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| Ah.. It IS all about me! |
If these people truly believed that what they were doing was above board, then why create 'corporations' with no name recognition in it? Ralph Simpson sold $15,260 worth of his auto-biography, boldly titled, "From Remedial to Remarkable". Of that total, $9,680 was purchased in two separate orders on the same day by Selina Carol Thedford, principal of Miller Grove and subordinate of Simpson's. Yvonne Sanders-Butler (who was promoted by her fan, Dr. Lewis to "Executive" Director of Health and Wellness a newly-created job designed to step over the very successful "Director" of Health and Wellness, Dr. Shannon Williams, who has since found new employment) "sold" $63,184 worth of her books to the system. I was floored by Ms. Sanders-Butler's ego. Floored that she completely thinks she was within her rights to personally order $11,494 worth of her own books - using school system money. On top of that, her sister, principal at Rainbow ES, ordered $14,184 worth of Butler's books. The sister, Annette Roberts feels she is being "unfairly targeted" due to the fact that she is Butler's sister! If that isn't circular thinking... (refer to the post, "The Parrot is Dead"). Wow!
Once more thing - once again here comes Marcus Turk, questioning the expense waaaay back in 2007, yet in the end, paying the bills and moving on. Does he EVER tell ANYONE 'no'? Did Dr. Lewis hold so much power over Turk that he simply bowed down to Lewis' demands? I can imagine Lewis endorsing these purchases - no problem - he is the king of entitlement to public money for his friends and family (and mistresses).
We can't hire an auditor soon enough.
I must also add - Kudos to us! Bloggers here certainly provided much of the information and leads for the AJC to uncover. Many people on the inside who blog here also shared their input with the AJC - especially regarding Ms Butler. Pat yourselves on the back - I truly think you made a difference in this one!
ReplyDeleteIt's online now - the link is
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/2-fired-over-dekalb-592425.html
Although I am glad to see that DCSS is finally doing something about this problem. Turks should also go, as it appears he knew about these purchases and let them go through. Even if he said something to Lewis and nothing was done, he should have gone to the board and made it known that he did not like what was going on.
ReplyDeleteI also fear more legal fees in DCSSs future and wonder when we are ever going to get this expense into check.
What about John O'Connor's book? Has someone checked into purchases of that book as well as his research on the children in DeKalb?
ReplyDeleteNice to see that not only have these 4 been referred to the PSC, but also the DA.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Marcia tate's book?
ReplyDeleteTyson said she is concerned there may be other instances, not yet discovered, in which other school staffers have made money off the district.
ReplyDelete“Sitting from where I sit, I have no idea what may be out there,” she said. “But what I’m confident of is that we will deal with it as we find out.”
Let Ms. Tyson and the AJC know. Let's get this mess cleaned up.
If you know of others who have used school system money to pay for personally published books, please let the reporter, Tim Eberly know. He can't dream these things up - reporters rely on good tips.
ReplyDeletetim.eberly@ajc.com
Ms. Tyson needs to create a vehicle for teachers and staff to file complaints and reports on ethics violations where they feel safe. Lewis created such a culture of fear and intimidation that they will still not come forward - too many Lewis cronies are still in place - guarding the henhouse.
ReplyDeleteMs. Tyson needs to create a vehicle for teachers and staff to file complaints and reports on ethics violations where they feel safe
ReplyDeleteYep...
And the stories I have heard recently about Lewis' reign of terror is just mind-boggling.
What about Dr. Beasly's book? Who did he sell his book to while he was a principal at Stephenson High School?
ReplyDeleteThe Friends and Family program extends itself to several of the newly appointed principals. The focus on the blog has been on the Clarkston High School appointment however, who did Uras Agee know?
ReplyDeleteButler thought she was above the law and used children and the taxpayers to steal money for her own selfish gain, even at the end, she is still thinking that she did nothing wrong. To use our taxpayers money to let her personal makeup artist get her ready for a photo shoot during DCSS time was not what we the taxpayers would agree too. Plus, look at how she used our school system for so long. Maybe now, Tom Joyner, Tavis Smiley, CNN, and her book company-Ennvoy will keep her employed. This lady is no crusader for children as you can see. Thanks Tim Eberly for untangling Butler's web. I know it was a hot mess to untangle. Long live the queen of nutrition. Go back to Missippi and hopefully her uncle, Lonnie Edwarsd will help her find another quick rich scheme. Darn, the whole family steals apparently . OMG!!! Butler,just might be in the jail cell with her construction friends if Gwen Keys really proscecute her correctly. Good bye, Queen of CNN.
ReplyDeleteFROM CLASSROOM TO PRINCIPAL IN 60 SECONDS
ReplyDeleteBecause you and your administrators are not seasoned and classroom battle-tested (look into your own personal experience) like the teachers over whom you hold dominion, you want to perpetuate DXXXXlb County Schools operation under an “administrate by the numbers” and “teach by the numbers” scheme of operation.
Under this model, uniform planning, uniform pacing, uniform expectation, robot schoolhouse administrators and robot teachers are required.
Let teachers teach for unlike the majority of DXXXlb County’s schoolhouse administrators and area superintendents who went FROM CLASSROOM TO PRINCIPAL IN 60 SECONDS, DXXXlb County teachers have had many years of practice and training that you and your ilk are incapable of delivering.
Have seasoned and classroom battle-tested principals in charge of the schools and you can devote yourself to getting them the resources they need to teach----textbooks, ancillaries,…etc…
Here's another big QOD (Question of the Day) --
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why did Ron Ramsey - our highly paid ($141,000) head of Internal Affairs (and state senator) not uncover ANY of this? Did Turk not report these suspicious purchases? Why not? Does Ramsey investigate anyone -- or could it be that his job description written by Lewis was to do whatever it takes to AVOID investigations?
Just wondering...
AJC, and all local news channels,
ReplyDeleteThis blog is throwing some juicy morsels you way---please savor them and hold Rxxxxx TyXXXX feet to the fire.
For every undeserving administrators we remove, we should get a competent one from the outside.
No more screwed up master schedules, no more lax discipline, no more---no more----!
At one time, Butler's school would hold their annual Arts Gala. Butler ordered eacher staff member to pay $50.00 for ad donations. The next year, she said, $25.00. Students, staff members, parents, and people in the community (stores) donated food and etc for this big event for nearly three years. Butler made money from the ad sales, and ticket sales. Know you do the math. I am told, teachers never knew what Butler did with the money.Add this up over a period of 3 years and Butler got over again. We can only imagine what was uncovered with Butler's quick rich scheme. I wonder how her taxes looked if this was really reported as earned income? Hopefully, Gwen Keyes will look at Butler's company's tax records and personal income tax records. We are sure something else unethical would be uncovered. Thiswould be part 2 of the queen's rich unethical deeds.
ReplyDeleteCere, take a look at the complaints and grievances forms on the DCSS website - they go straight to the Superintendent's office...
ReplyDeletehttps://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/pdfs/dekalb/gae_2_~e_1.pdf
Which begs another question - can Ramsey legally serve simultaneously for DCSS AND in the state senate? His time at the legislature takes up at least 40 work days per year - are we as taxpayers double-paying one person on these days? Turk - has Ramsey settled up his double-dipping or are you endorsing this activity as well? Is it legal? If so, is it ethical? Does it serve the system well? Ron Ramsey called for a boycott of Dunwoody businesses on the floor of the legislature - this would cause financial harm to the school system he is called to serve in the loss of SPLOST sales tax dollars. A boycott of Perimeter mall alone could have cost us more than his salary. Whose side is he on? Not the children's, IMO.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fact that the students living in the Druids Hill, Lakeside, Chamblee, and dunwoody zipcodes are getting their education at school or through tutoring. It is a fact that these zipcodes can better afford private schools than the students living in the Stone Mountain, Avondale, and McNair zipcodes.
ReplyDeleteWhich zipcodes is this mismanagement by greed and incompetence hurting the most?
If you live in the Stone Mountain, Avondale, and McNair zipcodes, you better speak-up----you better do something because the folks you trust because they look like you have scr@@@@ed your kids!
If you live in the Stone Mountain, Avondale, and McNair zipcodes, you better speak-up----you better do something because the folks you trust because they look like you have scr@@@@ed your kids!
ReplyDeleteWell, now, that's effective. A complaint form that goes directly to the head of the corruption... yowsa!
ReplyDeleteRamsey needs to move on. He only prosecutes common folks in DCSS. Administrators rely on him to get rid of teachers and others who have to report to Internal Affairs. Why didn't Marcus Turk report all of these high ranking principals, and administrators to Ramsey. You see, they turned their heads when teachers would try to report administrators and donot waste your time using DCSS PAL for administratrs. Some administrators, I am told, come back amd LOL about their PAL Evaluation because they knew they were part of the Family and Friends Plan. The PAL in DCSS needs to be be taken seriously by Area Directors. Some of these administrators are awful and have not one clue abour education
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that Jay Cunningham has been protecting Butler for the last two years or so, getting her job created and then protecting her from being eliminated in this budget cycle.
ReplyDeleteThe AJC says she is/was a “principal on assignment” filling in for schools with principal vacancies." It sounds like the corporate wellness position was eliminated, but she wasn't.
Anyone know the scoop?
You are correct. The PAL is a joke and administrators come back worse after knowing that they received a poor evaluation. 98% of administrators are females within the same sorority. (pink and green) and they use it to their advantage. 99% are Instructional Coaches, thanks to Audria Berry.
ReplyDeleteAny body know what happened to that principal who got canned at Bethune Middle? We had some real issues with him. He's a poster boy of bad administration in DCSS.
ReplyDeleteButler's newly made up position must have been eliminated the day DCSS served her with divorce papers because she was still using her title as a wellness director. Actually, no one never knew what she did during her entire tenure with DCSS except sell books, appearing on Martha Stewart (please view this, Yvonne Buter, chicken salad), CNN, Tom Joyner, Tavis Smiley, speaking at Jackson State University, Upscale Magazine, etc. So, actually, Butler never worked for DCSS, she got a fat salary and made money using her company, Ennvoy, as the seller. You have to wonder if she really was ever enrolled in school law classes. Oh, maybe culinary classes somewhere. What more could you expect from Jay Cunnignham. It is good to know that Butler finally talking badly about Jay behind his back.
