I started to write about the somewhat odd fact that a regular DeKalb County School System Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 4, 2010, but is to be followed by a “called” meeting at 9 AM on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. The impromptu “called” meeting -- scheduled for the same time as the regularly scheduled meeting of the Dunwoody Chamblee Parents Council (DCPC) -- will cover topics that are of critical importance to
Apparently, both Jim Redovian and Pam Speaks are okay with a last-minute, unscheduled morning meeting that directly conflicts with a DCPC scheduled meeting. The called meeting essentially eliminates an opportunity for their constituents to be present for the BOE’s discussion of important financial matters. Most of the BOE may not hold regular jobs, but most of their taxpaying constituents do.
Personally, I think that DCPC should adjourn to the Palace on Wednesday, October 6 and hold their meeting in the board room following the BOE meeting ...
# # # # #
I took a look at the DCSS BOE agenda for Monday night to see what was so important that there was no room for the critical topics that the BOE is attempting to “bury” in a weekday morning meeting.
Bingo!
I did not have to go far. Item #3 on the Agenda is requesting a blanket approval from the BOE for a long list of “vendors”, allowing all on the list to exceed the $50,000 maximum (required by the recently approved BOE policy for Purchasing, descriptor code DJE) in annual costs for goods and services -- without any further approvals.
Geez! These people are sl-o-o-o-ow learners! Whatever makes Marcus Turk and Ramona Tyson think that asking for this kind of pre-approval in this time of tight finances and diminished trust is okay -- or even smart?
Worse, Turk, Tyson and the BOE clearly don't know what/who is on the list. There are 335 “vendors” on the list. Multiply $50,000 by 335. Suddenly, it morphs into BIG money: $16,750,000. And that's just if those “vendors” don't exceed $50,000 for the year. But, the BOE is being asked to give blanket approval for the “vendors” to exceed $50,000 without any further approval.
So, let's take a look at those “vendors”:
· 112 were not listed as businesses by the Georgia Secretary of State;
· 7 were listed as “revoked” by the Georgia Secretary of State;
· 10 more were businesses that had been dissolved; and
· at least 3 “vendors” were listed twice.
But, wait! There's more!
· There are 14 “vendors” of textbooks/instructional materials on the list – but many DCSS classrooms still do not have textbooks. That does not compute!
· And, speaking of “compute,” at least 9 “vendors” on the list are IT/MIS/computer/ technology services-related. DCSS is paying consultants in addition to the bloated and ineffective DCSS IT department?
And more:
· 20 are construction-related, but 3 of those are businesses that have been dissolved and 4 are not listed as businesses by the Georgia Secretary of State;
· 16 were listed as F F & E (furniture, fixtures and equipment), but 12 of those are not listed as businesses by the Georgia Secretary of State;
· 4 more were listed as furniture “vendors”, but 2 of those do not seem to exist;
· 42 are instructional-related, but more than half (23) are not listed as businesses on the Georgia Secretary of State website; and
· 22 – including at least 2 churches -- are Title I tutors. How are these tutors working out for DCSS? To quote the title of a book written by Bob Hope, former PR person for the Atlanta Braves, “We could have finished last without you.”
I could go on – and I am happy to send the Excel spreadsheet that I created to anyone who asks (shspruill@gmail.com), but I am sure you get the picture.
Oh, wait -- one more thing: there are 8 -- yes, count 'em -- 8! -- legal services “vendors.” They are:
· Alexander & Associates;
· Buckley & Klein, LLP;
· Harben, Hartley & Hawkins, LLP;
· King & Spalding;
· Phillips & Morgan, LLP;
· Sutherland, Asbill, Brennan, LLP;
· Weatherly Law Firm, LLP and
· the Honorable Thelma W. Cummings Moore.
How comfortable are you with giving these legal services “vendors” a blank check?
How comfortable are you with giving blanket approval for the 335 “vendors” on the list to be presented at the October 4, 2010 BOE meeting, enabling each one to exceed $50,000 without any further approval?
Via this posting and e-mail sent separately to each BOE member – including my BOE member, Jim Redovian, who is up for re-election – I am asking that the recently approved BOE purchasing policy, descriptor code DJE, be followed exactly as written from this point forward.
This BOE and the current DCSS Palace Guard (central office administrators) have not earned the right to request any exceptions to policies put in place to protect our tax dollars, ensure accountability and benefit our students and teachers. Quite frankly, for this group, even allowing up to $50,000 per “vendor” in “spending without line-item approval” seems excessive. And foolhardy.
196 comments:
@ Anonymous 1:07 pm
What would you say to Ms. Spruill not paying the portion of property taxes that go to schools since she doesn't have children in the DeKalb System anymore. Or maybe you would rather all DeKalb citizens who don't children in the system not pay that portion of their property tax that goes to schools. The last time I looked taxpayers have a financial interest in the way the school system is run.
I'm retired and had one child in the school system over a decade ago yet I still pay almost $5,000 a year in property taxes. I'm interested in how my tax dollars are spent since the school system takes the lion's share of them.
Quite frankly, I don't think there is anything better for all the members of a community than a strong school system so I'm a real supporter of everyone paying. However, all taxpayers have an interest in seeing their tax dollars used wisely. And by the way all citizens vote for at least 2 BOE members - their district and their district a large representative.
Thank you Ms. Spruill. I agree with you that the DCSS administration and BOE have not been good stewards of our money. We should not turn a "blank check" over to them. It's telling that $50,000 is chump change to them.
Why in the blankety blankety blank is this school system spending more than $50,000 at Callaway Gardens?? WTF!!
https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=4054&AID=257864&MID=14122
CALLAWAY GARDENS
GA DOE Leadership
Why are we paying over $50,000 to two companies for "moving services"???
GRAEBEL ATLANTA
Moving Services
BEKINS A-1 MOVING
Moving Services:
Is all custodial work at Arabia Mountain High contracted out? if so, that's gtreat, but we better not be paying for custodians and a contractor!!
DEFENDER SERVICES INC
Arabia Mountain Green Clean
Hmmm...we have many schools with mold and mildew issues in the HVAC, but there's a companie being paid to clean vents???
INDUSTRIAL STEAM CLEANING OF
Vent Cleaning
And, oh my lord, why do we ay so much for consultants and other computer services when we have a 200 person plus MIS Dept.???
@ Anonymous 1:56
"
And, oh my lord, why do we ay so much for consultants and other computer services when we have a 200 person plus MIS Dept.??? "
The number is closer to 290 MIS employees per the State Salary and Travel audit.
There are two questions:
Why are there so many vendors making more than $50,000 year, especially when there is such a massively bloated number of administrators and non-teaching staff?
More importantly, why doesn't Marcus Turk, Ramona Tyson and Bob Moseley want to ask permission every time there is a purchase/contract of more than $50,000?
When your superintendent and COO are under indictment, when you were just facing a $100 million deficit, you better darn bring every item over $50,000 to the BOE and have them vote on it in public!!!!
You would think that the Central Office would be going above and beyond to prove to the public that every dollar is being spent judiciously. I cannot fathom their gall to try to have these items approved for with BOE approval in a public forum.
"Is NO ONE minding the pennies?"
Nope, no one from the BOE or Central Office gives a damn about how taxpayer dollars are spent. Crazy that have the cajones to try to do this with all of the scandals over the past two years.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT HOW THEY SPEND OUR MONEY, THEY JUST WANT TO SPEND IT WITHOUT ANY CHECKS & BALANCES, LET ALONE PUBLIC SCRUTINY!
I agree with you, Dan. They just don't get it.
Is there no process to vet these vendors? How does one get on the list in the first place? Especially to be 'pre-approved' for over $50k per year in fees. (Oh - I know - the lawyers! They can't make it a month without going beyond $50k! They want to just let the invoices roll --- )
Honorable Thelma W. Cummings Moore?????
She got her hundreds of thousands for the Jaheem investigation, and didn't even have it written down???
Why does she need to be on an approved vendor list any longer, especially when it's a list for $50,000 payments and over???
Nice job of just cutting and pasting Marcus Turk. My lord are you out of your league.
Sorry, but other than those who read this blog and some PTA officers, no one in this county gives a rat's arse on how the Board of Education and Central Office spends over a BILLION DOLLARS per year.
The apathy is not going to change. DeKalb residents complain about county taxes over and over again, yet don't realize that the school system's budget dwarf's the county goverment's.
That is actually true - and I think the board counts on that fact.
Please - spread the news - 70% of your property taxes go to the school system! Half the state's budget goes to education! A penny sales tax of every dollar you spend in DeKalb goes for school construction.
These add up to Big Buck$
I wonder what the stance of the newly hired Internal Auditor is on this new BOE policy? I thought he was supposed to be a check and balance on measures such as these.
@ Anonymous 1:56 pm
"Why in the blankety blankety blank is this school system spending more than $50,000 at Callaway Gardens?? WTF!!
https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=4054&AID=257864&MID=14122
CALLAWAY GARDENS
GA DOE Leadership"
This looks like a retreat for the high level DCSS administrators and the BOE members at Callaway Gardens.
The administration and the BOE think that DCSS is a large corporate entity and as the heads of this prosperous corporation, they need certain perks such as corporate retreats and a $30,000,000 building to house their offices. If no one had complained or the news media hadn't reported on it, they would be sitting in their $2,000 chairs.
Remember Eugene Walker, the BOE member who spent half of a BOE meeting talking about vendors being able to spend - what was it $100 - when he gets taken out to dinner. And this was in the middle of cutting teacher positions, increasing class sizes, and trying to balance a budget in the red.
Let's play a game! This game is called "Speculation." The object of this game is to identify the
wizard behind the curtain.
Who (is or are) the behind the scenes masterminds of this ongoing DCSS enterprise?
