Friday, August 6, 2010

The August 6 Called Meeting Re: SACS

Check out the new digs! (Photo from Ch46News)
This morning's called meeting was brief and to the point.  Hopefully, this is the way all meetings will be conducted going forward.  Tom always does an amazing job of graciously acknowledging time for comments, but pushing the meeting forward at the same time. He had a tiny bit of trouble with the new voting technology in the impressive new facility, but managed the system very well.

The first order of business was the SACS letter requesting that the school system provide input on a list of topics and evidence that it is in compliance with accreditation standards. The AJC published the letter two days ago which you can find by clicking here. The AJC reported that they acquired a copy of the letter from SACS after the school system did not respond to their request. Ramona Tyson defended her actions by stating that she had requested a deadline extension from SACS and was waiting for their reply before sharing what would be a new version of the letter with a new deadline. She also stated that she has three days to respond to media. That said, a simple acknowledgement of the AJC's request with the above explanation would have, in all likelihood, nipped any misreporting in the bud. Communication is absolutely key in every situation and I think it is one of the most important issues DCSS needs to work on. Like it or not, a superintendent is a very public figure, and as such must communicate regularly with the media or assign a spokesperson to do so. Since our spokesperson was part of the recent budget cuts, Tyson will have to take on this task herself. There's just no way around it I'm afraid.

Several board members made interesting comments regarding the SACS letter. Apparently, several of them accompanied Ms. Tyson to a meeting with Dr. Elgart at SACS on June 23. They were informed at that time that some issues have come up and that SACS would provide assistance and resources to help the system address these issues. Dr. Walker pointed out that SACS issued a letter a year ago stating that DCSS was doing well and then he added his personal opinion that the media does not "master the story" and asked the media to "please give us a fair shake". Womack attended the June 23 meeting and took away that these issues would never have come to the fore without the indictments of our top leadership.

All seemed to agree that they will push forward with these questions from SACS and use their results to improve the system. Tyson has put a 15-member team together to work on this project and promises a "forensic" review of all areas of concern. In addition, she will host a website as well as broadcast all meetings, which will all be open, on the subject.

The board also voted to begin the process of creating a RFP for search firms to submit proposals for a superintendent search. The board seemed unanimous in hoping to find a firm that will conduct a national search and that the firm will not hold a pool of candidates that they represent - they wish to find a firm that will strictly work for DCSS and seek the best candidate for the job, even if it requires recruiting someone from a successful system. The board will also set up a webpage that will track the progress of the search.

All good things. I have always prayed for the day that we will not feel compelled to "watch" our school system leaders. In this age of the internet and Google, the power of the people has become very strong and I think our school board has heard this message. They promise to respond with transparent internet access as well as open, broadcast meetings. Who knows - maybe someday they will even host a blog!

218 comments:

1 – 200 of 218   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

You are much more hopeful than I am. Transparency doesn't exist with this crowd. They try to justify their immoral behavior then cry "racism" when the public doesn't swallow it.

SCW was the worst in her interview on Channel 2 at Noon. She claims that because nepotism was rampant before, that she's doing better or is morally superior because she allegedly recuses herself from votes on her own children. I call hogwash!!!

They're going to try to justify their nepotism, documented on this blog and elsewhere, plus any other wrong doing - such as misspending money while children are left to rot in schools, mismanage the school properties (charter vs neighborhood schools, favortism in some charters not getting their paperwork straight) and then breathe a sigh of relief when SACS accepts their crap at face value.
Color me not amused or surprised.

Anonymous said...

And, to be honest, your atttiude is not helpful at all.

Cerebration said...

Well, I figure they deserve the chance to prove that they can do the right thing. The promises and statements made at this meeting were encouraging - especially statements made by Tom Bowen. Time will tell as we watch the events unfold and discover whether the promises made today had meaning. I will continue to hope so.

That said -- I still maintain that the very best thing for this board and our school system is to replace ALL FIVE board members up for reelection this November. The next board will be the board to choose the superintendent. Personally, I am hoping for a different group to make that decision.

I am also pretty distressed at what I'm hearing about Morcease Beasely. This was a Tyson placement and I'm not impressed. This is another position that requires someone found from a national search. His title is "Interim" and personally, I hope it stays that way.

Anonymous said...

My fear is that Beasley is gunning for the superintendent job.

We have to keep an open mind and open eyes when it comes to the current board.

themommy said...

I am worried about Beasley as well. Jim Redovian voted against his hiring because he wasn't clear why the position needed to be filled before we have a Superintendent.

The guy has something to prove and that is the problem.

He is going to push the poor teachers to do things his way or it is the high way.

Ideally, we will find a top notch superintendent who will bring with him/her a top notch instructional person, along with many other top notch professionals.

Anonymous said...

"Tyson has put a 15-member team together to work on this project and promises a "forensic" review of all areas of concern".
O.K. let's get real here folks...this is all a smoke screen yet again..sounds like the same BS CLewis was giving when the first allegations about Pope were disclosed in the AJC. Let's get some real state investigative auditors involved in the DCSS day to day operations. There will never be a solid result if the "15 member panel" are on the current cabinent or a part of the entire cons[piracy to cover up more misdeeds. This system reeks of filt, and they are disgusting to say the least. The current BOE and Tyson have more questions to answer than the one's asked by SACS what about the parents, taxpayers and the students. How can we propose to have better communication when they are still not being transparent. Stop believing the hype..this is like the Jim Jones syndrome...stop drinking the kool-aid...these lies being told by Tyson and the VOE are killing the morale of the teachers and the students aren't far behind. Demand answers...real answers not BS from these clowns who are suppose to do the right thing....they can't do the right thing because they all are a bunch of losers.

Anonymous said...

Who is picking the 15 member team? Tyson? BOE? How about an independent panel of people not from the current DCSS? This will be another white wash of, it's not our fault, it's the past administration. A lot of the BS similar to what we're getting from our leaders in Washington, it's the past administrations fault. Guess what? The past DCSS administration is the current administration, so don't expect much.

Tyson lost my trust and Dr. B is the antitheses of another bad decision by an inept cabinet of Clew lackeys who will not resign. I'm with Redovian on this one, why do we need someone who is going to saddle our teachers with more work instead of teaching our kids.

Cere the tone of this thread scared me, but we need change and fast not more of the same.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone think some members of the team include some of our best teachers?

Anonymous said...

I do think the tone of the school board meeting was excellent. I do think the school board got the message.

I hope to see improvement and hope SAC will guide the school board to make changes that need to be made.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think the BOE is mainly worried about retaining power. That's what all of this is about - power and who has it? It ceased being about students a long time age. The focus has been on the "jobs machine" for many years now. Nothing this BOE could do will make up for the lost educational opportunities of so many of our students. That boat has sailed for many of our children.

Anonymous said...

Breaking News.....Channel 46 is doing a piece on friends and family hiring practices within the DCSS...this is about to get way to much for the current BOE to handle...

Cerebration said...

ok - tune in Monday at 11:00 then -

DeKalb Schools Under SACS Scrutiny
School Officials To Answer Questions By Accrediting Agency

Written By: Rebekka Schramm - CBS Atlanta Reporter
POSTED: 12:36 pm EDT August 6, 2010
UPDATED: 4:24 pm EDT August 6, 2010

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- DeKalb County school board members said Friday that they are eager to answer questions from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools about whether the school district is in compliance with accreditation standards.

The school system has struggled to erase a bad public image in recent months. Former superintendent Crawford Lewis faces criminal charges of racketeering stemming from an investigation over construction contracts.
Also, a school principal was demoted after she bought $12,560 worth of books authored by school district official Ralph Simpson, according to published reports.

SACS was also concerned about reports that school board member Jay Cunningham sold $22,000 worth of food to the school district from restaurants he owns.

School board chairman Tom Bowen said he does not believe SACS is looking to remove DeKalb County's accreditation. He said he looks forward to cooperating with SACS. "SACS’ goal is not to take away our accreditation. Their goal is to make sure we do all the things that are necessary to remain in good standing,” Bowen said.

CBS Atlanta's Wendy Saltzman will have an investigative report Monday night 11 concerning allegations of nepotism within the school district.

Anonymous said...

anon 2:34 When I hear the power word
"forensic" I feel that a CYA snow job is coming down the pike. I remember the TWO forensic audits by the County under Vernon Jones about the series of $49,999 contacts awarded (to Vernon's buddy) to avoid open bidding. Result.. "it was a communications problem."

The DCSS needs a huge laxative more than a forensic.

Another poster quite accurately designates the purpose of the current DCSS administration and BOE ... "keep the jobs machine going". The same thing holds true for the County Government

Anonymous said...

Asking the tough questions that our BOE is incapable of answering. Can we now ask for Tyson, Turk, Moseley, Thompson, Mitchell, Beasley, Ramsey, Berry, the Guilroy's and any other Edwards family member to PLEASE RESIGN!

We're watching and the taxpayers want action NOW! If the BOE wants to be reelected they better start asking for resignations or they will be gone!

Paula Caldarella said...

DCSS has setup a SACS website:

http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/sacs/

One Fed Up Insider said...

I am sitting here just wondering. Today during our Mandatory Light Bulb InService (Illuminate) did any other schools have problems hearing Ms. Tyson speak.... To me and a friend of mine at another DCSS school she sounded like the adults on a Charlie Brown cartoon... Wa WaWa Wa WaWaWa...

Anonymous said...

"I'm gonna slug you"....shame on you ZRoberts BOE member who have 2 daughters receiving nice checks.this could be a terrioristic threat...Frankie Freeman and Frankie Calloway photos were shown on cbs46...wow

Anonymous said...

You better not ask Zepora any "tough questions"! She just might "slug you". Zepoora just threatened Wendy Saltzman with that for just asking a tough question about her other daughter.

So now we have current BOE members threatening the media with violence for asking legitimate questions!

Zepora needs to resign immediately! Is this how we want our BOE to behave towards the media? Good grief! Tom Bowen, please ask her to step down immediately. Threats of violence have no place in a school system. Dr. B, you better take note, we're watching you and the system. Could Zepora's threats be considered bullying? If students are not allowed to threaten another student how can we allow this behavior by a BOE member to continue?

Go Wendy - keep asking the tough questions. You obviously have struck a nerve and the taxpayers demand honest answers!

Anonymous said...

I just saw a news clip on CBS regarding a reporter asking Ms. Roberts about her second daughter who works for the school system and she indicated if she said anything else she was going to slug the reporter. The police officer was trying to keep the reporter away from Ms. Roberts.

Ms. Roberts was very angry at the reporter. I am sure that many on the board are angry about this story being reported as many board members have members of the family working for the school system.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:18 You make the assumption that bullying isn't permitted in our schools. Remember what they say about when you assume...

Bullying is alive and well in DCSS and Roberts isn't going anywhere.

Anonymous said...

It actually looked like Ms. Roberts did not want to discuss the situation anymore and the reporter would not back down asking questions so she impulsively and angerly Ms. Roberts made the comment because she just felt like she was being picked on and her family were being picked on.

Again, I hate to see this on a news channel. It does not make our school system look very good.

Anonymous said...

Yes. Reporters can be pesky. Just ask Russell Crowe.

Let me make a point though. I'm retired, but when I taught I had parents direct some offensive comments and questions to me. I didn't take it personally. I just tried to handle it in a professional manner, diffuse the situation and stay on an even keel. That's what Ms. Roberts should have done. What if our teachers went off on anyone who gave them some grief? I don't think Ms. Roberts would approve of a teacher losing his/her cool.

Anonymous said...

I saw the snippet of CBS 46 with Ms. Roberts and it did not look good. I also wonder if that could be considered bullying or making a threat of bodily harm. It's OK to think that but letting it come out on camera does not show much restraint on her end.

It will be interesting to see what if any action comes from this.

Kim Gokce said...

I know this is petty and perhaps a little off topic but ... is anyone else offended at how elevated the new BOE dais is at Bryant? It is also quite removed from the audience.

I wonder what the average distance is a citizen can lob a tomato and if this was taken into account?

It has to be a couple of feet higher than it needs to be. But then again, it is sweet irony ...

DCSS Teacher said...

@One Fed Up 6:10
I agree. I think Ms. Tyson is a very nice lady, but she was hard to understand today and basically delivered a bunch of platitudes. Why not some specifics about the issues that are ongoing?

Do we really need to have more talk about praying through all this? There is such a thing as separation of church and state, and I'm insulted that people feel so free in DCSS to mix religion and work. Having to pray for honesty, integrity, etc, is also insulting--it should be a given in all who work here. I shouldn't have to "pray" for it.

I had hoped for some actual information. Like, what does she think the scope of nepotism and favoritism and incompetence, etc, is? What does SHE see as the biggest obstacles to remaking our district? What is her "vision"? The problems here aren't spiritual: they are administrative, legal, and systemic. Ms. Tyson needs to give us employees confidence that she's on the ball enough to isolate critical issues. This did not come across today, and certainly what she shared wasn't worth a systemwide address at the end of the first week.