ReplyDeleteAny profilers out there? Any psychiatrist out there?
ReplyDeleteIs Tyson actually afraid of jail seriously enough to blow the top of this Dekalb corruption involving money and job placement?
I hope she is because she know who has had or who still has his hand in the money or job cookie jar.
Ralph better beat her to it if he wants to be the next Montel Williams---Wouldn't he be good at it? He tell what he knows about that school on North Indian Creek principal interview.
why does it take the ajc and the blog to expose these illegal and unethical actions. There is more where this came from.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the same principals/assistant principals are being recycled over and over again proves that the PAL is a joke. DeKalb County is promoting individuals who where mediocre teachers to be mediocre principals at best. I agree the south end of the county needs to start taking a hard look at the individuals who are leading these schools.
ReplyDeleteSelling the books is bad enough, but failing to act on information about a teacher taking his students to a bar and serving them wine is worse. Why is DCSS stonewalling this?
ReplyDeleteDoes not the Chief Financial Officer of a public entity has fiduciary duties which include refusing to make any illegal disbursement?
ReplyDeleteDoes not such Chief Financial Officer of a public entity have the legal and moral obligation to follow common legal and accounting practices?
If any superior wanted said Chief Financial Officer of a public entity to do something contrary to follow common legal and accounting practices, does not the Chief Financial Officer of public entity have the legal and moral obligation to report it to higher authority and/or resign?
Was the Interim Superintendent the immediate superior and supervisor of the Chief Financial Officer of a public entity during any part of period in which these inappropriate, unethical, or illegal payments took place?
Is it not why guys get paid these big bucks?
<>
ReplyDeleteIs the teacher on the friends and family plan? Where and when did this happen?
--Selling the books is bad enough, but failing to act on information about a teacher taking his students to a bar and serving them wine is worse. Why is DCSS stonewalling this?---
ReplyDeleteWhy would a bar serve kids wine? Were the kids wearing a mustache? Where the kids with their parents? You have it in for this teacher because of something else?
You all in Dekalb County School System Have a employee by the name of Harry Lewis is he a relative of Crawford Lewis? he moved up very fast, his salary went from $40.00 something to $100,000 with no degree.
ReplyDeleteHe was caught have sex at the Sam Moss Center it was push under the rug. Why does he still have a job?
After his posting in the AJC about his love affair, he got an increase in pay. Dekalb need a clean up.
Started with the under handed principals,
Persistent job of investigating--at least file dogging. However, I'm concerned that spending time on small-fish. I hope Eberly now gets back to connecting dots with Atlanta power players. The info is in the trial investigation--the prosecuters are laundering it or at least sealing--0and Eberly needs disgruntled employees, friends, losing bidders, whatever to start the dominoes falling all the way to downtown lawyers and Commerce Club Leadership players.
ReplyDeleteEberly knows this--he was fed SELECTIVE tape when he first broke the Lewis "gave you up Pat" story.
The bastards took his files to hide the incriminating information about the Biggies. They have it--I wonder if they will illegally erase it. There's always hard-copy of stuff that goes way back Tim.
This is why it will be disastrous if they move this trial. Less prying and knowledgeable DeKalb watchdog eyes and ears on who shows up in the crowd and what information is challenged and suppressed. Call it "management".
Selling the books is bad enough, but failing to act on information about a teacher taking his students to a bar and serving them wine is worse. Why is DCSS stonewalling this
ReplyDeleteI smell a troll...
You all in Dekalb County School System Have a employee by the name of Harry Lewis is he a relative of Crawford Lewis
ReplyDeleteThat rumor was debunked....and its Harold Lewis.
I'm afraid this is turning into a witch hunt. We have lots of published authors in DeKalb. The problem isn't that an educator writes a book! That is actually a very good thing for a school system. Universities expect their faculty to publish. The problem is from personally profitting from your own school system. Some posters are naming staff who have authored books and implying that their has been impropriety. If you have first hand knowledge of staff profitting from book sales in DeKalb by all means call them out. But just naming someone who has written a book smears a reputation for no reason.
ReplyDeleteAlso--yes! Kudos to the blog and its founder and administrator.
ReplyDeleteWe all need to write Eberly or Matuchi to have them either feature the blog or attribute whatever information they are gleaning from it. It is absolutely absurd that the news organizations don't do this.
Damn obvious the TV people and AJC are seeking it.
Correction:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
You all in Dekalb County School System Have a employee by the name of Harold Lewis is he a relative of Crawford Lewis? he moved up very fast, his salary went from
$40,000 something to $100,000 with no degree.
Harold Lewis was caught have sex at the Sam Moss Center, it was push under the rug. Why does he still have a job?
After his posting in the AJC about his love affair, he got an increase in pay. Dekalb need a clean up.
Started with the under handed principals,
August 15, 2010 1:24 PM
I am a teacher. Please be careful of encouraging people to "just turn folk in". I was in a school where the princpal allowed people to do anything. She retired. We got a principal that requires accountability. Teachers actually have to teach. Staff cannot be on their cell phones during the day. We have to be up and actively engaged in teaching. We have to be on duty and monitor our students.
ReplyDeleteWe are expected to do honest lesson plans, contact parents and work as a team. She advocates for the school and our students
I LOVE IT. There are some on my staff that are mad and do everything they can to create problems. But, she moves right on and takes care of business. She is very well educated. One of my biggest fears is that she is going to get fed up and leave.
If you encourage people to just make any kind of claims against a principal, be ware of the kind of schools you will get.
I want to give credit to Ms Tyson. She has a very difficult job. Dr. Simpson may have made a bad decision, but he seems willing to admit it.
If Mr. Tuck did report his concerns, I wonder did anyone listen.
Wasn't one of the people involved promoted to a newly created job, at the same time that staff members were losing their jobs and having their pay cut.
So true Anon 1:28. The issue is not whether someone has written a book - the issue is - did anyone spend school system (or worse, Title 1 federal money) purchasing hundreds of copies of said books, sending in effect, a big bonus to the author? Tax dollars should not be used for personal gain - no matter how "important" someone feels their book is. Fine. Buy a copy to donate to the library. But several hundred? Come on... that is SO obviously a big hand in the cookie jar.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm aware, Harold Lewis filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Pat Pope. Most likely, this will all come out at the trial.
ReplyDeleteAlso - Anon with the good principal - good point. I STRONGLY encourage people to write glowing letters of support and request that copies be maintained on file for anyone you think does a terrific job. Those commendations are very helpful in the event someone has a random issue later on. You can't please everyone and some who demand to be pleased can be the ones with the connections.
A lot of Money is being mishandle at Kelley Lake Elementary, why not investgate the principal at that school.
ReplyDeleteCerebration - I absolutely agree that anyone who sold multiple copies of books to their own school system is wrong. My point is that I personally want published authors and respected educators in DeKalb. I don't want to scare away the educated, dedicated staff by calling out everyone who has ever written a book.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to consider is this -was the book self-published or picked up by a publishing company? There's a big difference in perception of quality. If you self-published your own book is it because no publishing house would? Self-published authors make a much greater percentage from their books than authors who are nationally published. Contracts with a publisher generally only offer royalties of 8-10%. There is certainly a greater financial gain for self-published authors to sell within the school system.
There are good principals at some of the schools. However, this is not the norm. Too often qualified applicants are looked over to promote people who have connections. As far as this turning into a witch hunt,there isn't anything wrong with asking questions. Reputations can not be tarnished if things have been done correctly. Only people with things to hide worry about questions being posed on a blog meant to expose the truth. Let's stop with the don't ask, don't tell mentality that has gotten the county to this juncture and let's start making the focus the children who might I add are suffering. Educational books written by employees should always come under scrutiny if purchased by schools where that person works. What do you do with 11000 dollars worth of books?
ReplyDeleteI hope the purpose of all of this turning in everyone isn't to get the AJC on it. The AJC needs to do the bigger stuff.
ReplyDeleteDominoes from the trial. Get them to start finking. Who was that that is now turning who?
That's the kind of thing that leads to big fish.
Title I fraud is less about spending it illegally than AcQIRING it illegally, where the Feds are concerned.
How does DCSS beef up the imaginary school lunch numbers--where are the empty seats being filled either with imaginary students or those from other counties SOLELY to increase school lunch numbers?
Tens of millions of $ in this--then you can go to the budget shifting and hiding the money.
The people who steal this stuff to make $10,000 book purchases can't even lead you to these people--they are worthless to a major investigation.
Time to move on to the big stuff--it's Federal audit and US Attorney time. AJC can force them to act.
(Of course, the delay has been that the downtown law firms would ultimately be uncovered--can't have that!)
I've always wondered if one of the deciding factors for optional transfers had the following as the tie breaker:
ReplyDeleteWhether or not one of the candidates for transfer was a title one recipient. Every time yet another title 1 recipient gets transferred into an obstensibly affluent area, the percentages edge upwards towards Title 1 status.
Example in point: where students were sent from and what schools received them a few years back. Viewing the list, it appeared that M-to-M was being done under the wire.
Knowing Dekalb's fondness for Title 1 dollars, I tend to think that free meals vs paying public was the reason for who went where
( and how heavy the dump was).
It probably is also the reason that Lakeside has found itself with the number of trailers it has over the last few years, while classrooms sat gathering dust in the south end of Dekalb.
Look into who knows who that decides where students are sent, and their relative knowledge about Title one. Aren't some of the friends and family school board relatives tied to jobs connected to Title 1 funding? Couldn't they be bringing ma and pa, uncle or aunt up to speed on how to keep those dollars coming in?
I have worked in schools where parents are told what amount to put on the lunch forms, so that their child qualifies for free lunch and that the school gets extra money. These same families are driving expensive cars, that I could not afford, but their child is getting free lunch. There are also teachers' children receiving free lunch, which makes no sense either.