I'm sorry but I am having a hard time believing the current slate of employees or BOE members are sophisticated enough to have built such a fortress.
There is a head of the snake!
Time to play "Speculation."
Ok - here is the verbiage exactly of this motion. I don't understand -- they say it's in order to COMPLY with the new board policy...!?
Rationale
Board policy DJE requires the Board of Education to approve the expenditure of any vendor that provides goods and/or services to the school system that may exceed $50,000.00 in purchases for the fiscal year.
The following vendors may exceed the $50,000.00 thresholds for goods and/or services for the current fiscal year. Included in the attached listing are the names of vendors expected to exceed $50,000 and a description of goods and/or services provided by each vendor. The intent of the approval is to comply with the recently adopted Board policy, descriptor code DJE. All requirements of the policy will be followed in selecting vendors and obtaining approvals.
See Attached Spreadsheet.
Quick Summary / Abstract
Presented by: Mr. Marcus Turk, Chief Financial Officer
Summary
Board policy DJE requires the Board of Education to approve the expenditure of any vendor that provides goods and/or services to the school system that may exceed $50,000.00 in purchases for the fiscal year.
Financial Impact
Expenditures will be made from budgeted funds.
Contacts
Mr. Marcus Turk, Chief Financial Officer, 678. 676.0069
HOPEFULLY - this is just to approve a LIST of vendors who are allowed to go over $50,000 per year - but that expenses over that must still be approved by the board.
Cere - I hope so, too. I would feel better if this were confirmed by the BOE.
A question still remains as to Sandy's findings that there are vendors on the list that are not listed by the Secretary of State's office or listed as defunct.
I guess $50,000 is like a ten dollar expenditure to DCSS BOE.
Look what happened in the case of Simpson's book being purchased in smaller increments.
Here's another interesting item up for approval - it's the NCLB - AYP - now all called ESEA transfers - the ones who use MARTA - not the ones who get mileage reimbursement.
As of September 2010, we have 3,084 students taking advantage of ESEA Public School Choice. To date, 331 students are being provided transportation via the use of the Marta System. Students are provided Marta Cards to accommodate their transportation to and from school throughout the school year.
LOL - It must be Title 1 money.
Another good item - a large purchase from Dell -
Projected number of computers for 2010 – 2011.
9,000
(This includes completion of CIP workstations, CIP Teacher Technology Refresh, CIP Administration Refresh, and CIP completion of Student desktop replacement. New Schools, Renovations and various district and school projects)
hurrah!
Let's get more!! I see NO REASON why we can't provide little laptops for every student in DCSS - a bulk rate price could be $200 each.... Let the kids access their textbooks online! Let them keep all of their assignments and testing on their own personal laptop! Let them learn to function naturally in a very high tech world!
97,000 x $200 = $19,400,000 Whoopee!! A drop in the MIS bucket - and the annual 'refresh wouldn't be nearly as much! That's what I'd spend money on if I were in charge...
First of all, Sandy, no matter when the called meeting was held on Wednesday, there are very few people like you who would bother to attend. Even the parents at the best schools in DeKalb rely on just a few parents to be advocates, not just for their schools but for the entire system. You really have been gone for a while.
Second, this is an informational meeting/discussion called meeting. No votes will be taken.
Finally, DCPC sounds terribly dull this month. It is a speaker from Edukalb. DCPC is not the same organization it was in your day. It is not unusual to have fewer than 40 parents in attendance and even for the superintendent last month, there were no more than a 100 or so. For a variety of reasons, it has become just another meeting and many don't make it a priority. Not to mention that far more women are in the work force than even a decade ago.
Here's something else of interest on the list of the Golden 335:
DCSS is suggesting that they may spend more than $50,000 this year on a 2-year lease of digital media instructional materials from Discovery Education.
Why?
Our tax dollars already pay to bring Discovery Education and the Discovery Educator Network http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/georgia/ to every public school and public school educator in Georgia. Access is online through Georgia Public Broadcasting http://www.gpb.org/education.
Further, Verizon's excellent Thinkfinity Program https://www.georgiastandards.org/Resources/Pages/Tools/Thinkfinity.aspx is available to all without charge through a partnership with the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Standards.org. No tax dollars involved here; just an excellent, high-quality resource for parents and teachers.
With money so tight and our students and teachers suffering, why is DCSS paying extra for something that is already provided?
Ummm ... Ramona Tyson, DCSS IT, Marcus Turk and DCSS BOE -- do you have any explanation for this?
Good catch.... I'm concerned about this enormous blanket list. I would think there should be some kind of application/review process for these vendors to be approved individually for over $50,000 in business with DCSS...
On a positive note - we have this -
Title II-D Enhancing Education Through Technology; Engaging AP Students Through Mobile Handheld Computing
Rationale
GaDOE awarded competitive Title II-D grants to select high schools in eligible school districts for the purpose of providing Local Education Agencies (LEAs) regular use of digital handheld mobile computing devices by AP students and teachers and to provide job-embedded face-to-face and on-line professional learning for select AP teachers and school principals. DCSS received grants for 5 high schools; Columbia, Dunwoody, McNair, Miller Grove, and Southwest DeKalb. GaDOE requires that awarded funds be used as follows: (1) to purchase specific hardware and peripherals (p.4-5 and 12-13 of the GaDOE grant Application and Guidance documentation), (2) schedule professional learning through the local Educational Technology Center (ETC) and (3) work with a GaDOE designated outside evaluator to conduct required grant evaluation.
Quick Summary / Abstract
Presented by: Mr. Tony Hunter, Executive Director, Management Information Systems
Details
Management Information Systems is responsible for the comprehensive grants management for this Title II-D grant.
Financial Impact
$226,030 ($45,206 per school) for hardware and peripherals from select bid and state contract vendors)
For the vendor list, it looks like they included every vendor they have paid that much to in the last few years. That would explain why the Judge from the bullying case is on there. It looks to be a catch all to avoid having to get board approval to even allow someone/some business to bid on a project over 50K.
It does also say the following:
All requirements of the policy will be followed in selecting vendors and obtaining approvals
McNair Learning Academy, which is only in its third year, is a Discovery model school. Not the Discovery as in gifted, but a different Discovery. I suspect that the expense is related to the start up of this school.
I am surprised that only 10 percent of students using NCLB transfers are taking MARTA. I would have thought the number would have been much higher.
"HOPEFULLY - this is just to
approve a LIST of vendors who are allowed to go over $50,000 per year - but that expenses over that must still be approved by the board."
If so, it sems like Marcus didn't take a second look at the list. There is NO REASON why Judge Moore should be left on the vendor list.
I am not sure he took a first look at the list, to me it looks like a list from the last year or more of every vendor that has been paid more than 50K. A catch-all of sorts.
The new policy means that if something comes up and a new vendor comes around and they want to bid on a RFP, they will have to be approved by the board to actually even bid, I think.
The most fun part of Monday's meeting might be when the board discusses this:
Amendment to the Bylaws & Policies: INITIAL REQUEST – Board Member Conflict of Interest Policy, Descriptor Code BHA
Since this is just to put it on the table, she might just behave, but I bet that Roberts is flipping out again.
No Board member shall use, or knowingly allow to be used, his or her official position or any information not generally available to the members of the public which he or she receives or acquires in the course of and by reason of his or her official positioncapacity as a Board member for the purpose of securing financial gain for himself or herself, any member of his or her immediate family, or any business organization with which he or she is associated
If you want to read the whole policy, go to the meeting agenda and click on item 10 under G.
Then open the word document and see it for yourself.
This could be great.
That could effect Jay's pizza business...
Why on earth are they renaming Shamrock MS?!! This is not necessary whatsoever... Shamrock is a fine name for a school!
Requested Action
It is recommended that the Board of Education ratify committee members to serve on the school renaming committee to select a new name for Shamrock Middle School. As prescribed in the DeKalb Board of Education Bylaws and Policies concerning School Naming/Renaming, descriptor code FDC, the primary board member for the school will serve as chair of the committee. Mr. Don McChesney, Board Member, District 2 will serve as Chair. Other committee members include Ms. Chelsea Pope, Student Government President at Shamrock Middle School, Ms. Kayla Sharpe, Student Government President at Druid Hills High School, Ms. Amy Power, Fernbank Elementary parent; Ms. Brenda Messick, Laurel Ridge Elementary parent; Mr. Eric Tidd, Medlock Elementary parent; Ms. Dena Hughes, Briar Vista Elementary parent; Ms. Kaisha Stockard, McLendon Elementary parent; Mr. Eddy Rhinehart, Sagamore Hills Elementary parent; Ms. Cheryl Griffin, Druid Hills High School parent; and from Shamrock Middle School: Mr. Mike Mountcastle, 6th grade parent, Ms. Dorothy Marshall, 7th grade parent, Dr. Kimberly Clark, 8th grade parent, Ms. Cobi Shafe, graduate of Shamrock High School and a teacher at Shamrock, and Ms. Lisa Gordon, parent. Dr. Eugene Walker, Board Member, District 9; Mr. Terry Segovis, Area Assistant Superintendent; and Mr. Robert Thorpe, Shamrock Principal will also serve as ex officio, non-voting participants.
The community must not think so. I am sure that no one internally had this on their radar screen.
Perhaps someone from the area could enlighten us.
That is a huge committee -- good luck with this!
Perhaps the community thinks it is necessary to as to differentiate the school from the Shamrock High School that used to exist.
Please don't tell the community that it is not necessary.
· 22 – including at least 2 churches -- are Title I tutors. How are these tutors working out for DCSS? To quote the title of a book written by Bob Hope, former PR person for the Atlanta Braves, “We could have finished last without you.”
These are approved by the state I believe to provide the tutoring services as required by ESEA/NCLB.
Parents are informed of the services, very few use them.
Welcome to DeKalb.