Paula Caldarella said...

Kim, you're not being petty - I said the same thing to a couple of people. I was offended at the opulence of that dais, the fancy microphones, etc.,

Anonymous said...

Kim, I agree the new diggs are at the emperor's palace at mountain industrial. They have been working overtime just to have it ready for the BOE meeting...I only hope they work this hard getting the air conditioners working at all the schools before monday. They find ways to make everyone snap when we see just how grand they want everyone to believe they are..when actually the BOE meetings should be held in trailers just like the classes being taught to students.Why should they be better than the rest....not to mention they all have offices in the new building..wth

Anonymous said...

Sadly, the educational leaders in DCSS have little classroom experience. Ms. Tyson taught business education for 2 years in the late 80's. Dr. Beasley taught math 3 1/2 years in the mid 90s. That's why you see so many "buzz" words rather than a deeper understanding of the skills our students need in this competitive 21st century world.

Anonymous said...

@DCSS Teacher, attribute any references about prayer to our being in the bible belt. It is what it is. I'm sure she was not the first school official to ask for divine intervention and probably will not be the last.

I believe there are far more important issues than worrying about how prayer is woven into her message. Ensuring field employees that the central office is focused on creating effective learning environments for all children and a support network for teachers/staff is in place is important.

One Fed Up Insider said...

Seriously, I could not understand what Ms. Tyson said because the audio was so bad. I have no idea what she was talking about. I was not the only person in the room that could not understand what was coming through.

It was really embarassing.

I appreciate anything that anyone has out there.

Anonymous said...

REGARDING blogger who asked:
I am sitting here just wondering. Today during our Mandatory Light Bulb InService (Illuminate) did any other schools have problems hearing Ms. Tyson speak.... To me and a friend of mine at another DCSS school she sounded like the adults on a Charlie Brown cartoon... Wa WaWa Wa WaWaWa...

Yes, this happened at our school ... AND what was even more weird is that no one seemed to care. The entire staff sat and watched a picture of Tyson and listened to the muffled broadcast and some even talked among themselves. Not one person in a very large crowd of employees even complained that Tyson's words could not be understood.

Now that is a sad statement of where things are ...

Anonymous said...

When Brad Bryant was on the Board, he actively resisted televising the meetings because of what he saw happen in the City of Atlanta. Board members because much more conscious of their surroundings and money was spent for those things.

I think the DCSS Central Office is a statement about what certain types of people believe about high level government jobs and power. Certainly it isn't about leadership.

Kissing the Ring is a statement I hear so often about how a few of the board members and many high level central office personnel expect to be treated.

Anonymous said...

One thing I noticed about the opulent dais at the "Palace" is that when you see a wide shot all you see are their heads! No necks or arms or anything else, just heads!

I'm so angry, we're not premier at all and Tyson and Beasely are blazing a trail right off a cliff!

If I was Bowen, I would demand an apology by Zepora at the MOnday meeting. What she did on camera was in excusable. However, I hope CBS 46 uses the "I'll slug you" in all their promotion about asking the Tough Questions!

Wendy Saltzman I am a big fan now. Keep asking, you struck a major nerve and Zapora's reaction speaks volumes about the corrupt DCSS and the nepotism and cronyism that is running rampant with OUR tax money!

Not another dime until the system is totally clean of these losers, like Tyson Turk, Moseley, Thompson, Mitchell, Beasely, Ramsey, Berry, Guilroy's ans Edwards family members and the current BOE. You're time is up! RESIGN! For the sake of our kids.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, I watched the CBS46 video by Wendy Saltzman.
I was too shocked to laugh.
I am not sure if it was
Z's response or just the thought of this nervous trembling women trying to throw a punch.

The reporter (Wendy)is asking anyone with more information to forward it to her.

Also there's a part 2 on Monday at 11 p.m.

Anonymous said...

How do you audit nepotism?

Anonymous said...

An individual's character springs forth when he or she is challenged. Need I say more. Please go Zepora, you have been and are am embarassment to the system. That system will ( hopefully ) no longer be able to hide or support your unprofessional , devisive actions and statements. Let the house cleaning begin, maybe a reporter will push a few other folks to the point that we see their character spring forth. I vote for Moseley next..........

Anonymous said...

I guess DCSS is the only Gov't entity that has family members working in leadership and in it's rank and file. Come on folks, if Wendy the thug reporter went around to other Gov'ts including the state, she would discover the same kind of stuff. First she attacks Burrell, now the DCCS board.

Fair and balanced? Not!

Anonymous said...

anybody got a link to the zepora fiasco - can't wait to see this!

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the audio problems some of you are talking about have anything to do with the fact that these geniuses laid off everyone in their communications dept. who knew what they were doing While keeping on the uber-incompetent Philandrea Guillory to run the show. Hmmm, there's one example of something for SACS and ch. 46 to look into when the discussion turns to nepotism.

Anonymous said...

@Anon 9:58, watch the 11 pm news program. CBS 46 indicated they would run the full story at that time. Someone here may want to record and post to You Tube so the world can see it.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 9:50

I agree. I'm sure there are other systems with the friends and relatives policy in place. However, that doesn't make it right for our students. If you ever had to work with some of these friends and relatives, you'd understand why DCSS employees are upset and demoralized.

I don't this would be such an issue if our kids weren't sliding further and further behind. We have the lowest rate of school making AYP in the metro area. We need major changes. I think cleaning up our friends and family policy will go a long way in DCSS because we have so many of them.

Anonymous said...

Ironically, Ms. Tyson is now victim to her own bad purchases in technology!! Eluminate this: we heard nothing!

Cowards wrap themselves in the flag;
Criminals wrap themselves in the law;
Immorals wrap themselves in prayer!

Cerebration said...

As I understood the promo, the full 'nepotism' story will air on Monday at 11 pm. Maybe they will do another clip tonight.

As for those who criticize Wendy - think about it - just how badly would our elected officials behave without the Fourth Estate to keep them in check? This is America - it's the basic premise of our system - freedom of speech and freedom of the press. God, I hope we're still at least teaching that.

Anonymous said...

The problem with Wendy is that she is very selective in her coverage. She seems to always have tough questions for City of Atlanta, DeKalb, Clayton and Fulton counties. If she critiqued all govt's including the state, then I'd have respect for her.

Until she does, notta.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 10:23 pm

"The problem with Wendy is that she is very selective in her coverage. She seems to always have tough questions for City of Atlanta, DeKalb, Clayton and Fulton counties."

LOL

You do realize that the governmental areas you mention probably encompass over 50% of the population of the entire state of Georgia. I wouldn't say that's so selective.

Anonymous said...

"You do realize that the governmental areas you mention probably encompass over 50% of the population of the entire state of Georgia. I wouldn't say that's so selective."

LOL

Isn't GA as a state at the bottom of the barrel when compared to the nation in education?

A complete stranger would have to conclude that the systems selected were the only ones with issues based on Wendy's negative coverage of them.

Anonymous said...

@ Please Help! and other DCSS Teachers

Anonymous 10:26 AM has stated that the poster who said DCSS teachers are not exposed to the latest technology is "clueless."

So, teachers -- what is the scoop on technology in your classroom and in your school?

Do you have your own computer supplied by DCSS -- or is it shared with another teacher? Laptop or desktop? How old is it?

What operating system is on your computer -- Windows 98? Windows 2000? Windows XP? Professional? Windows Vista? Professional? Windows 7? Professional?

What productivity software do you have? Microsoft Office? 2000? Professional? Office 2000? Professional? Office 2003? Professional? Office 2007? Professional? Office 2010? Professional?

Are there enough computers in your classroom for each student to use? For benchmark testing and other testing?

How many computers are in your school's library? How many students per computer in your school? How many classroom sets of computers?

How is eSIS working for you this year?

What hardware/software do you need to do your job and why don't you have it?

School clerical staffs -- please weigh in as well.

Anonymous said...

"The problem with Wendy is that she is very selective in her coverage. She seems to always have tough questions for City of Atlanta, DeKalb, Clayton and Fulton counties. If she critiqued all govt's including the state, then I'd have respect for her."

Really? So much to cover, so little time. Would you rather she did nothing? We need more Wendys out there to turn the heat up on these clowns!

Anonymous said...

The ignorance and lack of any personal ethics of Zepora Roberts on display:

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-school-board-we-586452.html

“We have put things in place to take care of nepotism. Before I got on the board, nepotism was running rampant,” said Roberts, who has two children who work for the district. “I don’t see anything wrong with children of board members working for the district as long as they are qualified.”

Anonymous said...

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/24539089/detail.html#

Anonymous said...

Hey Tom, you didn't do anything about this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPf3sNior_0



Hey, how does DCSS' Director of Corporate Wellness have time to run her company, her non-profit, and motivational speaker engagements, and still have time for her very high paid DCSS position?? Better not be spending one second of your 40 hours a week at DCSS or using any DCSS computer, e-mail or phone for your company and non-profit, Yvonne Butler!!


She is the President and Founder of Ennovy, Inc., a company which provides comprehensive health and wellness intervention, consultation and support. The company combines sound nutrition and fitness practices, behavioral influence techniques, and project management disciplines to help organizations assess and better manage wellness behavior and environments.

She is the founder of YSB-Healthy Behavior Resource Group Inc., a non-profit that provides school wellness research support to universities, foundations and public health agencies.


Dr. Sanders-Butler is also a nutritional advocate, consultant and motivational speaker promoting healthy living for life.
In the fall of 2009, Dr. Butler was named Executive Director for Health Promotions and Corporate Wellness for DeKalb County in metro Atlanta, Dr. Butler continues her passion of education and advocacy in her new role as she works to improve the health and wellness of more than 100,00 students and 15,000 employees by creating and maintaining a wellness culture in all school environments.

No Duh said...

Reporters have things called "beats." Perhaps Wendy's beat is to cover county government, and another reporter covers the Capitol.

Who can fault a reporter for asking our BOE members questions we have been asking for years?

Anonymous said...

Tom Bowen and the BOE did nothing:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/23828923/detail.html

Below is a list of each school construction project the state questioned, the reason for the problem, and how much money the school system lost.


Arabia Mountain High --$1,231,990.00
5-year deadline passed for expending state reimbursement bonds *MONEY CANNOT BE REGAINED
Miller Grove High --- $1,173,659.00
5-year deadline passed for expending state reimbursement bonds *MONEY CANNOT BE REGAINED
McNair Cluster Elementary--$524,999.50
5-year deadline passed for expending state reimbursement bonds *MONEY CANNOT BE REGAINED
McNair High -- $ 297,010.00
18-month deadline passed before DeKalb Schools submitted the request for reimbursement
Peachtree Middle-- $733,468.00
18-month deadline passed before DeKalb Schools submitted the request for reimbursement
Stone Mountain Middle --$ 890,131.20
18-month deadline passed before DeKalb Schools submitted the request for reimbursement
Columbia High-- $ 907,904.00
DeKalb Schools violated state law by failing to bid out 2nd phase of construction, Pope’s ex-husband remained on project
Flat Rock Elementary-- $4,747,248.00
After money was approved, DeKalb Schools opted to fund with local bonds instead Mountain Industrial Center. No money forfeited. Failed to submit architectural plans for approval until AFTER students were already in the completed building

DeKalb Schools Forfeit Millions in State Money
Posted: 9:45 am EDT June 8, 2010

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- In the midst of a major budget crunch, Channel 2 Action News has uncovered more than $10.5 million that DeKalb County Schools failed to collect in state construction reimbursements.

Lynn Jackson, Associate Superintendent for Business Operations for Georgia’s Department of Education told Investigative Reporter Jodie Fleischer the district repeatedly missed deadlines to submit paperwork and failed to follow state guidelines to qualify for the reimbursements.

“I was perplexed by this. Truly, I could not understand why DeKalb County could not comply," said Jackson.

When the DeKalb County School District built McNair High School, the state was planning to contribute $297,010. However, the district missed the deadline to turn in paperwork, thereby forfeiting the money for that project. The same 18-month deadline was also missed for projects at Stone Mountain Middle and Peachtree Middle.

Recent indictments for racketeering against former Superintendent Crawford Lewis and former Chief Operating Officer Patricia Pope mentioned four additional schools where the state noticed problems years ago.

Lewis and Pope are also accused of authorizing payments for Pope's then husband, an architect who made millions on school projects.

Jackson said, "It's not our role to criminally investigate anything. We knew there were problems and we withheld state funds because there were problems."

Jackson said she couldn't think of another school district with a worse track record. “It was Pat Pope and Crawford Lewis that I met with repeatedly and I handed these documents to," said Jackson.

Fleischer approached DeKalb County School Board Budget Chairman, Paul Womack, about the forfeited funds for at least nine schools.

