Some interesting pieces on AJC.com recently.
First, the AJC is reporting that the DCSS Board of Education has extended Ms. Tyson's contract by three months.
Then, the Justice Department ruled that the new law giving Gov. Nathan Deal the power to suspend the entire Atlanta school board and reducing the size of the DeKalb School Board is legal.
Justice approves bill allowing school boards to be removed en masse
And of course, we find out that after all this time, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the state agency that licenses and regulates teachers, handed Ralph Simpson a 10-day suspension for selling $12,560 worth of copies of a book he wrote about himself to five local schools, including two that were under his direct supervision.
DeKalb administrator-author agrees to 10-day suspension
14 comments:
I am befuddled as to why the school board had to extend Ramona's contract by adding three months to the end. She had a contract through June of 2012. Is there a reason they couldn't just rewrite it so that her duties as superintendent continued for the next three months, and then the "advisory" role kicked in for whatever is left? This is like another bonus, IMO...
Ugh
How will Gov. Deal ever tell local politicians to behave? He is showing that a tiger can't change his sripes!
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/deal-ditches-hiring-rules-993099.html
Deal ditches hiring rules in appointing spokesman's girlfriend
If anyone has personal knowledge of criminal conduct relevant to the DCSS criminal or Heery-Mitchell/DCSS civil case, Or personal relationships and/or favors relevant to Dr. Lewis, Pat Pope and other high ranking DCSS officials and board members -- please contact the DA's lead investigator -
It's confidential... and important.
W.C. NIX
DEPUTY CHIEF INVESTIGATOR
DEKALB COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
556 NORTH MCDONOUGH STREET, SUITE 700
DECATUR, GA 30030
DIRECT: 404-371-6397
FAX: 404-371-6394
wcnix@co.dekalb.ga.us
The three month extension was needed so that: (1) Ms Tyson could get the agreed upon pay for the full transition period during which she will not have the burden of the superintendent duties and (2) it will give her more time to integrate and brain wash the new superintendent into accepting/continuing the culture and ways of the DCSS. Besides, Tom Bowen likes to play the part of the benevolent uncle. It massages his ego.
10 day suspension for the "author". Was it with or without pay?
I feel bad for Simpson. I think his heart was in the right place - he thought his story would inspire kids. Too bad he did it at full retail...
Cere, I don't get it either. When Tyson's contract was signed, I figured the extended time was just in case what has happened, happened. Bowen has now made it obvious it was a bonus all along.
I'm not befuddled or surprised at all, since the sketchy operation on Stone Mtn. Industrial is in full battle mode. It's going to be the Tyson/Edwards/Ramsey/Bowen/CLew/Moseley/Thompson/Beasley/Mitchell-Mayfield way or no way at all.
There needs to be a total Palace cleaning!
@ The Mommy,
I would not expect much from Mr. "Lets make a Deal." He gutted the State office of ethics by firing the staff and running off the attorney who headed the office. (BTW this attorney is a school volunteer and helped organize the effort to save the Montessori program at Briarvista). Thus he is now free to do any kind of selfDEALing he wants.
However in Maureen Downey's live blog on yet another blue ribbon committee to look at the funding mechanisms for school districts, I was happy to see that some legislators want to ensure than any increased funding goes to actual education and not to administration.
@ Cere, I do not feel sorry, not one second, for Ralph Simpson. His actions were fraudulent and greedy. This had nothing to do with the students. His book is a joke. He could have given it to students instead of selling it. And of course his book was endorsed by The Bishop..... On this one, I give all the credit to Ramona Tyson for taking disciplinary action.
Thank you,Ramona Tyson, for agreeing to continue fo 3 more months. I would have told the Board to find a "new temp. supt. and retuned to my previous position...giving up the pay and headaches. I wonder how long a new interium supt. can hold SACS off of us. I pray that "super "man...woman" will emege son so we can hire, fire and move on quickly. It is evident the next Supt. will be a quick failure unless it is Tyson. Too much to learn in too little time.
Great that the Board will be reduced to 7 members. We may get some new faces if EduKalb, the Chamber and some of us bloggers stick to our districts and not try to influence other disticts. We don't need another BACKFIRE.
Simpson is great! He is vey smart and was very visable in my school. We loved him and our parents responded vey positively to his suggestions. It's to bad Callaway gave him permission to sell the books and them jumped the "crows nest."
Cere, I guess three months doesn't matter since contracts have already been signed for the upcoming year. The new Super will find it difficult to do anything until this contract is up right?
Is Audria's Army under annual contracts like the teachers? Tyson's leadership has been very suspect. She was a major cog in the Clew regime, like everyone else who still is employed by our feckless school system.
If Tyson wants to show true leadership, she will take this three month extension and start firing the folks that need to be fired before a new super comes in. Wishful thinking, I know, but the new super will have many problems if the Clew bunch remains when that person arrives.
I agree. Tyson is being paid the full salary of a superintendent, so she needs to do the full job. She has done an admirable job with "hardware" type decisions like redistricting and budgets, but obviously, the children (the reason anyone in DCSS has a job) have suffered. The task of educating has gone unattended.
Tyson does need to spend the next three months doing what needs to be done - cleaning house and clearing the runway for the next superintendent. She owes it to the children.
Also, according to the AJC, Tyson may have some more cheating issues to deal with. Maybe it's a good thing that she is there to handle this - it wouldn't be a pleasant thing for a brand new super to find on his or her plate --
APS cheating report goes to governor
Investigators looking into cheating on standardized tests in the Atlanta Public Schools delivered a voluminous report Thursday to Gov. Nathan Deal -- the same day that Superintendent Beverly Hall concluded her 12-year tenure.
Deal is expected to make the report public as early as Tuesday, after his staff briefs members of the Atlanta school board, lawmakers and Mayor Kasim Reed, said Brian Robinson, the governor's spokesman. "There are people who must hear about it before it's released to the media."
Alleged criminal acts detailed in the report are likely to be referred to district attorneys for possible prosecution in at least three counties: Fulton, DeKalb and Douglas.
Hall, 64, made no public appearances in her final days as superintendent and has not announced her plans.
What does the APS cheating have to do with Ramona? I know Dekalb is listed in the article, but I think that is just b/c some parts of APS are in Dekalb County. There is no mention of DCSS.
I am unclear as to why Douglas would be mentioned. Is it possible that the report goes deeper than just APS?
I suspect we will know by this time next week, after the Governor reviews it and then releases it.
In another story: http://www.ajc.com/news/schools-may-play-a-995623.html
The SPLOST election could be held with the Sunday liquor sales referendum. This could be a wild card in the election since more voters will turn to vote.
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