineligible player scandel
7. OCR investigation (MGHS)
8. MGHS Lawsuit
9. 14,000,000 legal tab
How can his contract be canceled? He has wasted so much of the taxpayer dollars. If he is let go does the BOE and school system have to pay him the 250k for 2010 and 2011?
Are there not any conflict of interest loop holes?
Parents as stake holders need to start writing letters of complaint to their representatives for the Dekalb Chamber of Commerce and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Stake holders need to put a foot up the rumps of those BOE members not servicing our "kids" best interest by starting A Recall Petition.
We need to bring"THE BACKGROUND NOISE" to the front of the mic.
It worked with Clayton County.
Lets not let DCSS fester like Clayton.
It is bad enough!
With SACS stepping in, the parents and students of Clayton County School System are feeling the effects of a positive turn around.
A recall petiton or even the threat of one will let the BOE know that they better listen for they are not untouchable as it appears they think they are.
Anon - no one has ever simplified the point of this blog so well before as your statement below --
Lets take a poll of what this Mondays meeting is about.
1. Pat Pope Scandel
2. Cross Keys
3. Lewis Contract
4. School Closing
5. Walker Conflict
6. Ineligible player scandel
7. OCR investigation (MGHS)
8. MGHS Lawsuit
9. 14,000,000 legal tab
It's always about putting out fires. Worse, fires they themselves create. When in the heck will they focus on educating our children?
Rockdale and Fayette county have the top school systems in Georgia.
Does this mean that bigger is not better?
I think so when it comes to government and politics.
The more corruption, the less cooporation.
The more problems, the less productivity.
The more scandel, the more our kids suffer.
And we wonder why Georgia is number what in the nation?
I am from New York. The probelms with in the school are not with the administration so much as it is the environment.
Parents up top would not allow Crawford Lewis to get away with the cramp he has gotten away with.
14,000,000 in attorney fees for a case that has not even gone to court!
And this "FOOL OF A SUPERINTENDENT" is claiming or forseeing a victory!
Is Crawford Lewis on "freaking" drugs!
Question(s) of the day:
How many new school could have been built for 14,000,000?
How many new math, science or reading teachers could have been hired for 14,000,000?
How much are the renovation cost for Crosskey?
Dont let the new Dunwoody Elementary and Arabian Mt projects fool you.
Crawford is doing a lousy job!
Rockdale and Fayette County were shining examples a decade (or more) ago, but both are struggling. They were both small school systems designed to serve white, mid-to-upper-middle class students for whom college was assumed to be compulsory. Now that their demographics have significantly diversified and their student bodies have exploded in number, they are scrambling to figure out how to educate a clientele much more like the same children (urban, poor, disenfranchised) that DeKalb has been educating for decades.
Rockdale and Fayette may have less front-page administrative scandal than DeKalb, but trust me, they are NOT doing any better in the classrooms.
DeKalb has some truly wonderful teachers - and if the administration would simply support them and let them do what they do best - I'm certain things would improve.
By support them I mean -
Assign parapros and aides to help in the classroom - get rid of 90% of the "curriculum supervisors"
Give teachers groups of students who can learn at similar paces at least during math and English time. It's ridiculous to expect teachers to teach at all levels at once in these subjects.
Reduce the burden of paperwork on teachers.
Fire bad teachers - they give good teachers a bad name.
Bring in inspiring and motivating speakers and innovative leaders to teach in-service lessons on teacher work days.
Give them time to do lesson plans and meet with parents during the day - as it is now, they can hardly take a bathroom break.
Assign someone other than teachers to lunchroom and bus duty.
Think of ways to support - rather than critique.
Don't take money from their paychecks - find another way.
Quality teachers are fed up and leaving DCSS. Watch how many teachers leave at the end of the year. It will really surprise people. Teachers who care and want to teach are tired of fighting and are leaving.
When teachers are sent memos from the superintendent like the one below -- asking them to reach out to rule breakers - and encouraging support - even though these people broke the law - then his leadership of everyday folks must really come into question.
Remember this? I really can't get over it.
To: All DeKalb Employees
From: Dr. Crawford Lewis, Superintendent
Subject: Message From the Superintendent
Date: 24 June 2009
As you know by now, Atherton Elementary School was recently implicated in the CRCT cheating scandal that has been a source of much publicity by the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC).
As Superintendent, I was both concerned and surprised that this investigation was elevated to the front page of Sunday?s AJC newspaper and warranted a probe by the District Attorney?s office. Dr. James Berry and Mrs. Doretha Alexander are good people who made a grave mistake. They both acknowledged their involvement and accepted their consequences. They have served the DeKalb School System with distinction for many years. It is important that you know that the school district was not consulted nor played any role in their recent arrests. While we do not condone their actions in any way, they should be allowed to move on with their lives.
DeKalb County School System is a family, and during difficult times family should come together. As a family, I am asking the entire system to reach out to Dr. Berry and Mrs. Alexander and show your support. An e-mail, card or phone call will go a long way towards showing Dr. Berry and Mrs. Alexander that we still care about them. The DeKalb County School System is a great school district working together to ensure that all of our students are successful and prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
The part that slays me is this, " It is important that you know that the school district was not consulted nor played any role in their recent arrests. While we do not condone their actions in any way, they should be allowed to move on with their lives."
