Thursday, May 6, 2010

DeKalb County Principal Under Investigation For Book Purchases

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent practical example of the DCSS Friends & Family plan. I for one wholly support immediate promotions for all involved to 6-figure Central Office positions as a reward for their demonstrated resourcefulness and commitment to family.

Cynical? Yes!

Anonymous said...

This is a very common practice in DCSS...rewards for friends and family! I could give you so many examples!

Anonymous said...

Clearly what DCSS "needs" to clean this up is a Public Relations firm!

Hopefully, the BoE can hire a friend or family member for $25K and "fix" this!

Anonymous said...

This is exactly the sort of thing that causes the need for crisis communciations PR--dishonest, unethical behavior.

It seems rather obvious, but I'll say it anyway--for the most part you don't need crisis communciations if you are honest, ethical, and competent to begin with.

Anonymous said...

What was this principal thinking? DCSS under a huge investigation for fraud by the "Retired" Superintendent and this principal thinks that they can get away with buying books that ARE NOT needed.

I'm with the other posters here, let's hire Francis Edwards or someone from her family, to investigate. 15K sounds fair.

Please tell me this principal was fired. Well maybe she'll be the new area superintendent. At DCSS they reward this kind of behavior.

I know sarcasm drips but really.......Confidence and competence getting lower by the day at DCSS.

Anonymous said...

This is par for the course. The entitlement mentality knows no bounds.

"I can do whatever I want because I'm important. If you say what I'm doing is illegal, you're a N. Dekalb racist."

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 1:45 pm

I thought this purchase occurred in 2007, a time when Lewis was not under any investigation.

It doesn't mean it's right - just symptomatic of what's been going on a long time..

Ella Smith said...

This purchase was done some time ago. There should be safeguards to prevent Title I money from being spent this way. There is a lack of accountability of spending. If an area superintendent is the overseeing the person who makes the purchase of his book this looks very bad.

Anonymous said...

@ Ella

Note that Richard Belcher didn't say this purchase was made with Title 1 funds. He just said Miller Grove is a Title 1 school.

You're right however in that Title 1 has become a magnet for expensive programs and high non-teaching personnel salaries.

In another post, I compared it to a charity that takes your money and then spends most of it in the "administrative" category. Little trickles down to students.

What DCSS's top administrators are doing with Title 1 funds as the charity that just collects money to pay the administrators' salaries.

Dekalbparent said...

Horace Dunson is the Area Super now. I don't know if he was in 2007, though.

Anonymous said...

Examining the book it seems this is part of the Eddie Long cabal that has a grip on DeKalb County and DeKalb school politics. The truth is that no one wants to go there. But one could state that in the 50's and 60's being a Mason was a prerequisite for success in DeKalb.

Cerebration said...

I can understand ordering a few copies for the teacher's library but hundreds of copies??? What exactly happened to all those books? I'd like to know what became of them. Were the boxes unpacked?

Anonymous said...

I wonder how many principals ordered copies of Yvonne Sanders-Butler's (DCSS Exec Dir of Corp Wellness) book "Healthy Kids, Smart Kids: The Principal-Created, Parent-Tested, Kid-Approved Nutrition Program for Strong Minds and Healthy Bodies"?

Cerebration said...

Hopefully, she is one of the cuts about to be made to central office. That "Wellness Center" is very irritating and a prime example of the attitude of Central Office's "me first" thinking.

If only those darn students would get out of the way of our spending on ourselves!

Anonymous said...

@ Cerebration

I can just picture the Wellness Center right now - filled with Central Office personnel working out. They could sweat just as well in some of our classrooms - AC doesn't always work, but sometimes heat is in the 80s in Jan. - LOL

Sander-Butler has relatives all over the place. One of her sister's is a principal, another works for the DCSS TV channel. That seems a great place to "park" people.

Anonymous said...

I wish we could really compile a great "family tree" of employees -- those related to those towards and at the top and those related to current and former board members and then it could be sent to the current superintendant and to others who might be interested in having it... I'm not sure anyone realizes how many people are in positions on the freinds and family plan.

retired teacher said...

to answer someone's question about did any principals but butler's health book, my old principal did when she was at bouie. she is now at fairington. we got the books as christmas gifts or teacher appreciation, i can't remember. in fact we got it twice. i gave the second copy away. she also bought some motivational speaker's book for us. i can't remember his name, but he came to the school for pre planning. he was loud and boring and i tossed his book in the trash. i am not saying she used school funds but she did buy books.