ReplyDeleteThere is fraud throughout the system and until things like school lunch forms are actually checked and what is happening to money collected within the school buildings checked, this fraud will continue.
We cannot count on people working in the district to do the right thing, as we see time and time again this past year. We need someone from the outside and we need them quickly.
Eberly says he's lokking into Title I--the fraud that is. The sleight of hand involved is complicated and you have to understand the program.
ReplyDeleteNot only that, it's a DeKalb-only racket that has been going on for decades by White Trash running the syestem. It works hand-in-hand with the low income apartment graft. Does anyone wonder why we invite the poor into DaKalb, including every refugee from disaster areas? It's not compassion baby.
It's amazing they haven't imported the industry to other counties.
@ Anonymous 1:35 pm
ReplyDelete"If Mr. Tuck did report his concerns, I wonder did anyone listen."
Who would Mr. Turk have reported concerns to? Ramona Tyson was his supervisor and her supervisor was Dr. Lewis. Would he bypass his supervisor and go above her to Dr. Lewis?
Currently, Mr. Turk reports to Mrs. Tyson under the new organizational chart.
See the organizational chart in place last year:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/superintendent/organization/files/6966EB6514D34006A52BA160C9AA062E.pdf
See the new organizational chart:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/superintendent/files/organizational-chart.pdf
Who do you report your concerns to in your school?
I know 100% without a shadow of a doubt other principals in DeKalb County purchased books. Trust me, I know. The questions is, if you demote or get rid of one principal for purchasing books, what should be expected of the others. Is there an amount or is it the principle.
ReplyDeleteLet's clean house!
I am a teacher at Kelley Lake, and the comment made about the misuse of funds there is false.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should thank the AJC reporter and Wendy for having the guts to bring this corruption out into the open. For so long, it has gone on. People talked within groups or gossiped behind closed doors about Family and Friends, and how certain people could sell books and not work but be promoted. Who ever came up with this blog should be commended. Just think, without the blog none of this corruption would have been uncovered.People now can see a picture of who and what in DCSS. My next question is- When are they going to plaster Butler's picture on television? I know CNN must feel duped. Look at how many people she betrayed and still to the very end, she is arrogrant and saying , "She will be vindicated". Still thinking she did nothing wrong. I wish she would use her counseling degree to treat herself now. The money amount is just too much to even imagine that she made off DCSS. I think some of that money may be needed for Butler and her sister's defense. Let us hope that Gwen Keyes will prosecute them both to the fullest.Jay Cunningham , go over and console your friend. Oh, by the way, she didnot consider you a friend until you started helping her move up the ladder. Move over Pat Reid, make room for your new friends, Butler and her sister should be joining you in the jail cell at Dekalb County. Butler, needs to remember that in jail, the food is not sugar-free.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the questions/comments about Harold Lewis, it was my understanding from a reliable source that harold is a relative of Crawford's. I cannot remember if I thought I was told he was a cousin. While it's always possible that my source could be mistaken, it was someone fairly high up at the district level. His promotion came apparently when Pope made unwanted sexual advances at him after the two of them had ended their affair. There was more to the story but I can't remember it...Maybe someone out there can verify this or add it to it. I am not ready to accept that the "rumor has been debunked."....
ReplyDeleteDr. Shannon Williams was a stellar employee of DCSS. She secured many grants, including the one that actually funded Yvonne Butler's position. Williams left for a position at Georgia State University after Butler was promoted to Director of Corporate Wellness despite no prior experience in public health.
ReplyDeleteDCSS' loss is GA State's gain. if you worked with her, you know all of the students in the system would benefit greatly by having her part of it.
A Dream:
ReplyDeleteNext summer when the DCSS offices are not needed--oh why not--do it during the school year--the schools wouldn't miss a beat, picture this:
A multi-agency FEDERAL law enforcement strike: Treasury, FBI, Marshall's Service--hell, throw in the DEA for good measure--storms into DCSS and herds all of the employees outside and puts them in a cage while all of the files--every one are carted away for investigation.
Temporary Federal Officials who are trained in emergency school system ops take the place of the "quaranteened" DCSS employees until they can be cleansed of the toxic goo that has caked on their skin since being employed there.
Simultaneously, down I-20, the Grassley Commission barnstorms Eddie Long's haven for proof of profiteering unlawfully as a nonprofit--including merging school system sorority/frat fraud.
Apparently, Butler had no supervision during her tenure as the principal at Browns Mill. How could her Area Director(s) not know that Butler was selling books in the school?
ReplyDeleteReading the story in the AJC made me feel ill to know that this lady used our school system for her personal gain all under the disguise of helping children to eat healthy. Someone please text Tom Joyner and Tavis. If you can, text Martha Stewart too and let them know that Ms. sugar-free is no longer touring the country using our children in Dekalb County. Hopefully someone googles the story in under her information on the internet for all to see how DCSS got played by the two sisters.
IMO, the issue is whether there was coercion, overt or implied, to purchase the book. I do not think that purchasing books authored by DCSS employees is a problem, as long as the purchase is above board and for a plausible reason. We should be proud of our published authors.
ReplyDeleteFrom the reports we have had here, Ms. Butler leaned on her subordinates to purchase her cook book, and Ms. Thedford deliberately massaged her purchase orders to disguise the fact that she purchased so many of Mr. Simpson's books. I do not understand, by the way, why her school needed that many copies. Perhaps that will come out in the future. I think Mr. Simpson's book was self-published. Ms. Butler's was published by HP Books, a division of Berkley Publishing, a publisher of mass-market paperbacks.
I am so pleased to see that thins are FINALLY coming to light! I tell all of my colleagues to check this blog out DAILY.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to see that someone has finally had the courage to name Bishop Long in all of this mess. How much does DCSS pay ANNUALLY to New Birth for facilities use for graduations?! AJC--Please dig deeper!
@ Anonymous 3:20 pm
ReplyDeleteI don't know if he's related to Lewis or not, but he has done well since Lewis was the superintendent:
2003 – Information Systems $51,276
2004 - Technology Specialist $52,824
2008 - Plant Operations $101,720
2009 – Transportation Director $109,385
Harold Lewis oldie but goodie:
ReplyDeletehttp://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/01/major-league-operation-minor-league.html
Haorld Lewis had no prior experience in either Plant Operations or Transportation. But he was still hired into those positions under Crawford lewis, making six fugure salaries for both.
ReplyDelete@I am a teacher at Kelley Lake.
ReplyDeleteDo you thinking you are better off racking up 4 hours per week on lesson plans or better using these 4 hours creating material to teach your students?
Are you better off transferring 32 pages of assessment X 25 kids to a spreadsheet or are you better off contacting parents by phone to introduce yourself?
By all means authors are to be commended. The point with the corrupt authors is that school money was used for personal gain. At any rate, the books never should have been sold at school. These individuals know school law and what if we decided to have a garage sell at school during school time to make extra money? And then call yourself entrepnatur /school educator.These individuals broke the law as others have done. But, as we all know, you donot always do what they do in Rome. Butler made a hefty profit both ways, with her salary and selling/peddling her books.Hopefully, Gwen Keys will investigate her company, Ennvoy in phase 2. Along with her income tax records to see how much of a refund she recieved. Anyone knows how to contact the IRS hotline on Butler?
ReplyDelete"Book 'em" -- the new motto of Premier DeKalb.
ReplyDeleteC?Y!
And speaking about continued cover-ups...what has happened with regards to the former principal at Lithonia High School who was removed pending investigation for malfeasance and breach of fiduciary responsibility? I was told that she was promoted to the post of "System-wide graduation coach." Interesting that this individual is also a favored person of Bishop Long. Is this why so many DeKalb County schools pay THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS annually to have the graduation ceremonies at New Birth? Doesn't the district own stadiums where graduations could be held for a significantly lower cost? It bothers me that the senior dues are NOT directly benefitting the senior students.
ReplyDeleteTo the person that asked about the principal at Lithonia, we donot know. But, if you email Tim, or Wendy, maybe they can find out and uncover another pile of mess.
ReplyDelete1000 bucks says the Feds are not too far.
ReplyDeleteSoon, it's going to be a race for survival for all miscreants by commission or omission.
If you want to avoid incarceration or spending big bucks defending against the others, lawyer-up, and one of the first get immunity from the Feds.
I think the Interim already stated that she will not go to jail for anyone--was it a slip of the tongue?
Butler's book covers have beautful pictures of her posing.Which one should the t.v. use?
ReplyDeleteLove the new motto. "Book 'Em"
ReplyDeleteI started teaching in the district in 2007-2008 and continue to wait for "No Excuses" to come into effect for both the students, teachers, administration, and anyone working for the district. Excuses is all we seem to hear these days.
Butler's book covers have beautful pictures of her posing.Which one should the t.v. use? It is hard to decide. Maybe the one that she took on the day that DCSS let her go. That one probally would be the best one. Surprise of Element, "Are you Crazy"
ReplyDelete3:53 Tyson did indeed make that slip. I have always believed that she knew more and may go down, too. It's really just a matter of time until people who were caught start singing.
ReplyDeleteThank you ANON 3:52 pm. What is interesting to me is that I had contacted the WSB almost two years ago with regards to this issue. I left a message yet received no response at the time. Obviously, I am a DCSS employee and remaining anonymous was crucial during Crawford's "reign of terror." Now it looks like we are in the midst of a "reign of error."
ReplyDeleteI had also received information that this same principal had been forcibly removed from Clayton County school for allegedly throwing a chair at a teacher. If this is true, why would DCSS hire her? Five will get you ten that Long had something to do with her hire and promotion.
Speaking of AJC, it would seem that Atlanta Public School has a good number of student who are reported as transferring to other school system instead of dropping out.
ReplyDeleteDCSS does this as well.
Let me give you a hint: if the kid was failing 50% of their subjects and did not return the textbook, that is a drop-out!
Teacher @ KL,
ReplyDeleteWe are being micro managed by our county office. It is too much. I believe that many of our good teachers will go elsewhere. I would prefer spending time teaching. I can use time after school to call parents if neeed be. Most of my parents met me during "Open House." They will get another opportunity during our Curriculum Night.
