Monday, March 29, 2010

Let's Use Our Grassroots Network for Lasting Change

by AMP in DH

As many readers are aware, five of the nine members of the Board of Education are up for re-election this year. These members represent the odd-numbered districts -- Jim Redovian (District 1), Sarah Copelin-Wood (District 3), Jay Cunningham (District 5), Zepora Roberts (District 7), and Eugene Walker (District 9). At the following link, you can find street-level maps outlining the boundaries of these districts (found by clicking on "Board of Education District Map" and the "Board of Education Super District Map") available at this link.

Also, for those of you who may be considering running or who want to recruit candidates, please mark on your calendars June 28, 9:00 a.m., through July 2, 12:00 noon. Candidates seeking to run for Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9, must qualify with the DeKalb County Elections Superintendent during this time. The qualification fee for these seats is $540.00 Click here for the fee chart.

I think it would serve us all well to start in-person meetings after spring break for the purpose of establishing networks of volunteers in these five districts, brainstorming potential candidates, and developing campaign plans. Our goal should be to get our process underway before school lets out and, of course, before the qualifying deadline.

The only way we can achieve real, lasting change in our school district is to achieve a change in its leadership. It's our school district -- let's take it back and make it better than it's ever been.

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Thanks so much for writing up this important post AMP!

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cerebration,

Let us know when the meetings are starting. I'll be glad to make a donation to help defray the expense of running.

Cerebration said...

We'll certainly be working on this - and it's going to take ALL of us - all of YOU out there and your friends and grandparents!

This will be very interesting!

Dekalbparent said...

I'm in. Wish all the seats were up, but maybe those not up for re-election will pay attention.

Anonymous said...

The BOE would be very diferent if Ernest Brown defeated Gene Walker. Ernest had an uphill fight againt Sembler's tens of thousands for then DeKalb Development Authority chair Walker.

I hope Ernest runs again, and that Marshall orson also considers it. Orson lives in Dekalb but was instrumental with AppleCorps for Atlanta schools, getting corporations to partner with the system there, and bring real money to the table.

Anonymous said...

To unseat a member it would be best if there was a single candidate from the outside instead of a couple who would eventually end up splitting the "unhappy-with-the-way-things-are" voters. If interested, get your name out there soon, and get it widespread.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:19 is right on the money.

One strong candidate is better than a bunch of candidates, even if they are strong. It is already extremely difficult to unseat an incumbent. Having 3 or 4 names listed with the incumbent makes it harder.

However, if we can raise big bucks to support certain candidates we may be able to over come this.

AMP in DH said...

Great ideas, everyone. That should be our plan -- let's get together and get behind the right people in all the five districts. My representative is not up this year, but I will work as hard as I can to help those in the odd-numbered districts get the right person in office. Each member of the BOE affects all of DeKalb, so let's all work together.

If you personally are thinking of running or you know of someone you'd like to see run, please think about putting that name out on the blog. I also will create a Yahoo or Facebook group, which may be more workable. Once I have that group name/address, I will post it here on the blog.

AMP in DH said...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dekalbschools2010/

Once you have joined the group, we will have the ability to send group-wide e-mails, use a group calendar, etc.

Cerebration said...

Wow! AMP - you said you were going to set up a group and in under 14 minutes - you had it done! Impressive!

Anonymous said...

Ernest Brown, isn't he a friend of Dr. Lewis? I think we need to stay away from anyone who has anything to do with CLew. It's time we clean the whole house! If Ernest is not tied to CLEW then he should run.

Redovian only takes care of his own neighbors in Dunwoody. Why does Dunwoody High get the renovations before Chamblee High, when Chamblee is in dire need of a facelift and FOR HEALTH REASONS too?! The mold in that school is awful.

Jim, don't forget your district includes Chamblee.

Clean House top to bottom and please lose that 'Premiere" moniker. Let's be honest!

Anonymous said...

Jim Redovian would rather consider spending tax payers money building an addition to an overcrowded elementary school than simply balance attendance at all schools by redistricting. Placating neighbors may work in times of plenty, but when some schools are not full and thus do not benefit from additional funding, self-interest must be checked at the subdivision sign, and funneling money to all the schools he represents should move to the forefront.

I certainly hope someone else in N. Dekalb is willing to step up.

Anonymous said...

Do all 9 represent particular districts or are some them at-large/super district, as with the (7 member it must be pointed out) Board of Commissioners?

AMP in DH said...

Anon at 10:22,

If you click on the Dept. of Elections link (the first link) in the original post, you'll see a list of maps -- one is titled Board of Education District Map, another is titled Board of Education Super District Map. The seven regular districts simply represent smaller geographic areas; the two super districts essentially cut a diagonal line across the county, from upper left (northwest) to lower right (southeast).