Roger Matic said...

Yvonne Sanders-Butler is a prime example of tax payers money. Teachers were made to purchase her books or be put on her hit list.
Dr.Butler traveled during school hours to promote her books.A personal trainer where teachers paid the trainer after school, no teacher received a receipt. Also, teachers were forced to write lesson plans using nutrition. Dr. Butler used these teachers lesson plans for her personal usage at Jackson State University and the Atlanta School System to promote herself. Check out Dr. Butler on the internet with Martha Stewart.Com. She is so dishonest on this show with Martha Stewart. Dr. Butler has used money such as Her Arts Gala to make moneyin the past. There was never an account of how much money this event raised. Makeup artist would be at school applying makeup on Dr. Butler during school hours for her famous book reviews. Also, during school hours, she would personally bake cookies to serve to the writers of her published stories.All of this would be during instructional time. Can you believe this? Yet, she was promoted to be a wellness Director?
The books that she made teachers buy went into what account. The book has recepies that were taken from other cookbooks.
If the school system is going to investigate purchasing books,then first look at Butler. How much money was raised from her school's annual Arts Gala? Does anyone know at the county office?
Do an open records on her travel time as a principal to see how many days she used taxpayers money to give speeches for her books when she was suppose to be at work. The school basically ran itself. Dr. Butler should also be investigated for forcing teachers to purchase her cookbooks during school hours. I wonder did her area directors know her whereabouts. Or, if she was related to any of these people whom she reported to? This principal incident relating to Dr. Simpson is a piece of cake compared to how Yvonne Sanders- Butler used DCSS taxpayers, teachers, and students to promote her wellness title.

Cerebration said...

Could that other book have been written by Alduan Tartt???

The Premier DeKalb County School System Office of School Improvement
Presents
The Year of The Parent
RAISING THE BAR!
Together We Can Make a Difference
A FREE half-day Parent Conference

Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Avondale Middle School, 3131 Old Rockbridge Road
Avondale Estates, GA30002

A complimentary breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m.
Dr. Alduan Tartt, a practicing psychologist and accomplished author, community servant and humanitarian, is the keynote speaker. He will speak on the topic “Effective Parenting in Today’s Society”. Dr. Tartt will also present two workshops on parenting. In addition, a variety of workshops focusing on test-taking strategies will be offered to assist parents in the facilitation of student achievement.


http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/03/board-meeting-at-peachtree-ms-and.html

Roger Matic said...

With all of the budget cuts, i bet Dr. Butler will remain as the wellness director.
I bet internal affairs will not go back and investigate Butler for selling her cookbooks school hours,using our money to travel to give speeches for her cookbooks, and most of all, using instructional time of the DCSS to give interviews for her her cookbooks when that time should have been spent assisting teachers, students, or checking lesson plans. She has been on Tom Joyner and other shows using students of the DCSS to fatten her own personal budget. Let us see if this principal will be investigated for her money deeds.

Anonymous said...

Should teachers work on their Masters degree during class instruction time?

Anonymous said...

No. Teachers who are going to school at night should do their class work at their home. They get paid to focus on the children while they are at school, not get another degree to earn extra money. (

A teacher who is going their school work and giving their students busy work should be have consequences as this is not what they are paid to do.

This happens frequently and is not right. Parents need to have an uproar over this. This is not a good use of your tax paying dollars or the children's time.

(This comes from a teacher.)

Anonymous said...

It was reported that Yvonne Sanders Butler allowed others to work on her degreees for her while employed on DCSS time. On the subject on degrees, when we viewed the qualifications for a wellness director, her degrees just match the qualifications, but still the board promoted her to a wellness director. Anyone can hire a publictist to write a book for you. We all can give speeches on our health crisis and engage an audience. But, in reality, do you really have the credentials to be over a wellness program? I guess if we know the right people in DCSS, a position can be created. Has anyone been able to find out exactly what Butler does? Shannon's name appears on all of the wellness information.This lady is a fluke and needs to be in a cell with Pat Reid for embezzling cookbook funds during instructional time. Donot leeave out the four years of her having the Arts Gala at her school. Teachers were forced to purchase twenty five dollars ads or more for the booklet. If you didnot purchase an ad, your life was miserable and she would pick a fight with you until no end.
Let us assume that internal affairs will do an audit to see where money from her Arts Gala went and of course,her cookbooks that were sold during PTA meetings, and instructional time.I didnot know that a person could hire people to write a feww cookbooks for you and then you use other people family recipes and become a director over a wellness center center. Donot judge Dr. Simpson or the other principal until you conduct a full investigation on Yvonne Sanders-Butler money deeds, money obtained from giving speeches on healthly living during work time and not giving any money back to her school for using students, parents, teachers, and anyone else that she could use. I bet Tom Joyner, The AJC, and the other magazines didnot know she was suppose to be at work like her staff when she was on their show or giving speeches. Again, using tax payers money for travel, calling in sick, using DCSSS sick time. To this date, no one can tell you what she does as a wellness director. She is very slick!!!! And a fast talker that needs to be with Pat Reid and the others who have stolen money and time from DCSS.