Well, I guess we need to find out WHO wants to rename Shamrock. I highly doubt that it's the community. This community is all about Shamrocks! Sounds like someone wants to name a school after someone...
Sounds like someone wants to name a school after someone...
You would be WRONG....
There is a proposal to evaluate a name change for Shamrock
Middle School (SMS) to change it to Druid Hills MS (DHMS)
to acknowledge that in 2004-5 SMS became a single feeder
to Druid Hills High School (DHHS) which significantly
strengthened the relationship between the two schools in
academics and athletics;
http://schools.dekalb.k12.ga.us/shamrock/files/2B3DFCEF7A874D8E89C7850074281BFF.pdf
@ Cere 5:44pm
What ever happened to this investigation?
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/table-appears-set-for-558491.html
Count me wrong then. Whatever... hopefully - this will effect academics somehow - since Shamrock has not made AYP anytime recently.
So - will this go along with redistricting - as in - the plan to not send anyone from Sagamore to Druid Hills anymore - and instead to Lakeside?
@ Anonymous 3:57
"97,000 x $200 = $19,400,000 Whoopee!! A drop in the MIS bucket - and the annual 'refresh wouldn't be nearly as much! That's what I'd spend money on if I were in charge... "
Me too. But consider that DCSS MIS is a Microsoft shop and Microsoft Office license is what? - at least $100 per computer.
You will NEVER get MIS to go for any computer that does not have Microsoft Office on it - ask the Montgomery parents about their plans to have "Open Office" software for no charge.
Also, MIS does not do the installation and maintenance of the desktop or laptop computers (they only handle the network and minor problems).
In other words the SPLOST III dollars that pay for the hardware also pay for the installation and maintenance to be done by Dell.
Look at the Dell contracted costs (per 10/1/07):
"It is recommended that the Board of Education award RFP 8-10 Workstations, Laptops, & Services to Dell Computers as the lowest responsible, responsive bid. Unit costs are as follows:
Basic workstation: $734.96
Laptop:
$891.25
RFP 8-10 is a five-year award with a required annual renewal by the Board of Education. Services which are included in the price include warehousing, imaging, delivery, installation, configuration, and on-site warranty. The vendor will also provide the lockdown device and the disposal of packaging materials from school property as a part of the price. Schools and departments will be able to purchase from the bid using local, federal, and grant funds."
The reason laptops for DCSS are almost $900 is that the imaging, installation and maintenance are built in for Dell to do. MIS is very busy maintaining the DCSS network.
Sad thing is -- this is happening now in Africa - but not here where the dang computer was invented!
http://www.pcworld.com/article/129201/africas_inexpensive_laptops.html
African countries are bracing themselves for this month's rollout of US$150, Linux-based laptops for school children under the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative.
The OLPC is the brainchild of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, for example, said last week that the government intends to provide the laptops to primary schools.
The Rwandan government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research will collaborate with the OLPC in rolling out the machines in schools.
"Rwanda wants to transform into a knowledge-based economy hence the need to provide schools throughout the country with computers," Kagame said in a statement.
Libya, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia, among other countries, are also expected to receive the machines this month.
Libya has agreed to work with the OLPC project to deploy the laptops for every school-age child in the country.
Or how about these adorable things making their way all around the globe -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child
BTW - Anon up there -- I have no idea what became of "pizzagate" - but alas - it's one more example of how we spin our wheels and focus on everything but educating children... this school system is just one big laundry list of distractions... sigh!
A few years ago, I visited a very small school system in GA that had won national recognition for the fact that every middle school student was given a lap top.
It sounded great on paper. It was a disaster in implementing. Constant problems with the computers and students and their parents making fatal mistakes (ie dropping them or getting viruses) had rendered the program wholly ineffective within two years or so.
It sounds great on paper, but people generally take better care of things when they have some skin in the game.
On a similar vain, last year I discovered that there were students at our high school doing credit recovery that didn't have computers at home. I rounded up computers for them all, only to discover that their parent had such poor credit and no money that they couldn't get internet access.
I am not sure what the solution to the digital divide is, but I am not sure handing all students hundreds of dollars worth of equipment for free is the answer.
Actually, I thought that the whole pizza thing blew over because the parents at the schools indicated that Cunningham's restaurant was their preferred source.
What does a Board of Education meeting have to do with a Parent's Council meeting. How would the board know there was a DCPC meeting? One has nothing to do with the other.
EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO TRUST AND THEY COULD HAVE CHOSEN A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE MEETING, WHEN PEOPLE THEY WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT COULD AT LEAST BE IN THE AUDIENCE. A COINCIDENCE? THEY ARE HOPING AND PRAYING FOR PARENTS LIKE YOU, WHO BTW WILL GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY DESERVE FROM THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM ... A LITTLE BIT OF NOTHING.
Please, stop, Sandy.
You are making it more difficult for the CCHS voices to be heard with your nonsense. WHEN HAVE THE CCHS VOICES SPOKEN? AND WHAT HAVE YOU SPOKEN ABOUT?
You don't even have children in the school anymore, WHEN DID THIS START TO MATTER? ... YOU SHOULD BE THANKING HER FOR SPENDING HER TIME RESEARCHING AND BRINGING POSSIBILITIES TO PEOPLE'S ATTN AND HOPEFULLY MAKING THE BOE ET AL THINK A MINUTE IF THEY ARE PLANNING TO TRY AND BLINDSIDE US, AS THEY HAVE MOST CERTAINLY DONE IN THE PAST.
but have no problem trashing Ms. Lowrey on this blog. In the name of all CCHS parents, please we can advocate for ourselves. IT'S SPELLED LOWERY, AND WHEN DID YOU BECOME THE SPOKESPERSON FOR ALL CCHS PARENTS? PLEASE STOP BEING THE SPOKESPERSON FOR ME.
YOU ARE MOST UNAPPRECIATIVE.
CERE AND OTHERS, PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS ONE. IS SANDY'S WORK NOT WANTED? WE HAVE SOMEONE WORKING FOR TRANSPARENCY. WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYONE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? YES, WHY? UNLESS YOU ARE ONE OF "THEM" ... AH HA, I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
@ Anonymous 7:29
"I am not sure what the solution to the digital divide is, but I am not sure handing all students hundreds of dollars worth of equipment for free is the answer. "
Students in DCSS would greatly benefit from access to technology. Your are correct in that many of our students have little access to computers. The digital divide could be bridged in part if students had access at school.
We spend tens of millions for technology in DCSS (far more than many other metro systems), and yet our students still have so little access and often the software and hardware doesn't work correctly.
This is a problem that needs to be addressed by the DCSS administration and the BOE. However, they are basically computer illiterate so that's not likely to happen.
Ask if any of the 60 Central Office coordinators or 90 Instructional and Literacy Coaches ($15,000,000 a year) know how to use the ActivBoards that we paid millions for. They don't, and that's one reason they're not used and the ROI is so low on this equipment.
DCSS is still asking students to "bubble in" with pencil and paper to take the State's 8th Grade Technology Proficiency Test - how embarrassing for our county when we have spent and continue to spend so much for a slick fiber optics network with little equipment to hang off of it.
So many tens of millions utterly wasted in technology in DCSS.
"My comment has to do with Ms. Spruill constantly inserting herself into the goings-on a CCHS and sullying the name of its principal."
... well, then perhaps you should have said just that and only that.
Blanket approval to Cobb Electric Membership Corp in excess of $50K???? Isn't this the electric company that services Cobb County? They've been in the news a bunch themselves answering to lawsuits for alleged crooked dealings at the board and CEO level.
http://takebackcobbemc.com/background.html
MIS updated teacher workstations at THS with new updated Microsoft Windows and teacher's were losing their F drives. It's been 3 weeks and they are still having problems. They rolled it out at 2 other schools and the same thing is happening. Why DON"T THEY STOP, FIND and FIX before doing anymore. There is one CTSS in the school and can't keep up.
Not only that there is one room where 4 student computers have had constant problems since the first day of school, under warranty by Dell but we can't get 3 of them to work!
Let's get things fixed before we do anymore damage. You are making teachers nuts because they are losing info!!!
As usual in DCSS, rush to implement without proper training, manpower and due diligence!!!
Ms. Spruill did not make disparaging remarks about anyone associated with CCHS in her article. In fact she gave taxpayers/parents some very useful information.
says October 3, 2010 1:57 PM
-------------------------
Thank you, Ms. Spruill, for your hard work on our behalf. The MAJORITY of us really really appreciate you digging for information.
And thank you, Cere. The popularity of this blog giving us the ability to speak our minds, without fear of retribution, is a much appreciated venue for many many many people who have been slandered by this system in one way or another and thrown under the bus without even a second thought.
Thanks to everyone out there fighting for transparency and fighting for a better school system, especially those of you without children in the system ... that shows a true and sincere dedication to the community.
If the comments here cause MOST us to pause and think and hold BOE and others in positions of authority accountable, then the comments therein are more than justified.
Nice job of just cutting and pasting Marcus Turk. My lord are you out of your league....
my oh my, what ugly things to say. shame on all of us, right 1:38 and 1:07? Then, on the other hand, if the shoe fits ...
I've looked at the BOE entry and the document and I am confused. Has anyone determined whether this is a list of current vendors with pending contracts in excess of $50,000 or just a CYA list of past vendors?
No matter which I am appalled if this BOE and administation plan to spend more than $50,000 on a SINGLE management retreat. I am in management in government and we have not had an out of town retreat for years. Yes, we find it helpful to have meetings away from the office where we will not be disturbed. But we use the Carter Center, Emory U, the Koger Center and other free or nearly free locations for this.
@ Anonymous 8:39
"MIS updated teacher workstations at THS with new updated Microsoft Windows and teacher's were losing their F drives. It's been 3 weeks and they are still having problems. They rolled it out at 2 other schools and the same thing is happening. Why DON"T THEY STOP, FIND and FIX before doing anymore. There is one CTSS in the school and can't keep up."