"It makes me sick, as it will the rest of the board I'm quite sure," Womack said He said he planned to raise the issue in Executive Session at Monday night’s School Board meeting.

He’s been working to steer the school system through a major budget crunch, during which parents have criticized financial waste and priorities. "I think they would be outraged and rightly so," Womack said.

According to Fleischer, he’s wondering how many more millions of dollars the alleged construction scheme and mismanagement will end up costing.

"I can't comment on whether it's criminal or incompetence, but I'm going to take the latter and say maybe it was a willful disregard," added Womack.

No Duh said...

Just saw the news. That woman has seemed emotionally unstable since I first met her -- of course, you all remember me telling you that the first time I met ZR she called me a racist.

The news station needs to send a black reporter to ask her the same question. Better yet, send a black male reporter. She'll sweeten up real quick like...

To quote a famous philosopher, "Stupid is as stupid does."

Anonymous said...

I just saw Zepora Roberts on TV say she was going to slug the reporter Wendy Saltzman if she asked her any more questions. I've had parents pound the desk in front of me, but I never lost my temper. It's simply not appropriate. Ms. Roberts needs to model the behavior she expects teachers and students to display. What a poor role model it is to threaten to slug someone when you don't like the questions they ask. Self control is one thing you really learn in teaching and we try to pass this along to our students. Ms. Roberts could use some lesson from DCSS teachers in this. This does not make DCSS look so good.

Anonymous said...

It looks like the CBS people have been reading the friends and family plan blog on DeKalb Watch. I remember Cerebration shut it down and then opened it back up for a limited period of time. I'm glad she had the courage to open it back up. She's got a lot of guts. I appreciate her efforts.

Anonymous said...

Tom Bowen, for once in your life be a leader, and publicly reprimand Zepora Roberts for her outburst.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget, it's not just family members. It's about fraternity brothers and sorority sisters, and it's also about New Birth Church having way too much power and control of our county school system.

Anonymous said...

Missed the Zepora " Immmma gonna slug you " story Anyone got a link?

Anonymous said...

"The problem with Wendy is that she is very selective in her coverage. She seems to always have tough questions for City of Atlanta, DeKalb, Clayton and Fulton counties. If she critiqued all govt's including the state, then I'd have respect for her."

Wendy Saltzman works for Channel 46/CBS-Atlanta. The only network that provides statewide coverage is Georgia Public Broadcasting.

That said, it is high time that a reporter in the Atlanta metro area asked some tough questions of DCSS. The education reporters for the AJC have been spineless wimps. Ditto for the reporters from the other television stations that cover the metro area. Spineless wimps!

And then there is Richard Belcher who took his marching orders from Dale Davis -- and libeled an innocent DCSS employee. Good riddance, Dale! Richard, you can retire now! Your credibility is beyond damaged.

You go, Wendy! Courage!

Anonymous said...

I'm going to go to the printer's tomorrow and order "I'm gonna slug you" t-shirts. Will be the hottest catch phrase since "Pants on the Ground"!!!

Cerebration said...

go to this link (popular videos)

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/local-video/index.html

and click on Wendy Saltzman Investigates: DeKalb Schools

Anonymous said...

The 'I'm gonna slug you' piece was a teaser for the story CBS 46 plans to show on Monday, the first day of school. Unless someone recorded it, we probably won't see it on their webpage until after the full story runs.

It will be interesting to see if that teaser is replayed over the weekend. In fairness, we need to see the full piece in context but it may require the BOE to publicly reprimand her.

Cerebration said...

It's there - go to the link I shared above - it's in with the collection of videos.

Sign me up for a t-shirt!!!

Cerebration said...

Funnily enough - if a student actually wore such a shirt to school they'd probably be expelled for making a terroristic threat!

Anonymous said...

Found it! Surprised to see it there but there is Zepora saying, "I'm gonna slug you". Not looking forward to the fallout from this.

Anonymous said...

Spineless wimps? Wasn't it the AJC's reporting that led to the indictments?

Anonymous said...

Regarding the MIS issues during today's webcast, was Jamal "where's waldo" Edwards involved or did he decide to hide out at another school?

Hey Wendy! The poster who says they don't like you is most likely a New Birth Member or maybe Robert Moseley himself.

Wendy, I hope you're reading this blog, Jamal Edwards, son to former BOE chairman Francis Edwards, was given a raise and a new job working, for then MIS chief Ramona Tyson, he did not show up for his new job for 6 months and hid out at Nancy Creek Elementary. This man had no idea how to fix a printer let alone a computer.

The principal did nothing when asked by parents what Jamal was still doing at the school? Another person had been assigned but Jamal was still around. It wasn't until Channel 2 ran a news piece talking about nepotism and how the BOE did not follow their own rules in regards to Jamal's raise and new position. The BOE was suppose to vote for any new raises for family members, they had not.

WSB asked CLew if there was nepotism in DCSS and he said "NO". The parents at Nancy Creek, who saw the piece, called Chip Franzoni to set up a meeting with Debbie Loeb and CLew. Ms. Tyson, when called, by then Assoc. Super Debbie Loeb with parents in the room, was surprised that Jamal had not reported to his new job. Folks, this is our interim Super! She had no idea he had not shown up for work for 6 months but he was paid, who was signing his time sheets? However within the next two days Jamal reported to his new job at MIS, the principal at Nancy Creek was reassigned and the rest is history. This happened five years ago. Sounds like nothing has changed at DCSS. In the real world people would have been fired for doing something like this.

Does Jamal Edwards still work at DCSS MIS?

I'm just sayin....

Wendy you're doing great, keep asking the tough questions!

Anonymous said...

Anon at 1:55 AM

I hope you will contact Wendy and go on the news and tell your story. I think it would be cathartic for you.

I just watched the tease.

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/local-video/index.html

It should be interesting.

I am curious, though, what is the consensus about Ms. Roberts from the voters in her district. I had heard that she is greatly loved and respected.

Anonymous said...

I also wanted to add to the above that we do need to see the whole piece, but you shouldn't threaten reporters. EVER.

Anonymous said...

I saw a clip where she was asked about a second daughter working for the school system when she got real angry.

I agree the whole clip would tell the whole story. At no time should a school board member behave this way. However, Ms. Roberts or anyone else deserves the whole clip being played instead of cutting the clip.

Anonymous said...

An assistant principal in Dekalb has the last name Edwards and has the connection also.

Cerebration said...

EDWARDS,JAMAL S IS PERSONNEL - SUPPORT SERV $58,101.60

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 1:55 pm

According to DCSS Community Net, he still works at DCSS in MIS.

Here are the BOE meeting minutes posted from 12/05/10 relating to his promotion:

"Dr. Lewis recommended a position upgrade for Jamal Edwards, a relative of a board member, from a 10-month Certified Teacher Support Specialist (CTSS) to a 12-month Network Liaison Specialist I within the Management Information Systems (MIS) Department, effective July 1, 2005.

Ms. Andrews made a motion to approve the recommendation, and Ms. Roberts seconded the motion.
In discussion that followed, Dr. Lewis apologized that this was not brought before the Board at the time of the promotion as required by Board policy. He has directed Human Resources to review and revise its standard operating procedure so this violation of Board policy does not happen again. Ms. Grant said this policy has been followed for a number of years unerringly and she is troubled that suddenly it has been violated. Ms. Grant asked for clarification of the process to determine which jobs are posted and which jobs are not posted.

Ms. Ramona Tyson, Associate Superintendent of Management Information Systems (MIS), stated that under the former administration an initiative was established to address needed budgetary personnel cuts. One of the decisions made during that time was to reduce the workforce through attrition. One area selected was the Certified Technology Support Specialist (CTSS) which is a ten-month position. Within this initiative, the CTSS full-time equivalency (FTE) position was moved from the local school personnel budget to the MIS personnel budget and in doing so, the management of these positions was now under the administration of MIS. In August 2004, a decision was made by the former head of MIS to relocate seven CTSS employees from the local school to MIS. These seven individuals were required to assume the duties and responsibilities of the entry-level position of a Network Liaison Specialist within MIS. At the end of May 2005, the ten-month payroll for the seven CTSS employees ended for the school year and these employees were placed in a 12-month department as a part of the MIS staff. They were inclusive and working on assignments and projects that required them to continue to work as 12-month staff. In order to compensate them for the additional time they were required to work, a request was made through Human Resources to upgrade them from 10-month to 12-month status. This request was made through the chain of command and approved by Human Resources July 2005.

The question was called, and the motion to approve the position upgrade as recommended was approved by a vote of 7/0/2, with Ms. Anderson-Littlejohn, Ms. Andrews, Ms. Copelin-Wood, Mr. Franzoni, Ms. Joyner, Ms. Manning-Moon, and Ms. Roberts voting affirmatively, and with Ms. Edwards and Ms. Grant abstaining.

(The Human Resources Report will be included in the official minute book as Appendix A.)"

I a little puzzled by the statement/rationale by Ms. Tyson that stated that budgetary cuts forced MIS to relocate 7 lower paid 10 month employees to a higher paid 12 month position. I don't see how that was a cost savings to DCSS, but maybe I'm just dense.

Anonymous said...

No, I do not think you are dense at all. I find it interesting.

I think also if you look at the cabinet staff of the superintendent and the employees of Dekalb County Schools over the years there also would be some questions.

Edwards-Human Relations
Dr. Halford
Freeman
Calloway

Family members are working for the school system and have good jobs with the school system. It is a good old boys/girls network still at play. Church associations, social groups in college associations, and political connections all are here.

Dr. Walker could not believe the board and school system were being questioned by SACS. Then he turned around later and indicated he has asked some of the same questions and he had not gotten answers to his questions. This was a little confusing. Ms. Roberts indicated no individual board member was being investigated. Mr. Womack indicated he was not going to say no individual board member was being investigated. Ms. Woods was on her best behavior at the Monday meeting. (She was late to the meeting) At least Mr. Bowen admits we need to look for dirt and do better than the school system is doing.

Maybe something good will come out of all of this. I sincerely hope so for the students and the citizens of DeKalb. Our school board has made bad decisions on our school superintendent in the past. Let's hope they do a better job this time.

Cerebration said...

Vewwwwy intewesting! Thanks for digging that up, Anon.

I've had the same question as Ms. Grant for quite some time -

Ms. Grant asked for clarification of the process to determine which jobs are posted and which jobs are not posted.

Anonymous said...

Does Ms. Andrews and Grant have family members working for the school system also? How bad is this situation?

Anonymous said...

Thanks Anon. 9:51 for the information.

I was one of the folks in the room when Ms. Tyson said she was unaware that Mr. Edwards had not reported for his new job. The parents in that room were stunned! Debbie Loeb, then Assoc. Super was stunned.

As a parent who helped fix some of the computers at Nancy Creek, the teachers were happy to have a new CTSS on board, Mr. Edwards was not capable in doing the work. After he was reassigned Mr. Edwards answered phones, ran errands for teachers and slept. As a taxpayer I went to the principal and asked what he was doing there after being reassigned. The principal said it was not his problem, Mr. Edwards did not report to him.

I just want to know how a son of a BOE chairman can keep a job when he was incapable of doing the work and he refused to report to his new job? In the real world this person would have been fired immediately. The Friends and Family plan has been alive and well at DCSS for decades.

Folks, this is our tax money at work!

It's time for change, we must demand it. The current administration needs to go. As long as anyone involved in Clew's cabinet remain, the trust in DCSS will never take hold.

Why can't the BOE see that the majority of taxpayers are angry. Do they honestly think that a Splost 3 will pass? Now we're paying churches for rent when we have properties all over DCSS sitting empty. If these properties are no longer inhabitable then we need to sell them. Enough!

Anonymous said...

Another question, the teachers had issues hearing Ms. Tyson during her speech. How come? Doesn't all the DCSS schools get PDS-24? Philandrea Guilroy gets paid over 120k a year as production manager of this cable access channel.

A similar job in the public sector brings around 75k in the Atlanta market. This is for a TV station that is seen metro wide. Why is this person paid so much? I know she is Francis Edwards daughter but come on how long has the Edwards family been on this DCSS gravy train?

Want to regain the taxpayers trust? Publish the audit that CLew buried first thing Monday and begin implementing the changes that the audit suggested.

Anonymous said...

This in not new.

Appointments to principal positions verses going through the proper procedures in hiring, school board members deciding and recruiting principals for schools, was happening in DeKalb County in the past and is still happening the last two years. Things have not changed. School board members in Dekalb need to understand what their job duties and responsibilities are and be ethical and stay within the boundaries.

A school superintendent needs to be qualified and follow protocol and procedures to assure that the citizens of Dekalb and the children of DeKalb are getting the best quality of education possible for the money being spent. We need the drama to stop for our county.

Kim Gokce said...

