Friday, October 8, 2010

eduKALB forum videos

Below are the YouTube posted videos from the Dunwoody forum hosted by eduKALB on September 28. Candidates from Districts 1,5,7, 9 participated.








28 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/2010/10/dekalb-county-school-board-member-mr.html

Anonymous said...

@1156,

Jim Reodvian has been a no show for all the forums. He just doesn't get it. He's just as responsible for the problems in DCSS as the rest of the board. He's got to go. Our schools have declined on his watch. Our tax money has been stolen on his watch. It's time for him to go.

Anonymous said...

I did hear that Redovian tried to have a message read by an associate, but that Steen Miles would not allow it.

Anonymous said...

I heard that Redovian sent someone as a stand-in but eduKALB only allows the actual candidate to speak. I don't think Steen had anything to do with taht.

Anonymous said...

All the District 1 candidates are to be at the Ashford Alliance Candidate Fair today. Since it is apparent that nearly all the posters on this board are from N. DeKalb, I thought I would post this.

It sounds great. The candidates for all state wide races have been invited and many will attend. All the candidates in the local races were invited as well and again, many will attend.

It is set up like a market place, you visit the candidates.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH
11:00am – 2:30pm

ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
GABLE HALL & AMPHITHEATER
3110 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD, NE
ATLANTA, GA 30319

Anonymous said...

Only Nancy Jester is scheduled to speak at the event. I wonder if the other 2 are just sending in someone else to sit at a table.

Anonymous said...

I know Redovian plans to be there. I don't know if they let representatives sit there.

Anonymous said...

While some District 1 residents may not like Redovian, he is 1000 times better than the incumbents up for election in the other districts. I wish he could move to my district - I'd elect him in a heartbeat.

Cerebration said...

We try to post meetings as we hear about them in the page titled "Meetings and Announcements" - available by clicking the "Mark Your Calendar" icon on the right side panel of the home page.

Here is another election focused event listed there -

The Southwest DeKalb High School PTSA
Presents
“Board of Education Candidate Forum”
FOR DeKalb County School Districts 5 & 9

DISTRICT 5 CANDIDATES:
Jesse “Jay” Cunningham (Incumbent)
Jacques Hall Jr.
Dr. Kirk A. Nooks

DISTRICT 9 CANDIDATES:
Dr. Eugene P. “Gene” Walker (Incumbent)
Ella Smith (Coach Ella)

A hands-on community event designed to allow the TAX-PAYING parents of DeKalb County the opportunity to be heard in the political process of the choosing of a Board of Education representative forour local school districts.

WHERE: Southwest DeKalb High School Cafeteria
WHEN: Tuesday, October 12th
TIME: 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Please join your neighbors in participating in the question and answer forum for the candidates for the DeKalb County Board of Education. This is YOUR opportunity to be heard before the Board of Education elections are held on November 2nd. The Forum will be moderated by the CrossRoadsNews
Editor/Publisher Jennifer Parker. It will consist of a panel of local media, Southwest DeKalb High School Local School Council members and Southwest DeKalb High School PTSA Executive Board member. There will also be a question and answer session for YOU the taxpayer!!!

Come make your voice be heard!!

SPONSORED BY: CrossRoadsNews, Southwest DeKalb High School PTSA and the Southwest DeKalb High School Local School Council

===

FWIW, our friends in South DeKalb have a blog focused on their area issues - it's quite good - I enjoy reading it as the posts are well-written and often very entertaining - I highly recommend -

South DeKalb Blog - For Stuff About South DeKalb

===

Let's face it - this system is enormous - one blog cannot possibly cover everything. The more blogs the better!

Anonymous said...

Jim Redovian was at the benefit charity in memory of his son Thursday night at Dunwoody's Stage Door Players - set long before eduKalb's forums. The memorial fund BTW has given over $200,000 in scholarships to students. He has been and will be at other forums - eduKalb is not the only one hosting forums.

I agree with anon 12:50 - I'd vote for him if he was in my district, before I'd vote for any other candidates currently seeking election.

Anonymous said...

Jim was at the Ashford Alliance forum today but he didn't speak. Apparently, he didn't respond in time to get on the list. Not surprising - that's how our school board rolls - missing deadlines, shoddy paperwork, etc. Jim isn't cut out for the work of the board. Should we judge whether Redovian is a good board member on the basis that he hasn't said he'd slug someone, sold pizza or gotten his kid a job? Is that how low the standard it? People, let's get serious.

Cerebration said...

I personally don't have many issues with Redovian, he's been fairly effective as a board member and has not caused us embarrassment. I do, however, feel that he is of the old school way of colluding and horse-trading to get what you want for "your schools". We need a fresh new board full of professional innovative thinkers who will work together to bring the system forward as a whole - for everyone. The bickering, collusion and behind the scenes meddling must stop. The self-promotion must stop. The protection of friends and family must stop. We can stop it by voting in five new members this go round and four more in two years.