DCSS MIS needs an overhaul. We spend tens of millions a year for such poor service.
Gwinnett Schools spends around $22,000,000 in salaries and benefits for their MIS department including having a dedicated Instructional Technology Specialist (certified teacher who handles instructional technology) and a Technical employee in every school. They have much more technology access for students (and it generally works).
DCSS pays around $19,000,000 in personnel cost for our DCSS MIS group - and please bear in mind that we do not have Instructional Technology Specialists in our schools and currently do not even have a CTSS in every school.
Gwinnett pays $22,500,000 versus our $19,000,000 - but please remember that we have 97,000 students while Gwinnett has 150,000 students.
Why is DCSS technology customer service and technology access for students so poor?
(Source: State Salary and Travel audit - http://www.open.georgia.gov/)
AND WHAT ABOUT OUR MOLDY SCHOOLS? OUR TERIBLE TECHNOLOGY? AND OUR BOARD TSA, RAISES, AND STEP INCREASES, WHICH WE HAVEN'T SEEN FOR 4 YEARS NOW? What is DCSS thinking, about where to put its money?
""MIS updated teacher workstations at THS with new updated Microsoft Windows and teacher's were losing their F drives. It's been 3 weeks and they are still having problems. They rolled it out at 2 other schools and the same thing is happening. Why DON"T THEY STOP, FIND and FIX before doing anymore. There is one CTSS in the school and can't keep up."'
That's the way DCSS MIS operates. Push the software out over the network. Assume it will work, and if the end users complain then work on fixing it. No extensive testing of the software or assumption that teachers are actually depending on the software working. Absolutely no accountability. When Ms. Tyson was head of MIS (up until a year ago), she always hyped how many trouble calls MIS cleared and how efficient they were. Very sad.
MIS is a huge problem in DCSS.
1. They purchased the eSis and SchoolNet system for $11,000,000 in 2007, and it has not been able to provide the critical data that would enable teachers to know where their students stand in terms of mastering objectives.
2. They spend tens of millions a year in software and hardware that experiences constant problems for the end user (teachers and students).
3. They cost $19,000,000 a year in personnel salary and benefits for 290 employees.
4. They do not involve students, parents and teachers in technology decisions that affect the academic progress of the classroom members.
DCSS will never come into the 21st Century until this department is rightsized and reorganized.
Cerebration @ 6:52
"Count me wrong then. Whatever... hopefully - this will effect academics somehow - since Shamrock has not made AYP anytime recently."
This is the point - the perception of Shamrock is not good but the reality is quite different. Shamrock actually made AYP this year after summer retesting and it has only actually failed AYP once. The community is tired of hearing all the negativity associated with the first decade of Shamrock's middle school status. The PTSA and administration have worked very hard to broadcast the great things happening at the school and hope that the name change will dispel some of that baggage. This has nothing to do with redistricting.
I don't understand why changing the name to Druid Hills Middle School would make any kind of difference to anyone. Could someone involved in this campaign to change the name please elaborate on how it will improve student achievement? The stated purpose of aligning with the feeder high school would mean that Henderson should become Lakeside Middle and that every middle school should take on the moniker of its affiliated high school. If the problem is perception, then spend the energy on getting the word out about accomplishments, not on a superficial name change. Everybody will still think of it as "Druid Middle, that used to be called Shamrock" with intact, though perhaps undeserved, bad baggage. Just because DCSS decided to call itself "Premiere" a few years ago, nothing changed. Nobody suddenly thought DCSS was premier or the greatest just because of the label.
Bulleted comments --
• If Shamrock made AYP, you'd better ask the state to correct it at the GaDOE website. Best wishes in your name change for Shamrock - if that's what the community really wants who am I to think that this committee's time could be better spent? Let us know how it goes and if the name change serves to meet your intended goals...
• The interesting thing about the called meeting being scheduled at the same time as the DCPC meeting is that these called meetings are not randomly scheduled - they sent out requests for availability. Neither Redovian nor Speaks found it an issue to miss a community meeting - in fact, I've noticed that ALL of the board members are laying quite low these days. I do believe that is their campaign tactic - just stay out of the light and hope that the masses of uninformed voters will click the box with the "I" next to it. Not to mention, they are a bit afraid to have to answer to the public - as well as - gee, my most involved constituents will be busy 'over there'...
• And really, we can't give kids laptops because the software is too expensive - or the repairs too cumbersome - or the kids will lose or damage them? How on earth are they getting this done in Africa and Peru and third world countries?
Impact on the PC industry
Although OLPC was unable to lower costs to reach their initial target price of $100, their mere presence in the industry has exerted competitive force[citation needed] on other manufacturers of consumer notebooks (such as Acer and Hewlett-Packard) to launch their own lower-cost devices that could be used both in developing countries and in the United States.
In addition, software companies like Microsoft contributed to lowering costs by offering Windows, Office, and other educational programs at $3 each when used in schools. This substantial discount led to OLPC allowing Windows on the XO.[25]
Both Intel and Microsoft activley worked against the OLPC.[26]
FWIW - these are the rest of Shamrock's AYP ratings from the state website. If it's wrong, I suggest you ask them to fix it. (Personally, my child attended Shamrock for 3 years back in 2002-04 and it was great! They had some wonderful teachers there and it was a really good experience.
2004 - YES
2005 - YES
2006 - YES
2007 - NO
2008 - YES
2009 - NO
2010 - NO
The state has not yet released its updated AYP status.
There is a deadline that is rapidly approaching if we are going to accept the federal no interest stimulus monies. I think it is October 15th. Redovian is more interested in accepting these monies than many of the other board members. The board voted to not accept the first round sometime last year.
There is a risk with these. If SPLOST IV fails, the monies will have to be repaid beginning in three years with operating funds.
It really bothers me that they may be making decisions on how to spend any capital monies without the benefit of a master plan.
Here's an example of what happens during those tribunals. This community is heartbroken and on top of that they are not allowed to know the reasoning behind this decision.
Controversial Dunwoody School Principal Jonathan Clark terminated a beloved orchestra teacher last week. Dr. Yamplosky was pushed out the door after creating a highly successful orchestra program last year at the newly opened Dunwoody Elementary School. Parents contributed thousands of dollars as an investment in the program in Dr. Yamplosky himself. No explanation was given for the termination. Parents are outraged as they continue to pay the costs of rental instruments without their talented, charismatic teacher. Parents want Dr. Yamplosky re-hired immediately and urge Principal Clark and his superiors to reconsider their decision. Dr. Yamplosky brought music instruction to a new level at DES and infused his students with a love of the stringed instruments. His passion and enthusiams for the students and the music program cannot be replicated! Will the County refund the money to the parents?
Anon @ 10:02
"I don't understand why changing the name to Druid Hills Middle School would make any kind of difference to anyone. Could someone involved in this campaign to change the name please elaborate on how it will improve student achievement?"
As a parent involved in the campaign I can tell you the hope is to improve parental engagement at the middle school. Parents are very involved at the elementary school level but tend to check out during middle school and only re-engage during high school. The hope is to increase parental involvement earlier (since these children are together for 7 years, not just 3) and to see the school community in the broader sense, not just limited to the elementary level. The reason this is on the agenda is that the entire board must vote on it but it is a very localized issue.
10:47 DCSS does not want excellent teachers who shine. They want teachers who tote the line. DCSS administrators at every level are afraid that these teachers will make the dead wood throughout the system look bad or bring light to those that aren't working and doing a decent job.
I worry about this list. OK, this is a list a vendors who may break the $50,000 barrier.
a) Are they saying these vendors "may" break the barrier, basically misusing the proper word "might"?
b) Or are they saying that these *may* break the barrier, properly using the word, as in they will be allowed to break the barrier without an additional vote?
It worries me that I have seen a few occasions, including the vote to approve the new policies, where the board voted to waive to policies that were intended to constrain them (like the policy on adopting new policies - must go a several meeting cycle).
Either way, may or might, no way. A $50,000 budget item shouldn't be one line item. It should have all the items included - materials, labor costs, shipping, installation fees, etc.
I wish that parents campaigning to change the names of schools, would put their energy into campaigning for a better education for the children of DCSS. Changing the name of the school will cost tax payer dollars to change signs and logos and will not result in a better education.
The only way that the quality of education is going to improve is by getting better administrators, and firing people at all levels in the district who are not doing their job. The district also needs to be right sized as far as jobs and employment go, as DCSS is now a job facility and instead of an education facility.
I am sure those behind our failing schools are laughing at the energy being spent on changing the names of schools, while the quality of education our children receive gets lower and lower.
For those of you questioning the name change for Shamrock, please mind your own business.
What does having children in the school have to do with anything? Surprise, the real "customers" of the school system are the people paying the bill - not the people receiving the service. The people paying the bill includes ALL taxpayers, not just in the county, but in the state also.
Anon 11:48
When you are replacing your roof at home, you get an estimate that is itemized, labor, shingles, staples, etc. But it is one bill.
The same is true for the system. If they are repaving a driveway, there aren't separate bills for labor and tar.
If I had to make a guess, I would say that this is about the attorneys. They need carte blanche for their billing and they are the ones scrutinizing the policy changes at the moment. I doubt if any other contractors on this list have an issue with additional paperwork to go beyond $50,000 in annual billing.
And yes, If Shamrock parents want to rename their school that's not our issue -- I hope it makes the "branding" change you desire...
It has nothing to do with "branding" with its ties to Druid Hills HS. Do you know your beloved high school Lakeside really did not make AYP either? They had to "appeal" in order to be granted AYP status, so think before you go throwing stones at Shamrock. I think you're just bitter because you got called out on your ill-informed comment that someone wanted to have the school named after someone.