Anonymous said...

Redovian only takes care of his own neighbors in Dunwoody. Why does Dunwoody High get the renovations before Chamblee High, when Chamblee is in dire need of a facelift and FOR HEALTH REASONS too?!

There are no renovations going on at Dunwoody.

Anonymous said...

I question why you think Chamblee should get their renovation before Dunwoody?

Anonymous said...

At a recent DCPC (Dunwoody/Chamblee Parents Council) meeting, I saw plans for renovation for Dunwoody High School, to be paid for by the current Splost.

CLew promised CHS students the next Splost, not even allocated yet, will include Chamblee High.

I think Chamblee's renovation should go first, since the school is incredibly unhealthy. They have lost several good teachers, over the past few years, due to health issues that include mold, mildew as well as structurally unsound areas of the school.

I have been to both schools recently and feel Chamblee is in much worse shape than Dunwoody. If you disagree, please let me know why.

Cerebration said...

When Splost 3 was approved, there was a list of priorities. The first one was to finish unfinished Splost 2 projects. The next one was Cross Keys HS. Then Tucker, Redan, Chamblee, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, DSA, Lakeside, Lithonia, MLK, Miller Grove. (High school projects, with others interspersed.)

For a variety of reasons, this list has been reshuffled. Now, we're getting concerned, as those of us who have yet to actually receive our construction think that with all the legal issues and budgetary issues, we may never see a backhoe at our properties. Nice drawings for sure - but you can't hold class in a blueprint.

Tucker is just about completed (December?) - same with Druid Hills. Redan has had work, but is part of the investigation. And Cross Keys is seeing a little action - but ironically - Sam Moss Center and Mtn Industrial are both pretty much finished. (They were 31 and 24 on the list respectively.)

Anonymous said...

I've been told construction at Dunwoody should begin after school is out. However, the auditorium is a no-go at this time.

Anonymous said...

Cere, can you post that list?

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:42, both Chamblee and Dunwoody were built around the same time frame. Why is one in such bad shape and the other you say is not?

Anonymous said...

Multiple projects can be worked on at a time - they are not single-threaded.

Anonymous said...

@6:08 please only post if you know what you're posting is true.

DHS was built in 1972. CHS actually started around 1917, I think there was a fire later and it was rebuilt WAAAY before 1972.

Anonymous said...

Construction on the current Chamblee campus began in 1971 and was completed in 1973.

Cerebration said...

I understand that multiple projects can be under construction at once. I will say, that there was a list of projects in order of priority - mainly used to get people to vote for SPLOST 3. I am unsure of the reasons why some projects much lower on the list of priorities have been delayed, allowing others to go ahead. It's unnerving - as it's been said many times that there is only about 25% of the money necessary to build all of the needed projects. So, when you get bumped, you may be forced to vote for SPLOST 4 to get your school project. I'm not certain I would do that.

You can find the Capital Improvement Plans here

http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/progress/cip/

Anonymous said...

@6:44 and 6:49, here's a cut and paste from Wikipedia regarding Chamblee HS...

# December 8, 1941: the entire campus burns to the ground after fire breaks out. Classes are relocated to the area hospitals and Baptist and Methodist churches.
# December 1942: the high school is rebuilt and classes resume on campus.
# 1950: a lighted general athletic field is built for football and baseball games.
# 1962: North DeKalb Stadium opens next door to Chamblee High School.
# 1964: the school is remodeled, adding 19 classrooms and five laboratories.
# 1965: The Football Team, led by Coach Gene Goff and Senior QB Jackie Smith upset arch rival Tucker 14-0 to win the 4-AA Sub Region title. The scrappy Bulldogs go on to defeat Stephens County 42-13 to win the Region Championship. However, they lose the following week in the State Semi-Final game to eventual State Champion, West Rome, 13-7.
# 1966: the new basketball gymnasium, chorus rooms, band rooms and swimming pool are added
# 1970: the old basketball gymnasium and home economics building are demolished. A new cafeteria is built on the site.
# 1973: the old 1942 classrooms are demolished and a new administration building and library are built.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 5:51pm, Where are you getting your information that the Dunwoody auditorium is not going to be built? The administrators at the school seem to think it is.

Anonymous said...

The confusion for anonymous 5:58 may be that the original plans for a fine arts wing have been scratched. The auditorium is still a go as far as a I know.

PolitiMom said...

Re: Redovian

I watched my neighbors lobby Redovian to stay in our home school when our subdivision was redistricted in the first plan, and it made me so mad! Redovian did a big disservice to the Dunwoody Cluster by not standing up to The Crazy who would rather have their kids in a school with 13 kindergarten classes and 28 trailers. Redistricting this cluster is the ONLY way, and I hope whomever has the courage to run in this district feels the same way.