How much does DCSS pay ANNUALLY to New Birth for facilities use for graduations?! AJC--Please dig deeper!
ReplyDeleteIs this why so many DeKalb County schools pay THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS annually to have the graduation ceremonies at New Birth? Doesn't the district own stadiums where graduations could be held for a significantly lower cost?
There is nothing to this. The reason that DCSS pays New Birth to host graduation ceremonies is that it is the largest indoor facility in DeKalb that can host a graduation. Graduates and family members can be assured of having a memorable day, rain or shine.
New Birth has a right to charge a reasonable fee for use of their facility as there are expenses associated with it. A few years ago when they increased their fees, schools looked for other facilities. For what it is worth, the former Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and First Baptist have also hosted graduation ceremonies over the years.
Speaking of Tyson's little slip...to all of the DCSS teachers who watched her "State of the District" address...Maybe it's just me, but did anyone else notice that Ms. Tyson knew EXACTLY how many days she has been the interim superintendent? I had an image of someone sitting in a jail cell, scratching lines into the concrete wall, marking and counting the days until she is free to go...
ReplyDeleteOnly someone EXTREMELY UNHAPPY with their position knows EXACTLY how many days they have been on the job. Wow. Really inspires confidence...NOT!
Things are falling into place. Turk should be the next to go. I have also heard that there was a lack of accounting for money donated by the Avondale Educational Association that the principal refused to discuss. I think it involved thousands of dollars. Would someone familiar with that issue please post what you know.
ReplyDelete"Simultaneously, down I-20, the Grassley Commission barnstorms Eddie Long's haven for proof of profiteering unlawfully as a nonprofit--including merging school system sorority/frat fraud."
ReplyDeleteAugust 15, 2010 3:27 PM
People--
The Grassley Commission is all about fraud and collusion in many areas. It directly summoned five wealthy pastors (all hyping the prosperity doctrine) for a voluntary inquiry into the sources of their revenue (and personal income).
In an audit, Grassley would find several ways that the church illegally (profitably as a nonprofit, church/state, ) benefits financially from the school system...hiring parishoners, renting space, who knows what creative kickbacks.
"God KNows"--there's Federal Money getting taken here!
Thank you for the information w/re to the graduation celebrations at New Birth. I am curious though...Where were some of these graduations held BEFORE the new facility was built? I definitely see the logic in holding these events in a place where graduations can take place regardless of weather. However, I am concerned about the price. In no way do I suggest that New Birth should not receive some form of remuneration for use of the site. I (perhaps wrongly) am under the impression that the cost is prohibitive, especially considering that the district does not have enough money for the basic needs of the various school sites.
ReplyDeleteTo be frank, it seems suspicious, considering some of the other things that have come to light as of late.
My sincere apologies if I have offended any members of the New Birth congregation. I just wish to voice my concerns with regards to the crises within DeKalb County and I wish to seek answers about how my tax dollars are being spent.
If you think about it, DCSS only has three stadiums. If every high school tried to have its graduation in a DCSS-owned stadium, it would be a logistical nightmare. And if it rained... what a mess that would be!
ReplyDeleteListen, I'm not any happier about our schools having graduation ceremonies at New Birth than you are. I think the place is creepy and I think there's something fundamentally wrong with having giant "JESUS IS LORD" (or similar) banners hanging behind our very multicultural graduates. However, we just don't have many better options.
What about Marsha Tate's book. Momma Tate's daughter Jennifer Tate Clowers, recently got promoted to a "cake" job as an instructional coach. Go figure! Is it just a coincidence that the daughter with only a few years experience got such a promotion?
ReplyDeleteThank you ANON 4:42 pm for your insight. I agree--it would be a logistical nightmare. I also echo your senitments with regards to our multicultural graduates. Maybe that is why it is so upsetting to me. I wonder--If the largest available indoor facility were a mosque or a synagogue, would DCSS use it? :)
ReplyDeleteAt one time, to become an instructional coach, one had to be L-Certified, but now they have lifted that, so they can hire who they want.
ReplyDeleteWhen did Ms. Tyson say she wasn't going to jail for anyone? On TV or quoted in a newspaper interview?
ReplyDeleteI find the ATM machine at New Birth very convenient if you forget to stuff the graduation cards with crisp $20 bills.
ReplyDeleteAnd I look forward to seeing various paintings and faux marble statues of the Right Reverend Bishop and wife dressed like Roman era desert Jewish nomad.
To the grandparents and other elderly spectators of graduation, New Birth and the Cathedral of Holy Spirit (incestuous dynasty of Anglo-Saxon preachers over there in case we were not making this an equal opportunity to exploit faith and religion) are a better fare. Other venues for graduation costs probably as much and are much more inconvenient: the Civic Center, the Georgia State University auditorium.
No foul there.
Movies playing in Dekalb County Schools are:
ReplyDeleteFrom the classroom to "the heck out of teaching students" in 60 seconds.
Tag line: larger paychecks, less work.
The Treeslayer introducing James Fenimore Beasley
Tag line: We may not be able to teach students but we can teach teachers!
Any body know what happened to that principal who got canned at Bethune Middle? We had some real issues with him. He's a poster boy of bad administration in DCSS.
ReplyDeleteMcMullen is an assistant principal at SW DeKalb. I don't see why he is still employed, especially with the misappropriation of Title 1 Funds. I wonder if that was reported to the PSC? We know a lot, but we need a safe place to report these unethical violations. Because believe me, they will get you. They will call administrators at other schools and label you as a trouble maker. No school will want you, no matter how good of a teacher you are.
I am not going to jail ---3rd paragraph
ReplyDeletehttp://crossroadsnews.com/view/full_story/9133383/article-End-drama--school-chief-says?instance=lead_story
$63,184 of books sold from 2002-2009 for Butler's books is peanuts. Who has the time or energy to check every little purchase order. Back in 2002 would Rick Cost or Marcus Turk be able to monitor such a purchase without a Board Policy? I think the Board is more at fault for not having policies that are effective and that each employee knows what is expected when it comes to purchasing.
ReplyDeleteIt appears the AJC really has it in for DeKalb, I guess when the accredation is loss and my house value drops even more, I will move to Clayton County and keep my mouth shut.
Maybe I can move to Mississippi with Lonnie Edwards where he is loved and respected!
I am so shocked that Turk did nothing about this. Someone was protecting them above Turk obviously. I would assume it was Dr. Lewis. Are these nice looking women who were involved in this book situation? Could they have been part of the Lewis fan club for favors and job promotions?
ReplyDeleteFrom what the one sister said, Turk was not pleased when he found out about it. Turk may not actually be the one at fault here. It may be Lewis covering up for these ladies. Lewis may be much more corrupt that any of us thought.
@ Anon 1:35, shut up. I have had my share of incompetent APs and Principals. Why shouldn't we be allowed to report violations in a safe, secure place. We are tired and fed up. Creating positions for their friends and family and then promoting them is the reason why we are the bottom of the salary scale of Atlanta Metro schools. If your principal is good, then she is one in a few.
ReplyDeleteTo all media outlets, SACS, etc.,we need a safe and secure place where we can anonymously air all of these wrongdoings in the DCSS. The PSC has a place but you have submit your name....not gonna happen.
And SACS folks are former educators----the only place to report is the Dekalb DA and/or US Attorney for this circuit.
ReplyDeleteDeKalb has a terrible free and reduced school lunch program. They check very few applicants so that schools can get Title 1 status.
ReplyDeleteI know students whose parent drive expensive cars and the students wear all name-brand clothes but they get their lunch free. This is truly a don't ask..don't tell event. Do we have to go by the minimun # of applicants checks for free lunch or can we really be transparent?
To ANON 5:02 pm:
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chuckle. Is there also a Starbuck's?
Another very convenient, very nice place to hold graduation -- with plenty of parking -- is The Robert Ferst Center for The Arts at Georgia Tech. www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu/
ReplyDeleteMarcus doing one thing: he makes sure he spends what DCSS takes. No other concern with him: yes, sir, yes, ma'm.
ReplyDeleteGo look at the trailers in Stone Mountain High School and Lakeside High School--check them out for a moment.
Then go ask good old Marcus how much we are paying to LEASE them. These rat and roach traps have been on continuous lease to Dekalb County since the Civil War. The lease costs for 18 months could outright buy these pieces of trash.
@ Anonymous 4:28, thank you for your comments. It is a fair question that citizens should ask. This goes back to this county not have a civic center for ceremonies like this.
ReplyDeleteOne last thing on this, several schools have graduation at the Georgia Dome. I personally don't care for DeKalb County citizens to drive to Atlanta for this type of ceremony however as stated earlier, the options are limited. In this age of some graduations limiting tickets to graduates, you don't have to worry about that at New Birth.
As the story goes,Harold Lewis was haveing a afair with his admin assistant. She had a argument with him one morning and the next thing she's gone. Story goes she went to ramsey's office and wrote a 12 page letter about some of the going's on at the sam moss center. Then the employees at the center were told he would not be working in that dept anymore and if anyone had question they should talked to the super. Ok the next thing was his admin found about he and pope and that is when his admin went off the deep end. Story goes pat then went after him and he file a sexual harrasment suit against her. To keep it quiet they moved him and gave him a raise. The man has worked all over the county and everyone says the same thing , he does not know what the hell he is doing. Anyone else would have lost there job. This mess has been going own for years. I am just very thankful that maybe now the good employees will be able to see these people get punish. Every dog has his day. I can asure you there will be tears of joy for the good people at dekalb schools
ReplyDelete@ Kelley Lake Teacher,
ReplyDeleteHow do you know that the allegations are false? Maybe that person has more information than you. Stop trying to protect your principal. It may be false information, but still needs to be investigated.
Mandela, were art thou?
ReplyDeleteYou would think that because of who they are, from where they came, and because of the blood and sweat that allowed them to occupy these position reserved only 20-30 years ago for people who looked nothing like them, these folks (Lewis & cabinet & board) would have made sure they kept faith with the struggle and delivered on the promise... Instead it's rip-offs and charlatanism...Oh what a waste of opportunities, a betrayal of their own people no less.
