State Senate and House members are forming a legislative review committee in response to the DeKalb County school board’s changing leadership and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ (SACS) questions regarding the board’s practices. Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) and Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) will co-chair the DeKalb School Board Legislative Review Committee and will hold their first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 341 of the State Capitol.
“I’m honored to serve as co-chair of this committee and look forward to working with DeKalb County’s legislative delegation to ensure this school system stays on the path to success,” said Jones. “There are serious issues facing DeKalb’s school system, and we must act immediately to see that the best candidates are elected to the board. The committee will also review the concerns raised by SACS in our capacity as the state delegation.”
Oliver emphasized the need for cooperation between the legislative committee and the school board, noting: “I’m a proud graduate of the DeKalb County school district, and I’m very concerned about the tough challenges our school board faces. We need to be proactive with our school board in looking forward to the 2011 Legislative Session to develop policies that address the current problems with the DeKalb County school board system.”
Members of the review committee will look at three specific areas, beginning with the need for more public information on candidates running for election to the school board, including the skills required to meet the current challenges. Members will also conduct a review of the school board’s implementation of reforms as required under a new law the legislature passed this year. Finally, the committee will provide assistance to the district in response to SACS’ inquiries and search for a new superintendent.
The committee will conduct meetings leading up to the legislative session that begins in January. Other issues that may be addressed include a review of the organization of the board, the organization act for board members and the school district as well as issues related to board oversight, new ethics mandates and public participation in the selection of a new superintendent.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Help from Mary Margaret and Emmanuel
This was just released - I like MMO, but I'm still skeptical that anyone in government will actually help us.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
63 comments:
I'm in!
Sagamore 7
I'd like to see Fran Millar as a part of this "state help". After all, he did get DeKalb its state money at the eleventh hour when The Palace Royalty coldn't be bothered with the paperwork.
Are the fine folks from Decatur going to put a leash on Ron Ramsey and "help" with his input objectively? Inquiring minds want to know.
Ron Ramsey was a member of Lewis's Cabinet and didn't investigate him (or any of the other scandals that have rocked the school systems). He's still a DCSS "Cabinet" member under Ms. Tyson. It would be an absolute conflict of interest for him to be advising the accrediting body SACS that will be investigating DCSS. No doubt SACS will be asking him questions. How can they be impartial if he is one of their advisers? I'm concerned his relationship with the other legislators may preclude them asking the hard questions - mainly how the Office of Internal Investigations which Mr. Ramsey heads let all of these ethical and alleged criminal acts by DCSS administrators and support managers continue with no actions brought against them.
with the need for more public information on candidates running for election to the school board
This statement bothers me a bit, if the candidates can't get their acts together to campaign (or know which district they live in), what does that say about them. This isn't the legislators responsibility\,
I see both legislators are democrat, are they going to invite any republicans to the committee? I've communicated with Mike Jacobs and he is on board with helping us out, in regards to Charter Clusters or ISD's.
I am also concerned about the quote about from Emmanuel, "I want to ensure the system stays on the path to success."
Mr. Emmanuel, we're not on a path right now we're stuck in a ditch. Ramsey should be fired, but he is a fellow democrat legislator and that concerns me to. Politicians getting involved is great, as long as they ensure we will find the right people to lead the district.
Folks, I think they are concerned that we're looking for ways to form charter clusters or independent school districts. They know we will need them to write legislation. We must send them emails, call them and send them letters that entail everything that has been uncovered on this blog as well as others.
-Not enough textbooks
-Not enough desks/chairs
-Buses overcrowded
-HVAC systems not working
-Science labs not updated and safe.
-Central Office bloat
-MIS systems not working
-Taxpayer Money going to waste.
This committee needs to be bi-partisan and very transparent. The more open their investigation and findings are the better.
Remember they work for us! We must demand change and that everyone is getting an equitable education, no matter which part of the county we live in.
Give us our district's budget and let us run it ourselves.
Pleeeeaaaase!
@ Anonymous 5:17
That's a really good idea. Emailing these legislators the facts about DCSS schools. It would be great to see their responses should be published on this blog. Goodness knows we can't get any responses from the current BOE members.