A big reason parents check out at Shamrock is because they are made to feel unwelcome by Mr Thorpe and the rest of the administration. This is not true at Fernbank or DHHS. A real discussion of why parents feel unwelcome and an effort to change that would do more than a name change.
Bitter - yeah, right.
Anyway - I will say that when my child was at Shamrock we had huge parent involvement -- huge! Don't know what has happened...
In fact - the beautiful mural surrounding the cafeteria was painted back then - by parents. Please don't tell me you plan to paint over those walls...
Anon says - "Do you know your beloved high school Lakeside really did not make AYP either?"
Yes, we do know that Lakeside didn't make AYP. According to the principal changes to the formula to make it appear they did make it didn't come from him. So, who authorized it? Who at the county offices said Lakeside has now made AYP? We all know why they did it though, so it would be a receiving school for AYP transfers. I would have rather they didn't make AYP. Then maybe a trailer or two or three could go away with the 100 students that wouldn't have been allowed to transfer.
Maybe Shamrock is hoping by changing their name the county will give them a cool electronic marque when they replace the sign. You can put perfume on a pig but it's still a pig. Changing the name will not suddenly make parents want to get involved at the school. I agree w/ the poster people will say "D.H. Middle, you know Shamrock". It's a waste of taxpayer dollars. Does Henderson Middle plan to follow suit?
I got an interesting perspective on the possible name change for Shamrock MS from a buddy who attended the school as an eight grader when it opened. When I mentioned this to him, his only concern was that some of the history of the school where he graduated could be lost. He shared with me some history from the early years that I found quite interesting.
According to him, parents in that area voted and initially wanted the school to be named North DeKalb. This was partially due to its proximity to North DeKalb Mall, thinking it would be a reference point. The mascot would have been the Mauraders. His recollection is that the first principal decided the school should be named Shamrock, after the shopping center in that area. The first mascot was the Saints. Parents were not happy with either of these choices. The name was changed to Dragons after the first season, partially due to the ‘teasing’ that came with the Saints mascot.
Because the Shamrock building was not completed at the beginning of the school year, students attended Clarkston HS for the first quarter. The school only had 8th, 9th, and 10th grades so there were not many students. They occupied the basement at Clarkston. Students for Shamrock were picked up by bus before those at Clarkston, some as early as 6:30.
Like several schools that were built in the late 60’s, they underestimated the space needed. A new wing was added the next year. The school did not have a gymnasium for several years. The basketball teams first practiced in a church on Lawrenceville Hwy then later in later years at Clarkston in the evening. He recalled going home to do homework then coming back out later for basketball practice. Games were played at Clarkston.
He has fond memories of attending Shamrock HS and definitely understands the reasons behind the possible name change. Hopefully there will be an effort to recover as much historical information about Shamrock as possible so that those that attended over the years have a reference point.. Briarcliff has a couple of nice web sites, on Wikipedia and on BlogSpot, which ensures its memories continue to live on in cyberspace.
New Shamrock HS name:
The Derek Zoolander Center For Children Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too
Can we stop putting down each others' schools? When we blog, let's do it for the sake of the students in DCSS.
My apologies...the Derek Zoolander
reference was meant in jest.
I understand how it could have been misinterpreted. The comment was made "tongue in cheek".
The original purpose of the comment was changing a name of school seems such a non-issue with respect to the other issues all of our schools are facing.
Again, my apologies to the Shamrock
community, students and teachers.
I think this blog is at its best when it stays focused on the big picture not when it degenerates into minutiae.
I live by Shamrock Middle. We are not in North DeKalb. The Shamrock name is fine with the surrounding area. There is such a place as Central DeKalb! ;)
REGARDING MIS
Tyson and Hunter should be fired. The waste of money these two have been responsible for should be cause enough!
Hunter sold the huge Fiber Optic Network that DCSS bought, then Hunter gets hired and then is promoted to run MIS, while Tyson is interim Super? Talk about ethics?
How about the personnel who knows nothing about fixing equipment and then gets a promotion and then takes 6 months to report to his new job! Please, enough of the madness. Tyson, Turk, Moseley, Hunter, Beasley, Thomson and the rest need to resign. Talk about transparency! Torches and pitchforks tonight at the Palace!
Blanket approval to Cobb Electric Membership Corp in excess of $50K???? Isn't this the electric company that services Cobb County? They've been in the news a bunch themselves answering to lawsuits for alleged crooked dealings at the board and CEO level.
DeKalb County Schools pay electric bills to more than one provider. Snapping Shoals is another provider.
We have brilliant IT professionals in this county who know how education and technology should work together.
Ernest Brown. A number of IT professionals from Emory, the CDC and GA Tech live right here. Small business owners of tech and software companies. Actual computer science and business technology professors.
DCSS MIS really, really needs a citizen advisory board. Not only is it an incredibly underperforming department, it's an incredibly expensive one too.
Most importantly - what will the Indigo Girls think? They are both former Shamrock students! Did anyone run this by them?
;-)
I also live directly in the neighborhood of Shamrock. I do not understand why people in the district, parents, BOE members, and anyone else on this committee is spending valuable time on changing schools names. Name changes will only cost the tax payers money, for new signs and such.
Wake up people, changing a name isn't going to get a parent involved. We have such big problems in DCSS, and to see resources of time and energy wasted on something like this is frustrating. We have real issues in the quality of education and services that the schools provide and receive and this is what the board of ed is spending time and energy on.
And we wonder why more and more of our schools are not making AYP.
The Indigo Girls are DCSS alumni, and still live in the area.
Would be great to work with them on some sort of fundraiser for DCSS music programs, or to just get them to do a workshop at the School of the Arts.
There are so many untapped resources in this county. But it's tough to even imagine all the possibilities when the school system and the county still do play nice together. Boy oh boy did the BOE freak out when the county tax commissioner started seperating the county and BOE info. on property tax bills. Residents saw for the first time how much of their proerty taxes go to the BOE and DCSS Central Office.
FWIW - there is a conference coming up for parents - designed to encourage parental involvement. Feel free to promote this event --
Parental Involvement Conference!!
Each year DeKalb County School System and the Office of School Improvement offer its Fall Title I Parent Involvement Conference to encourage parents to be involved in the education of their elementary, middle, and high school children.
Light refreshments will be available prior to the official opening of the conference.
Parents will have an opportunity to hear from keynote speaker Mr. Joseph B. Washington, author of "Breaking the Spirit of Average." Mr. Washington is a dynamic motivator with the gift of empowering people addressing life's daily challenges. Mr. Washington will also present two workshops on parenting. In addition, a variety of other workshops will be offered to assist parents with the educational career of their children.
This year's theme is "Blazing New Trails...Together We Will Make a Difference." The meeting will be held on October 16, 2010 at Stone Mountain Middle School, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
What worries me is that CCHS parents are fearful of a retribution vote (vote against any new school for CCHS) by Jim Redovian, if he is voted out on November 2nd.
When is the vote going to be regarding the SPLOST 3 funds and how the money should be spent? The incumbents should be voted out, however the fear of the masses is what really concerns me. Plus, what happens if these 5 Reps are voted back in and then Jim tells parents at CCHS, well I tried but there are not enough votes to get the new school built, sorry! What happens then?
Pitchforks and torches tonight at the Palace! Make sure your BOE rep understands how you feel about this sneaking around, behind the backs of the citizens, and these last minute meetings that are called and then finding out what the discussions will be! ENOUGH! Don't these DCSS leaders get it yet?
Tell me again why CCHS should get all of the money for a new building?
There are about 12 schools that need new roofs and another 10 or so that need HVAC upgrades.
Why should all the available construction money be spent to build a brand new school for a community that does not even send their children to?
The CCHS community, quite frankly, has little ammunition with which to lay claim to that money.
Regarding the $50k for a retreat (retreats?) at Callaway - Gee - how about a retreat at Evergreen at Stone Mt Park? Then - at least the business (and sales tax!) stays in DeKalb! Plus - much less mileage...
There are also two middle schools, Shamrock and Henderson which have had virtually no work done to them since they were converted to middle schools. Henderson has been painted but it was by the parents!
Henderson has more students based on the data from the planning website.
There is no disputing that the Chamblee building is in horrid shape but so are other schools.
Redovian is far more honorable than you give him credit for. He did vote against closing Nancy Creek and worked very hard to save the Montessori program at Huntley Hills.
He has said that he believes a new school should be built for Chamblee. What else would you have him do?
I guess we should have the EPA come in and close Chamblee High and tell the students in that zone they will have to be home schooled.
You know, they could zone the kids into Dunwoody High or Cross Keys, which are the closest schools or maybe even do what I had to do in Florida, when my High School burned in a fire.
They had a double session at another school. The students of the existing school went from 7am until 1:30pm. Then our school, teachers and students, came in in at 2:30pm and went to school until 8:30pm. One elective class was not given to either school so the day could be shortened by an hour. This only happened for one year, thank God.
The funniest was on Fridays when our football team played in front of empty stands, since school was still in session, until Halftime. Then the stands would fill up.
The CCHS parents know there are buildings all over the county that should be condemned. However, how do you justify all the promises given to CCHS through the 3 SPLOSTS? How do you justify building Arabia Mtn, which doesn't even have an attendance zone? How do you justify all the upgrades to SW DeKalb, Dunwoody High, Miller Grove and MLK? All these other schools get upgraded, yet they keep telling CCHS parents to give it until SPLOST 4 is passed.
Do you honestly think SPLOST 4 will get passed, after all the corruption and waste that is going on with our current DCSS leadership? These folks that run DCSS are the worst examples of good stewards of our tax dollars. They should all be shown the door!
Cere @ 7:35
"Anyway - I will say that when my child was at Shamrock we had huge parent involvement -- huge! Don't know what has happened..."