Mandela, were art thou?
ReplyDeleteYou would think that because of who they are, from where they came, and because of the blood and sweat that allowed them to occupy these position reserved only 20-30 years ago for people who looked nothing like them, these folks (Lewis & cabinet & board) would have made sure they kept faith with the struggle and delivered on the promise... Instead it's rip-offs and charlatanism...Oh what a waste of opportunities, a betrayal of their own people no less.
To ANON 5:44 pm
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment. I also do not want DeKalb parents to have to go into the next county in order to attend graduation.
Is this an issue to address to Burrell Ellis? Maybe DeKalb County should look at how we can generate revenue via a centrally located venue that would attract event promoters and also be available to the county school system? Something to think about.
Thank you very much for saying that $63,000 on books for Butler was peanuts. Maybe now, she can buy her own peanuts and leave our kids alone. Hurrah, Lonnie is loved and respected in Mississippi. Good for him. The reporter needs to be commended for doing his homework on book sales.Wendy needs to be commended as well. Actually both need to receive a plague from the taxpayers of Dekalb County for putting a match to BOOKGATE. Hey, donot feel sorry for these violators,our kids and their parents praised Butler, but look at how she stole from them. And from reading her comments in the AJC, she still doesnot take responsibility for her actions, she still feels that she will be vindicated. WE hope NOT! This is the talk of the town. Hopefully, CNN will air it. Since Butler loved publicity so much.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:47, are you saying that if someone makes a accusation, that is reason enough to investigate? If I accuse you of malfeasance, should we investigate you simply based on my statement?
ReplyDeleteSome of you need to take a step back and consider what you are saying. Yes we are rooting out those that have not been fiscally responsible with our tax dollars but that does not mean every principal is doing something illegal. If someone has proof of wrongdoing, they should probably report it to the DAs office, if they are concerned about reporting it within the school system. Simply not liking the decision someone is making with the money is not a reason to make an accusation.
Has anyone seen the topic of Butler's book deals on television. I know it is in the AJC. Hopefully the news wave will not protect her privacy. Simpson's picture and Thedford stayed on television. Hey WSB we need pictures of Butler, Roberts, and Edwards.
ReplyDeleteMr. Turk needs to be discipline or fired for not reporting his concerns to Ronald Ramsey about Butler's misuse of funds for her book deals. Instead, he sat back and did nothing. Now, he wants to have his voice. DCSS needs to let him GO! He protected Butler.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a lot of stuff is going on. This is the tip of the iceberg. If Tyson is taking care of the principals - who will call out the board members who violated policy?
ReplyDeleteTo ANON 5:50 pm,
ReplyDeleteI understand your frustration and disappointment. But I want to add that C. Lewis and his cohorts betrayed ALL OF US, regardless of race or culture. They had a duty to act with integrity and to serve ALL DeKalb County with honesty and honor. In other words, Crawford Lewis did not have a greater duty due to his racial heritage. All of us have a duty to discharge our responsibilities in an ethical manner. I hope we will arrive at the point where we can see one another as varying shades of the same human family.
We all have to deliver on the promise. This debacle is outrageous, regardless of the race of the perpetrators. Let us not view Crawford, Reid and Pope as "black" criminals, but just as individuals who chose to break the law. Justice will be served and it will be the responsibility of all DeKalb County citizens to remain ever watchful in the future in order to avoid a repeat of this mess.
Thank you to everyone on this blog for your contributions. Let us spread the news to everyone we know. Let's invite our neighbors and colleagues to become more involved. We must invite everyone we know to this forum so we can effect change.
Thanks for the opportunity to share here.
From the eternal (albeit naive) optimist
Who are (or were)the Crawford's mistresses?
ReplyDeleteLet's cut to the chase. We are sinking. Morale is knee-high and dropping.
ReplyDeleteDear Board Members,
Bowen, Womack, Speaks, McChesney, Rodovian (5 board members: a majority)
We are pretty sure SACS will let you deal with these issues if you asked them given the dire state of things.
You 5 need to immediately do as a minimum the following:
1. Investigate the hiring practice involving any administrator with less than 5 years in the classroom
( Have the individual indicate his pole of influence).
2. Adjust the salaries of any one promoted unfairly.
3. Adjust all salaries to reasonable levels---don't what reasonable is? Easy, use the teachers rate of increase.
4. Do away with redundant jobs or jobs that do nothing a la Wellness Director
5. Tame the Beasley
6. Have every job applicant for admin or high paying job state who their pole of influence is---Fire them if they willingly concealed someone.
7. Ask SACS to let you micro-manage the above issues!
We are sinking fast!
You can stick a fork in it; DCSS is done.
ReplyDeleteEven if this disgusting hot mess could be sorted out, the "I'm getting mine!" mindset goes deeply into DCSS. It is a cancer.
Further, it will be nearly impossible to change the perception of DCSS being anything other than a impenetrable clique of connected, incompetent, inept people on the take, students, teachers and taxpayers be damned!
The best teachers will leave -- are leaving -- and it will be nearly impossible to attract excellent new teachers. Only those teachers who can't get jobs anywhere else -- or those who are part of the Friends-and-Family clique will work for DCSS.
Continuing to wring our hands and implore people to write board members and Tyson and Beasley and ask them to do the right thing is a fool's errand and a waste of time and energy. These people couldn't find the "right thing" with two hands and a flashlight. None of them could identify ethical behavior if they fell over it.
The best suggestion so far is to create Independent School Districts around the established parent councils. The first step toward that is to put together Charter Clusters. It will be easiest, initially, to form Charter Clusters around single high schools. (Plus I think that is the way the Charter Cluster law is written, but I need to check on that.) Charter Clusters will enable establishing lines of governance that can later be combined into an Independent School District, once that becomes legal.
While forming charter clusters, the leaders in each area must have serious conversations with their representatives to the Georgia General Assembly. We need them to convince their fellow legislators that breaking up DCSS -- a huge, bloated, unmanageable, crime-ridden system -- is ultimately in the best of interests of Georgia. Smaller, excellent school districts will attract new businesses and new tax dollars. Smaller, excellent school districts will change the public perception of Georgia as a state on the bottom of the heap in terms of education. Think "Decatur School System"!
If not us, then who? If not now, then when? The time is now!
@Anon 6:11, I did not say that because someone dislikes a principal or doesn't like how a principal spends money, then she should be investigated. Maybe that person knows more...maybe there were some misappropriation of funds, and if so, there should be ab investigation. This goes back to a previous poster saying that we should be a safe and secure place for whistleblowers. These things have been talked about behind building walls by teachers, central office workers, etc., for years. It is now time to release this information. Now it is time for the chickens to come home to roost.
ReplyDeleteTo ANON 5:44 pm, actually the decision to build a Civic Center should be driven by DeKalb citizens. Food for thought, if Arthur Blank is still considering the Doraville GM site for the Falcons, our problems would be solved.
ReplyDeleteRE: Teacher's children receiving free lunch.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend who worked for Fulton County many years ago. His kids qualified for free lunch. He worked. His wife stayed home to watch their youngest who wasn't yet school age. His salary was low enough to qualify. Teachers earn better money today, but there are individuals working in our schools right now who really don't earn enough money to provide for their families.
WE need to be careful about who and how we criticize. Teachers in DeKalb are taking 7 furlough days, did not receive any form of raise this year, or last. Families where both husband and wife work for the school system took twice the pay cut as everyone else. This is a real financial struggle for many DCSS employees. Many will tell you they are thankful to still have a job, as I am. If my kids were hungry, I'd be applying for free lunch, too.
You can stick a fork in it; DCSS is done.
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ. There is still a heck of a lot of good going on with our schools and students. It's too bad we don't hear about it.
"If Tyson is taking care of the principals - who will call out the board members who violated policy?"
ReplyDeleteIf fairness, this responsibility falls first to the board members to follow their policy regarding ethics violations. Ms. Tyson cannot reprimand her bosses, they have to do this themselves. Ultimately it falls to the citizens of DeKalb to elect board members that will be fiscally responsible, follow board policies, and hire the right superintendent.
You guys keep saying that the "powers that be" need to resign. Do you really think that will really happen? These people believe they are above us. We need the FEDS and we need them fast.
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:27, that is our dream and their nightmare. I hope that the FEDS are really looking into this. Lets make DeKalb truly Premier.
The Charter Clusters seem like a logical way to start to try to fix this mess. Be True To Your School, how would we get this rolling? I agree, if not us, then who?
ReplyDeleteThey have cover up many things over the years. But when they cover up Jaheem Herrera suicide I was working for the system then and we were told not to discuss the matter. The lady that they paid all that money to say he was not bulley was such a waste. Maybe he wasn't but my children went to dekalb schools and there is bullying in the schools. I removed my children and moved out of the county and over the years i have heard some pretty bad stories. My point is Lewis/Ramsey and those others in the central office would do anything to keep the system from paying that family any money. Now we know why, it is so that can line there pockets with the money.
ReplyDeleteI also beleave that they cover up the death of the young man who was killed by a electrically light fixture. I was told that he did not have on the gloves that should be used. Also the ladder that he was own was not as it should be. The dept. at the sam moss center took up money for his wife and infant son to help her with the funeral. He came from a very good family and to my understanding they did nothing. That pat pope tried to cry with her dirty a-- but let me assure you all of these things they will have time to think about when they go to JAIL.I will never forget his wife face at the funeral. Maybe I am wrong but with all the money that they have wasted i think the system should have did more to help her. He was a very happy young man and he talked about his son all the time. I want to say to the families of these two i pray for you daily and there is a god and my grandmother always says leave it along god takes of every thing in his own time.
Is there credible evidence of wrongdoing by McMullen? There are concerned parents at SWD who feel that he is very incompetent. We do not understand why we were chosen as the landing pad for not one, but two demoted principals with nad track records. If a record of malfeasance is present, we want to know.