Fran Millar was the chair of this subcommittee until recently. I expect the whole delegation will be involved.
I honestly think the only thing to have them worry about is the superintendent selection process. This action alone is critical to our future.
The new super must have contractual rights to fire and hire at will central office personnel.
There is a newer version of this article up on the AJC. It is troubling in that it appears Ms. Oliver and Mr. Jones really do not appear to know their facts. #1 - Ms. Oliver states that the "SACS investigation is a serious matter". The fact is that there is no investigation by SACS at the moment. The answers that DCSS provides to SACS will determine if there is an investigation.
The Senate press release also indicated that several board members were indicted by the DA - they were not.
It's troubling that our elected officials cannot even take the time to understand what the situation is with DCSS and get their facts straight.
"The new super must have contractual rights to fire and hire at will central office personnel. "
Theoretically, the new super will have that right. It must be done in a way that does not violate any employment laws.
The probable situation might be reassigning central office employees to a school, in other words a take it or leave the system situation.
@ Anonymous 5:40
Surely Senator Ramsey cannot be involved as a member of this delegation. As one of the highest ranking members of the DCSS administration, he cannot advise the agency that investigates the DCSS administration. Nor as a high ranking administrator should he be allowed to advise the BOE on picking his supervisor (the superintendent).
@ Anonymous 5:53
"The Senate press release also indicated that several board members were indicted by the DA - they were not."
LOL - I'll bet the BOE members were fuming.
I just read the article, and it really concerns me. These legislators have no idea what's going on at DCSS. Like the previous poster said, there is NO SACS investigation right now and NO BOE members were indicted.
Technically, Clew sat on the BOE, however he did not have a vote or was elected to the post. So those quotes truly concern me.
We must watch everyone involved and I agree Ramsey should be no where near this committee, however being a legislator himself he'll have inside knowledge of what is being discussed etc... Definitely a conflict of interest, but that has not stopped anyone in the past.
The committee must be Bi-Partisan, Transparent and let's hope they talk to all stakeholders, including parents from all DCSS districts, teachers, support staff as well as BOE members.
Hmm.. maybe there's something they know that we don't (?) Maybe that's why Paul Womack chuckles at media interviews and says 'oh, just wait - stay tuned'...
I just wish Paul Womack was up for re-election. He's my district rep. Talk about someone who needs to be "swept away"! How out of touch can you get. If Womack had any integrity, he would resign along with the rest of the BOE.
Well, did you vote for Shayna at least?
Remember that the Federal government is investigating the Housing Authority. Remember the involvement of school board members with the Housing Authority and donations to their campaign. Remember that this same person was taken to court by members of the board and then the suit was dropped. Why was the suit dropped? Why did Walker need the school board attorney so much to protect him?
Why did Woods need to have so much contact with the school board attorney?
Where is that school board attorney now? Has anyone seen her lately? Is she still working for the school system?
How close is the friendship between Sara and Eugene behind the scene?
The legislature knows plenty that the people do not know.
Then the legislature needs to prove it. Their release is full of falsehoods.
I for one can't wait to read the responses by DCSS to SACS. Will it be full of facts? Time will tell!
I don't know - I think this effort will fizzle the way of eduKALB... still waiting for some kind of input from them. They have a pretty website - but no info on the candidates whatsoever. I've offered to share what we have - but they declined. We have more info at this blog - and we don't even ask for PayPal donations...
Sorry, but I'm very cynical these days.
Cere, nice! EduKalb.. Wow! Thanks for reminding me. Are they hosting any debates? When will they have any information that will help me choose a candidate? I'm with you, I'm very skeptical of that bunch, since so many of them are Vernon Jones supporters. It's hard to trust anyone right now.
What also concerns me about this "legislator committee" is their motive. They would be involved in allowing the charter clusters to exist. Could they have an agenda to help Ramsey at DCSS? I'm just saying.....
Maybe they have an agenda to stop the community from demanding a takeover. Maybe they are sensing our pitchforks and torches are raised and we need to be subdued.
Excuse my paranoia - it parallels my cynicism.