Haven't been able to watch this thread closely but caught up today ... the CBS teaser is depressing. What are we in DeKalb? A Banana Republic?

Also, I am struck by a few comments above to the affect that we are being picked on or that the same corrupting influences could be found in any municipality or school system. Really? That's the standard we should accept? Everyone else does it?

This is a rationalization at best and juvenile to boot ... we can only blame ourselves and should welcome the scrutiny. Sunlight! Sunglight, let there be sunlight in DeKalb!

Anonymous said...

Amen.

Sunlight! Sunglight, let there be sunlight in DeKalb!

Anonymous said...

OMG - Cere I love you for the link - I am laughing so hard, what a display for Zepora ( aka Ima gonna slug you )!
Tom, Tom Really, if you don't step up to the plate on this one......
That was simply unbelievable - This BOE must go, The cronies at Central Office must go...
Are parents awake yet?

Anonymous said...

First, we are on SPLOST III already. It passed years ago. Next up, SPLOST IV.

Second, Leadership Prep is an independent charter school and is free to use their dollars as they see fit. They have chosen to rent space at New Birth, just as Path Academy rents its building from Oglethorpe University and ICS from Avondale Patillo.

Does this pass the smell test? Maybe not. But the school board can't tell an independent charter school how to spend the funds they receive.

Anonymous said...

Alright Anon 12:57, explain why leadership Academy zoomed through the approval process, and it needed DCSS approval, while other charters like The Museum School was stalled and stalled and stalled by the BOE and Central Office. It sure pays to hire a former DCSS Central office player, albeit a disgraced one, as your principal, and to be part of the new Birth Mafia.

Anonymous said...

I said it didn't pass the smell test.

The process for becoming a charter school is pretty tough at the state level. Every I and T must be dotted and crossed, so they clearly could write/prepare a good charter. Even if DCSS didn't do a good, rigorous review, the state would have.

All that said, I believe that this is an effort for New Birth to be able to close their private school, therefore morphing it into the charter school. If they had closed the school this past year and opened this one this year, it would be easier to prove the violation of the charter law, this will be tougher is sometime down the road, the New Birth school closes.

Worth keeping a very close eye on.

Anonymous said...

Okay, Splost 4, whatever it is, it has no chance of passing in the current environment. Until DCSS can regain the trust of the taxpayer, don't expect too much. The sad thing is Chamblee High students will suffer. Thanks Clew and Pope!

I understand that charters can spend the money how they want. However, the New Birth Mafia is receiving OUR tax dollars. I think their books should be open to scrutiny. Also, your excuse about Oglethorpe is weak, Oglethorpe is a university while New Birth is a church. Where is the ACLU and their separation of church and state bunch?

Right now we need total transparency and honesty. All the BOE is giving us a great big show, in their great big digs, while wasting our tax dollars.

What Zepora did is unreal, she should resign her post. If a student threatened another student, teacher or anyone else they would have been suspended on the spot. I don't care if Zepora's constituents love her or not, what she did is an embarrassment to every DCSS employee and DeKalb County resident. We can not let her get away with it.

By the way, what 46 showed last night is a promo for the piece they will show the rest on Monday. Should be fun to watch.

Exit question, why did Zepora get so upset? If the question was in reference to a lie, just say it, laugh it off and walk away. Zepora's reaction only proves she is very nervous and she knows there is a huge problem inside DCSS.

By the way, I sent a question to my BOE member this morning. I asked how OUR $2000 chairs are fitting their posteriors? Obviously, all they have done this summer is sit in them, they certainly have not done anything to change the way things operate at DCSS.

Please Sonny! Stop the madness and take over the system, we have tax dollars being squandered. How is any of this good for the children of DeKalb?

Zepora your outburst should be rebuked by every BOE member. Send emails to your BOE rep and ask for their reaction to Zepora's outburst. She must resign it's the only right thing to do. It certainly will defuse the situation quickly. Anything else and it's business as usual at the DCSS BOE.

Anonymous said...

As has been explained numerous times on this blog, governments can do business with churches presuming certain conditions exist.

The City of Atlanta schools leased space at Buckhead churches for the overflow from Sarah Smith elementary school.

But on to Leadership Prep, from their charter:

"The school representative authorized to execute the charter contract will be the principal of the school, Mrs. Sandra Walker, former principal at E. L. Bouie Theme School, Lithonia, GA."

What happened to her?

How did Callaway end up getting the job?

Anonymous said...

An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in either criminal or civil liability. Generally, the common law definition is the same in criminal and Tort Law. There is, however, an additional Criminal Law category of assault consisting of an attempted but unsuccessful Battery.

Does this ring any bells?

Can you say "You have the right to remain silent" ?

Anonymous said...

State boards and school boards have to be careful. The issue is not having schools in a church. The issue is the church having an influence on the curriculum. This cannot happen and be a public school.

Anytime there may be a question the board that gives the license can revoke the license. This school did move from its original location into the New Birth location. The New Birth location has not taken off like expected and New Birth has plenty of room for the program. It definitely is a sweet situation and gives New Birth an opportunity to close down their private school and save the parents a ton of money.

Melvin Johnson was a contributor to Dr. Walker's campaign along with Eddie Long. Who else is on his list who has connections to the Charter School in New Birth? What other school board members have Friends and Family of New Birth Charter School contributions? I just had a copy of Walker's contribution sheet because of the donations from Sembler. I do not know if I am willing to spend time investigating this. However, it would be interesting to see the donation connections to New Birth and the possible new charter school.

Anonymous said...

in response to - "Does Ms. Andrews and Grant have family members working for the school system also? How bad is this situation?" -
I don't think either of Andrews' kids work with DCSS, but LC Grant's daughter secured a highly desirable teaching spot at Fernbank Elementary. Halford's daughter used to teach at Kittredge, and was a mediocre teacher, at best. The nepotism problem runs deep, is long-standing, and across all races.

Anonymous said...

Why did the school move locations after being approved by the state?

School law does indicate that there must be a separation between state and church in charter school situations. However, just because a church itself wants to start a charter school you cannot deny them based just upon them being a church. However, it does indicate that the board has a right to deny the charter if there is any indication of a conflict or concern with the curriculum of a charter school in a church. A charter school could be in a church. However, there should be someone keeping a close eye on the day to day curriculum of the school.

Anonymous said...

SPLOST IV

fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. What is there for three and four?

Einstein, at least a tad bit smarter than most of the BOE members and DCSS administrators said that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

SPLOST IV should be for the benefit of taxpayers, like HOST.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that information.

I am sure that if we went back we could find a history.

Dekalbparent said...

I thought Leadership Prep was a DCSS-approved charter, not a state-approved charter. It was my understanding that DCSS liked it.

I still want to know why they are housed at New Birth, when it was originally announced that they would be located at the site of a former charter (presumably Academy of Lithonia). I know they could not take over Academy of Lithonia's buildings because those buildings belong to the Michigan-based company that was behind Academy of Lithonia. BUT why did they not move into an existing empty DCSS property??

Museum School is state-approved (similar to Ivy Prep), which is the path available to charters when their local district turns them down (for whatever reason). I would presume this is why they had to find their own space.

Anonymous said...

All charters have to be approved by the state. Now there is a second path, the commission one, that is available to charter schools. They are an alternate authoriser.

It is suspicious that this charter was approved by DCSS since they have been routinely rejecting almost all applications. I have read much of their charter though and it is a good application.

Museum School choose to include items in their charter that DCSS wouldn't permit per their policy and were rejected by the system and later were approved by the commission. Peachtree Hope was also rejected by DCSS and approved by the commission. Both open this month.

While we all see these connections to the system, on paper at least, this is an independent charter school. If DCSS had offered them a building, they would have to do the same for all existing and future locally approved charters.

Anonymous said...

The school board must have approved it.

The school posted teacher vacancies and an assistant principal vacancy through the school system.

This charter will gets it funds through Dekalb County and be supervised by the DeKalb County School System and the Dekalb County School Board. This charter is not independent in that manner.

Anonymous said...

The school system does have to rent them a vacant building though according to state law. If a building is vacant then it can be used for a charter school. There was a law past a year or two ago which encourages this usage.

I am sure there are vacant schools around. However, they are not located and connected to New Birth.

Anonymous said...

"The sad thing is Chamblee High students will suffer. Thanks Clew and Pope!........Right now we need total transparency and honesty. All the BOE is giving us a great big show, in their great big digs, while wasting our tax dollars."

What would the $30,000,000 that went into the new offices for administrators and the 9 BOE members done for students at Chamblee HS?

I wrote my BOE member and expressed my feeling that the students should have come first and that a new facility for them and the administrators should have come only after all the children in DCSS were in a safe, clean and well maintained environment.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 10:24 am

Well, Ms. Tyson who was the head of the technical group at that time must have felt that he was competent.

"These seven individuals were required to assume the duties and responsibilities of the entry-level position of a Network Liaison Specialist within MIS. "

A Network Liaison Specialist supports many CTSSs. When their assigned CTSSs can't figure out a problem, they escalate it to their Network Liaison Specialist. They are the technical experts that reside in the Bryant center.

Cerebration said...

Chamblee has a right to be very upset. They have gotten the royal thumb from the board as they quietly 'announce' that construction money for Chamblee has been tabled. Not only is Chamblee one of the most horrific buildings in the county, they have no auditorium and terrible outdoor facilities. On top of that, they continue to have to make way for the flood of transfers they have to take on every year. It's truly pitiful how DeKalb has seemingly turned their back on one of the few high schools performing at "passing" rates. It seems the better your students perform, the more they let your building crumble. There's a direct correlation.

Anonymous said...

To have an honest discussion about Chamblee, we have to be honest about their enrollment. At least as of last year, less than 700 students there live in the Chamblee district. This is equivalent to the smallest neighborhood high schools in DeKalb, some of which may be closed in the next two years.

If transfers were to end for some reason, what then?

DCSS desperately needs a master plan and addressing both the state of the Chamblee building and the state of enrollment have to be part of the discussion.

Anonymous said...

Francis Edwards use to yield a tremendous amount of power in DeKalb. She and Elizabeth Andrews were the grande dames for quite a while.

Does anyone who lives in S. DeKalb know if Ms. Edwards is still so powerful?

Cerebration said...

As far as New Birth goes, the way I see it is this: Many parents in south DeKalb are very unhappy with their neighborhood schools for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons has to do with student behavior and the lack of discipline in the building. Many parents don't want their children in such a loose school environment. Add to that the fact that many of the schools in the area do not produce good test scores, and parents start looking elsewhere.

New Birth is like the mothership of South DeKalb. Very powerful. Very influential. Very well-connected. They had offered a private school option to the unhappy parents, yet many could not take advantage of it and the school has not grown.

Brainstorm! Gather together Melvin Johnson (fomer DCSS administrator and New Birth member as well as board member for the private school on campus), Bishop Eddie Long, Crawford Lewis, Eugene Walker and Frankie Callaway (also a former DCSS administrator whose husband is principal of Destiny Academy, a DCSS charter for at-risk students) and you find a very well executed plan to create essentially a private school in the church building using public school (as well as Title 1) money.

Personally, I'm impressed with the idea of this school. I like the website and the statement on the application - The curriculum is a rigorous academic course of studies with a focus on leadership skills. This would be nice to have in every school. Of course, IMO, there's really nothing wrong with not being a "leader" - many of us are quite content to just do good work and contribute to the cause. But "leaders" are apparently in demand these days. (Just take a look at how many DCSS administrators have completed Leadership DeKalb.)

But what concerns me is that there are several schools like this cropping up around South DeKalb, and damaging the attendance of the neighborhood schools. Board members just don't seem to see this disparity that is being created by their own hands - and the hands of the people who are demanding better schools and now creating them themselves. l am concerned about the schools from which these "choice" students are being plucked. They are being drained of their best resources and I can't see how this is good for anyone "Left Behind". An enlightened person wouldn't damage other people this way in order to get the best for themselves.

Anonymous said...

"Francis Edwards use to yield a tremendous amount of power in DeKalb. She and Elizabeth Andrews were the grande dames for quite a while.

Does anyone who lives in S. DeKalb know if Ms. Edwards is still so powerful?"

I can tell you that yes, Francis Edwards still has a lot of power. What I can't tell you is WHY. Its a mystery to me. But the fact that her daughter, Philandrea Guillory is completely bulletproof and untouchable despite being thoroughly incompetent while everyone in the DCSS hierarchy knows it is proof positive there is tremendous power still being wielded. Four hard-working individuals in that department who were very good at what they did were laid off in June while PG, who can't write 2 sentences without errors is still there drawing a six figure salary. Enough said.

Anonymous said...

However, this is getting the best for a certain group of individuals.

They are picky at Arabian Mountain. Some citizens in South Dekalb do want the best there is to offer. Do you think school board members want to put trailers on Arabian Mountain and allow students from other schools who did not make AYP. Absolutely not. I bet we could walk around and find places trailers could go at Arabian Mountain without a great deal of problem.