5 years ago the 6th grade was inundated with AYP transfers (over 120) and naturally the school and county were completely unprepared. This caused the involved district parents to start leaving in droves and many chose not to send younger siblings to Shamrock. This completely changed Shamrock's reputation at the elementary school level. Four years ago Shamrock PTA couldn't even fill the board positions.
pscexb @ 10:16
"I got an interesting perspective on the possible name change for Shamrock MS from a buddy who attended the school as an eight grader when it opened. When I mentioned this to him, his only concern was that some of the history of the school where he graduated could be lost. He shared with me some history from the early years that I found quite interesting."
Right now there is a a closet filled with old pictures and trophies - this is what the memories of the high school days have been reduced to. The PTA is going to fund a display area to keep the memorabilia in conjunction with the planned "face lift" (see my comment below) so that there will actually be some evidence that the building once housed a high school.
Anon @ 1:56
"I also live directly in the neighborhood of Shamrock. I do not understand why people in the district, parents, BOE members, and anyone else on this committee is spending valuable time on changing schools names. Name changes will only cost the tax payers money, for new signs and such."
The reason this has come up at this time is that the building it due for maintenance - painting, ADA upgrades, etc. and so if this the name is changed at this time it costs the taxpayers nothing.
Redovian is not the problem, it's how the rest of the BOE reacted when Redovian suggested his plan a month ago. By the way, Redovian did not save Huntley Hills, parents did when one, who was a CPA, showed the numbers in Clew's budget did not add up. When they exposed that closing the Montesorri did NOT save a million, like CLew insisted, the parents forced the hand of the BOE to keep the school opened.
That's how I understood what happened. If you know something different, please tell.. But that is water under the bridge!
I still want to know how this thread, about the BOE scheduling a meeting for Wednesday morning to discuss how to spend the recently found SPLOST 3 funds and the bonds as well as giving certain vendors a right to not have to explain expenditures over $50K on a case by case basis, gets hijacked by a Shamrock renaming committee?
The fact the called meeting is during the DCPC meeting, ironically at CCHS, should be another wake up call.
You realize that if it were not for the Magnet program and NCLB transfers CCHS would have closed A LONG time ago. If the Chamblee community would have shown any ounce of interest in their high school, maybe something miraculous would happen. There are 700, count them 700 Chamblee residents at the high school.
The BOE has no business ignoring the needs of other schools and building a brand new school for a community that could care less about CCHS.
Realize it! I don't have to realize I know it! If we had a better school to house the students, we'd be able to get more residents to send their kids to the school. Why don't we ask our inept BOE why they haven't redistricted and redrawn the lines to balance attendance at ALL schools!
You can argue all you want that your school deserves this or that but CCHS parents have been promised things, only to be rebuffed and called names time and time again.
Watch PDS-24 tonight at 6pm and you'll see some of the Chamblee residents talk about the very things you're asking.
Here is the reality about called meetings in DCSS. It takes only 5 votes to set the date.
On Friday, October 5th, there is another called meeting to talk about the RFPs for a search firm for the superintendent's search.
One of the problems that I have always seen for the DeKalb BoE is that the work and business meetings always have such agendas filled with nothing but business decisions. They can have a meeting that is hours long and not have time to do anything related to instruction. The same is true of school boards all over the country, especially large ones.
It infuriates me time and time again. No one wants to answer the questions asked in an earlier post. Why have High Schools all over the district been renovated and even a new one built, while CCHS, the tops in education county wide, continues to get lied to by the DCSS leadership?
DCSS, Celebrating Mediocrity and Jealous of Success!
Chamblee and its feeder schools have a disadvantage because of the proximity of so many private schools. St. Pius, Marist, OLA, Hebrew Academy, and St. Martins are all basically in the neighborhood. The Buckhead schools are very accessible to much of the school district as well. Many of these families don't consider public school regardless of the condition of the building.
Maybe because the leadership understands that A) The Chamblee community does not care about CCHS and B) it is only because of the Magnet program that CCHS has their academic "reputation". Remove the magnet program and CCHS is just another mediocre DCSS high school.
Arabia Mountain was built because there was a need for more seats in that area. However, we were certainly conned when it wasn't made into a neighborhood school. Those theme school parents are enjoying their theme high school very much, thank you! Lithonia's addition has been cancelled.
It isn't as if the other high schools were renovated years ago and CCHS has been waiting. Cross Key's was just finished and Lakeside hasn't started yet. Stop acting like everyone is out to get Chamblee. Something has to be first and something has to be last.
I would say the Lakeside community has been pretty patient with the delays in the renovation. Have they even had a reno since they opened in 1965?
3:18/3:46, can you make your points about priorities for SPLOST in a way that is more respectful toward the Chamblee community? I feel strongly that instead of inflaming each other by putting down each other's schools and communities, we must be careful to cultivate unity for the sake of the students in DCSS.
(Sorry if my two posts saying the same thing 5 hours apart are a bit much. I'll stop now with a quick acknowledgment of Anon 10:43/11:23's gracious clarification.)
Sounds to me that everyone wants to close Chamblee, so where do you put the 700 residents that do attend there?
Plus, your argument about taking the Magnet out will make CCHS a mediocre DCSS High School, do you have proof? Let's see the data? Parents at CCHS has been asking for the split data between residents and magnet. Yet we have not seen any yet!
Dunwoody High? Cross Keys? They are the closest High Schools. Parents, want to help us feed into your schools since so many want to close CCHS? You folks that don't respect us and want to close CCHS, have any ideas where you would like our 700 resident kids attend?
Our elementary schools and Middle school are beginning to fill up quickly and many more parents, who were going private, are now unable to due to the economy. What happens if that 700 number increases to 1000? Just asking since so many of you want to close CCHS. I hope Dunwoody and Cross Keys are ready for an influx of students from Chamblee. I don't see many more options if a new building is not built.
Who said anything about closing Chamblee?
That's what folks are implying here. If contractors have told the leadership that renovating CCHS is waste of time and money, then a new school must be built, right?
However, the leadership promised us a new school in SPLOST 4 (2015), do you honestly think a SPLOST 4 will pass with all the corruptocrats that are still in leadership rolls throughout DCSS? Come on SPLOST 4 has no chance of passing until Tyson, Turk, Moseley, Beasley, Thompson, Mitchell-Mayfield, Hunter and the rest are long gone.
For all that has taken place over the past 5 years the same folks are still in place at DCSS, nothing is changing for the better. It's still business as usual, no transparency, no honesty and no integrity.
So tell me what options do we have since some folks don't think Chamblee deserves a new building? Where do we send the 700 current resident students and possibly more if the economy doesn't recover?
Anon October 3, 2010 11:02 PM
The name probably is being changed because it is not PC. "shamrock" is associated with Ireland. Someone must take offense at that. It is not really "inclusive" and does not engender the wonderful diversity of DCSS.
Anon October 3, 2010 11:02 PM
The name probably is being changed because it is not PC. "shamrock" is associated with Ireland. Someone must take offense at that. It is not really "inclusive" and does not engender the wonderful diversity of DCSS.
Please don't fight over this!! We all want the same thing for our students and teachers: Safe, clean, modern facilities (with no leaking roofs and air conditioning that works and without mold and mildew thank you very much!)
The BOE and Central Office has done a horrible job with facility management. Don't turn against each other; hold the BOE and Central Office accountable for their poor performance, broken promises, poor mainteance and upkeep, etc.
Of course Chamblee CHS parents should be upset when they see the incredible Arabia Mountain Theme High School and the $70 mil new Tucker High. The BOE and Central Office should make the the list of projects public at all times, and chose on need instead of politics.
There have been SPLOST lists, but they have changed or are just ignored.
Lakeside is a disaster of a facility. Same with Sequoyah. Same with Cross Keys. Many elem schools such as McClendon and Laurel Ridge are at the end of their lifespans.
But millions of taxpayer dollars were spent on the Mountain Industrial Central Office mega-complex even though it wasn't in SPLOST. Pat Pope made sure to spend a ton on the Sam Moss building even though it was in fair condition. This BOE and Central Office have shown that they put their own facility needs before that of our children and our fine teachers.
So CCHS'ers, no one is saying you don't need a new or renovated facility. It's well past time your facility is addressed. Same with Lakeside, Cross Keys, Sequoyah, etc.
Don't turn on each other; just keep the heat on the BOE and Central Office. I tell 'ya, SPLOST 4 is no way going to pass unless the BOE changes their ways. They have completely lost any public trust.
If we keep changing the names of the schools failing AYP, then the Feds will be fooled and DCSS will get maximum money. The Feds are too dumb to catch anything like that. Administration can set up a special Asst Super in charge of School Name Enhancement. Salary ... at least $175 K per. Zephora must have a relative who can look like they are doing that job.
Shamrock is named after a subdivision. Shamrock is not in the Druid Hills neighborhood or even near it. Naming it Druid Hills Middle School makes about as much sense as calling it Clarkston Middle School. If they want to name it after someone it should be the Indigo Girls their most noted graduates.
Shamrock is named after a subdivision. Shamrock is not in the Druid Hills neighborhood or even near it. Naming it Druid Hills Middle School makes about as much sense as calling it Clarkston Middle School. If they want to name it after someone it should be the Indigo Girls their most noted graduates.
"Shamrock is named after a subdivision."
No, it's not. What subdivision is named Shamrock??? There's only the Shamrock Plaza at the corner of N. Druid Hills Road & Lawrenceville Highway. When the school first opened, the Homecoming parades would go from the school through the neighborhood and would end in the parking lot of Shamrock Plaza with a pep rally.
I do remember hearing from parents and neighbors (before the school opened) that many in the neighborhood wanted to name it after Gus Grissom.