Several parents have been meeting with their legislators and asking for specific interventions. I think this committee is the result of those parents' advocacy.
Well, we'll see. I predict it will blow over just like eduKALB, SACS, etc... and we'll be left flapping in the breeze.
Oh, let's check eduKALB's website -
Info on candidates - NO
Info that one was disqualified - NO
Info on SACS request - NO
Info on upcoming debates - NO
Plans to host a debate - NO
Press releases about themselves - YES
List of their officers - YES
Nice stock photos - YES
Copied & pasted info from DCSS about DCSS - YES
Requests for donations to $1000 - YES
Rule Number 1: never trust a politician.
I heard about some person who challenged Zepora "Slug You" Roberts and he was "disqualified" on residency issues but claims its b/c hes a muslim and they are out to get them...
New Birth Mafia on this?
Another interesting article from the past worth reading. This is from 1997...
Hallford: No nepotism policies violated - Watchdog group trying to get names of relatives in system
The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution - Thursday, January 23, 1997
Author: Doug Cumming STAFF WRITER: DeKalb
The DeKalb school system's response to questions about nepotism go no further than an assurance from Superintendent J. Reynolds Hallford that no policies have been violated.
But then, the school system has virtually no policy against family members of board members or top administrators working for the system.
"Well, I never said you violated rules," said John Evans, a former county commissioner who raised the issue last November as president of the watchdog group Save South DeKalb . "I just wanted names of relatives."
Board Chairman W. Bradley Bryant, whose wife Kay was hired as a special-education paraprofessional at Henderson Mill Elementary after Bryant was elected to the board, told Evans at the board meeting Jan. 6 that members could give him names of their close relatives on the payroll. But he said it was up to Hallford to release a list of relatives of administrators and principals. Hallford says no such list exists.
The system's job applications do not ask about relatives in the system.
"To say this is a family system would put it mildly," said system spokeswoman Mary Stimmel. "There are tons of brothers and sisters and cousins. For years, it was encouraged."
Given that the system has 13,000 employees and that employees tend to spend their entire careers in the system, it's not surprising that "It's almost like a family business," said board member Lynn Cherry Grant. She began her teaching career at Cross Keys High while her late father, Jim Cherry, was still superintendent. Her two sisters still work for the system.
Board member Frances Edwards, whose daughter, Philandrea Guillory, and son-in-law, David Guillory, both got school system jobs after Edwards joined the board in 1991, said just raising the question of nepotism could be taken as a personal attack on the integrity of system employees. Philandrea, her mother said, is extremely well-qualified, with degrees in journalism and school administration and experience as a school principal.
"I hope my children will spend their whole careers in the school system, long after I'm off the board," Edwards said. "I think it would be good to have three generations in the system."
Evans doesn't claim anyone is unqualified, but simply that the vast web of blood ties breeds a "lack of objectivity." His group's concerns began when it recommended that an outsider be hired to replace retiring Superintendent Robert Freeman , who had a son employed in the system.
Instead, the board selected Hallford, whose wife, sister, son and ex-sister-in-law all work for the system.
"There are too many folks who owe too many favors," Evans said, "and the beat goes on."
Can't believe that I agree with John Evans! I also can't believe that these issues have been percolating for more than a decade without resolution.
Well, at the very least, these old news articles show that people DID have a problem with nepotism when the schools were run by white superintendents. Someone please send copies of this article to Zepora.
Emory Lavista Parent Council
Join us at 9:15 am
(refreshments begin at 8:45 am)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Oak Grove Elementary School
1857 Oak Grove Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30307
Our guest speaker Ms. Ramona Tyson,
Interim Superintendent for DeKalb County Schools, presents the
State of the System
Upcoming Meetings:
October 20: Briarlake Elementary School
Topic: Governance
November 17: Medlock Elementary School
Topic: Redistricting
To receive our notices, send an email to EmoryLavistaParentCouncil@gmail.com
or visit our web page
www.emory-lavista.org
I think the gentleman who has been disqualified from running in District 7 actually lives in a different district. If that is true, he should not be allowed to run in the wrong district. But what absolutely floored me was that he said his children (and he has 10) go to school in district 7. How in the world could so many registrars at so many schools make the mistake of enrolling so many children in the wrong school? This is part of what is wrong with DCSS schools!