Anonymous said...

Let all of us bake cookies, hire a makeup artist, and go on the televison, radio, and magazine circuit promoting students, parents, and Martha Stewart viewers, we would not have a job in DCSS. What did she do with her proceeds? She should be in a meeting now at the county office with a special auditor looking over how she spent money from her Arts Gala, and cookbook sales. Oh, we wonder how she paid the health trainer that came out and which funds paid for the leased gym equipment. Teachers paid out of their pockets money to the trainer. The next time you see or hear her on television or the radio, remember that she does not have the qualifications to address any health issues. She is a baker and not a health expert as she claims. But, she will take your money and sell you a cookbook. Richard Belcher could really find the answers for us. Travel records and lost Arts Gala Money and cookbooks. Internal Affairs has a deaf ear on this one i bet.

Anonymous said...

Taxpayers, let us hope that if Dr. Butler's position is cut, the school system will not reward her as an administrator again. This proves and shows that students donot come first. She is on the fast track of getting rich quickly at any means necessary. i bet, DCSS will reward her with a job at the county level instead of showing her how to find a cooking channel.

Anonymous said...

GAE appointed Dr. Butler with the honor of being selected as Principal of The Year. No one could believe how or why this honor was being given to her. First, she was never at school. The school ran itself while Dr.Butler traveled using DCSS time.Secondly,she knows nothing about instruction of students or a school.
She was given the job of an administrator and it shows by her administration.
She reminds me of Pat Reid Pope.
Let us sit and watch if DCSS will open up a probe and include her in the investigation that Richard Belcher has launched.

Anonymous said...

No one can believe that Dr. Lewis would replace Shannon for Yvonne Sanders-Butler. Tell me, you are wrong. This lady (Butler) is not competent, everyone does her work for her, except herself.
She corrupted her entire school;used teachers lesson plans for her data and surveys,has no knowledge or certification about health. Look at her degrees and you will see that they donot match the qualifications that the job asked for. Then look at Shannon's degrees and experience, and truth will show you how Shannon was not treated fairly.
Yvonne Butler's books are not accurate and she did not write these books.
Allow her to stay on the job and you will see that, everyone will be doing her job, while she flahes you her signature smile. She can barely write a complete sentence.
She is going to bring in flowers, gifts, pastries, gift certificates to cover up her incompetent skills.
Then she is going to snuggle up to her boss, so that she leave the building and make phone calls to promote her personal speeches and then call in make her personal money.All the time leaving others to write grants for her, fill out her paper work and etc. She is very cunning.
Shannon, sit back and just wait on
internal affairs to see if they are going to investigate how much money Butler made selling her cookbooks at schools and how may principals sold them for her at their schools. Then, ask about how much money she collected for the Arts Gala before she turned into a health expert on DCSS time. She is not qualified as the director of a wellness program. Ask to see her credentials versus Shannon. Shame on you again, Crawford lewis. Friends helping friends and stepping over others. Shannon, we feel your pain. I hope the people working under her can see the difference. dont let her use you !

Cerebration said...

Kim posted here a while ago that Shannon has taken a new job...

Anonymous said...

We donot blame Shannon. We're glad that she could see that she would be doing all of the work while Butler did nothing. Good for you Shannon.
Hopefully, DCSS will show Butler the door. Kim, did you see her credentials as the wellness director? LOL .They donot match the criteria , another made up position for Butler to corrupt. i hope people working under her reads this blog. It will save them a life time of guesses. Trickery, she is. (Butler)

Anonymous said...

