tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post8013856538190222381..comments2024-01-08T03:21:35.616-05:00Comments on DeKalb County School Watch: Opine on policies pleaseCerebrationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-26553562857438956432010-10-29T09:32:00.844-04:002010-10-29T09:32:00.844-04:00http://www.playgroundmag.com/playground-news/video...http://www.playgroundmag.com/playground-news/video.cfm?id=2231&flag=1&nav=99<br /><br /><br />This would never work for DCSS, because it means asking for feedback and comments from students and staff. We have some really poor playgrounds at the elem schools.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-33715355168340264332010-10-29T07:09:18.896-04:002010-10-29T07:09:18.896-04:00@ Anonymous 10:12, you are absolutely right! If y...@ Anonymous 10:12, you are absolutely right! If you read the original AJC article, it include opinion (accreditation safe for now) rather than factually reporting of what SACS said. Allow me to draw my own conclusion from what they said, don't try to influence my opinion. <br /><br />From the SACS letter I read on the school system website, the SACS visit is a part of the normal process to help the school system meet accreditation. I got that they would offer direction, advice, and monitoring assistance. That's probably something they would offer for any district that was in between superintendents.<br /><br />The AJC is trying to influence opinion, don't fall for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-32195629957969351432010-10-29T07:06:04.874-04:002010-10-29T07:06:04.874-04:00DCSS, which includes our children, has been beaten...<i>DCSS, which includes our children, has been beaten and dragged through ajc mud enough. When do we as adults stop going along with the nonsense?</i><br /><br />DCSS leadership has gone wallowing through the mud and the AJC simply has followed along to report. If DCSS has looked bad, it is the fault of the leadership, not the paper that reports it. Without the AJC to report what has been going on, it would be impossible to hold the Board accountable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-81296424575143573622010-10-28T22:18:37.070-04:002010-10-28T22:18:37.070-04:00AJC has already changed their headline. Read the ...AJC has already changed their headline. Read the letter from SACS....<br /><br />My take upon reading the letter from Mark Elgart is that they want to make sure the Super search moves along and the ethics policies are adopted and followed.<br /><br />The Super search may be the easiest part of this.Paula Caldarellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05515215184962897541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-68156475280910505122010-10-28T22:14:06.476-04:002010-10-28T22:14:06.476-04:00And I forgot, these are some good post regarding t...And I forgot, these are some good post regarding the policy changes. Please go to DCSS website and add your comments for there to be a record of your comments per each policy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-65427554713446128042010-10-28T22:12:08.385-04:002010-10-28T22:12:08.385-04:00Stop allowing AJC to be your resource. Somewhere ...Stop allowing AJC to be your resource. Somewhere between what ajc wrote and the release by DCSS is the truth. If any of you are familiar with the SACS process it is a lenghthy 12-18 month process, so SACS is not coming to DCSS because of what Pope,Lewis,et al have been alleged to have done. It is just that time to start the process. It seems that through all of this, a change on the school board, and a new superintendent, and SACS re-accreditation, 2012 will have DCSS on the road to being a leader in GA public education.<br /><br />Please no negative comments to this. DCSS, which includes our children, has been beaten and dragged through ajc mud enough. When do we as adults stop going along with the nonsense?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-80563237533889505242010-10-28T21:36:44.457-04:002010-10-28T21:36:44.457-04:00Here come da SACS!Here come da SACS!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-37987787213731755032010-10-28T21:20:29.256-04:002010-10-28T21:20:29.256-04:00Anon 10:17 am
The opening date is the date the se...Anon 10:17 am<br /><br />The opening date is the date the sealed bids are opened, not the day that is the opening for receiving bids. Apparently, when a government or business seeks sealed bids they open them all at once.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-56066841047468096302010-10-28T21:16:15.447-04:002010-10-28T21:16:15.447-04:00Actually the AJC is reporting that SACs will not p...Actually the AJC is reporting that SACs will not pull accredidation.<br /><br />Unlike Clayton and now apparently Atlanta, the DCSS board is doing what SACs tells them to do. <br /><br /><br />DeKalb County schools’ accreditation is safe for now, but the school system will undergo a national probe.<br /><br />The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools decided Thursday night to investigate the school system, citing several areas of concern. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned that SACS will visit in February.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-39949396631459480432010-10-28T21:13:22.190-04:002010-10-28T21:13:22.190-04:00Here's the link to SACS' response dated Oc...Here's the link to SACS' response dated October 28 (from the DCSS website): <br /><br />http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/sacs-casi-accreditation/sacs-casi-response-to-dcss-(2010-10-28).pdf<br /><br />In my opinion, there's a disconnect between SACS' actual response and the way that response is characterized in the DCSS press release (also on DCSS website).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-51981473793982104392010-10-28T21:08:11.560-04:002010-10-28T21:08:11.560-04:00SACS Will Investigate DeKalb Schools