Yes, he apparently unknowingly lives in District 5. He has 12 children - and yes, they go to school in District 7 (or at least some of them do).
I am actually glad he was eliminated. We have a couple of good candidates still in that race against Zepora. This increases the chances of one of them beating her.
More than half of Zepora's schools are split districts. In other words, the attendance zone is split between two different board members. You can see for yourself here.
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/administration/operations/files/051B0FAA9605464EB5381E328D84169C.pdf
. "I think it would be good to have three generations in the system."
Evans doesn't claim anyone is unqualified, but simply that the vast web of blood ties breeds a "lack of objectivity." His group's concerns began when it recommended that an outsider be hired to replace retiring Superintendent Robert Freeman , who had a son employed in the system.
Instead, the board selected Hallford, whose wife, sister, son and ex-sister-in-law all work for the system.
Pulling my hair out now.
Mary Margaret, as a resident of DeKalb County and the Druid Hills community, has great interest in this matter, as the state of DCSS directly affects her district, and her own declining property values. She is smart, hard working, and can get things done. I am glad someone with her credential is jumping in to help.
I hear that Brad Bryant, speaking at a DCSS PTA dinner this week, insinuated that DCSS is looking a lot like Clayton County. If he is worried about loss of Accreditation, we are in trouble. Mary Margaret Oliver, I hope you can help us. As residents of DeKalb County, we have much to lose.
I like MMO too. I just hope this isn't another let down, fizzle-out. As far as Brad Bryant - I was there when the federal guys presented to a DeKalb group how to access the RTTT funds, and he stood up and pretty much said, DeKalb won't get any because our schools are so much better than most others in the state (rural areas). We all wondered why on earth we were even there!
Also - August 26, 2010 9:47 PM - ALL schools share several board reps (I think Lakeside has 3 or 4) - but each board rep has a definite geographic voting district. There are 7 districts and 2 super-districts that overlay the others.
I've just been telling everyone I know to make sure they vote against anyone who is an incumbent. I collar people everywhere I to that don't have children in the system - telling them how the school system BOE and administration is contributing to their property declines.
That said, I hope the really good candidates are able to get their message out so voters can make an informed choice.
Here's Bowen's comment copied and pasted from the AJC -
Board chairman Tom Bowen said the board is confident accreditation will not be in jeopardy.
“The district is in communication with SACS and is already following a detailed timeline that includes steps to ensure transparency, including a public vote on the responses to SACS,” he said.
Bowen said he had not spoken with any of the legislators. “While we appreciate the offer of assistance from the legislators and look forward to working with them, it is extremely disappointing that the Senate Press Office would issue a release prior to any communication with the board and with incorrect facts regarding the district attorney's investigation,” he said.
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/legislators-to-help-dekalb-600064.html
"To say this is a family system would put it mildly," said system spokeswoman Mary Stimmel. "There are tons of brothers and sisters and cousins. For years, it was encouraged."
Say what you want, this statement is partially the cause of Zepora's frustration. This statement speaks to what has been going on for years in this school district and probably most others around the country. Why is everyone acting surprised about this as it has not been a secret? Looking at the pictures from the new story of those that have family members in the district, one would think this is something that began recently.
But who did Wendy go after? Did she ask the state superintendent Brad Bryant? Did she try to interview former superintendents Freeman or Hallford? Did they check with a Cherry family member to find out how Jim Cherry viewed family members working in the district. No, she went after Zepora.
Yes John Evans had it right, you don't simply make claims that no one is unqualified.
In fairness, Bryant and the state didn't plan that workshop, the feds did. I think the facilitators were as surprised as the audience members by his statement. In the end, Clarkston and McNair High schools qualified. This isn't RTTT money, by the way, rather it is school improvement grants.
Having read that piece that Cere dug up, I too feel kind of sorry for ZR. Not for the slug you comment, but because for all her decades of involvement in the school system, this has been the norm.