Please, encourage all of your DeKalb neighbors and friends to pay attention to this election. Choose a candidate and promote the heck out of him or her. Try to stick together so that extra candidates do not split the anti-incumbent votes. Work hard at this for the next three weeks.

Cerebration said...

Furthermore - every vote really does count! That's why it does no good to vote for the "third" candidate. Vote for the one you think can beat the incumbent and do a good job as a board rep.

Shayna worked as hard as she could with a true grassroots support group, but in the end Womack's $50,000 campaign cache proved too tough to beat. But Shayna only lost by about 200 votes - of over 20,000 cast in the runoff! See - every single vote counts!

Ella Smith said...

I have been very impressed with Jacques Hall, Jr. a 23 year old graduate who graduated from Lakeside High School who is running from district 7 against incumbant Jay Cunningham. However, at DeKalb Hospital I was totally shocked as many of the other candidates also were when he opening discussed his mentor Dr. Walker and how Dr. Walker had talked to him on the phone for over an hour about him running for school board before he ran. Many of us looked at Jay Cunningham and could not imagine what he must have felt up on that stage at the League of Women Voter's/EduDekalb/Crossroad's Political Forum for School Board Members ar the hospital. Jay has constantly encouraged the public to keep the incumbants in office for the experience at a time when the school system is hiring a new school superintendent. I am wondering what Jay must have been thinking when Juaques announced this. I cannot immagine it made Jay feel very good. Many of us were totally in shock that something like this had come out at a forum.

It was an interesting forum. You guys really missed it. Make sure you see these comments when the video comes out.

Anonymous said...

Jay's feelings are the least of my concern. Imagine how the kids in trailers feel every day. Imagine the frustration of the parents with kids in failing schools. Imagine the people qualified for jobs who were not hired because they were not in the right sorority or church. Ella, it may have been embarassing to Jay but none of us really care about Jay's ego. Hopefully you are not selling out and now searching for support from Cunningham in your race against Walker.

Anonymous said...

Ella,

are you no longer impressed with the young man because he mentioned Walker as a mentor or because he hurt Jay's feelings? Or, are you still impressed with him but think he should not have shared that info?

Cerebration said...

I don't think Ella stated that she was no longer impressed with this young man. What I read in her comment was that she was shocked to find out in a public forum that Gene Walker was secretly supporting a candidate against one of his co-board members. Who does that? Is he trying to wrestle control of two seats on the board? Perhaps he is hoping to get this young man on the board and then put undue pressure on him to vote his way on every issue?

I happen to think this is how Karl with a K came to decide to run for school board - he was very very friendly with Dr Lewis and Zepora the day I saw them having lunch at a restaurant in Northlake mall during the campaign.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Cerebration said...

People - you can't drag non-public people into these conversations by name. And you can't make accusations for which you have no evidence, about public people.

Ella Smith said...

Celeb you were correct. I was shocked that Dr. Walker was apparently his mentor in this campaign. This has nothing to do with who I support or do not support for that district. Many of us who are running for office and their campaign committee staff were shocked at the comment.

I am still extremely impressed with the young candidate. We need more fine men like him willing to run for office and attempting to serve the children of DeKalb. My husband also was extremely impressed with him.

None of us thought Jay knew about Dr. Walker encouraging the young man to run. Jay encourages votes to vote in the experienced board members at every forums so this was why this was such a shock to some of us. Jay is encouraging people to vote for Dr. Walker because of his experience on the school board.

Anonymous said...

The Georgia School Boards Association is one of the top two groups to receive the contract to find the next DCSS Superintendent.

Zepora Roberts just happens to be a district rep. for GSBA. Interesting.

We're already seeing her influence on how the GSBA perceives the DeKalb BOE:

http://www.ajc.com/news/few-study-power-of-673413.html
Jim Puckett, a board development specialist for the Georgia School Boards Association, said the word “dysfunctional” is thrown around a lot to describe battling boards. He’s not so sure those squabbles equate to poor school performance.
“There are those who say the DeKalb board is dysfunctional right now,” he said. “But if you go down there, the buses are running, the teachers are teaching, the administrators are administrating.”


Umm..Jim from GSBA...when your superintendent and COO are indicted under the RICO act, and there are several other scandals, yes, and sane adult with half a brain would say the DCSS BOE is dysfunctional.

Quit kissing up to win a contract.

Anonymous said...

http://www.ajc.com/news/case-against-charter-schools-669939.html

The initial case pit Gwinnett, Atlanta, DeKalb, Bulloch, Candler, Henry and Griffin public schools against the commission, the state Department of Education, former Georgia Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox and charter schools - Ivy Preparatory Academy of Norcross, Statesboro's Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts & Technology and Heron Bay Academy of Henry - among others.

Several professional organizations have filed briefs taking sides in the issue including the Georgia School Boards Association, who supported the districts.