For real? Break the law - cheat the kids - and then just move on? What kind of example does this set?
Add to that - the sweet deal Lewis got on a surplus car - the military academy fiasco - the incomprehensible school enrollment data - the Arabia bait and switch - his strange handling of Pat Pope - the legal fees and overuse of lawyers - and seems we have a very ineffective leader at the helm. I don't think he should be sitting in judgement of anyone else.
Cere
Thank you for posting that memo.
What is that web address for the salaries of DCSS administrative offices?
How long has Crawford been Superintendent?
Anybody remember the grounds for Johnny Brown being let go?
Go to
http://open.georgia.gov/
then go to salaries and travel - click that you agree/understand the rules - then search by "person" or "organization" - which we are under local boards of education
Hmm - how long has Lewis been super? I'd say 4 or 5 years. Johnny Brown stepped on a lot of good ol boys toes.
I own rental property near Lakeside. Last summer (2008) I had two families call about the property who made it very clear that their children were on Lakeside athletics rosters (one football, the other cheer, I think) and so they were trying to get closer to Lakeside. W/ the football dad in particular, he indicated his son was already there and they just wanted to live closer for convenience. I never got the details as to why and how the kid was on the team, butt here was a certain smugness about the dad that made me wonder whether it would matter to the school if this kid actually moved into the district. Eligibility???
LOL! Yes he did Cere... yes he did!
I remember as a PTA Board memember going up to the school to assis the teachers in setting up their rooms two weeks before school.
The second week of school we had four teachers breaking down their rooms.
Johnny Brown sent them stepping. They were on year three of a provisional for they could not pass the certification test.
Then he started to for those retired fat cats getting a pension check and another check of 40k plus as a consultant.
Johnny Brown tried to do good by our kids. If we knew then what we know now we should have fought the board to bring him back.
He was really and truly about the business of the kids.
Right, Anon. I also recall that Johnny Brown did an audit of all of the DCSS jobs and found MANY people were being paid for jobs they did not do (to get more $). He found lots of people unqualified for their posts and either demoted them or let them go.
Cere hits a point: It was Crawford Lewis, other upper administrators, and the retirees dpuble sipping as consultants who went behind Johnny Brown's back to BOE members to bad mouth him until they convinced the BOE to let him go.
It was a coup led by Crawford, and they won. Unbelievable that no one from the then BOE saw through their machinations.
We have another coup coming. It's being led by parents and taxpayers, and you're the one who's going to leave this time, Crawford.
LET HIM REAP WHAT HE HAS SOWN!!!! I just wish we could take some of this waste of taxpayer dollars out of his feaking salary.
Add this idiot's name to the list of personnel matters...you can best believe he will no lomger have a job with DCSS's SW Dekalb unless he's a friend of a friend....gotta love friends in high places to keep you employed.....
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/21561639/detail.html
Let our state rep
s and stae senators know that the foolishness of the DCSS Central Office sure doesn't help recruit business to the county:
All of the senators and representatives who represent parts of DeKalb County will be hosting a public hearing this Thursday, November 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Chamblee United Methodist Church, 4147 Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
The SW Dekalb incident is new information about old news. Grigby was let go shortly after the incident became public. He is no longer with the school system.
Interesting to hear that charges were filed against him for that incident. Listening to some with knowledge of this incident, Grigby stepped away into one of the storage areas in the chorus room while the incident was occurring. After he was suspended, students and parents had rallies for his defense however he could not overcome the fact that this occurred while he was the teacher. Unfortunate for Grigby as he was a well respected teacher.
This is a very different story than the one I've heard in the past. Curious - was it Gwen Keyes who filed the charges? The school system seems to be on her radar screen lately.
Teacher Charged In Simulated Sex In Class Case
Posted: 12:06 pm EST November 9, 2009
Updated: 12:24 pm EST November 9, 2009
ATLANTA -- A former chorus teacher pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he allowed his students to perform simulated sex acts in class.
Nathan Grigsby faces six counts of public indecency and four contributing to the deprivation of a minor charges.
Prosecutors said Grigsby abdicated his responsibility as a teacher, but Grigsby said he’s innocent.
“I’m saying to you I’m not guilty sir. I’m not guilty,” said Gribsby in court Monday.
The former Southwest DeKalb High School chorus teacher insisted he did nothing wrong, but prosecutors told a different story.
“It was despicable. It was deplorable. It’s the worst thing that I’ve ever seen take place in a public classroom,” said DeKalb County solicitor Robert James.
James said Grigsby stood by and watched three of his male students perform a provocative, lewd dance on female students.
“Grabbing their ankles, genital to genital, gyrating on the young ladies, picking the young ladies up around their waist,” described James.
The dance was recorded by a student and placed on Facebook and that’s how school officials found out about it. Grigsby was fired.
Really, this is pretty frightening for a teacher. He could actually get prison time for a crime like this. If he's innocent - and many parents say he is - then this could be a really severe wake-up call for teachers as to the fine line they walk.