http://www.a...SACS Will Investigate DeKalb Schools<br /><br />http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/sacs-will-investigate-dekalb-699240.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-47800340759281764762010-10-28T21:06:49.082-04:002010-10-28T21:06:49.082-04:00SACS to probe DCSS schools per ajc
http://www.ajc...SACS to probe DCSS schools per ajc<br /><br />http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/sacs-will-investigate-dekalb-699240.html<br /><br />had a sick to my stomach feeling we were nextAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-36908548916371104952010-10-28T16:20:54.996-04:002010-10-28T16:20:54.996-04:00Even if it becomes legal for teachers in Georgia t...Even if it becomes legal for teachers in Georgia to unionize, you can't have a teacher's union unless the teachers vote to have one. The best way to keep unions out of the State of Georgia is to treat teachers fairly. That means, good working conditions, paying competitive salaries, reasonable expectations about time spent working after hours, etc. Changes in federal law might make it possible for teachers to unionize, but that doesn't mean it has to happen. Mr. Barnes will not have any control over what happens in Washington and Mr. Deal will not be able to stop this from happening if he is elected.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-16167962902002270812010-10-28T15:34:06.731-04:002010-10-28T15:34:06.731-04:00"Why Is DCSS Trying to Outsource These Jobs?&..."Why Is DCSS Trying to Outsource These Jobs?"<br /><br />@ Anonymous 10:17 AM<br /><br />I am confused ... it looks like the closing date for the bids was the day BEFORE the opening date. Did you copy, cut and paste this from the official website or is that a typo?<br /><br />If you did copy, cut and paste this from the official website, then it looks like DCSS is up to its usual tricks: Ready! Fire! Aim!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-50709416405124196402010-10-28T14:40:12.651-04:002010-10-28T14:40:12.651-04:00"No Board member, or any member of his or her..."No Board member, or any member of his or her immediate family, or any business organization with which he or she is associated shall sell supplies or equipment..."<br /><br />Supplies and equipment? What about property, goods and services? <br /><br />The DeKalb BOC organization act clearly states that "Neither the chief executive nor any member of the commission or other county officer empowered to use public or county funds for the purchase of goods, property, or services of any kind for public or county purposes shall be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract to which the county is a party, either as principal, surety or otherwise; nor shall such officer, his partner, agent, servant, or employee of a firm of which he is a member or by whom he is employed purchase from or sell to the county any real or personal property, goods or services."<br /><br />It does not matter anyway, there is too much corruption. Does Jacobs JJG still sign Jeff Rader's paycheck? He's abstaining more and more as the number of their DeKalb contracts increase since he's been on the board. I think Jacobs JJG is a subcontractor to Parsons (yea,as in Barbara Colman)on the Snapfinger and Pole Bridge wastewater treatment plant design expansions. Is the design of the Snapfinger plant really finished or will Parsons and Jacobs JJG get a big fat change order? Another subcontractor to Parsons is "their major LSBE sub", EGM (yea, Vernon's buddy Art Queen). EGM could not even spell engineering and EGM was not licensed to perform engineering in the state for two years while collecting paychecks. Even now, thier license has lasped. Parsons and EGM made all of the LSBE firms become a sub to EGM, third tier. These subs include The Collaborative Firm, as in Michael Hightower. This firm is still not licensed in the state to perform engineering services, but this does not matter in DeKalb County. Two Dept of Watershed Management Deputy Directors were fired within the last month. Silence is golden when corruption is involved. <br /><br />But yet, our water/sewer cost doubles, a business tax rate is proposed and property taxes are very likely to go up next year. <br /><br />Sorry there is no DeKalb County Government Watch blog, so I had to vent here!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-18277264297135983352010-10-28T13:51:09.609-04:002010-10-28T13:51:09.609-04:00Anon 11:26-
Ironic how you (and several of my othe...Anon 11:26-<br />Ironic how you (and several of my other teacher friends) are voting for Barnes now, but teachers and flaggers were the ones that voted him out after one term the last time--and all because he wanted to eliminate teacher tenure on NEW teachers (not retroactively.) Had Perdue not undone much of what Barnes started, we might not be in such a terrible place now. Don't get me wrong, Barnes wasn't a hero back then. But he did make some sweeping changes that were never allowed to blossom because Purdue rolled everything back. I'm not endorsing him (then or now), but I wish we could have seen what would have happened had his reforms been able to take hold.PolitiMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04994037235035183747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-45545883274388851132010-10-28T12:51:37.635-04:002010-10-28T12:51:37.635-04:00Not that the local leaders arent much help either....Not that the local leaders arent much help either...vote them out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-11955356914228773502010-10-28T12:50:44.271-04:002010-10-28T12:50:44.271-04:00Barnes can scream I am gonna save those teachers a...Barnes can scream I am gonna save those teachers all he wants, you ultimately need to pressure your GA representatives and Senate leaders. <br /><br />He even admits that the educational woes wont be solved in 3-4 years. While I know furlough days arent the best and yeah it hurts I am getting paid less than last year. I am happy knowing I can put food on my table and clothes on my back and come teach. I am not going to tell anyone to deal with it, but the thing is that 1 out of 10 Georgians are unemployed. If your one of the 9 be happy for once. <br /><br />Stop looking to Barnes to save you and look to the local politicians and your state representatives to really help you out. Any one of the gubernatorial candidates can sell snake oil from the dept store counter <br /><br />I wonder if you were a teacher when Barnes was in office. while he did some ok things, overall it was awful how he treated teachers like my mother and aunt.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-80210890993238943282010-10-28T12:28:15.869-04:002010-10-28T12:28:15.869-04:00@ Anon 11:24
