Sunday, July 25, 2010

Best book deal in town

It's a great gig - write a book and as a "leader" in DeKalb schools, you have almost guaranteed yourself thousands of dollars in bonus income as your adoring 'fans' (employees) scarf up copies (no one seems to want to be caught without one!)

Read more at today's report in the AJC. Here's a snippet -

When DeKalb school official Ralph Simpson wrote a book about himself in 2007, he didn’t look far for a ready-made market to sell it.

He sold more than $12,560 worth of copies of the book — titled “From Remedial To Remarkable” — to five schools in the school district where he works, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned. Two of the schools were under his direct supervision.

In the 70-page paperback, printed in large font generally reserved for children’s books, Simpson writes about his evolution from a high school student in remedial classes to an assistant superintendent with a doctorate degree.

Now Simpson and at least three other school officials are under investigation by the school district, which also is asking the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to review the matter. The commission has the power to investigate and discipline educators.

Simpson sold 605 copies of the book to the high school where he had recently served as principal.


===

What do you think? Conflict of interest or simply capturing memoirs and sharing insight?

215 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 215 of 215
Vanessa Cooper said...

That is a good point. Trans Dir Guillory has bus drivers coming into the office to do the work of those he Rif'd.

3 months till election. In the meantime im starting with the DA's office, from there the State Board of Education, from there, the Senator, the Governor, the House of Reps, etc. I have the time. I have the motive. I am in the process of getting signage printed, im also checking into what permit I need to take the message to the streets. I am getting the community involved in this. I dont need help now because im in the early stage of this reformation/campainge. But i will call upon you all in September for assistance. Im getting my facts, EEOC complaint, and attorney together now. But when its time for the news broadcast and the ralleys, I will let you all know. Please call me with any assist/questions. 678-754-2917 Vanessa Cooper.

Anonymous said...

Vanessa

I think the best path for you would be both the EEOC and an employment/labor law attorney.

That is your best path if your goal is to get your job back.

Anonymous said...

When I worked at Miller Grove High School, I was asked to teach the exact 5-question multiple-choice benchmark test, then give the same test to the students and record the grade in my gradebook. I explained to the students that I felt it was unethical to teach the items on a test verbatim, and was reprimanded by Selina Thedford, because as she said, I was calling her unethical. I appealed to Dr. Searcy about test procedures, and she did not intervene.

When I was fired, referring to Selina as unethical was part of my charge. My how justice runs her course.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 1:03 AM

Please, please, please get in touch with the authorities about what you were asked to do at Miller Grove with regard to testing.

Many of us cannot risk revealing our identities by speaking out. But, it appears that possibly you can.

DCSS is truly evil. However, they are not all that bright. If they indicated that one of the reasons you were fired was because you referred to Thedford as "unethical", then they have set a trap for themselves.

Anonymous said...

Anyone see Dr. Lewis interviewed on Fox 5 News last night? He says he is innocent and that the charges are ridiculous. His wife stands by him and they just kept saying it will all come out at the trial. He swears he's done nothing wrong and all of his decisions were for the good of the children.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Lewis is a lying sack of excrement. He will get his as soon as they get to trial. For the good of the children? $2000 chairs, $35,000 light system in a facility that the majority of DCSS students will never see.

PCard abuse on a Bahama Island, The wonderful million dollar programs that lined the pockets of friends and families? How about how Clew paid or coerced journalists to print lies and distortions about DCSS stakeholders, parents and former employees that did not toe the line?

The DA has a tough road ahead and just think the DeKalb taxpayers are on the hook for the Defense and the prosecution. Isn't government great!

Anonymous said...

I reported to selina blatant disrespect by a coworker. She announced him as teacher of the month the following day. It wasn't even time for teacher of the month.

Vanessa Cooper said...

Please contact the board via email to voice concerns, the more they know the better they are aware. however, we still need a new board panel.

watch for further information to rid them of their positions. contact hr and interal affairs to file a formal complaint, contact GAE. The more we begin to speak out the greater we will be heard.

Anonymous said...

Please post BOE responses so that we can all see how responsive our members are.

Anonymous said...

As of today when I addressed the BOE they did not respond directly, I got the same old standard response from HR "WE FOLLOWED POLICY AND PROCEDURE, which cc their attorney. Sound familiar, same standard response from Lewis. and any other cover up response. they should be totally exposed, which im in the process of doing.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone see the news on Friday afternoon, all of the evils are being exposed, all of their pictures were flashed on the news. They are all being investigated. SACS want answers. The board of ed will have to comply, they will have to do right. Someone said WATCH THIS, i guess they will have to answer to higher authority. The nepotism, lying, cheating and self-glorifying peoples will have to go. One of the board members threatened to "slug" the reporter. Watch this you are on point. SACS wants to hear from you. Please contact the office for formal complaint instructions. Please dont sleep on this one. If you have concerns they want to hear from you. Now is the time that all corruptness must leave our school sytem.

Anonymous said...

This play has a lot of twists and turns in it. Wonder if Butler is going to be included in having the Best Cookbook in town? Did you read January Blog about how Butler was hired and the fact that her job as the wellness Director was not even posted. OMG( SACS) where are you? DCSS has so many qualfied people who majored in health education and yet, they go and hire a motivational book writer/speaker. She never performed her duties as a former administrator because she was incompetent and only the fast track of making money through our kids and trying to fool people with common sense that she started the first sugar free school. OMG, Move other Ms. jackson, simpson, and thedford, butler needs to be invited in the jail cell with you guys.

Dekalbparent said...

OOOOO KAAAAAY. I'm impressed. And so prompt...

A DeKalb County school administrator has agreed to serve a 10-day suspension for selling a book he wrote about himself to five local schools, including two that were under his direct supervision.
Ralph Simpson sold copies of his book "From Remedial to Remarkable" to five local schools for $12,560.
The suspension was negotiated and approved earlier this month by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the state agency that licenses and regulates teachers, Gary Walker, director of the PSC's educator ethics division, said on Wednesday.
In July 2010, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Ralph Simpson wrote a book about himself in 2007 and found a ready-made market to sell it in the DeKalb school system.
Simpson sold more than $12,560 worth of copies of the book, "From Remedial to Remarkable," to five schools, including 605 to Miller Grove High School in Lithonia, where he had once been principal.
Interim School Superintendent Ramona Tyson demoted Simpson from area assistant superintendent to assistant principal after the AJC report. She also demoted Selina Carol Thedford, Simpson's successor at Miller Grove, from principal to assistant principal.
The PSC also imposed a 10-day suspension this month on Thedford. It was determined she bought the books for the school from Simpson and split invoices to avoid closer scrutiny of the purchases, said Jeff Dickerson, school system spokesman.
Tyson has pushed through a new ethics policy that prohibits using public funds to buy goods or services from district employees. Employee training on the new policy starts this year, Dickerson said.


http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-administrator-author-agrees-992204.html

dafinest1983 said...

Dr. Ralph. Simpson was my principal at Stone Mountain. He was NOTHING LESS than a present day Joe Clark! I know that he is human. A remarkable character that just made mistakes as we all do. I love you Simpson. From the c/o 2002 head drum major in charge!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, everyone is talking so bad about Y. Butler. Well look at the AYP scores this year for the school she left. So much for all of your bad mouthing her. I am a parent who had three kids go to school there. They look at the packaging on their food before they eat, and still keep it sugar free and to top it off. All are straight A students. Hmmmm, looks like she did something right. Job well done Dr. Butler.

«Oldest ‹Older   201 – 215 of 215   Newer› Newest»