ReplyDeleteTo me the buying of the books is the underhanded way in which it was done. They had checks and orders for just under the $5000 limit. Sometimes they had multiple purchase orders on one day for under $5000.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 6:16
ReplyDelete"Mr. Turk needs to be discipline or fired for not reporting his concerns to Ronald Ramsey about Butler's misuse of funds for her book deals. Instead, he sat back and did nothing. Now, he wants to have his voice. DCSS needs to let him GO! He protected Butler."
Why would Mr. Turk not report his concerns to his supervisor, Mrs. Tyson? Do teachers and principals go directly to Mr. Ramsey or to their immediate supervisors? What the procedure in DCSS?
Anon 6:54 When the teacher makes over $55,000 and her husband also works, and they have 2 children, there is no reason, why this children should get free lunch.
ReplyDeleteI have seen and heard from others this same teacher telling parents what amount to put down on the forms, so that the school would get more funding and their child/children would get a free lunch.
Lunch fraud is going on big time in too many schools. Teachers and principals are telling parents how to fill out the forms, so that the school gets more funding. It needs to be stopped. Very few people have their information checked and we need to check more people's information and prosecute when lies are put forth on the federal forms.
Posting below here since this is the hot blog. Some good news about two DeKalb schools.
ReplyDeleteColumbia and Lakeside high schools were recognized by GHSA and GEMC as
representatives from their respective regions for exemplary sportsmanship during their athletic endeavors this past athletic season. You can read the full story at the following link:
http://www.prepcountry.com/blog/index.php/2010/08/03/dekalb-schools-win-sportsmanship-awards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dekalb-schools-win-sportsmanship-awards
Writing a charter for one school is a difficult and arduous task. Writing it for an entire cluster will be really difficult and arduous. In many clusters in Dekalb, there are no PTAs, no booster clubs, etc.
ReplyDeleteWho will speak for these schools?
August 15, 2010 3:01 PM - those organization charts are very interesting!
ReplyDeleteAs far as Title 1 - I do believe we need a tighter system of checking for qualifications. Free and reduced lunch numbers are only one method of categorizing a school as Title 1, but it's the easiest to 'fudge'. I also think that there is definitely a push to make more schools Title 1. Take Lakeside for instance. The latest number on free and reduced lunch is around 700 (about 41% of the 1700 total). This is up from around 200 just a few years ago.
BTW - I have it from a reliable source that John O’Connor did not sell a single book to the school system.
Also - the recent concern about New Birth is the $120,000+ they will receive as rent for the brand new DCSS "Leadership Prep" Academy. (I'm uncertain as to how many students are officially enrolled there.) That academy's budget already includes income from Title 1 funds. All documents are available at the Georgia DOE website.
ReplyDeletehttp://public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_charter.aspx?PageReq=PEACSProposedCharterSchools24
Did Gary McGibboney sel any of his books Etc. to DeKalb County or to the State DEpt. ? He really had some great materials. I would hate to think we could not use it.
ReplyDelete@ Let's Roll 7:05 PM and others interested in Charter Clusters
ReplyDeleteI believe there is some interest in talking about Charter Clusters and about Independent School Districts during or just following the Dunwoody-Chamblee Parents Council meeting on Wednesday, September 1 at Peachtree Charter Middle School. Meeting begins at 8:45 AM with refreshments.
There are two next steps:
(1) Discuss the Charter Cluster procedure with Lou Erste, Director of Charter Schools for then Georgia Department of Education. He is willing to meet with parents about this.
(2) Meet with our representatives from the Georgia General Assembly (and possibly also with their opposing candidates in the upcoming election) to determine how best to get the legal ability to break up DCSS into Independent School Districts.
Other parent councils can follow this same procedure or they may choose to do something different. It's really up to the individual communities/parent councils.
Then,
To Cerebration-
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find more info about the Leadership Academy a New Birth? Has the academy opened yet?
Kudos to you for all of your research and your insights!
It was suppose to open last week. They have a website.
ReplyDeleteI recommend everyone read the legislation establishing charter clusters.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/fulltext/sb457.htm
It is very short.
DCSS would have to approve the clusters, as I read the legislation. At the last DCPC meeting, Redovian supported charter clusters. The question is what about the other board members.
Anon 6:54 When the teacher makes over $55,000 and her husband also works, and they have 2 children, there is no reason, why this children should get free lunch.
ReplyDelete______________
If you know about this situation and can prove wrong doing, you need to report it.
Here's the link to Leadership Prep
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dekalblpa.com/
Frankie Callaway is listed as the principal of the new DeKalb Leadership Academy.
ReplyDeleteyep - we've had a couple of discussions on this -
ReplyDeletehttp://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-charter-school-to-open-doors-in.html
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/08/oh-boy-this-could-get-ugly.html
Anyone having information for the feds and wanting the feds to investigate, needs to contact the FBI and the US Atorney's Office with what you have and with your plea/request. Don't assume that they are following the blog or have the information that you have....
ReplyDeleteThe Feds will do nothing! Arne Duncan and Clew were tight. Clew had been working with Duncan on the National Curriculum and America's Choice.
ReplyDeleteI taught in DeKalb for seven years. I'm not with the district now, but we live in DeKalb and so my son goes to a DeKalb School.
ReplyDelete1. When teaching, in seven years, I was given one book by my principal - Lonnie Edwards book. Every faculty member got a copy. I never read it. I donated it to charity a few years back. I thought it was an odd gift, it didn't smell right. But I was a teacher, and I didn't know, and I wasn't brave enough to ask. Not likely I would have gotten an honest answer, anyway.
2. There were several books that I received as part of staff development. Useful books - Harry Wong's First Days of School, and a bunch of books during my gifted certification. These were all useful, even the ones that were written by the gifted instructor.
3. Marcia Tate's book.. I don't own it, but I remember a staff development class when I first started teaching and the book was mentioned. Marcia Tate even taught one segment of the class, and she was great, and I thought, I hope they give us her book. No, but we were encouraged to buy it for ourselves. As a starting teacher, I just had better things to do with the $16 or $24 or whatever the book cost; things like groceries and rent. I still think the book would have been a good resource, but I never got around to buying it.
The last two cases I think are appropriate ways of obtaining a book - as part of a training session. Its low cost/low risk. Usually 10-30 people in the class, so we're talking hundreds, not thousands of dollars. The book has to relate directly to the class material. It should never be part of a school-wide staff development, it must be part of a district level training and approved by a grand muckety-muck - everything above board. That's the rules that should be in place.
Think about it - I went to school up north, and we had class sets of books - you were given the book, and you returned it, paying for damage/loss etc. In DeKalb, kids have to go buy the outside reading books themselves! But then these DeKalb-written books come along. Crazy. I love it that heads have rolled. I didn't think much of Ms. Tyson at the beginning of her tenure, still don't, but she's moved up a notch.
Re: Arne Duncan and Clew were tight.
ReplyDeleteUm -- I don't think Arne Duncan wants to be "tight" with a guy who is charged with RICO crimes and who presided over a school system going down in flames.
CLew-less was very good at making it "look like" he was tight with Arne Duncan. And, Duncan, also a political animal, was cordial enough to CLew-less -- not knowing what was about to come down.
CLew-less and Duncan are definitely NOT BFFs.
Why is Robert Tucker & Josie Alexander on DeKalb's payroll? Tucker retired over 8 years ago but never skilled a beat drawing big pay for consulting with Ron Ramsey. Do we need both of them doing the same job... although neither does the job well and fairly. Tucker needed to go before he retired. He is arragant and out of touch. I guess, he will be a character witness for Dr. Lewis. Dr. Lewis was ill-advised by alot of people He trusted too much! He is a good person, who cares about children. Dr. lewis, my prayers are with you and your family. Iwish AJC could bring out all of the good that you have done for DCSS. God Bless!
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me that Robert (bob) Tucker is still around drawing money from DCSS! He is as dumb and corrupted as corrumption can come. Where is the AJC on this? By the way the AJC should not receive any awards. They merely request infor throuth the opened records act and DeKalb employees are taken off task of educating our children digging up stuff from 2002 when Hallford was a two time drunken driven and womanizer sharing a DeKalb County Employee with Jim Williams. AJC, if you are going back in history , do it right and fairly.
ReplyDeleteI hope Crawford's attorney goes back in time and look into the relationships of Hallford and female employees and employeee promotions . Maybr PRC can take away their retirement benefits. Hello!
Dr. Tart who is retired and husband also, Have two sons i know one works for the county not sure about the other. I had to attend a staff class and he was the person to speak to us. It was the most boreing class i have ever had to attend. My question is someone told me that the family has also written a book. Does anyone know anything about this? My understanding is one son became a principal over night. Was dr. tart the one who got into a fight with someone at the central office? I can't remember if it was her or dr. turk.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Tucker is retired, why is he in the DCSS Office of Internal Affairs every day? These retired administrators still on payroll, whether Tucker, or Frankie Callaway, has to stop. It just keeps the cycle of a few family trees of power in the Central Office.
ReplyDeleteAnd why, oh why, does Ron Ramsey and his Office of Internal Affairs never discover any of the malfeasance in the system? Why do my taxes pay this clown $140,000 per year plus more tens of thousands as a state legislator? Get this, even though he lives a short car ride to thestate capital, Ramsey gets over $100 per diem every day the state senate is in session. The per diem is meant for the legislators who have to come from north, central or south Georgia. But Ron gladly takes the extra money while double-dipping on the DCSS payroll at the same time.
Friends and Family:
ReplyDeleteThe Head Counselor at Dekalb School of the Arts ( a plum assignment, ie small motivated population) is listed as Sandra Sanders. Can somebody clear up the rumor: Did this lady retire many years ago? Or is this just a rumor?
Just so you know. If you read the PAL instructions-the PAL is not supposed to be used for evaluation of principals or assistant principals. It was intended as a coaching tool to allow principals the opportunity to improve their performance. The GLEI is used for evaluation of admininstrators.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Federal Guidelines the children of a teacher with a family of 4 and an annualincome of $40,793 qualifies for the free and reduced lunch program. (in this case reduced) as does any person with a family of 5 and an annualincome of $47,712. Each family memeber adds $3740 to the income limit.