You are correct. Butler has family members all over the county. One sister is a principal in DCSS who verbally abuses her staff members using profanity and then tell them to go and tell because no one at the county office can touch her.
Butler is the same way. we bet she will keep her big promotion while others lose their jobs, maybe these people should sell cookbooks and use DCSS to start a gala and use this money like Butler did. has anyone heard about what Butler's job description title is doing? Well, let us bet, she has people working under her doing all of the work. or, is she really at work? we bet not. check out a food channel or see which school system is listening to her famous tales of how she lost weight and blah, blah. Interesting, Ronald Ramsey aint it. Where are you. Carol and Ralph, dont let Butler get by if you two are questioned about your book selling deals. She is the queen of deception.(Butler)

Anonymous said...

You are correct. Butler has family members all over the county. One sister is a principal in DCSS who verbally abuses her staff members using profanity and then tell them to go and tell because no one at the county office can touch her.
Butler is the same way. we bet she will keep her big promotion while others lose their jobs, maybe these people should sell cookbooks and use DCSS to start a gala and use this money like Butler did. has anyone heard about what Butler's job description title is doing? Well, let us bet, she has people working under her doing all of the work. or, is she really at work? we bet not. check out a food channel or see which school system is listening to her famous tales of how she lost weight and blah, blah. Interesting, Ronald Ramsey aint it. Where are you. Carol and Ralph, dont let Butler get by if you two are questioned about your book selling deals. She is the queen of deception.(Butler)

Anonymous said...

DCSS;Cut Yvonne sanders_Butler position as a wellness nothing.

Anonymous said...

Is Ronald Ramsey investigating this case? If so, tell Carol Thedford to ask him to allow Butler to sit in on the meeting. Then both can receive the same punishement as it relates to what is written in the COde of Ethics books for DCCCS. But, as we all know, they both will receive no punishement. Butler, will go on her merry way fooling people that she is an expert on health. And the books were written by her on health. Since Shannon left, let us see sho is going to write grants and keep the center going. If you are waitng on the newly appointed Director, Butler, then be prepared to work under long hours, threatening remarks, and a missing director in action quite a bit. People you are really now going to see how little she knows. What crazy BOM or Lewis would promote such this person who never managed a school, and used this county to show pictures of children on her books and parade news camera throughout her school only to make a name for herself. Where are the book proceeds? Then, travel back down memory lane when use to have this big Arts Gala at her school. No one could tell you to this day, what what she did with the money collected from ads, or etc. Do an audit and see how much money this principal has made from DCSS for her own personal use. Nothing benefited the children. Publicity was for Butler smiling on every magazine cover and promoting herself as a new found expert on sugar without any medical degrees attached to her name. Welcome your new Wellness Director with no degrees on health just a cooking queen who has taken the county money and is probally laughing all the way to the bank with Crawford, Pope and Reid. they all need to be in jail.

Anonymous said...

Taxpayers, Yvonne Butler was on the Tom Joyner show again giving out false information on how her former school made gains on the CRCT test. This lady was never at work because all of her time for the DCSS was spent traveling promoting her cookbooks and charging fees for her speeches on sugar. Keep in mind now, she was suppose to be at work for the DCSS instead she left the school to make money for her self. The students nor the staff received any proceeds from Yvonne Butler. Again, let us hope that her program as a director is cut and she is sent packing out the door. Carol Theford is not alone. This principal should be investigated for selling her books during school hours and using travel time to promote her books while on school time. Come on Ronald Ramsey,!

Anonymous said...

It was reported that Butler saw the writing on the wall and retired. This is not correct. Unfortunately, she is still in the DCSS doing nothing. We believe she is being guarded closely and cannot leave as she once did when she would leave her school unattended and go on book tours or make personal speeches and get paid while on DCSS time. Does anyone know if she has been promoting her cookbooks while in the new position at the new building? Bet not! Did they cut her salary ? should have. remember how she used the poor students and made teachers buy into her gimmick about not eating sugar. all i can say is, shame on DCSS for allowing this lady to use the system.

Anonymous said...

The news anchor today shared with us information on the book selling at Miller Grove High School. There is something wrong here. The public needed to hear when and what time can we expect to hear about Yvonne Butler's selling at her former school. Teachers were forced to buy her cookbooks during school hours and some were sold during PTA meetings. So if Simpson and Thedford are being investigated,Butler needs to be punished too. She was never at work and used taxpayers money to travel on Dekalb County's time to make speeches and promote her cookbook. Is there favortism here? Yes, Richard Belcher needs to investigate this former principal with the other two.