Given that the system has 13,000 employees and that employees tend to spend their entire careers in the system, it's not surprising that "It's almost like a family business," said board member Lynn Cherry Grant. She began her teaching career at Cross Keys High while her late father, Jim Cherry, was still superintendent. Her two sisters still work for the system.
Board member Frances Edwards, whose daughter, Philandrea Guillory, and son-in-law, David Guillory, both got school system jobs after Edwards joined the board in 1991, said just raising the question of nepotism could be taken as a personal attack on the integrity of system employees. Philandrea, her mother said, is extremely well-qualified, with degrees in journalism and school administration and experience as a school principal.
As noted in the article from former Board member Frances Edwards....
"I hope my children will spend their whole careers in the school system, long after I'm off the board," Edwards said. "I think it would be good to have three generations in the system."
Well fear not, Philandrea's daughter just graduated from college with a teaching degree in dance, and Philandrea has spent a lot of time at DSA trying to get her daughter a job there. Just give it time.
Sorry Philandrea, if your daughter gets a job in DCSS, there will be blood spraying out of my eyes!
Tell your daughter to go get an honest job in another system. There are private companies that have very strict nepotism policies, it's time we enact some in our system! The problem is so widespread, you have one guy, Jamal "Where's Waldo" Edwards, one of those generations Francis speaks of, who gets a 15K rise and new position yet doesn't show up for 6 months, until parents find him hiding out in their elementary school. His boss, Ramona Tyson, who was signing off on his salary every two weeks, had no idea he had not reported to his new job. Folks, I was in the room when a former Asst. Super called her on a speaker phone and informed her. Is I was Jamal's boss he would have been fired on the spot. Instead, he still works for MIS and knows nothing about repairing systems. NOTHING! We have proof!
The system is terribly broken and we must demand that no more family members are hired! NONE! Is there a chance we'll lose out on a great employee? Sure! but in this current environment we can not stand for the status quo. We must demand change!
Although this has been going on for many years, I think the reason it's being so heavily reported now (and, we can see that it has been reported and investigated several times in the past as well) - is the economy. Plus the fact that Zepora is a current, sitting board member. The concern is that she has the power to make decisions that will protect her loved ones and harm others. For instance - check out the job cuts - NO friends and family lost their job in that huge $104 million round of cuts. That's the issue - it's not really apples to apples anymore...
@ Anonymous 8:05
"Philandrea, her mother said, is extremely well-qualified, with degrees in journalism and school administration and experience as a school principal."
Where did you find this article? Former BOE chairwoman Frances Edwards' daughter Philandrea Guillory who heads up DCSS PV24 TV station and makes $143,000+ in salary and benefits has a: SUPPORT PERSONNEL LICENSE she received in 2008 and current until 2013. She never had any certification before. Go to this website and look her up by entering her name into the search fields:
https://www.gapsc.com/Certification/Lookup/look_up.aspx
Her salary and benefits in 2004 was $81,000+ and rose to $143,000+ by 2009 under Crawford Lewis. That's a 76% raise in a 5 year period or 15% a year. All the while, DCSS administration eliminated 400 teaching positions because there was no money to pay for them.
(source: State Salary and Travel audit)
I think that's typical of what taxpayers are upset about.
I love the internet - there's no hiding from the facts anymore. This is a very interesting website Anon. I hope everyone will check it for truth against what people claim. I will add it to the bookmarks links.
Cere 10:04...I like and agree with your comments about the internet and fact finding. O.K. let's riddle some things out here to the public..How could Dr. Audria Berry be over Title I without having Title I certification.....shouldn't that be a requirement for holding such an important financial position. She holds the purse strings to a lot of DCSS funding and this area must be audited thoroughly for all of its overspending and overstaffing...