Bluntly, it is about class. The powers to be want to keep Arabian Mountain a school full of class act children for the upper-middle class citizen's children in South DeKalb. AYP children will go to a different setting. There is no way these children can enter the doors of Arabian Mountain. Arabian Mountain is special and many school board members want to keep it that way. Many New Birth members students go to Arabian High School. Arabian High School is near New Birth. I am sure when Arabian High School opened it did not help the attendance at New Birth High School. They only have about 200-300 students from what I can identify in the whole school at New Birth. There is no way the high school can compete with Arabian High School.

I predict New Birth will be getting out of the school business shortly if the Leadership Academy gets up and going. The first year this school intents to take 300 students which is about to bypass the number of children at New Birth's School.

When school board members pass charters and do not even follow their own set I am sure SAC is watching. The board is suppose to follow their own policies. I am sure the individuals who get turned down do not like to see some charter schools even getting help from the school system writing their charter.

Anonymous said...

Annoymous 7:01 PM

How about the policy which indicated the school board had to give teachers an opportunity to speak out before they made some of the decisions they made. There had to be so many meetings in a time span. The board did not do this and then they turned around and changed the policy after they had broken it.

This was not the way to treat teachers in the county. No wonder the moral is so bad.

Dr. Lewis promised the teachers money would be given back and everything returned to normal at a board meeting at the beginning of last year. All the school board members are well aware this was the agreement that was made. However, the school board did not care about what was agreed upon.

Anonymous said...

"Dr. Lewis promised the teachers money would be given back and everything returned to normal at a board meeting at the beginning of last year. All the school board members are well aware this was the agreement that was made. However, the school board did not care about what was agreed upon. "

Dr. Lewis lived in the moment - never a thought for the future. Our BOE does the same thing.

Anonymous said...

"They are picky at Arabian Mountain. Some citizens in South Dekalb do want the best there is to offer."

Although this comment was in response to the question of why there will probably be no trailers at Arabia Mountain, it made me think of something else.

To me, a school that can restrict who is able to attend can of course make AYP each year. That is because your student body is made up of young people who would probably excel no matter what school they attended.

To me, the real test would be whether that school would be able to get the same results --given all the perks and resources available to that school -- if the the enrollment were open. We've seen this at Lakeside, Chamblee, Dunwoody, etc. These schools have been able to bring in students from AYP schools and still maintain their standards.

So why is it that all other schools are having to do this but Arabia is exempt? At a time when everyone is having to tighten their belts and make sacrifices, why can't AYP students be allowed to physically attend Arabia Mountain and not in name only? If Arabia has some of the best there is to offer, then why can't those who need it more not be able to benefit from it?

It seems as if Arabia is the current golden child of DCSS and every endeavor will be made to prevent it from failing (even to the detriment of other schools).

Yes, it good to see a "successful" school -- espcially in South Dekalb. Yes, I get the legality of the annexes. It just seems that the spirit of having choice available was to allow students to be able to move to an environment that is more conducive to learning and acheivement. Annexes don't do that. (Plus students in annexes are in a vacuum because they're not really a part of either school.)

By the way, is there also a general population at Arabia (i.e., students zoned in that area)? If so, what percentage of the students are general poplulation?

Anonymous said...

Chamblee is growing folks! The DeKalb Planning Dept. told us that the Chamblee area is the second fastest growing area in the Metro area.

Montgomery Elementary has 650 kids enrolled, Huntley Hills has over 500, please tell me if that's wrong, these kids will feed into Chamblee Middle and High. Of course not all will go, but if it is still a high achieving school it should be an option.

Let's not make the same mistake and close a school because it does not have the kids attending currently. There are a lot of kids in the area and there are a lot of young families moving into the area.

Anonymous said...

This may not be the place to bring this up, but I'd like the teachers to revisit the eSis logo on the front page and let us know how the system is working.

My daughter's high school schedule that was made out last spring was wrong but we couldn't get it fixed then. And, because of the furlough days Open House day was truncated and no schedules could be fixed. So, we'll have to fix it next week. When, oh when will the beginning of the school year start smoothly in DeKalb County?!

Most students' schedules at her school are wrong. I am so tired of this!

Paula Caldarella said...

Montgomery Elementary has 650 kids enrolled, Huntley Hills has over 500, please tell me if that's wrong, these kids will feed into Chamblee Middle and High

Those students do not, and will not, for the most part move on to CMS or CHS. Last school year, there was approx. 800 students in a building designed to hold 1200 students. There were only 156 6th graders in 2009 - 2010. The 7th and 8th grade enrollment "bumpbed" up due to the arrival of the Kittredge students. However, not all Kittredge students moved on to CMS. Where did the majority of the elementary students from HH and Montgomery move onto? It was not CMS.

Anonymous said...

The growth at Montgomery is at the lower grades only so far. So, while they have a bunch of kindergarten classes, they only have a couple of 5th grade classes. (Huntley Hills has a bunch of apartment complexes and so the growth may be across many grades, but many of the families move around a lot.)

Time will tell if those students will remain in public school. It will be a few years before we really know.

I do know that currently, in the upper elementary grades, families whose students don't get in the magnet program are still leaving public school for private school at a fairly stable rate.

Anonymous said...

To Aug. 6 Anon 11:04

Hey, how does DCSS' Director of Corporate Wellness have time to run her company, her non-profit, and motivational speaker engagements, and still have time for her very high paid DCSS position?? Better not be spending one second of your 40 hours a week at DCSS or using any DCSS computer, e-mail or phone for your company and non-profit, Yvonne Butler!!

Answer: The same way Don Roberts (Instrumental Music Dept. chair) has time to be the musical director for DrumLine Live that was on a 50 city tour last year and starts a tour of Japan this Monday – he’s gone for 2 weeks during critical days taking his show international.

Anonymous said...

Well, many comments say they've written to their board members with complaints. What we haven't heard here anywhere is the response of the board members to these complaints. For example, the most recent ... what response did you receive from your emails/calls/letters to the board about Zepora's unprofessional, deer in the headlight, outburst?

Anonymous said...

Dunwoody Mom and Anon. If DCSS was not so screwed up I believe more parents would send their kids to CMS and CHS.

I also think that some lines could be redrawn to balance the enrollments of all schools. I know how Dunwoody feels about that, after the Dunwoody Elementary/Academy debacle by CLew and his sharpee.

My wife and I plan to send our kids to CMS and CHS and the folks we talk to are planning to do the same. The economy, if it ever comes back, will be the huge determining factor.

By the way, Dunwoody Mom, we were at Montgomery Elementary at registration. There are 3 large 5th grade classes at Montgomery this year, 30+ each. I'm checking on the other grade levels and will report back.

I would like to know why Kittredge is underpopulated? The lottery is a joke there, but why doesn't DCSS allow more kids to attend when space is available for the property?

I'm one who is not for these huge high schools, like Gwinnett has. I know there is talk about combining Lakeside, Cross Keys and Chamblee into one large mega school. I'd like to know how you'd feel about Chamblee students coming to Dunwoody High School? Then combining Lakeside and Cross Keys into one larger High school? Why is 285 such a huge boundary when it comes to schools? I know a lot of Dunwoody folks who travel itp for Little League (Murphey Candler), the YMCA (Cowart Ashford Dunwoody), Private Swim and Tennis Clubs, we even have a combined Parents Council. I'm just wondering, I do not believe it would be a good idea creating one mega High School, by combining 3 districts. However I would not mind looking at combining two into one, like Chamblee/Dunwoody and Lakeside/Cross Keys. Your thoughts?

Anonymous said...

I have not received any replies to my email asking about Zepora's poor behavior. I also do not expect one. Out of the 50+ emails I have sent the past 5 years, I have had only one reply and one sit down meeting with my BOE rep. How about you?

Anonymous said...

Yvonne Butler's position is discussed in full if you log into the January Blog. Once I read the information I cringed.First, everyone else will be doing Butler's job because she is incompetent. Her former school ran itself while she called in and made television, radio, CNN, Tom Joyner, Tavis motivational speeches, and allowed magazine publications into the school during instructional time under the decoy of nutrition. All the time this lady was never at school. Check her absentee record if her area director followed procedures and reported the frequent absentees. She is a product of Francis Edwards family and friends plan and it showed by the way she poorly managed her school. Test scores were up because of the magnet school enclosed inside of her former school this is why her former school made AYP for many years. It had nothing to do with Butler assisting teachers because she was money hungry touring the state and perhaps the country charming peoples as she does while her school ran itself. I read what her job description is. I can only say, good luck because this lady can barely write a complete sentence and everyone at the wellness center will be doing her work for her.What can she possibly say about wellness? She lost weight, okay, good. But for her school, teachers gave her poor PAL evaluations every year and she would come back boasting about how her PAL did not mean anything to her. Then Crawford lewis appointed and gave her this position over people who have actual degrees in health education in DCSS. This is nepotisim at its best here and quite a story for Wendy to investigate as a headliner. Plus selling her cookbooks and other nutritional books to teachers during school hours. Wonder how Butler had her bookkeeper to write this up and under what fund? Interesting, huh. Then prior to her becoming the queen pen of nutrition, she launched another quick rich scheme;an arts gala at her school. halls were filled with children's art work. Teachers were forced to participate by purchasing a $25.00 or more ad for the souvenier booklet. Plus, sell tickets. Now, you do the math here . After doing the match, now do you get the picture? where and how the money and arts donations were recorded under what fund. The IRS would get a kick out of this one for the DCSS system.Butler is a master mind of money quick schemes and used our children, teachers, and press coverage to operate her personal ENNvoy company.Which she gained financially along with her $112,000 newly appointed nothing job as a wellness director that was especially created for Butler. As HR to view her PAL Evaluations. Oh, she even had the nerve to sit on Martha Stewart Show lying about what she was doing at her school. View it on Martha Stewart.com, yvonne Butler and chicken salad. It is funny that Crawford lewis allowed this lady to go on national television speaking on behalf of DCSS system. First of all, can she prove that students and staff members didnot eat sugar once they left her school. So, how can she say, taking sugar out of her school increased her students test scores. Any person in research would LOL at this foolishness. SACS must look into this one. and Wendy needs to do a full piece on Butler to see why her name has not been added to books being sold at her school during instructional time to staff members. Wonder how she had her bookkeeper to write this one up and under what title and fund.I bet this will take a long time for auditor in the DCSS to unravel. Butler is cunning, likes to smile, uses god the creator in her motivational speeches and captivate an audience. She had the gift of garb when it comes to her talking about how she use to be this fat little girl and etc.Nepotism /Butler goes hand in hand. Wendy, needs to be asking Butler, did she donate any of her book sales to her former school and did she report her sales to the DCSS. I bet she got back a hefty refund check for her company, ENNoy plus being paid $112,000 a year by stupid DCSS. What a waste of taxpayers money! SACS please investigate this one.

Paula Caldarella said...

Dunwoody Mom and Anon. If DCSS was not so screwed up I believe more parents would send their kids to CMS and CHS.

No, they wouldn't. The flight to private school began LONG before all the DCSS troubles.

However I would not mind looking at combining two into one, like Chamblee/Dunwoody and Lakeside/Cross Keys. Your thoughts?


It's something to look - but, financially there is no way such an endeavour could happen in this economy.

Anonymous said...

I swore I thought that Butler's position was eliminated. We still have a director of corporate wellness?

You have got to be kidding me?

Cerebration said...

Oh, I'm not so sure DM. Lakeside and Dunwoody are both being built to the large scale model (well - large scale for DeKalb - which is a capacity of about 2100). Both will have room for 500-600 more students.

Also, there's still a strong push to build something on the Druid Hills property. Perhaps a campus-like magnet school for science and math and one for the arts? Then just down the street we'll have Cross Keys HS of Technology. They already have some amazing programs there and hopefully will add more. I'd love to see that school expand to something we can be proud of for vocational tech. The program in my home town offers 29 different majors for students and they all get good jobs after HS - or go to college. The school is only for 11th and 12th grade and students attend all day - not a half day as DeKalb has it set up.

Anonymous said...

@anon 9:14 - Kittridge is a sacred thing - One does not question the lottery or the practices of the magnet system. We have rolled this topic around many, many times. The BOE turns a deaf ear to any feedback or questions. Indeed, they voted the spend millions on magnet transportation while eliminating jobs. Not central office jobs mind you, paraprofessionals, SROs....
I am disgusted with the magnet sytem of DCSS - However, it is just another example of poor planning, poor decision making and politics over children.

Paula Caldarella said...

I'm not sure about Lakeside Cere, but the renovations at Dunwoody will not bring about a capacity uplift.

Cerebration said...

This is a quote from the original brochure promoting the vote for SPLOST -

􀀵 Large Model Additions
Dunwoody, Lithonia, M.L. King Jr., Miller Grove


Since, they have decided to add a wing with 28 classrooms to LHS which will increase capacity by about 800 over the current 1300 capacity.