---

Of course the Georgia School Boards Association is going to support DCSS.

And it still scikens me that after all the wonderful work by The Museum School of Avondale, they got turned down and turned down repeatedly by DCSS, but the DeKalb Leadership Prep, despite being late with deadlines and not meeting other requirements, of course got full support of the DCSS Central Office and the BOE. Sure didn't hurt that the school school is at New Birth and former disgraced DCSS administrator Frankie Callaway is their principal.

Anonymous said...

The Museum School is much better off not being charter by DeKalb.

When the state of Florida started its commission, it was essentially the end of charters that were approved by local boards.

Over time, if the Commission survives all the legal challenges, the same thing will happen in GA.

Anonymous said...

With the superintendent and COO under indictment, TOm Bowen better damn make sure every DCSS BOE member is up to date with their
annual training requirements.

If any of the five up for re-election haven't met their requirements, that's an instant loss for them in the upcoming election.


http://www.ajc.com/news/school-boards-lax-on-675245.html

Anonymous said...

Plus, the get a whooping four thousand each per year to travel to conference specifically to fulfill their requirements.

Anonymous said...

I endorse Nancy Jester!

Anonymous said...

None of these candidates mention the students, teachers first? which is a concern for me. All I have read in these blogs are complaints about upper management and how they are spending $$$ and what they would do.

None of these candidates have children with special needs,which is another concern for me. I feel that there are two other area's that needs to be looked at, that is the Exceptional Ed dept, how much money do they get to educate this population, what services are currently being covered? How will the candidates support the parents of students that are differently abled?

DCSS needs to hired quaified teachers that can really educate all levels of special needs students. Area's of interest are: Learning Dis, Autism, students that are able to learn but learn differently, All levels of Dev delay.

I've noticed that the strong Special Ed folk are in upper management, special needs administrators,are working in other area's in the Central office, East Dekalb Campus. All staff that have prvious experience in Special ed need to be manidated to come out of there comfort zones and help these teachers and prinicpals with little to no experience in truly teaching special needs students.

The parents want to know what is the budget for special needs and where is that money being allocated. I need for the new candidates to speak on what will they do to ensure the DCSS provide a quailty of education for Students of Exceptionalities.

The second area of concern is the large poplulation of ESL students, and how the state is requiring them to make standards, when they don't know and understand the english language, candidates what are you thoughts on this subject? what is the budget for ESL population, is that money being allocated correctly? I undertand we need to look at how the current board is spending $$$ however we need to look at how every dept is spending $$$,

My view of regarding the Title 1 funding, it seems to me that the ones that are complaining about Dr. A Berry aren't really aware of the high quailty of work she and those who work under her is doing for the students that are functing at lower levels than others. Nor do I feel that the folk that are complaining understand the ,WORD AT RISK POPULATION" You may not be aware of this but there are children that suffer with different ways of learning AND COME FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUND THAT IS NOT AS PERFECT AS YOURS, and the title one funds suppports these types of students well. I must admitt that I feel that allot of these student could benifit in receiving service from special ed. But it remains a great deal of concern that our teachers aren't truly experience with dealing with the large mass of students with Autism and other types of cognitve issues, check out the elementary schools, middle schools of DCSS they are full of students with some kind of undetected from of cognitve delay from a quailfied doctor. Candidates can you look into these issues and explain how you would support DCSS Special Ed, ESL Depts? My goal is to see how the new DOE will support the teachers? NO MORE CUTS, GIVE BACK ALL THE FURLOUGH PAY, RESTORE ALL THE LOSS OF BENIFITS THAT DCSS TOOK FROM THE SPECIAL ED TEACHERS,

BRING IN QUAITY PROFESSIONALS TO DCSS THATS EXPERIENCE IN LEARNING DIS, ALL TYPE OF VISION ISSUES, AUTISM SPECIALIST,DEV DELAY SPECIALIST.

DCSS NEEDS SUPPORT FROM THE BOE AND COMMUNITY, WE MUST STOP ALL THE BLAMING,POINTING OF FINGERS WE ALL ARE AWARE OF THE POOR JOB IN SOME AREA'S WITH DCSS, BUT HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD NOW, WITH WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

REMEMBER THAT TEACHERS CAN ONLY BRING TO THE STUDENT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN TRAIN TO DO. LET THE TEACHERS TEACH AND GIVE THEM ALL THE SUPPLIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Cerebration said...

As a parent of a special needs child, I completely agree with you about the need for more highly trained teachers with knowledge of special education.

FWIW - Nancy Jester brought charts showing our decline in our ability to pass AYP. We have gone from only 14% of schools failing AYP to 44%. She also strongly advocates for a "bottom up" budget - meaning focus on the needs of the teachers and the classroom first - and use what is left for management.

This is all the board can do - pressure the superintendent (the board's only employee) to bring success - and then fund the actions that will support that goal.