Early Childhood Ed and Educational Leadership doesn't qualify nor does it quantify her position..not picking just saying
Here are Audria Berry's certifications -
T EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (P-5) [FLD808] 03/17/2003 04/18/2006 07/01/2006 06/30/2011
L EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (P-12) [FLD704] 02/26/1999 04/18/2006 07/01/2006 06/30/2011
T MIDDLE GRADES (4-8) [FLD809] 08/09/1996 04/18/2006 07/01/2006 06/30/2011
T MIDDLE GRADES (4-8) - LANGUAGE ARTS [FLD853] 05/08/2001 04/18/2006 07/01/2006 06/30/2011
T MIDDLE GRADES (4-8) - MATH [FLD851] 07/12/2004 04/18/2006 07/01/2006 06/30/2011
T MIDDLE GRADES (4-8) - SCIENCE [FLD852] 05/08/2001 04/18/2006 07/01/2006 06/30/2011
T MIDDLE GRADES (4-8) - SOCIAL SCIENCE [FLD854]
For those who are uncomfortable with publishing certifications on the internet, remember, this is happening for everyone these days - doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc...
eduKALB?!?!
What's eduKALB?!?!?
Oh, yeah. eduKALB. All hat and no cattle. All talk and no action. Actually, now that I think about it, eduKALB has no hat and even less to say.
eduKalb: What a JOKE!!!
I attended the called meeting today. While most of the meeting was fine, Sarah Copeland-Wood went on a 30 minute tirade at the end of the meeting. She violated SACs policy numerous times by calling out a specific staffer by name. Finally, she rested for a moment and then Ms. Tyson tried to jump in and clarify a few things. Ms. Tyson started by saying to the board that she was their single employee.
Then SCW yelled at Ramona Tyson.
The Board Members were horrified, several walked out even, but none stopped her. The problem is that, as SCW kept saying, they had all gotten to speak so now it was her turn.
Finally, Bowen stopped her, but it took far to long.
We love Sarah! Sarc off..
Would love to know the staffer she was talking about..
Can't wait until the next BOE meeting. I need to get off work and go the Palace for these meetings.
The BOE is feeling the pressure and we can't let up! Call, email your BOE member. Press them to answer your questions! 5 of them are up for re-election, that's the majority folks.
And publish their comments on this blog.....
why is this nonsense (nepotism, stealing, cooking books, changing grades, etc.)tolerated? is it even legal? where's the state? where's the feds? my school is chaotic, paperwork is up, pay is down, threats come everyday; is this really how school systems in the greatest country in america are supposed to run?
@ 5:42 pm
"
The new super must have contractual rights to fire and hire at will central office personnel."
Georgia has a termination at will policy. But if Ms. Tyson needs reasons:
How about starting with the fact that our scores have not only failed to improve, they are lower - Office of School Improvement - where have you guys been?
If they are judging teachers by their performance, they are only carrying out the orders from above.
Thinning out the Central Office would earn the respect of taxpayers/parents and probably teachers.
Seems that some here want to ignore the law. Take a look at the following link from Brock, Clay, and Calhoun, P.C. about the Fair Dismissal Act and applying it to Georgia Educators.
http://www.brockclay.com/PDF/Article_Fair_Dismissal_Act_11-16-06.pdf
Sarah went off on Dan Drake from planning - she's fairly certain he 'targeted' 'her' schools for closure (never mind that 'her' schools only have a couple of hundred students rattling around in them - and never mind that he is not an employee of the school board's).
She also doesn't realize that she is harming students in her district by insisting on maintaining these little schools which are not collecting their fair share of state funding, due to the 'empty' seats.
Personally, I think Sarah is simply in campaign mode, trying to appeal to the old timers who still think the white people in the north are out to close them down. There is a viable history on this, but that's not what's happening now.
Simply put, SCW was totally out of line at the meeting today. Her constant ranting about old business and things that had little to do with the discussion item made many in the audience uncomfortable. Singling out Dan Drake was highly improper. Kudos to Ms. Tyson for reminding SCW that she is the only person that is hired by and reports to the Board and that any concerns about staff should be directed to her.