SHS Class of '74
The Indigo Girls have not exactly been supporters of Shamrock. In fact, their neices/nephews in the area have gone to private schools, and last year, the Indigo Girls did a big fundraiser at Paideia. What can it hurt to change the name of the school?
Has anyone from DCSS asked them? They went to Emory, and have been asked back and have played on campus multiple times.
Isn't McNair High School named after astronaut Ron McNair? of course it should be renamed after Gus, the neighborhood's very own astronaut!!!
So they dropped the agenda item deciding the $50K vendors tonight. What on earth could the staff need to discuss with counsel? Maybe the fact that businesses on the list are not listed with the Ga. Secretary of State?
There are still older residents in the neighborhood who wanted the school to be named after Gus Grissom.
I wonder how this name change is related to McChesney fulfilling his promise to Sagamore that all of Sagamore would be re-districted to Lakeside instead of half Druid Hills HS and half Lakeside. No parents and neighborhood residents were demanding a name change.
If this is part of McChesney's big promise, and boy did he promise everyone in Sagamore, then he should just be u[front about it.
"So they dropped the agenda item deciding the $50K vendors tonight. What on earth could the staff need to discuss with counsel? Maybe the fact that businesses on the list are not listed with the Ga. Secretary of State?"
Thank you Cere, Sandy and those who post on the blog. I know firsthand that the BOE received a lot of feedback on the agenda item, which would have sailed through if not exposed to sunlight on this blog.
The list itself is not a bad idea according to what my BOE rep. told me, but it was so poorly done, and hopefully Marcus Turk will have his behind chewed out by Tyson for trying to present such shoddy work.
Businesses not registered with the state? 7 law firms? Businesses that have actually dissolved? Judge Moore? Callaway Gardens?
C'mon Marcus Turk and Ramona Tyson, please prove that you can be good stewards of our hard earned taxpayer dolars!
Gene Walker you are wrong. We can't spend extra on a handful of students. My child needs smaller classes. What are you doing about this?
Boy this student advisor is sharp. Mr. Tolman was sharp.
Virgil Ivan Grissom is from the Shamrock area? Grisson is from Indiana!
http://history.nasa.gov/Apollo204/zorn/grissom.htm
Ms. Speaks is sharp tonight. Her comments about the funding are on the money.
The board is being really hard on the staff. I guess someone(s) dropped the ball!
@ Anonymous 7:40 pm
Or maybe the BOE is realizing the election is just around the corner.
True for Walker. Not true for Speaks. She is not up for re-election.
@ Anonymous 7:46
I think they're all concerned about the election to varying degrees.
Three things! This is the first I heard about Gus Grissom. I grew up near the Cape in Florida, in the 60's. I'm a huge fan of the space program and have no problem with the name change for Gus Grissom. I never knew he was from DeKalb.
Item two! I applaud Pam Speaks and Don McChesney for asking the questions that need to be asked. For too long this staff got away with hiding things in agenda items and placing them onto the agenda at the last minute so no one knew what was happening. Then if Clew said it needed to pass, it would be passed. Not any more!
The ineptness of the staff almost lost that supplemental funding for Gateway at no ones fault except for Tyson's and Moseley's. This leadership has to go! It's time for change, sorry to burst your bubble, Ernest Brown, Tyson is not the Super DeKalb needs. We need a new, no ties to deKalb Super and we need the resignations of Tyson, Turk, Moseley, Beasley, Thompson, Mitchell-Mayfield, Hunter, Ramsey and the rest.
Last item is the fact that the agenda item about the $50k vendors was dropped, because of the investigated work done by Sandy Spruill. You can argue with her all you want, but she saved the DeKalb taxpayer millions of dollars with her weekend revelation about the agenda item.
I thank God for Cere and this blog, if it wasn't for this blog our school system would be an abject failure! It almost is now, but November 2nd, we can look to the future!
I like this attorney. She is very matter of fact with SCW.
Hey, what's the link to watch the meeting?
http://www.ecstreams.com/dekalbschools/dekalbschoolslive.asx
SCW looks like a hot steaming mess.
And no SCW, you don't understand the laws. See how she's upset it's not summarized.
"Manage and control" Did you hear the audible hush in the room!!??
http://www.ecstreams.com/dekalbschools/dekalbschoolslive.asx
SCW looks like a hot steaming mess.
And no SCW, you don't understand the laws. See how she's upset it's not summarized.
"Manage and control" Did you hear the audible hush in the room!!??
Jay, be very very careful when discussing the conflict of interests. You're part of the issue at hand.
Now here goes Zepora "The way this is written, it is problematic to us". Ha!!
SCW, what language are you speaking??? How are you one of a few that decides a billion dollar budget??
I did "hear" the audible hush and somewhere in the distance I heard SACs auditors groaning!
When the attorney said that board members having no individual authority but only have authority when they act as a board, Gene Walker objected to the part where it says that board members should be focused on the entire school system. He wants to focus narrowly on his individual constituency. Apparently McChesney had the same concerns as Walker. So does Roberts, Cunningham, and Copelin-Woods. The attorney is suggesting that instead of the word narrowly the word only be used. (In other words, a school board member should not be only focused on their constituency. )
The state board is requiring these changes as they want school boards to be viewed as trustees.
Bowen made good points about school board members needing to be able to advocate for their districts.
The policies are about to be put on the table for 30 days. This is one to be commented on.
Maybe we should APPOINT the board members so they may worry about ALL students!!!!
Once again, another meeting for which Sarah Copelin-Wood has not read the documents in advance. She's an utter embarassment. A hot steaming mess indeed.
G9 Board Member Code of Ethics!!! here comes the good stuff!!
If we want "trustees" instead of elected representatives on the BOE, they should be appointed for a term of 4 years or more.
I have to defend SCW a bit. Tab, tab, tab, blah, blah, blah. The lawyer isn't doing the best job in the world explaining the policies and where to find them.
But of course SCW didn't bring the info. she had previously been given, and expected someone to hand it to her with a snap of her finger.
It is 9 o'clock and the board still has 20 plus items to get through. Wow.
I had spoken to my board member today about the List of vendors. He indicated that the board was pretty upset with the staff for the shoddy work.
I am disappointed that it was pulled. I think the staff deserved a public calling out.
It is sad, and even pathetic, that the same people who came up with the vendor list are in charge of the finances for a billion dollar operation.
Hey, there's Jamie Wilson, head of Human Resources for the 26th largest school ssytem in the US, but a former principal with no previous HR experience.
Wow, Gene Walker is calling out America's Choice!!
Walker is now asking about America's Choice which is good but not at the right time.
Tyson is now saying that they will have another meeting to talk about test scores, student achievement, etc.
They will poll the members as to when.
It is a good thing that this is a part time gig. LOL.
Jay Cunningham calling out staff for the textbook mess!! Great!!
Jay is asking about books but the answer can wait until the called meeting.
Book shortages seem to be widespread.
SCW is calling them out as the board was apparently told that all schools had books.
SCW is even on the missing schoolbooks kick!
lol---no texbooks!!! They all look contrite!!
Class sets are a crock of ......!
Don McC made a great point that shows the Central Office for the fraud it is:
Only $30,000 spent throughout the system for science equipment. Six figure salaries for unneded administrators, but only $30k for science equipment for 97,000 students.
Cut some of Audria berry's Army, and there's science equipment right there!
I think the board members are actually pretty irritated and angry about the text book situation.
Wait Audria Berry still works for the system?? I thought she was fired from taking an out of the country trip with the Supt. on DCSS p-card. She still works here??
Peachtree should be paid already.
Cunningham doesn't understand why P'tree Middle keeps coming up. Two words:
Pat Pope
Another word:
Incompetence
Was that Audria talking about Marta cards?
Wait, this school system still pays architects 6.5% of a project costs instead of a flat fee?? WTF!
The more a project costs, the more the architect makes, and there's where the bells and whistles come in.
Everyone else is paying flat fees these days. And remember Gwinnett County schools use the same set of plans for schools, so there are 2-3 choices of pland for elem schools, 2-3 for middle and 2-3 for high schools. They save millions in architectual fees.
$171,000 change order for Clarkston High retention pond???
Hey, what's another $200k here and there.
$30,000 for science equipment for the system, but more six times that for a retention pond.
Dr. Pritchett was over construction when P'tree was bid out right? Boy did we lose out under him.
Almost half a million for a new roof for ALlgood. Wow.
Retention ponds are expensive and ugly as the one at Dunwoody shows. The problem is that the rules have changed and once you disturb a high enough percentage of a property, you have to bring the whole thing up to code.
also, different pile of money. SPLOST funds for retention pond cannot be used for operational monies.
Man, Tony Hunter loves spending hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time.
Wow---that who she is... Go on girl! Audria launched 1000 sheets.
We just learned that we have to pay the architect for PCMS a big sum because of a terrible agreement with DCSS. They wouldn't say who approved this but it was implied that it was Pat or CLew. Hmmmm.... Where was the board?!
Segovis, quit hyperventillating...
Segovis listing all the people on the Shamrock name change list. Not one person from the neighborhood.
And not a single reason why the name is actually being changed.
actually I am guessing that it was Prtichett as P'tree began in earnest while he still was on the job.
The new Peachtree has been open at least 4 years and the contruction took at least a year, if not more.
Night is rich... Dr. Mayfield looks worried? Ethics and daughter?
Is Zepora allowed to tell people to vote -- for our lives?!!!!!
My hat is off to my daughter, Mrs. Guillory at PDS24.
ZR just compliment Ms. Guillory is doing a great job with PDS 24 and then she reminded every one to vote. Think she is pandering to Frances Edwards?
LOL.
My hat is off to my/your daughter, Mrs. Guillory at PDS24.
Zepora giving Phil Guillory big prop's for DCS 24. It should be good considering Phil gets paid a huge salary even though she had no previous media experience. Sure helps to have a former board member as a mom!