Check out the brochure at this link --

http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/progress/files/4B038D340A174983999463C142F93EF2.pdf

Cerebration said...

Aren't they adding a second floor to Dunwoody? That won't increase capacity? Will they be adding career tech rooms and an auditorium with practice rooms? That won't increase capacity? Hmmm. Something's not adding up.

Anonymous said...

At Dunwoody, there will be a 3rd floor added which will house Math classrooms, computer lab, and Mass Comm Dept. The space vacated by the Math classrooms will be utilized to handle current over-crowding within the school, I believe the Special Ed Dept.

Anonymous said...

That will definitely open up more room if there are more classes. How many classes are being added to Dunwoody High School in all?

Anonymous said...

Butler's position was not eliminated. She is still earning her big $112,000 a year with a created position in which she has not one degree in .Only motivational speeches. I guess Georgia Certification Program now certify persons based on giving motivational speeches.Maybe that one satifised Crawford Lewis.
Go back and read the January Blog and it describes in details how BOE members avoided talking about the position that they created and tried to justify for Butler. I am sorry, this lady's motivational speeches donot impress me nor can I support such a title from a person who milked the DCSS dry using our students as scapegoats while using our taxpayers money. Instructional time should be spent observing teachers and doing what an administrator is paid to do, not letting your make up artist use our school time to apply makeup on your face and false eyelashes prior to your own camera photo shoot for your books or television coverage.Again, the story on Simpson's book deal is a piece of cake compared to Butler's.
Since her position is supposely funded by Kaiser and not DCSS maybe this will be the last year for her title as a wellness director.See the information on the blog for January and read the entire section. Butler provides support for schools and universities by doing what.I guess she is using her teachers lesson plans that she mandated them to write and list where they found information to share with her audiences around the country.I would love to see how she compiled her stats other than talking about how much she weighed as a little girl.Wendy, we are calling on you to investigate this one. Be prepared for Butler's charm. Donot fall prey to it or you will lose the story.

Anonymous said...

How many classes are being added to Dunwoody High School in all?

10.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget: Sanders-Butler is the niece of Lonnie Edwards. His book was also peddled around the school system.

Anonymous said...

Lonnie Edward's brother is an assistant principal in DeKalb and his niece work for the system also. Was he not the Human Relation's Director or a top chief of staff member? That is interesting. Is he related to Ms. Edwards that used to be on the school board?

Anonymous said...

If chief operation personnel do it they are not going to say anything about school board members pulling strings here and there. They probable think it is fine if it is fine for the school board members.

One Fed Up Insider said...

Has anyone looked at how the schools did this year on AYP that were given those “high performing” principals – the ones that got the $10,000 bonuses last year? Lakeside’s principal got a bonus and went to Lithonia- they didn’t make AYP, did they improve? Does anyone remember who the other principals were? Wonder what our return on investment was?

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 11:58

Below is his resume online. Note that he taught 4 years out of 33. This is very typical (in DCSS and probably many other school systems). Presently, he is superintendent of Jackson Public Schools in Mississippi:
http://www.jackson.k12.ms.us/content.aspx?url=/page/745

Personally, I think extensive classroom experience should be a prerequisite for any promotion. The employee promoted to an administrative position would have a sound understanding in what happens in a classroom, their own classroom performance could be evaluated, and this would show that the employee is dedicated to students rather than promotions. The employee would be in his/her mid-thirties when he/she takes on the responsibility of a school full of children. Do we really need a "fast track career path" for a public school system? :


Resume:
DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM, DECATUR, GA
Executive Director – Business Affairs 2004 – 2004
Executive Director for Parental Involvement, Community, & Support Programs 2002 – 2004
Area Executive Director for Instruction & Administration 2001 – 2002
(18 Elementary, Middle and High Schools)
Executive Director for Elementary Administration 2000 – 2001
(84 Elementary Schools)
Area Executive Director for Instruction & Administration 1998 – 2000
(16 Elementary Schools, including 5 Theme Schools)
Executive Director, Community and Staff Relations 1989 – 1998
Assistant Director of Personnel 1983 – 1989
Personnel Administrator 1978 – 1983
Administrator, Occupational Education Center (Summer) 1977 – 1978
Assistant Principal, Leslie Steele Elementary 1977 – 1978
Assistant Principal, Hooper Alexander Elementary 1976 – 1977
Assistant Principal, Gresham Park Elementary 1975 – 1976
Teacher & Physical Education Coordinator, Hooper Alexander Elementary 1971 – 1975

Education and work experience published:
www.clarionledger.com/assets/pdf/D0115447812.PDF

pscexb said...

Back to the topic of SACs, I attended the monthly DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet meeting hosted by Commissioner elect Stan Watson. The guest speakers with Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson and Marvin Tolliver of MARTA (who share good information regarding key changes to public transportation that should concern all DeKalb residents but this is an education blog).


With the exception of BOE members Roberts and Cunningham, Ms. Tyson was there by herself. This was some unfortunate miscommunication about her being invited to this meeting however she did show up. As she explained her other key staff members were preparing for the opening of school on Monday. She was well received by those in attendance.

Key recollections from her statements are:

-The current interactions with SACs in merely an inquiry and does not threaten accreditation at all. She is concerned about the misinformation from the media with respect to this.

-She speaks with Mark Elgart daily and he has been very helpful. Secreatry of State candidate Gail Buckner suggested keeping all correspondence with SACs in writing given her recent experience with them.

-She accepted this assignment thinking should would serve only a few weeks. Most recently, the Board has asked her to stay on at least 8 additional months until they complete the process to hire a new superintendent.

-She was asked by Jennifer Parker (CrossRoad News) if she would apply for the superitendent position. Ms. Tyson indicated because she has young children, the answer would be no. Jay Cunningham got up and indicated that several Board members would like to see her as the superintendent.

-All 200+ policies are being actively reviewed. Some have not been reviewed in over 10 years.

-DCSS will be hiring an Internal Auditor very soon. DCSS is the only school district in the metro area without this position. This person will be dotted line to the super and a direct line to the BOE.

-Ms. Tyson indicated she considers the following when making decisions: Whether it could withstand the scrutiny of SACS, the PSC, the BOE, the DA, and the community. She admitted finding herself in a strange position, being a student and leader simultaneously. What she meant was she is still learning each day but must be decisive with her decisions.

-Rep. Fran Millar ask of her plans to address redistricting and maximizing the state allocations. Ms. Tyson indicated there will be a meeting on 8/27 with the Committee of the Whole where a Comprehensive Master Facility plan will be presented. She indicated it would be a 10 year plan that would include closing 6-10 schools and possibly redrawing lines. She also presented a timeline of when related meetings would occur by January 2011 to help the community understand the process for implementation.

-She was asked about collaboration with the BOC. She indicated she believes it is already being done, in fact the plan could consists of sharing buildings that may be closed for public use through the county government.

Above is the best of my recollection and I may add more as I think of other things.

Anonymous said...

A question for every incumbent standing for re-election. Regarding the obvious, chronic problems in the System, are you part of the problem or part of the solution, and why?

Cerebration said...

I hope the people at SACS have copies of the emails between Sarah Wood and Tom Bowen. It seems as if Tom is all too willing to sweep Sarah's behavior under the rug - even going so far as to say that it will blow over now that they're not even going to use the recommendations of the Citizen's Task Force (you know -- those hard-working citizens who struggled with recommending school closures and in the end were virtually ignored). Seems he'll be just as eager to dismiss Zepora's public hissy fit.

I'll repost the conversation below -

Cerebration said...

--- On Sat, 5/8/10, sarah copelin wrote:

From: sarah copelin
Subject: DeKalb Chamber Article in the AJC - A Shoot In The Dark
To:
Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010, 3:10 PM

May 8, 2010

Hello Everyone,

I felt it necessary that I share these e-mails, below, that I sent to the DeKalb Board of Education Chairperson, Thomas "Tom" Bowen.

I can not imagine why DeKalb Chamber of Commerce would write such a misleading article in AJC; nor hold such a "mean spirited" Press Conference - the only rationale I can surmise is Politically Grandstanding. Please keep in mind that DeKalb Board of Education has a Billion Dollar Budget - there are those who want to "Control" the Billion Dollar Budget and/or "Control" the DeKalb Board Members who will "vote" on who get the Lucrative Million Dollars Contracts.

Can you remember when the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce brought "any" Economic Development to South DeKalb County? I have been a resident of South DeKalb County for over "39" years; I do not remember any!!

IT IS ALL ABOUT DeKALB SCHOOL SYSTEM'S BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET AND THE CONTROL OF THEIR FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED (Bought and Paid-For ) AND HAND-PICKED PERSONS TO BE DeKALB BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS.

Some of your current Board of Education Members, including me) who honestly cares about the Education of our Students.

Also keep in mind the names of your DeKalb School Board Members who worked timelessly to keep our Schools Opened until a systematically approach as been activated.

If I can provide additional information, please do not hesitate to give me a call at (404) 371-1490 or send an e-mail to schoolsandcommunity@....

Cerebration said...

----- Original Message -----

From: bowent7522@... Tuesday, May 04, 2010 4:58:28 PM

Subject: Re: Your Reference To Me In Article In AJC

To: SARAH COPELIN-WOOD

I was asked the status and I said the board had not had any time to discuss it given all we had going on with the budget and other things.

My preference is to not take it on at all and let it go away. It will be a bunch of he said, she said. Only thing we could do is add to the policy on citizen committees but that would just attract more attention.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Cerebration said...

- Original Message ----

From: bowent7522@... Tuesday, May 04, 2010 5:32:27 PM

Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Your Reference To Me In Article In AJC

To: SARAH COPELIN-WOOD

No investigation and nor do I want one. Especially now that we changed the plan with the four schools and we aren't going to use the findings anyway.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Cerebration said...

Thanks for the input, psc! I think Ms. Tyson is doing the best job she possibly can - however - I pray that the board does not think she is really a viable permanent solution. Additionally I hope that ALL Interim titles are replaced when the new super -- found via a national search - arrives. We need new blood - new thinkers with vast managerial experience and NO CONNECTIONS.

Anonymous said...

Dear SACS and Mr. Elgart,

I attended a meeting on Thursday, August 5, 2010 as part of my responsibilities with the DCSS. Mr. Beasly, out interim director of instruction (thank God it's interim) spoke about how he reads this blog, and when he reads that people want him to post his dissertation on line, all he does is press the delete button.
His tone and manner when he said it was insulting to me, those around me, and to every valuable contributor to this blog.

Please look into this ASAP.

A DCSS teacher.

Anonymous said...

To CDSS teacher at 1:22,

Below is the link for the Code of Ethics for Educators from the PSC website,

http://www.gapsc.com/Rules/Current/Ethics/505-6-.01.pdf

Could you tell us which code you believe Dr. Beasley has breached for you to ask SACs to look at this?

Along the same lines, section 3C addresses alcohol or drug use by educators. If a parent suspected you of alcohol or drug use, would you be willing to submit to a drug test on the spot, regardless of whether they had justifiable proof?

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:31 meant DCSS not CDSS teacher.

Anonymous said...

Ms. Tyson has been a member of upper management in DCSS for a very long time so it is only natural that the BOE members are comfortable with Mrs. Tyson. I'm sure they're not eager to have a new superintendent unaffiliated with DCSS - one who may be more independent and willing to shake up the current situation.

I too think Mrs. Tyson is doing the best she can in a difficult situation. I'm sure she did not think this interim position would drag on for many months. However, Mrs. Tyson does not have the background or experience (business or educational) to run DCSS (although that could be said about many in leadership positions in DCSS) on a permanent basis. More importantly, Mrs. Tyson's affiliation as one of the the only 4 direct reports to Dr. Lewis and DCSS's former Business Operations Manager over Finance and Human Resources ensures that she will be a point of contention for teachers and parents.


DCSS needs a superintendent totally unaffiliated with DCSS as well as a completely new BOE to support him/her. We actually have some great BOE candidates with strong community ties and children in the school system. These candidates are fighting for the life of DCSS and the educational future of our children. This BOE had their chance, and they did a terrible job. It's time for them to take responsibility for their actions (and often inaction).

Cerebration said...

True that! And I hope that you have all clicked on the picture of the voting box to read the candidate bios. After you do that - PLEASE DONATE! These good people need more than your words of support. It costs a fortune to run a campaign. Both Gene Walker and Paul Womack spent over $50 to get their seat at the table.

Anonymous said...

Some of us do not want him to post his dissertation so everyone can see it. Many of us trust the institution he attended. However, to be disrespecful to individual who voice their opinion and this blog is something else.

This blog has been a pain to the school board and through the connections has caused them a great deal of grief. Of course they hate this blog and everyone who blogs on here.