A hearing resulting in my disqualification as a candidate for the Dekalb County School Board occurred on August 13, 2010. I was informed that I have the right to appeal this decision in the Dekalb County Superior Court. There were numerous factors which were not addressed during the hearing which supports the fact that I was misinformed by staff. I visited the Board of Registration & Elections to inquire about the guidelines to qualify. I was told that the district I would run in was District “7”. The clerk confirmed this information in the computer and I trusted her judgment. I was confused about the differences between the voting districts which is different from the school district I reside in. After receiving the confirmation of District “7” ready to move forward with qualifying during the qualifying phase, I met with the assistant director and director and no one had rechecked to see if any discrepancies were existing. The check and balance system with this office obviously has failed because this oversight of the correct district would have been discovered.
I was called into the director’s office which is Maxine Daniels and she informed me that I should have filed in district “5” instead of district “7”. During the hearing it was disclosed that Ms. Daniels received a phone call that I was qualifying in the wrong district. However, she never disclosed information when I was called into her office which was misleading and made me curious about her not knowing the correct district? Ms. Daniels allowed me to scratch out the wrong district number and enter district “5” with my initials. Once again I trusted the judgment of employees who represented this office. A couple days later, I received a letter stating that I was disqualified because of the incorrect district listed. Ms. Daniels informed me that her boss told her she was not qualified to oversee and grant such a change. This raises a “red flag”, did Ms. Daniels not realize what her job duties entailed? She should have known that she did not have the authority to grant this action. I am faced with a disqualification of a position which I strongly desired. I have twelve children with six of them attending Dekalb County schools. This endeavor has been a longtime passion for me because Dekalb County School System needs honest and caring board members. I am also faced with the fact that the $540.00 fee paid is non-refundable. If the employees of this agency failed to adequately do their jobs, I should not be held responsible. I was told by Ms. Daniels that the hearing was informal and should not become alarmed about it. Once again, I trusted the judgment of this woman whom had been guiding me form the onset.
At this time, I would desire to be allowed to run in the correct district after being misinformed repeatedly. If I am not allowed to run or missed the deadline, I am requesting a refund of the fee paid in the sum of $540.00. After all, this governmental agency has failed me and shattered the possibility of me becoming a board member which was my ultimate goal. I am petitioning the Superior Court to hear my case with a judge whom is not biased and will make a decision, based on facts and not fabrication of information.
This letter is in responses to the disqualification of a potential candidate of the Dekalb County School Board due to the misinformation given to me by the staff of the Dekalb County School Board. It behooves me how the school system gave misinformation to the media as well trying to cover up their wrong doing, but that is a subject matter I would like to speak with you at a later date. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Donny Grogan Muhammad
A hearing resulting in my disqualification as a candidate for the Dekalb County School Board occurred on August 13, 2010. I was informed that I have the right to appeal this decision in the Dekalb County Superior Court. There were numerous factors which were not addressed during the hearing which supports the fact that I was misinformed by staff. I visited the Board of Registration & Elections to inquire about the guidelines to qualify. I was told that the district I would run in was District “7”. The clerk confirmed this information in the computer and I trusted her judgment. I was confused about the differences between the voting districts which is different from the school district I reside in. After receiving the confirmation of District “7” ready to move forward with qualifying during the qualifying phase, I met with the assistant director and director and no one had rechecked to see if any discrepancies were existing. The check and balance system with this office obviously has failed because this oversight of the correct district would have been discovered.
I was called into the director’s office which is Maxine Daniels and she informed me that I should have filed in district “5” instead of district “7”. During the hearing it was disclosed that Ms. Daniels received a phone call that I was qualifying in the wrong district. However, she never disclosed information when I was called into her office which was misleading and made me curious about her not knowing the correct district? Ms. Daniels allowed me to scratch out the wrong district number and enter district “5” with my initials. Once again I trusted the judgment of employees who represented this office. A couple days later, I received a letter stating that I was disqualified because of the incorrect district listed. Ms. Daniels informed me that her boss told her she was not qualified to oversee and grant such a change. This raises a “red flag”, did Ms. Daniels not realize what her job duties entailed? She should have known that she did not have the authority to grant this action. I am faced with a disqualification of a position which I strongly desired. I have twelve children with six of them attending Dekalb County schools. This endeavor has been a longtime passion for me because Dekalb County School System needs honest and caring board members. I am also faced with the fact that the $540.00 fee paid is non-refundable. If the employees of this agency failed to adequately do their jobs, I should not be held responsible. I was told by Ms. Daniels that the hearing was informal and should not become alarmed about it. Once again, I trusted the judgment of this woman whom had been guiding me form the onset.