Has the news gotten a hold of this yet? DCSS is going to be worst than Clayton!
My child is a senior. If SACS gets involved and pull Dekalb accrediation, how will that affect my child is she has already graduated?
Actually, that info came to us from WSB. Also, if (and that's a big "if") SACS were to look deeply into DeKalb, they would certainly give them a plan and an opportunity to correct what they see as wrong. They don't just steamroll in and take away accreditation - they give plenty of direction and guidance. They don't want to take away anyone's accreditation. It's only a last resort. And they've only done it twice in forty years.
No worries about your senior in HS -- or anyone else.
Schools that get hit for ineligible players are generally ratted out by other schools. If you are a successful team, other teams check out your players. That is why Tucker is such a mystery--you would think people would be all over it.
A board member years ago said to some Lakeside parents who wanted a certain football coach hired (presumably to return to their own football glory days of yore) that they were idiots and shouldn't want a successful team. This board member said it would result in ringers being brought in or pretending to live in district. So obviously the board knows it happens.
Tucker Mom - I wish DCSS would put some teeth into verifying addresses for each student attending. We're tired of people lying about addresses to come into our schools. We need to get back to the REAL COMMUNITY school. Why is it at elementary school needs to be verified but middle and high there is no rechecking at registration unless you are a new student!
re: the Chorus Teacher at SW DeKalb -- go and count the number of kids who were in that classroom without an assistant -- what's that about classsize? Where's the TA? ParaPro? Student Teacher? Anyone for any help? Poor guy.
That happens to all band, orchestra, and chorus classes through out the county.
It use to be SACS stated that after you hit 200 kids per day you got an assistant. No if, ands, or buts. It was something that was needed long before you hit the 200 number but administrators had to follow SACS guidelines.
About, 3 years ago, SACS changed the rules... The rule is now one (1) band teacher can teach 100 students per class by themselves with no help. 2) chorus can teach 85 students by themselves. 3) orchestra can teach 65 by themselves per class.
In many schools in DCSS the principals are having to go SACS numbers because they are not title 1 and are having to use a point that would help with student control to get a parapro, or an ESOL teacher or a special ed teacher.
So if you have a problem with this you need to contact SACS and have the rule changed.
In England they have "watchers" who follow possible out of district suspects around to establish where they really live. Sort of big brother come true. Of course that costs more in salaries. Address verification can be tricky. Suppose I own a rent house near Lakeside and someone leases it paying first and last month's rent and then after enrolling thier students in Lakeside they abandon the lease? It is cheaper than tuition. The fradulent parent has a legal lease document-do landlords then drop the dime? How many school system employees do we want to hire to check up on people and then take action? Perhaps we could just "out" any suspects on the blog? How many lawyers will that employ? I wish I had some way of knowing how many people lied about being in the attendance zone or district. Is it a significant figure? Are there hundreds? Thousands? Less than 50? Who knows?
Somehow Gwinnett, with all its thousands of students, is able to actually verify addresses. They have a special unit of Gwinnett Police officers attached to the school to do this, along with social workers. One obvious sign is a kid who is chronically early or late to school (a sign of a long commute) or in the case of high school students still hanging around the school until 7:00 or later. This is not rocket science. It just requires the desire and the resources. DCSS chooses not to do this because they are extremely sensitive to being called racist. But it is all about appropriate use of tax dollars: if we have kids attending school A and it is called overcrowded, they build an addition, but if those kids should be at school B then we don't have to build that addition. Simple, huh?
RE: tracking out of district kids: because we have MARTA available, high school kids (and even middle school kids) can get on the MARTA bus when school is over, and go rather than hanging around, thus making it harder to track whee they live.
Of course, if they have to pray for a few minutes before the bus driver lets them get off, it might discourage them... Maybe MARTA can help DCSS track them down after all!
"DCSS chooses not to do this because they are extremely sensitive to being called racist"
Actually Crawford and Marcus Turk chose not to check residency because they want all the Title !/FRL students they can get.
Also, if they did check residency, there would be a couple of thousand less students in the system, and the BOE might actually make Crawford downsize his bloated administration a little bit.
They have a special unit of "Gwinnett Police officers attached to the school to do this, along with social workers. One obvious sign is a kid who is chronically early or late to school (a sign of a long commute) or in the case of high school students still hanging around the school until 7:00 or later. This is not rocket science. It just requires the desire and the resources." Maybe we can convince DeKlab County Government to provide this to DCSS, the police officers and the social workers. They could put it on their high priority list like preventing truancy.
1. Why is SACs involved with a case of an ineligible athlete. Doesn't the High School Sports Association (or whatever) handle that? I'm sure they did in the past.
2. Why no review of Tucker athletes--same as Lakeside in the 80s. Made sure the athletes they wanted were "on the bus" in MtoM.The coach wasn't just a good coach--he was a great recruiter. Tucker has same political clout.
3. Dunwoody was reveiwed, but not sanctioned for professionalizzing its basketball program about 5 years ago. Dunwoody Crier actually exposed the scam--alumni actually rented apartments for the families to move into.
SACs is a real estate primer. Nothing affects real estate values like schools.
Post a Comment