SCW losing her train of thought for the 80th time tonight.
Are you kidding me, Avondale never got a weight room last year?
Oh for the love of god, please make Sarah stop rambling...
SCW going off about keeping stadium lights on past 10 pm at Avondale??? Why are we playing games that late anyway? And she doesn't care about the neighbors.
Does the roof for Allgood come with a guarantee? I hope that we're not using the same company that has done the other shoddy roofs on the schools.
Because we only have 5 stadiums and 18 high school teams, we often have to play two games on Fridays and at least 1 on Saturday.
But even a regular 7:30 game will be over close to 10.
Womack going off about teachers unions. Darn right he doesn't want them. We'd have to start paying teachers more and administrators less.
football games often times go past 10 if there are 2 games. If you decide to move next to a HS with a stadium, you should expect to hear the marching band--particularly in the south.
womack,
there are no teachers' union in ga. no collective bargaining.
you know that. and you can push the teachers about as much as you want.
5 stadiums that the DCSS Central office controls. Every school wants their own stadium so revenue can go back into the program, and not be spent but the clueless county Athletics Director, Ron Seebree.
One of Ron's main responsibilities is sponsorships. Not bringing in any money on that end, are ya Ron?
Thank you Cere, Sandy and those who post on the blog. I know firsthand that the BOE received a lot of feedback on the agenda item, which would have sailed through if not exposed to sunlight on this blog. ...........
WhooHooo!!! You go girls!!
A saying comes to mind:
Be the kind of woman who makes the Devil say, "Oh crap, she's up!" when my feet hit the floor every morning.
..........................................
hopefully Marcus Turk will have his behind chewed out by Tyson for trying to present such shoddy work. :) :D :))))))
@ Anonymous 9:09pm
"Wait Audria Berry still works for the system?? I thought she was fired from taking an out of the country trip with the Supt. on DCSS p-card. She still works here??"
Indeed Audria Berry still works for DCSS as Executive Director of the DeKalb Office of School Improvement with $145,00+ in salary and benefits. And how much improvement have DeKalb students seen in the 3 (or is it 4?) years Dr. Berry has had this position?
Why is she still in this position?
Why is she not accountable since our student scores have declined?
"Virgil Ivan Grissom is from the Shamrock area? Grisson is from Indiana!"
Nobody said he was from DeKalb County, only that there were people in the neighborhood who wanted to name the "new school" after him. The construction and opening of Shamrock were taking place around the time that he lost his life on the launch pad.
PS On an unrelated note: Thank you, Cere, for this blog and the sunshine that it shines on the DeKalb BOE!
@ Anonymous 9:09 PM and Anonymous 10:55 PM
"Audria Berry still works for DCSS???"
Yes, indeed! Receiving regular, large raises, too!
To paraphrase Nancy Jester (an intelligent, knowledgeable parent running for BOE District 1 -- Redovian's seat):
In 2003-04, 86% of DCSS schools were making AYP. By 2009-10, the number had plummeted 30 points to 55.6%!
Wow! From 14% of DCSS schools needing academic improvement to 44.4% of DCSS schools now desperately needing academic improvement. And fewer students in the system, too.
Instead of proactively addressing academic deficiencies, student-by-student, Berry's plan -- endorsed by the DCSS BOE (4 of whom are incumbents who have the gall to run for re-election) -- has been to hire inexperienced, under-talented, overpaid, inept "coaches" who do nothing.
To add insult to injury, Tyson, with the concurrence of the BOE, cut teacher pay and increased class sizes.
Meanwhile, students who get further behind every year are simply shuffled from school to school to school. Following Crawford Lewis right over the cliff!
@ Anonymous 9:07 pm
DeKalb taxpayers pay $2,600,000 in salary and benefits for the 21 members that directly support Dr. Audria Berry at the Office of School Improvement.
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/instruction/improvement/contacts.html
Add to this Office of School improvement:
1. $9,000,000 in salary and benefits for around 90 Instructional and Literacy Coaches
2. $4,300,000 in salary and benefits for around 70 Family Services Center Coordinators and Specialists (Zepora Roberts daughter is one of these)
3. $8,000,000 a year for America's Choice scripted learning program
4. $1,400,000 a year for Springboard scripted learning program
5. $3,400,000 for 47 Graduation Coaches.
That's $25,000,000, and I'm only listing part of this department.
Here is Dr. Berry's Office of School Improvement's Mission, Vision and Goal:
Mission
"The mission of the DeKalb County School System is to form collaborative efforts between home and school that maximize students' social and academic potential preparing them to compete in a global society."
"Vision Statement
"Premier DeKalb Schools - Setting the Standard for Excellence through Unity and Purpose"
Goal
"Our goal in the Department of School Improvement is to design and implement a coherent and sustained system of support and process for improvement, providing local schools and centers in the DeKalb County School System with the tools and resources as well as intensive support for schools not making Adequate Yearly Progress."
Here is what we have gotten for our $25,000,000+ from Dr. Berry and the Office of School Improvement. No accountability:
MADE AYP rate for DeKalb over time (source Georgia DOE):
2003 - 2004 86%
2004 - 2005 77%
2005 - 2006 71%
2006 - 2007 79%
2008 – 2009 71%
2008 - 2009 78%
2009 - 2010 56%
Our SAT scores (source Georgia DOE):
2004 – Verbal 464 Math 459 No data
2005 – Verbal 465 Math 457 No data
2006 – Verbal 462 Math 451 Writing 452
2007 - Verbal 457 Math 443 Writing 446
2008 - Verbal 452 Math 443 Writing 444
2009 - Verbal 451 Math 441 Writing 442
2009 - Verbal 449 Math 442 Writing 437
If you want figures for the BOE to consider since they want data in order to make changes, give them these figures. A change needs to come in the Office of School Improvement. We should expect improvement in our schools, not steady declines. The Office of School Improvement is not meeting its mission and goal.
(sources: State Salary and Travel audit, DCSS website, Georgia DOE website)
Correction
2010 - Verbal 449 Math 442 Writing 437
This blog couldbe used to bring parents and citizens to make DeKalb County the School Ststem it use to be and can be again.
Unfortunately, all of the negitivteness is hurting the systems' image. Many comments are graet and many are very racially devisive. I am African American and I would like to contribute to the blog more often but many times I read this blog and see complainers and not problem solvers. I see Blacks & Democrats demoralized. Ofcourse, REPUBLICAN PAM SPEAKS, WHO IS A BLACK SELL OUT WITH HER REPUBLICAN HUSBAND PUMPING HER UP IS REALLY A DISGRACE. SHE IS CONSTANTLY DEGRADED ON A BLOG THAT I WILL NOT RETURN TO. PAM, Don's habits are no secret, anymore.
I spoke to my board member about item 3. They were not happy, but at least first thing yesterday morning they did not plan to pull it from the agenda. They looked forward to tongue lashing Turk, etc, and then pulling it from the agenda.
I think the staff reads the blog as well and they saw it coming.
Regarding public comments at the BOE meeting last night, I thought Ernest Brown's pep rally for Tyson was pathetic! I also thought it was embarrassing that some woman in the crowd thought it was permissible to scream and cheer during and after the speech.
Folks, I know a lot of people who believe Mr. Brown is all about what is good at DCSS. Well I know first hand, he was/is a Clew friend and confidant and should not be trusted.
Does he actually thinks Ms. Tyson should stay on as Superintendent? After all the shoddy work that was exposed last night do you really think we can continue with the current DCSS leadership? Please!
Someone said right after CLew was fired that we need to bring someone in to clean the Palace guard. Well, that's what we need before we hire a new Super. We need to clean out the current Palace guard so the new Super can come in and hire the folks he/she needs to bring DCSS from the abyss of abject failure!
I agree with the fact that the system should be cleaned out before a new superintendent comes in.
I do happen to think that Tyson isn't doing a terrible job. She has an untenable task just managing the day to day operations of the system and trying to make sure that the cleaning out process is beginning and that the policies are updated. The book scandal is still ongoing I believe. There is so much going on that it is overwhelming to think about.
Should she be the permanent superintendent? Nah. Even she says that.
I would like to see the board hire an interim for the next 12 to 18 months. Have that person come in and do the heavy lifting of firings, consoldiations and closings and let the next permanent superintendent start with a clean slate.
Office of School Improvement is really on a roll now and boosting that graduation rate! You no longer have to make a 69 in a class to be eligible for "Credit Recovery" - a student can make as low as a 50 and still be eligible! Sadly only 15% of those taking advantage of credit recovery were able to pass and that % is about to drop! Lot of money/salaries being spent on credit recovery but not much return on investment!
Office of School Improvement provides no Return on Investment. Seriously, that entire office needs to be eliminated and the funds put back into the school house.
I used to be a big Ernest Brown fan. He's sharp and he knows the system. Actually, he's the person who really started bringing up "Return on Investment" regading DCSS functions.
But he embarassed himself last night, and I question whether he would be a strong BOE member if he runs again.
He is too close to too many DCSS administrators, and "drinks the Kool-Aid". Clearly, the Central Office needs to be cleared out. Tony Hunter of MIS, in particular, seems out of his league, and all he does is ask for mo money, mo money, and no one from the BOE ever calls him out for ROI on MIS spending. Because Tyson was the head of MIS, it seems like MIS has a blank checkbook, even with their incredibly poor customer service and horrendour eSIS rollout.
But hey, what's $400,000 here and $200,000 there?
It's a bit tangential to this thread, but DeKalb can be proud that three graduates of our schools achieved careers as astronauts: Eric Boe (Evansdale, Henderson High), Tom Marshburn (Henderson Mill, Henderson High), and John Casper (Chamblee High). Col. Boe and Dr. Marshburn both visited DeKalb recently to speak to students.
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