At this time, I would desire to be allowed to run in the correct district after being misinformed repeatedly. If I am not allowed to run or missed the deadline, I am requesting a refund of the fee paid in the sum of $540.00. After all, this governmental agency has failed me and shattered the possibility of me becoming a board member which was my ultimate goal. I am petitioning the Superior Court to hear my case with a judge whom is not biased and will make a decision, based on facts and not fabrication of information.
This letter is in responses to the disqualification of a potential candidate of the Dekalb County School Board due to the misinformation given to me by the staff of the Dekalb County School Board. It behooves me how the school system gave misinformation to the media as well trying to cover up their wrong doing, but that is a subject matter I would like to speak with you at a later date. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Donny Grogan Muhammad
A hearing resulting in my disqualification as a candidate for the Dekalb County School Board occurred on August 13, 2010. I was informed that I have the right to appeal this decision in the Dekalb County Superior Court. There were numerous factors which were not addressed during the hearing which supports the fact that I was misinformed by staff. I visited the Board of Registration & Elections to inquire about the guidelines to qualify. I was told that the district I would run in was District “7”. The clerk confirmed this information in the computer and I trusted her judgment. I was confused about the differences between the voting districts which is different from the school district I reside in. After receiving the confirmation of District “7” ready to move forward with qualifying during the qualifying phase, I met with the assistant director and director and no one had rechecked to see if any discrepancies were existing. The check and balance system with this office obviously has failed because this oversight of the correct district would have been discovered.
I was called into the director’s office which is Maxine Daniels and she informed me that I should have filed in district “5” instead of district “7”. During the hearing it was disclosed that Ms. Daniels received a phone call that I was qualifying in the wrong district. However, she never disclosed information when I was called into her office which was misleading and made me curious about her not knowing the correct district? Ms. Daniels allowed me to scratch out the wrong district number and enter district “5” with my initials. Once again I trusted the judgment of employees who represented this office. A couple days later, I received a letter stating that I was disqualified because of the incorrect district listed. Ms. Daniels informed me that her boss told her she was not qualified to oversee and grant such a change. This raises a “red flag”, did Ms. Daniels not realize what her job duties entailed? She should have known that she did not have the authority to grant this action. I am faced with a disqualification of a position which I strongly desired. I have twelve children with six of them attending Dekalb County schools. This endeavor has been a longtime passion for me because Dekalb County School System needs honest and caring board members. I am also faced with the fact that the $540.00 fee paid is non-refundable. If the employees of this agency failed to adequately do their jobs, I should not be held responsible. I was told by Ms. Daniels that the hearing was informal and should not become alarmed about it. Once again, I trusted the judgment of this woman whom had been guiding me form the onset.
At this time, I would desire to be allowed to run in the correct district after being misinformed repeatedly. If I am not allowed to run or missed the deadline, I am requesting a refund of the fee paid in the sum of $540.00. After all, this governmental agency has failed me and shattered the possibility of me becoming a board member which was my ultimate goal. I am petitioning the Superior Court to hear my case with a judge whom is not biased and will make a decision, based on facts and not fabrication of information.
This letter is in responses to the disqualification of a potential candidate of the Dekalb County School Board due to the misinformation given to me by the staff of the Dekalb County School Board. It behooves me how the school system gave misinformation to the media as well trying to cover up their wrong doing, but that is a subject matter I would like to speak with you at a later date. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Donny Grogan Muhammad
It is the responsibility of the candidate to know the seat for which he is running. A quick look at your voter registration card would have been in order.
@ Mr. Muhammad
I agree that it is very complicated. I thought it was confusing as well. I downloaded a map that showed all the districts. It's a real hodgepodge. The clerk(s) at the Board of Registrations and Elections should have a large map showing which streets belong to each district. I don't think that's unreasonable to ask when they are taking $500+ in registration fees.
Post a Comment