ReplyDelete@ Kelley Lake Teacher,
ReplyDeleteHow do you know that the allegations are false? Maybe that person has more information than you. Stop trying to protect your principal. It may be false information, but still needs to be investigated.
I think we ought to investigate everyone who posts to this blod. Their email addresses should be published along with their names, addresses and phone numbers. I also think from the allegations posted that the DA should suponea all the the computer files pertaining to this blog and question the posters. Or maybe we shouild just throw the baby out with the bathwater.
In addition to DeKalb's "BookGate", the AJC also published an article about the enormous (covered up) drop out problem in Atlanta Public Schools.
ReplyDeletePlease make sure that you read the article. We at this blog have been saying for a long time that DeKalb has a very similar problem. Both times I withdrew my children to attend private school, I was simply handed their transcript in a sealed envelope - no questions were even asked as to where they were going. None.
Lakeside continues to enroll well over 500 freshmen - recently over 600. Yet, the graduation classes as consistently under 300. Many students are repeaters (what people call "froshmores"), but many actually leave and are never tracked. Many of those who leave were originally AYP transfer students.
My big question to the administration -- since you have decided that offering a transfer is your "go to solution" for addressing so-called failing schools, do you have - or have you ever bothered to gather - any data as to whether this solution actually works for those who exercise the transfer?
ps - here's the link to the AJC article -
ReplyDeleteAtlanta grad rate doesn't add up
Why do people think Frankie Calloway is on the payroll? She is an employee of the LPA Board which is independent of DCSS. She is paid by the LPA board. Her payments are independent of any retirement money she is getting from her employment with DCSS.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a technicality it's laughable.
ReplyDeleteBTW -- Anon 11:15 is just using a scare tactic. I do not have access to anyone's email on this blog - nor any way to identify who you are when you post a comment.
That's such a technicality it's laughable.
ReplyDeleteThat is just wrong Cere. Charter schools go trhough a rigourous application process and each one has to be approved by the state. Everya charter school in DCSS takes money out of the DCSS budget.
Callaway was in the application. DCSS people turned the application down last year. With the advent of the law allowing the state to over rule local decisions this year's approval was a foregone conclusion.
and BTW although yo can't access emails someone could with a suponea. There is no true annoimty on the web.
ReplyDeleteOk, enough of the threats. The only information anyone could glean from a subpoena of this blog is IP addresses. Then, they would have to somehow link a certain IP address to a certain comment (something I'm not even able to do) then go to Google and demand the names of the owners of the IP addresses. This is such a wild card it's not even worthy of discussion. Now, the AJC and other blogs, do request a valid email address for every comment. They could have more access to identity - however, good luck getting that info as well.
ReplyDeleteQuit trying to scare people away from posting their opinions and insider knowledge. We always post comments here with the full confession that anything stated here is hearsay and should be treated as such and/or investigated. We do our best to delete the names of people when comments are beyond "nice".
As far as the charter school hiring/paying Frankie Callaway - the school certainly does use DeKalb School funding that would otherwise stay with those students in their home schools. If Sarah Copeland-Wood is so upset about her neighborhood schools lined up for consolidation, she should take a look at what she and her very own board have approved - all of these charters skim students from our neighborhood schools. You must be a DeKalb resident to attend - so there goes the money. These are approved by the state, but not state-sponsored. If they were state-sponsored, they could take students from other counties and would only receive state pupil funding.
Sure - technically Callaway is entitled to take her pension as well as work in a private school. I'm not so sure a DCSS charter qualifies as "private" though.
It's all a very slippery slope.
To add: Many comments are hearsay, but then again, much of what we publish is factual, which we always cite the source for readers to double-check on their own. As they say, don't believe everything you read on the internet... or anywhere else for that matter. Take what you read, apply it to what you know, and then do your own research to confirm.
ReplyDeleteEven if you disable cookies, your browser could easily share enough information to give you a unique signature on the web. I've been testing the computers I use on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Panopticlick website, which reports the identifying information your browser is sharing and compares it against data it has already collected from other users. So far, every system I've tested has been uniquely identifiable.
ReplyDeleteMy browser and identifiable system configuration tend to be fairly distinctive. I use Firefox with a range of plug-ins, depending on what I use each PC for. I also use minority operating systems on most of my machines (usually either Windows 7 or various Linux distributions). All this information can be extracted by a site that contains code to query my browser.
In the screenshot above, you can see the information extracted from my browser. It’s apparently unique among the 544,493 users that have been tested to date.
This information can be used as an electronic fingerprint to uniquely identify my browser and, theoretically, track my online behaviour. In practice, although my system configuration is diverse enough to be unique, it lacks stability. If I install a new font or yet another browser plugin, my browser’s electronic fingerprint will change.
Currently, the least identifiable browsing configuration is a "non-rare" browser, such as the latest version of Firefox, without any plugins, on a modern version of Windows, with JavaScript disabled (JavaScript can be used to extract most of the kinds of identifying information we're looking at). Using TOR is another option, albeit one that slows down your browsing a great deal.
According to Panopticlick, "the only browsers which we believe really meet the conflicting criteria of being common but not accompanied by high-entropy plugin and font configurations are the browsers in smartphones". After all, there’s not much you can do to change the browser and system configuration on most phones.
The final suggestion for protecting your privacy requires the involvement of the people who make the browsers, by either removing or restricting the version information shared by your browser or by improving the "private browsing" modes already present in modern browsers.
Obscuring your system's browser fingerprint is a long way from being a primary security concern for most people, but Panopticlick sheds a light on one direction the future of online tracking could take. For my money, it's always worth knowing exactly how much information you're giving away.
Author: Kat Orphanides
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/internet-security/275530/opinion-there-s-no-such-thing-as-anonymity-on-the-internet
I posted this on the AJC blog previously....
ReplyDeleteAlong with the following, Turk and Ramsey need to go!
I am so glad other people are as fed up with this DCSS mess as I am! Nepotism!..the
engine driving the DCSS.
Let's also take a look at the Callaways. Mom, Dad, Son, daughter-in-law, and other
family all raking in (stealing) about $500K from taxpayers.
Then let's look at the Tartts. Baby brother Tartt is a principal and allowed to
continuously allow his partner, I mean staff, to steal money (no receipts, cash only
transactions – but they can SANG!). Many ongoing issues with the PTA which Tartt hids
behind!..I am waiting for RICO to catch up to them as well.
Baby Boy also stole his principalship. Mommy was a former director and good friends with
Crawdaddy. Interesting because of the 5 candidates granted an interview, 2 were outside
of the county and he was the only one who did not have a doctorate yet....and the least
qualified. Another assistant principal already at the school did not even get an
interview despite being highly qualified. This lead to the asst principal suing for age
discrimination and WINNING. I am not sure how much we taxpayers had to pay just to have
an esteemed Chief Learning Idiot at the helm. The state PTA and GA School Council
associations were not able to stop any of this!
Even more disturbing, RAMONA TYSON has her CHILDREN at this school! I don't have much
faith in her as an administrator if she places her most valuable assets at such a corrupt
place!
Older Baby Boy Tartt contracts with the county to provide parent involvement seminars for
the county. Funny because he was divorced before his child was even school age, maybe
that's where he gets his experience. I am sure he is probably getting paid even more of
our money for some bogus work. Someone should really check that out as well.
SCW also instructed her daughter on how to sue the county (and WIN) when her
granddaughter wet her pants during P.E. She was not allowed to go to the restroom because
there was only one teacher a class of about 50 kids. The other P.E. teacher was helping
her cousin-in law (Tartt) with his administrative functions or was hiding under a desk in
the music room.
The soap operas have nothing on DCSS...if it were not such a serious task as educating
the next generation, it would be a comedy show.
Sounds like someone who may be a friends and family want to stop the blog. I am sure that Ms. Keys would check out this information before she would act on it. So many employees have been able to share information, in the pass they knew that they would loose there jobs. That is the way the system works, you will be black ball or end up in a small room or no job. This blog has been good for parents and tax payers. Please keep the blog so we can clean this system up. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH
ReplyDelete"Both times I withdrew my children to attend private school, I was simply handed their transcript in a sealed envelope - no questions were even asked as to where they were going. None."
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened when we withdrew our child from the neighborhood APS high school for private school. We completed the withdrawal and walked out with the sealed papers in June. It was several WEEKS into the fall when we started getting automated phone messages from the APS school about how many absences had been accrued. Incredible.
I also watched a counselor at Kittredge instruct parents what to put on a free/reduced lunch form.
ReplyDeletePrincipal also instructed an employee to "forget about" the discovery of proof that several students did not live in DeKalb.
Oh please don't get me started on the many wrongs of our magnet system.... Oh yes, we aren't supposed to bring up the red herring!! That was really keeping up divided and off the big topics, huh?
ReplyDeleteWhat about Guillary's? and I do believe there is a family history there. What about those family members of the board of ed? What about the retired people who sit and do nothing or take over a school temporarily when a principal is removed, fired or on medical leave?
ReplyDeleteIs the Mr. Thedford from DeKalb Online Academy related to the principal Thedford?
ReplyDeleteTeachers at Butler's former school was forced by Butler to purchase her books. These teachers paid cash money or wrote checks for Butler's books. So, how can Butler say that she purchased books for her teachers? So, my question is; where are the books. Probablly sitting up in a warehouse. Or, they may be with Lonnie Edwards in Jackson Mississippi. I bet he has his book and Butler's book in teachers' classroom. You know they are related and from the same hometown. Crooked Minds like theirs think alike.
ReplyDeleteTeachers at Butler's former school was forced by Butler to purchase her books. These teachers paid cash money or wrote checks for Butler's books. So, how can Butler say that she purchased books for her teachers? So, my question is; where are the books. Probablly sitting up in a warehouse. Or, they may be with Lonnie Edwards in Jackson Mississippi. I bet he has his book and Butler's book in teachers' classroom. You know they are related and from the same hometown. Crooked Minds like theirs think alike.
ReplyDeleteFriends and Family: Can somebody check these facts for accuracy? I used the Ga Tch Certification website:
ReplyDeleteZR's daughter --- 23 years w/ DCSS
39 yrs old
1987 (?)-- clerical position (?)at age 16 (?)