The robberies continue. Henderson Mi...@ Anon 11:24<br />The robberies continue. Henderson Middle School was broken into Tuesday night/Wednesday morning - 30 laptops, 3 MACs, a large screen TV and DVD/VCR stolen out of media center.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-12593800468052751662010-10-28T11:57:43.829-04:002010-10-28T11:57:43.829-04:00Anon. 11:26 - I don't know how Barnes is going...Anon. 11:26 - I don't know how Barnes is going to pay for it. Tax receipts are way down and that's the problem. Plus, our state constitution states we must have a balanced budget. You have to cut somewhere. <br /><br />I was against the Bass Boat Dock Boondoggle of Sonny's and I'm against raising taxes in the current environment! <br /><br />We must get businesses hiring first and then we might get the economic engine working.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-17843275603042459442010-10-28T11:48:17.869-04:002010-10-28T11:48:17.869-04:00"Why is DCSS trying to outsource these jobs? ..."Why is DCSS trying to outsource these jobs? Why are they doing stuff undercover......"<br /><br />You see undercover and I see good business practice. <br /><br />Don't most security alarms have a 24 hour company that monitors alarm incidents just as they do for home alarms. That contract has to be bid. Why would you think asking for bids in a normal fashion is uncover? Likewise pest control(bug spraying) needs to be done by a licensed and bonded company and is regularly bid out. Again copy machine repair is also bid out on a regular basis. Major painting is also bid out. With the layoffs someone has to do grounds and regular filter replacement. I would need to read the district wide cleaning RFP to see what that really meant. <br /><br />Maybe you should learn more about what DCSS does bid out on a regular basis. <br /><br />Don’t let paranoia destroy yaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-634403582816170522010-10-28T11:24:28.648-04:002010-10-28T11:24:28.648-04:00Anon - maybe they are fishing to see if they can g...Anon - maybe they are fishing to see if they can get the services cheaper... I gotta say the grounds could be better at many schools, and the alarms in several of the schools around me either don't work at all or go off randomly (per reports of students).<br /><br />I know non-functioning alarm systems allowed several large robberies at high schools in the last two years.<br /><br />As to pest control, cleaning, glass replacement, etc., perhaps that can be done on a more consistent basis, as well. We have discussed the possible advantages to contracting these services on this blog, and I know the cleaning is already contracted at Arabia Mountain - cd be there was a good experience with it.Dekalbparenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16376422781260452873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-15561407491566744542010-10-28T10:17:27.249-04:002010-10-28T10:17:27.249-04:00Why is DCSS trying to outsource these jobs? Why ar...Why is DCSS trying to outsource these jobs? Why are they doing stuff undercover......<br /><br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />District Wide Comprehensive Grounds Maintenance Service RFI 11-03 <br />Attachment 1 <br />Bid Question & Answer 1 <br /> <br /> <br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />District Wide Alarm Monitoring RFI 11-04 <br />Attachment 1 <br />Bid Question & Answer 1 <br /> <br /> <br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />Equipment Repair Service RFI 11-05 <br />Attachment 1 No Addenda <br /> <br /> <br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />District Wide Glass Repair and Replacement RFI 11-06 <br />Attachment 1 <br />Bid Question & Answer 1 <br /> <br /> <br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />District Wide Pest Control Service RFI 11-07 <br />Attachment 1 <br />Bid Question & Answer 1 <br /> <br /> <br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />District Wide Air Conditioner Filters & Replacement RFI 11-08 <br />Attachment 1 <br />Attachment 2 <br />Bid Question & Answer 1 <br /> <br /> <br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />District Wide Cleaning Service RFI 11-09 <br />Attachment 1 <br />Attachment 2 <br />Bid Question & Answer 1 <br /> <br /> <br />Opening Date: 10/27/2010 2:00 pm <br />The following bid must be in the Purchasing Office before 2:00pm on 10/26/2010 <br />District Wide Painting Service RFI 11-10 <br />Attachment 1 <br />Bid Question & Answer 1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-65269953715087360652010-10-28T06:15:57.241-04:002010-10-28T06:15:57.241-04:00Each batch of policies that are going to be change...Each batch of policies that are going to be changed, must sit on the table for 30 days, so no it won't be once a week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-68590788371245678642010-10-28T00:32:06.733-04:002010-10-28T00:32:06.733-04:00I read all the proposed policies. The last one was...I read all the proposed policies. The last one was blank - no proposal? They said all 200+ policies will be under review, so are we going to get a batch a week or something?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com