However, it is unprofessional to do this in a public manner. He took a job where people are going to question his abilities. He better get over that real fast or he needs to be a temporary fix.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Dr. Beasley does not appreciate his actions being "under a microscope", however he should realize that what he does impacts the educational opportunities of all our children.

More of the same will not solve the problem:
1. More paperwork for teachers

2. More money spent on expensive educational programs that have not proven efficacious to student achievement

3. Increased class sizes for students

4. Reduced access for students to cutting edge science and technology equipment and resources

Every DCSS students has a right to:
1. A clean and safe environment
2. A reasonably sized classroom with a competent teacher
3. Abundant access to cutting edge science and technology equipment

If Dr. Beasley concentrates on ensuring those rights for students, he will attract and retain the best teachers for DCSS and the support of every parent in DCSS.

Anonymous said...

Re Dunwoody construction,

That is completely untrue that the capacity is going to 2100 after construction. For those who have not been over to the high school lately to see the construction progress, the footprint of the school itself is not being expanded, except for the addition of the auditorium. They are adding a third floor to ONE WING of the school only. This will add 10 classrooms. These will be math classrooms. There is no career tech addition. Just the 10 math classrooms. Don't believe everything you read in the SPLOST propoganda.

Other than adding the 10 classrooms and the auditorium, the improvements were rehabbing some of the interior of the school.

I walked through the school this morning and it was sort of scary. About 1/3 of the existing classrooms were empty (no desks or chairs) and a a number of the classrooms were filled with boxes. It looked like about half the classrooms were ready to go. (I am talking about the existing classrooms -- the third floor is not expected to be ready for several months). There are random wires hanging out of walls, construction materials stacked up everywhere, etc. I'm not really seeing how they are going to open tomorrow! My guess is that the kids are herded in the cafeteria where they will stay all day. I had really expected to see teachers there, getting the classrooms ready. I only saw about 10, plus a couple of administrators. Lots of contruction workers and custodians too.

Anonymous said...

The relationship with the Dekalb County teachers is already strained. There does need to be another approach for the teachers to work with Mr. Beasley to get the goals accomplished. Talking bad about the individuals who blog on this site in the community which includes them is not a good way to do this.

The teachers are part of the community and the preception of the community right now of the Dekalb County Schools is tarnished also.

Does anyone in this school system care about their image and working with the community and teachers, parents and the community to make improvements in our school? Are the administrators in this school system so mighty that they do not need support?

Anonymous said...

Construction at schools in a pain in the you know what, especially now that Summer has gotten so short.

As to the comment about school board candidates with children in the system, I think it can backfire as well. Once they are on the board, in my experience, they have a very hard time shifting loyalties from their own schools to even the rest of their district. I won't name names, but there have been several in the last decade who have done terrific things for the schools their own kids attend but have done virtually nothing or done nothing for the rest of their district.

Some of us are at schools that still suffer because of the inaction from a few years ago.

It is just something to be aware of.

Anonymous said...

Ten new classes could gives additional room for 300 new students respectfully. This is not a large addition but it definitely will help.

Dunwoody looks like it is in fairly good shape as it is. When was it built compared to the other older high schools like Lakeside and Cross Keys. They look much older.

Anonymous said...

Could someone please figure out a way to post Beasley's flow chart that was distributed last week? In the spirit of differentiated learning, pictures sometimes do speak louder than words. Gardner, the author of "multiple intelligences," is on the record complaining about the rampant misuse and abuse of his theories by charlatans in schools of education.

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:03, welcome to the wonderful world of DCSS construction incompetence! Druid Hills, DSA/Avondale, and others last year---students having classes in the halls, trailers (forget about technology, rehearsal space, computers, etc)

Add to that the debacle that is eSis, new HVAC systems that don't work properly, and we have buildings that no one can believe are new construction and teachers/parents/principals/students who are totally demoralized.

I agree with the others who say the top administration needs to be fired. it's under their watch that all of this was allowed to happen. But the current BOE will not take this action---they are bullied and afraid by those in the community who wield too much power (churches, businesses, etc.).

Unacceptable and criminal!!! And the state of Georgia bears a large amount of the blame, too. By underfunding education they have set up the entire state education system to fail---exactly what they want so that they can institute the failed notion of vouchers.

C? Y!

Anonymous said...

@ Cerebration 1:41

Amen to that. I am a retired teacher who doesn't have a huge pension, but I made a donation to one of the candidates running against Redovian. I don't believe that DCSS teachers and children are the problem. I think that more resources should be directed into the classrooms, something that has not been happening for a long time. I'm also a DCSS taxpayer so I gave a little of my pension up in the form of a donation in hopes that we "little people" can help our kids.

Anonymous said...

It's not giving the teachers more things.

It's really holding high expectations for our students. Teachers not being able to give students failing grades when they have been earned. Teachers having to give multiple chances on getting students to get work in or get it done in an acceptable matter. Teachers have been told that they are not to fail students and when students fail it is because teachers haven't tried hard enough. We do not hold students to acceptable standards.

Giving those in power more money to spend on the classroom will just buy us more worthless programs, people, and will not in any way help the children.

I am convinced that the people in power, both at the school board level and administrators in DCSS do not know what a solid education looks like or how to deliver one to our children. Many just don't have the classroom experience and their degrees are not worth the money that they paid for them. Too many in power are not qualified for the position that they hold.

Cerebration said...

Mistake above -

True that! And I hope that you have all clicked on the picture of the voting box to read the candidate bios. After you do that - PLEASE DONATE! These good people need more than your words of support. It costs a fortune to run a campaign. Both Gene Walker and Paul Womack spent over $50,000 to get their seat at the table. (Walker's budget came mainly from donations from executives of Sembler Co and their spouses. Womack's came mainly from his own pocket.)

Dekalbparent said...

Insider - the principal of Druid Hills was sent to MLK, with the $10,000 bonus.

MLK is listed on the 2010 list of NI schools that did not meet AYP.

http://www.edutech4learning.com/pdf/2010_AYP_School_Georgia.pdf

Cerebration said...

So maybe it isn't about the principal after all? Maybe, just maybe, there are many other factors that converge to make or break a school's ability to be successful?

These principals (Moton and Patrick anyway) happened to be assigned to a school full of successful kids with highly involved parents and took the credit. Now - when it's time for the rubber to hit the road - oops! not their fault! hmmmm....

Anonymous said...

Frances edwards exit board member has a great deal of power when it comes to paying her family large salaries. When she was on the board she made sure her family had the best jobs and if there was anyone in her way she took them down. Back in 1992 her son jamal was being paid out of the school bus aid payroll and he came in when he wanted and slept in a back office. They say he went to georgia state well they need to give her back her money because he is dump as dirt. They sent him to our dept to fixed the computers lines guess what he never did. The county gives him a new van to drive, i am sure if he is follow they will find him every where but working. The kid is off the change beleave me. By the way the lady that question him being paid out of the bus payroll was moved over night.

David guillory her son-in-law walked in off the street and was given a job as a admin from day one. It was said he played in a band down in new orleans. Well today he is over the entire dept in transportation, never worked in a school and at that time he did not have his degree. So you tell me how under handed that is. The lady that was working under him she knew to much and she was moved over night, the story was told she was in his way and the cronies at the central office did what edwards told them to do. Edwards made sure and still does that her family must have the best. When her granddaughter moved to atlanta she got in the avondale magnet program over night. Back then melvin johnson was over that dept and he did what ever edwards said. You might want to check jamal's back ground you will probably fine some very interesting things.

Anonymous said...

To the poster who suggested combining Chamblee and Dunwoody Highs, I am not seeing how that would be possible at either school's current location. Both schools have very small parcels of land, especially Chamblee. Even Dunwoody's land is pretty much full, so much so that even to just get the 10 new classrooms they had to add on another level to part of the building. This school is in the middle of a residential neighborhood so increased traffic, parking etc would be really tough with a combined school.

Chamblee borders on a sort of industrial area so perhaps there are some large parcels (perhaps some backing up to Peachtree INdustria, which would be helpful for traffic to and from the school)l that could be purchased if the two schools were combined there. But to me it would make much more sense to locate it at Cross Keys which is large, in a great location and even close to Marta. It would be a long way for the Dunwoody kids to get there, but not terrible. Even if they decided just to combine Chamblee and CK, that would be an improvement.

I am a Dunwoody parent and I agree with you that 285 is not a barrier, at least at the middle/high school level. (For elementary, I do see it as a barrier since the elementary schools are meant to be neighborhood schools that kids can walk to). I think the issue is more that neither piece of land is large enough unless you go much further south to CK or Druid Hills.

Anonymous said...

Cerebration, how can a principal come in and turn around a school in one year? Personally, I've grown weary of "Upset the principal fruit basket" that DeKalb County plays every year, moving principals on a whim. How many different principals have Lakeside and Druid Hills had in the past 10 years?

We know that highly involved parents who stress the importance of academics and insist their children live up to those expectations help to create a successful environment. But even in schools like that, a heavy-handed, repressive principal can ruin the school. Everett Patrick was successful at Druid Hills because he gave his great teachers and students room to be creative and teach/learn. At MLK, he's going to have to work harder to change the environment and expectations---which will take time. And I hope he's given the opportunity.

And, FYI, Druid Hills did NOT make AYP this year, in case you didn't notice. Just like I don't blame Mr. Patrick at MLK for this year, I also don't blame Mindee Adamson at Druid Hills. Once again, Druid Hills' numbers expanded and a new neighborhood of students was added to the school--unfortunately these kids brought with them a culture of academic apathy and were the source of many disciplinary problems at the school.

Finally, if we're going to give principals bonuses for switching schools, we also need to reward teachers. I had no idea that the principals were given bonuses. I think that's bad form to reward the principals and not the teachers.

Cerebration said...

Couldn't agree more. I'm just saying exactly what you're saying - a school's success has many factors - so why are we rewarding the principals? I can see giving an award to a principal who actually imparts a measurable increase in success at a formerly low-performing school. Now that would be worth some dinero! Haven't seen anyone do that so far -- has anyone?

Anonymous said...

kids brought with them a culture of academic apathy

Culture of academic apathy! That is a good phrase. Who wants their children to go to a school where this is rampant?

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 3:45 pm

"Cerebration, how can a principal come in and turn around a school in one year? Personally, I've grown weary of "Upset the principal fruit basket" that DeKalb County plays every year, moving principals on a whim. How many different principals have Lakeside and Druid Hills had in the past 10 years? "

I thought everyone knew that the DCSS administration has no idea how to raise test scores so they just "blame it on the schoolhouse" and then replace the principals. They think that will buy them a little more time until they do the "fruit basket turnover" a few years later.

Last year the longest lasting principal continuously in a school had been there only 8 years! This was DSA's principal. This is out of 140+ principals! I understand Dr. Lewis recognized her in a leadership meeting as being the longest lasting principal continuously in a school in DCSS. LOL - like this was a good thing.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Cerebration said...

Now, now. You know better...

Anonymous said...

I'm proud of my dissertation! It is posted via my university, as was required by the Grad School.
Beaseley, where is yours? Does your uncle Johnny Brown have a copy?

Anonymous said...

Looks like the DCSS version of the birthers have returned. I dub thee disserters, you must provide your dissertation based on the demands of the bloggers. This despite the fact that the PSC has no problem with Beasley.

Anonymous said...

"The culture of academic apathy" is the enemy of AYP.

Schools can't change that. Parents and other aspect of society can.

If schools were able to separate, suspend, or expel members of this culture be they rich or poor, black or white then and only then will this culture disappear.

The "culture of academic apathy" will not go away until the public school system ceases to scapegoat teachers.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 6:12 pm

Dr. Beasley has an Educational Doctorate from a decent university, the PSC accepted it, and really that's not pertinent to how he does his job.

If you want to read excerpts that give you an idea of his writing ability and educational philosophy, go to the Amazon website listed below:
http://www.amazon.com/reader/1418470449?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=sib_books_pg&qid=1281302677&query=much%20beasley#reader_1418470449

He is light on teaching experience (3 1/2 years of teaching) and believes documentation and paperwork makes for increased student achievement. Anyone who has ever taught for any length of time knows students are more than the numbers on your paperwork. Like many educational administrators, his "Race to the Top" did not allow for the necessary classroom experience. He seems very smart and ambitious, and the type of person who should have gone into marketing and sales. I'm not knocking the sales profession - I spent a decade as a successful salesperson before teaching.

Anonymous said...

Well the PSC may not have a problem with Beasley, but TEACHERS certainly do! He's coming in like a bat out of hell increasing the amount of paperwork we and the adminstrators have to do. I'd like for ONE of the central office staff in the department of teaching and learning come into an elementary classroom and implement successfully the garbage they are asking us to implement. We've been told that our benchmark scores are going to determine if we are put on a Professional Development Plan. They setting us up for failure! Furthermore, they change the math curriculum every year! How can we make improvements when they don't give us time to make the changes and to improve upon that. We cannot get good at something when we start over every year! Parents please help us!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Will 4:51, 4:58, and 5:43 re-post and not use names so the rest of us can see what was removed by the blog administrator?