1st Teacher Certification - Mar 1999
Leadership Cert - 2008
1999 to 2010= Teacher, Instructional Coach, Assistant Principal! Amazing!
Last night, Yvonne Butler had the nerve to be on channel 5 trying to maintain that her embezzlement of money from her book sales were for the children.
ReplyDeleteSomebody, please tell Yvonne, that the children never were given any free books. So, how could these books possibly benefit the children.
Yvonne, your book sales only made your pocketbook fatter. Not the innocent kids. Please leave our kids of DCSS out of your racketeering mess!
This woman's arrogance last night on Fox 2 made me very ill.
It was reported from reliable sources that Butler had an Arts Gala at her school . She made teachers purchase $50.00 ads the first time she started this big personal funderaiser for her self. I'm told, teachers, students, parents,contributed to this event. But, Butler never shared with her staff how much money the event raised. The next year, staff was mandated to pay $25.00 and serve on committees,to make this another big hit, grocery stores donated food and many retailers in the BMS committee, plus parents who had connections. Again, the event made money. I'm told to this date, no one except Butler knew the amount of the proceeds gained from the event. So, the book deal is Butler's second quick rich scheme. Only this time,she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.And she wants the public to think that DCSS terminated her unjustly. She's lucky they didnot take her away in handcuffs as they should have. Hopefully, this woman will stay off the air and television because stealing money and using it for her personal gain was, "alarming, and "Distrubing".
Ms. Butler, please sit down and take your punishment. Use your counseling degree to counsel yourself and see how you can avoid this the next time. Because, she is not through stealing from children. Oh, by the way, we see that you still have the same makeup person and fake lashes on last night. Take a bow and stay out of the limelight, you've done enough damage to our community.
If that's true, you need to request an audit of the school's finances (or whatever that 'booster' was called). I'm told Lakeside has finally done this and a former bookkeeper is about to be indicted for theft. (This theft happened several years ago too, so don't think too much time has passed.)
ReplyDeleteFinally, Cere? It's been what, 3 years since that audit began at LHS? How about now investigating the prom sponsor? Lee, Chelf and Moton wouldn't go there.
ReplyDelete"Yvonne Sanders-Butler (who was promoted by her fan, Dr. Lewis to "Executive" Director of Health and Wellness a newly-created job designed to step over the very successful "Director" of Health and Wellness, Dr. Shannon Williams, who has since found new employment) "sold" $63,184 worth of her books to the system."
ReplyDeleteBy this sentence you mean that Butler sold her books rather than Shannon Williams sold her books?
Shannon Williams was an AWESOME DCSS administrator. It was major loss to see her leave, but she saw the writing on the wall when Crawford "Booty Call" Lewis promoted Yvonne Butler over her, despite Butler having zilch education or experience in health & wellness. Williams did a great job of securing grants, especially that big one from Kaiser Permenente.
ReplyDeleteOk, you're right - that was a clunky sentence.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is Yvonne Butler herself - used school funds to purchase $11,494 worth of her own books.
On top of that, her sister, Annette Roberts, principal at Rainbow ES, ordered $14,184 worth of Butler's books.
Now, Butler is trying to make us believe that her books were purchased by all kinds of principals and teachers in the school system. However, that is not true. Butler and her sister virtually embezzled tax money.
Here's the test -- where are all these books? Does anyone recall a delivery of several hundred books to either Browns Mill or Rainbow ES? Did anyone receive or buy a copy? Was the order ever actually fulfilled??? It would be very, VERY easy to "order" books that never quite make it to their destination when the fox is guarding the henhouse as it was in this case.
Also - the recent concern about New Birth is the $120,000+ they will receive as rent for the brand new DCSS "Leadership Prep" Academy.
ReplyDeleteIn response to above, is this a month or a year? We work in DCSS, you never know, just have to ask. and Dr. Frankie Calloway is the director of the school. Anyone know how many kids are enrolled? I heard at the beginning of school, only around 200. Sure are expensive digs
Mr. Dunson was Dr. Butler's supervisor. He often praised her. He also was the one to approve all of her absences. When a principal is out, they have to do a statement of leave and it must be sgned off by the area asst superintendent. I wonder if he even made her do these forms as required by board policy. Let's ask for these from the bookkeeper who has to collect these. Maybe it will show she did not report these days, and was just out. Curious!!
ReplyDeleteMr. Dunson was also Thedford's immediate supervisor but did you honestly expect him to turn in his buddy colleague Simpson? And now that Dunson is over Tucker High, interesting he is now over the school where Simpson works.
ReplyDeleteToday the principal announced that Dr. Beasley said no DCSS employees can do business in the school system.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this new policy also applies to board members? Anyone know
@ Anonymous 10:11
ReplyDelete"Today the principal announced that Dr. Beasley said no DCSS employees can do business in the school system.
I wonder if this new policy also applies to board members? Anyone know"
They are paid by the school system ($20,000 or $24,000?) - therefore they are employees. Of course, it should apply to them as well.
If the DeKalb Leadership prepatory academy is not affiliated with DCSS, then why were teaching positions, assistant principal job vacancies posted on the PATS website that DCSS uses? Also, she and the entire staff have first class emails, which is the email system for DCSS employees.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Ms. Michelle Jones, new principal At Clarkston high is the daughter of Dr. Felicia Mitchell Mayfield. Anyone know if she is an AKA?
WHAT A COLOSSAL MESS WE ARE IN.
ReplyDeleteAnd all because of GREED.
A BLOGGER SAID: "If that's true, you need to request an audit of the school's finances (or whatever that 'booster' was called). I'm told Lakeside has finally done this and a former bookkeeper is about to be indicted for theft. (This theft happened several years ago too, so don't think too much time has passed.)"
ReplyDeleteHey, there is no time limit on stealing. If you are out there and have stolen money to cover your own tracks and/or to bring someone else down, you better be looking over your shoulder. You'll most likely have your day in court. Here or on the other side.
Charter schools in DeKalb County have to either be approved by the DCSS BOE and the state or just by the state if DCSS turns them down (as they did the Museum School. "If the DeKalb Leadership preparatory academy is not affiliated with DCSS, then why were teaching positions, assistant principal job vacancies posted on the PATS website that DCSS uses? Also, she and the entire staff have first class emails, which is the email system for DCSS employees."
ReplyDeleteAnswer they are separate.
Their per pupil funds are taken from DCSS and at the pleasure of the board of the charter school. They may request and if they do will receive aid in hiring, email, and special Ed from DCSS. They are however, separate employees of the charter school and subject to whatever HR rules for hiring and firing that the charter school had in their petition. Other than having to make required reports to the DCSS BOE and state DCSS has no control or say over their operation, hiring, firing, rent, etc. Their applications are lengthy and detailed, and involved and are public record.
Whatever. DeKalb Leadership Prep was shot down multiple times for a poor application. When Frankie Callaway was hired as principal, somehow their app sailed through.
ReplyDeleteThe Museum School of Avondale had their act totally together and had a fantastic app with incredible support from parents. But the Central Office and the BOE shot them down multiple times.
The Leadership Academy had a VERY weak app with little parent support. But they had Frankie Callaway and the support of the New Birth mafia within DCSS. And now New Birth is raking in a sweet $120k+ plus year in rent, paid by the taxpayer.
I have to hope that one of these days, the Central Office scammers and Frankie Callway will be exposed. A big shout out to all the Museum School
volunteers for fighting the good fight for so long, and finally getting approval from the state, despite all the roadblocks the DCSS Central Office placed in their way.
A Frankie C. oldie but goodie:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/01/did-frankie-callaway-encourage-cheating.html
Frankly, I'm to the point that I don't care about the Leadership Academy per se. I have concluded that we need to allow charters to proliferate and allow students to flow freely between any of these schools as their choice. If the school is not good, or does not provide what parents were expecting, then it will close in the end, unlike a public school that fails it's students. Those, we just throw more money at.
ReplyDeleteLet's make ALL schools charters. Let's offer vouchers to be used privately if parents choose. There's no reason students must be relegated to a certain school due to their zip code. That's obviously not working.
It never ends does it...
ReplyDelete"Allegations of hazing involving M.L. King, Lithonia football teams investigated"
http://www.championnewspaper.com/news/articles/544allegations-of-hazing-involving-ml-king-lithonia-football-teams-investigated544.html
"School board member apologizes for threat following nepotism questions"
http://www.championnewspaper.com/news/articles/547school-board-member-apologizes-for-threat-following-nepotism-questions--547.html
Kep it here!!
ReplyDelete"Move corruption trial out of DeKalb?"
http://www.championnewspaper.com/news/articles/549move-corruption-trial-out-of-dekalb-549.html
On a lighter note, Cerebration may want to consider modifying the name of this blog to include the date. It's possible there will be other Sunday papers we will need to buy with stories about DCSS.
ReplyDeleteFrom "The Champion"
ReplyDelete“The media coverage here has been fairly intense,” she said.
Bernstein also claimed “very vicious” comments throughout the blogosphere may have contributed to a poisoned opinion of the defendants, but prosecutors argued not all of the coverage has been focused on Reid and none of it has been overly inflammatory and unlikely to affect jurors. Moving the trial would also significantly increase trial costs, prosecutors said.
I agree with the prosecution. We have not been "vicious" - in fact, I think we've been doggone restrained, considering our children have been robbed.
Nearly 100 teachers and administrators have contacted her about starting a similar program at their schools. Quoted by Butler.
ReplyDeleteThis was found on one of Butler's embellished web pages. If you view her web pages, you will see a whole
web page of self promotions and money making ads begging for business. Donot look for any results other than the embellished ones from her old school. Note the word- EMBELLISHED!!!
When is her date for the hearing at the DA's office in DEkalb for stealing taxpayers hard earned money on her resell of books that she pocketed for personal gain.
If she is called upon to speak on her only story of how she almost lost her life and blah, bblah, just pray that the ones inviting her to speak , knows she is a criminal with a passion for lying.