Anonymous said...

Before you push delete, Dr. Beasley, where is your "Seven Steps for Teaching Lesson Plan"? Are the teachers supposed to know how to do one by Monday (tomorrow)???

Maybe you sent Leonardo diCaprio to plant the seeds as in the movie INCEPTION.

By the way, ask the technology people why no one can get access to these wonderful things cooked up at Colombia High and Stephenson High while you were there??

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 7:16 pm

I'm not surprised. This was what I predicted on this blog. Dr. Beasley implemented Excell in Port Arthur, Texas and had a grievance filed against him for:
"what a teachers group described as “paperwork so excessive that it prevented them from teaching students.”"
See website for full story:
http://panews.com/local/x681438869/PAISD-board-declines-teacher-grievance

His teaching experience was 3 1/2 years teaching math in the mid-90s per his resume published on the Internet:
apassionforleadership.com/Vita.doc

He has no Georgia teacher certification (administration only). See Georgia certification site:
https://www.gapsc.com/Certification/Lookup/look_up.aspx

Parents need to email their BOE Ms. Tyson, Interim Superintendent, regarding the excessive paperwork Dr. Beasley has teachers engaged in rather than preparing and instructing students.

Every hour teachers are taken off task to do paperwork when they need to plan and instruct students is a wasted hour for children's instructional time. Mrs. Tyson really likes data. No doubt this is one of the reasons she hired him.

BTW - How many parents think we need to lose math teachers? This is an example of why DCSS is at the bottom of the barrel right now. Who is making the DCSS administration responsible for student achievement? After all, teachers have been implementing the DCSS administration's programs for years and our student achievement has been steadily declining. I'm sure they are angry that anyone even suggests they have any accountability for student achievement.

Anonymous said...

Well, too bad. This comes with the job. Instead of being arrogant, Mr. Beasley, you could have cooperated and actually made a good name for yourself. Instead, your reaction makes you "one of them" which means that you will be forced to "go away" much sooner than your pocketbook is ready to leave.

Too bad you aren't smart enough to see this. Your "protectors" won't be around to protect you for long.

By the way, how are you fairing with the teachers?

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Dr. Beasley does not appreciate his actions being "under a microscope" ...
the response below is in reference to the above comment in a prior blog.

Anonymous said...

ooops, sorry ...
meant to say the response ABOVE .... I'm typing too fast in my disbelief at what I'm reading!

Anonymous said...

A principal can't really turn anything around in DCSS, as they have to follow the district policies. Great amounts of red tape to make changes and everyone is too afraid to loose their job to rock the boat.

Anonymous said...

Parents need to make the BOE and the DCSS administration accountable for student achievement. After all, teachers have been implementing required (and I might add expensive) programs for years.

Parents,
Who do you think is at fault for students' underachievement - DCSS administrators or DCSS teachers?

Same administration - same results. Same BOE - same results.
Are we satisfied with the results - if not - change the BOE and administration. Make them accountable for our students.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymlous 9:06 pm

Principals are not really a part of "upper management". Some would like to be and are very busy trying to figure out the politics that would gain them entrance into the Central Office power position. Others really try to do what's right for kids. I think most parents can tell the difference. I worked for many years in a support position for DCSS so I got to know many principals. It was pretty apparent to me which camp a principal fell in. No matter what their motivation, all principals serve at the whim of the Central Office administration.

Anonymous said...

Principals are afraid to speak up even if they care about the kids, because they will be removed, moved, or out of a job entirely, especially if they are not a friend/family member.

Having worked out of state, our principals have zero power. And opening one's mouth could be grounds for dismissal.

Everyone is afraid for their job, as they know the tyrants running the school hold all the power.

I do hope that there are long lines at the elections, and that we have 5 new board members. I am not holding my breath, as the current members have money behind them, so they are better able to get their name out.

Anonymous said...

Teachers! Please help us help you!

A request was made for teachers to send copies of Beasley's constant e-mails and demands for extensive paperwork. So far, only one (1) Beasley e-mail has been received.

Detailed instructions were included so that teachers could feel safe.

A request was made for teachers to tell us about their access to technology. So far, no responses. Zero. Does this mean you and your students really do have access to current technology -- enough for all of your students? How's eSIS working for you this year?

Teachers with advanced degrees (master's and doctoral) -- are you proud of your degree work? Would you share it if asked? Do you find it strange that Beasley arrogantly blows off requests to provide his master's thesis and doctoral dissertation?

If you want our help -- you must help us to help you!

Anonymous said...

Trouble with DCSS is that there are TOO MANY educators-prodigies...You know---2/3 years in a classroom and poof, they are administrators....and re-poof, they supervise other "poofed" administrators...Well, you see.

There is no way that DCSS can have this many "prodigies" running this school system given what we can observe!

Anonymous said...

And don't think it is going to change just because the BOE changes. Many of you may have just started paying attention in the last year or two, but DCSS has been on a downward spiral for the last decade or so.

Five years ago, we had a board that was nearly all different and they hired Crawford Lewis and Pat Pope over the objections of a small handful of parents who were paying attention. New board, same results.

This county is comprised of parents who mostly just want what is best for their community and children's schools. Aspiring for the big picture is a fabulous idea, but not if it means no transportation to the magnet programs, schools closing, redistricting etc etc etc. You get the picture. And by golly, don't you dare try and tell me that I can't choose the school I want for my children even if there is no space.

This is one messed up county.

Anonymous said...

These disserters like Anon 9:31 are something else. Just like the birthers who insist President Obama must present his birth certificate because they requested it, the disserters are requesting Dr. Beasley provide his thesis & dissertation. Next they will give him a jar and ask that he fill it for a drug test. Will they ask him to present his id to prove he is a legal citizen?

I remember even the much loved Dale Murphy (Atlanta Brave from the 70's and 80's) did not want to voluntarily submit to a drug test because he thought that was an invasion of privacy if nothing improper was suspected. These kind of people will stoop to anything under the guise that they have the right to know. This despite the PSC finding no wrongdoing. This despite him serving as deputy superintendent of instruction in Port Arthur, TX.

Anonymous said...

If you have nothing to hide, why not show the proof. When you don't show the proof, you bring the questioning on to yourself.

When you are in the public eye, people paying your salary (tax payers) have a right to the truth and all the information about you. If you don't want to provide this information, than seek a job not funded by tax payers.

Anonymous said...

If you have nothing to hide, why not show the proof.

That's the same line the birthers use. As long as the proper agency (in this case, the PSC) certifies that all the paperwork is in place, that's all that is needed. Check with the PSC if you have a legitimate concern about his qualifications.

Anonymous said...

As a parent and tax payer i want to know who in on this board that tyson picked. If it is some of those cronies at the central office, look out. TROUBLE TROUBLE
BY THE WAY MS TYSON TELL THE TRUTH DON'T LIE. SACS IS WATCHING YOU

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:31 ... teachers cannot send you direct emails from Dr. Beasely since we don't get them directly. He sends them to the principals and asst. principals then they disseminate the info.

Anonymous said...

This despite him serving as deputy superintendent of instruction in Port Arthur, TX.
August 8, 2010 10:16 PM


Grow up Anon 10:16. It's a big boy/big girl world.

Who was Morcese Beasley's Supt. in Port Arthur??? His uncle, Johnny Brown. Bam!

If Morcese doesn't want to post his thesis, so be it. That's secondary to four other main concerns.

1) He is in essence, now the top teacher at DCSS. He is in charge of 7,000 teachers, yet was only a teacher for 3 1/2 years. That is absurd. He should of course have more experience as teacher and a principal before heading academics and curriculum for the 27th largest school system in America.

2) He actively promotes a business as a consultant and motivational speaker. He is a pastor of a church trying to build a new facility.

If he does so away from DCSS, so be it. But he really should be working 50+ a week before and during the school year. Someone running such a large school system with little teaching experience should be totally focused on the task at hand. If he can be a successful consultant/motivational speaker, and a church pastor (one of my best friends was a pastor and the amount of time involved is overwhelming), then good for him. But he better not spend one second of his DCSS day working on his business or as a pastor. Not one second of use on his DCSS computer, e-mail and PDA for his outside stuff. This is a huge concern, and should be something the BOE keeps a very close eye on.

3) Morcese is piling on an incredible amount of busy work to our teachers. He would know better with more teaching experience. It's one thing if Ramona Tyson & Tony Hunter's multi-million eSIS debacle was quick and functional, but it's a slow disaster (Hunter would have been at least reprimanded by a competent BOE anywhere else for such a massive failure). We are going to lose even more good teachers at the end of this year who don't want to be a paper pusher, but instead want to educate our children. Our teachers lost so many hours of productivity last year because of eSIS being offline and slow (not even a trial rollout, Tyson and Hunter...yeesh!), and that directly affects of students. And now Morcese piles on more busy work. Be strong, DCSS teachers!

4) Morcese is yet another nepotism hire. He was first hired at DCSS when his uncle, Johnny Brown, was Supt. Nepotism and cronyism is killing our school system. We never know if someone has actually been hired on merit, because most of our administrators have some kind of tie to the system whether as a relative, friend, church member, sorority sister/fraternity brother. It is unethical and unproductive and we have to call our BOE to end it. However, it actually starts with the BOE, as Sarah Copelin-Wood and Zepora "I'm Gonna Slug You" Roberts are high hog into nepotism.


Enough with the Beasley thesis talk. It's turning attention away from his lack of teaching experience, his outside business as a consultant and motivational speaker, his pastor work, his piling on of busy work to our already overly busy worked teachers, and his nepotism ties to the system.

I know you read this Morcese. What say you?

Anonymous said...

As a taxpayer, who is paying his salary, I just want to know what he is trying to hide? He should prove to us that he is honest and above board. The good ole days at DCSS are OVER! Get it! The taxpayers have had enough and the media is finally listening now that CLew no longer controls them.

Megan Meteucci at the AJC, please do some journalism on this clown Ms. Tyson just hired. Dr. B is hiding something and the taxpayers have a RIGHT to know what it is.

Ms. Tyson promised transparency, well how bout some!

Cerebration said...

This statement about Beasley being Johnny Brown's nephew has come up before - does anyone have proof that this is true? For now - we'll just say that we don't know that to be a fact.

The other statements in your comment are all true, so the comment will stay.

Anonymous said...

Don't know if he's a nephew, but the viewable pages from Beasley's book show he was a protege. (Link provided by Anonymous at August 8, 2010 7:05 PM) The book was written before he followed Brown to Port Arthur, but it shows him on the fast track under Brown in Birmingham and DeKalb:

"Upon completing my leadership certification, I was hired in the middle of the school year to be Mr. Coats' first assistant principal focusing on instruction with the support of the district's new superintendent, Dr. Johnny E. Brown." (p. xxii) [This is at Phillips High School, which moved to a new facility and was renamed Carver.]

"However after one year in this new facility, the district recognized the contribution I made and wanted our efforts to be duplicated. I sadly ended my tenure at Carver High School and received the appointment as principal of Huffman High School." (p. xxxi)

"After a year at Huffman High School, our superintendent made the decision to accept another leadership position in DeKalb County, Georgia. As I made plans to move Huffman High School forward for my second year, I applied for and interviewed for a principalship at Stephenson High School." (p. xxxvi) ... "Dr. Johnny E. Brown offered me the principalship at Stephenson High School." (p. xxxvii)

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 4:58 AM
Teachers Cannot Send Direct E-mails ...

Perhaps I was not clear enough -- or you are being a bit too literal.

Send what you are getting from Beasley, however you are getting it -- even if it comes disseminated from your principal/assistant principal. If you follow the directions printed earlier, you will be safe and cannot be identified.

Teachers! Please! Help us help you!

Anonymous said...

More "Friends and Family"

In compliance with Board Policy GAG, Employment of Relatives, it is requested that the Board of Education approve the appointment of Ms. Michelle Jones as Principal at Clarkston High School. Ms. Jones is currently an Assistant Principal at Chamblee High School.

Ms. Jones is the daughter of Cabinet member Dr. Felicia Mayfield.

Anonymous said...

Do we know if she is qualified?

Perhaps she is a great assistant principal. It is a really challenging job that deserved someone with experience as a principal, but perhaps no one was interested.

This stuff makes me crazy. Do they not think people are watching?

Paula Caldarella said...

This stuff makes me crazy. Do they not think people are watching?

Maybe they are just so arrogant and don't care?

Clarkston is in a lot of trouble - they need a principal who has a strong record of turning a school around. Why take a chance on an individual who has never been a principal? What about the former Dunwoody HS principal? As far as I know he still has not been placed in a school.

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