HB 22 -- ONE MORE TIME.

HB 22 seems to be mired in the politics that weigh down everything associated with DeKalb County. With the legislative session winding down, I wanted to ask everyone to do one big push to see if we can get some traction on reducing the size of the Board of Education.

There has been a major change in the last few days. The bill is having trouble gaining traction and has powerful insider opposition and it will require a heavy grassroots effort to push back. This is the time for the people to exercise their power!

Please contact head of the DeKalb Delegation, Representative Howard Mosby by himself and ask him to allow a vote on this bill, presuming Representative Oliver can get the necessary signatures to bring it forward.

Representative Howard Mosby (D) District 90
404 656-0287 (office)
Click to Email Howard Mosby

Several representatives have dropped off the list of sponsors for HB 22. We need you to email the entire delegation and implore them not to abandon the one positive change that they can effect for the children of DeKalb County.

You can read the latest blog piece on HB 22 here:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/reduce-size-of-dcss-school-board.html

CLICK HERE to Email the entire list of DeKalb legislators

Or choose your own rep(s) from the list below:

Representative Pat Gardner (D) District 57 404 656-0265 (office)

pat.gardner@house.ga.gov

Representative Simone Bell (D) District 58 404 656-0325 (office)

Simone.bell@house.ga.gov

Representative Gloria Tinubu (D) District 60 404.656.0220 (office)

gloria.tinubu@house.ga.gov

Representative Tom Taylor (R) District 79 404.656.0152 (office)

tom.taylor@house.ga.gov

Representative Mike Jacobs (R) District 80 404 656-0152 (office)

mike.jacobs@house.ga.gov

Representative Elena Parent (D) District 81 404.656.6372 (office)

elena@elenaparent.com

Representative Scott Holcomb (D) District 82 404.656.6372 (office)

scott@repscottholcomb.com

Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D) District 83 404 656-0265 (office)

marymargaret.oliver@house.ga.gov

Representative Stacey Abrams (D) District 84 404 656-0220 (office) stacey.abrams@house.ga.gov

Representative Stephanie S. Benfield (D) District 85 404 656-7859 (office) stephanie.benfield@house.ga.gov

Representative Karla Drenner (D) District 86 404 656-0202 (office)

karla.drenner@house.ga.gov

Representative Michele Henson (D) District 87 404 656-7859 (office) michele.henson@house.ga.gov

Representative Billy Mitchell (D) District 88 404 656-0116 (office)

billy.mitchell@house.ga.gov

Representative “Coach” Williams (D) District 89 404 656-0202 (office) earnest.williams@house.ga.gov

Representative Howard Mosby (D) District 90 404 656-0287 (office)

howard.mosby@house.ga.gov

Representative Rahn Mayo (D) District 91 404 656-6372 (office)

Rahn.mayo@house.ga.gov

Representative Pam Stephenson (D) District 92 404 656-0126 (office) pam.stephenson@house.ga.gov

Representative Dee Dawkins-Haigler (D) District 93 404 656-0287 (office)

Dee.dawkins-haigler@house.ga.gov

Representative Randal Mangham (D) District 94 404 656-0126 (office) randal.mangham@house.ga.gov

Senator Curt Thompson (D) District 5 404 463-1318 (office)

curt.thompson@senate.ga.gov

Senator Emanuel Jones (D) District 10 404 656-0502 (office)

Emanuel.jones@senate.ga.gov

Senator Fran Millar (R) District 40 404 463-2260 (office)

fran.millar@senate.ga.gov

Senator Steve Henson (D) District 41 404 656-0085 (office)

steve.henson@senate.ga.gov

Senator Jason Carter (D) District 42 404 463-1376 (office)

jason.carter@senate.ga.gov

Senator Ron Ramsey, Sr. (D) District 43 404 463-2598 (office)

ronald.ramsey@senate.ga.gov

Senator Gloria Butler (D) District 55 404 656-0075 (office)

gloria.butler@senate.ga.gov

Please use your email lists, petition lists from redistricting, etc to get people aware of this issue.

Thanks!

Reduce the Size of DCSS School Board

2011 began, for many of us anyway, with a slight sense of optimism that change was coming to our dysfunctional DeKalb School Board. State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver was introducing local legislation (HB 22) to allow the citizens of DeKalb to vote to reduce the size of the school board to either 5 or 7 members.

http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/01/hb22-time-for-change-positively.html

You can read the entire legislation here:

http://www1.legis.ga.gov/legis/2011_12/fulltext/hb22.htm

Fast forward, two months, and little to nothing has been heard about this bill. I thought perhaps we had missed it because of all the chaos surrounding redistricting. However, while the bill has the support of many legislators, several seem to be working to hold it up and prevent it from being passed.

Thousands of DeKalb citizens participated in the redistricting discussion, sending emails, attending meetings, making phone calls, etc. I am imploring all who did, and even those who didn’t, to get involved in this issue. Sending an email AND making a phone call will show your representatives that this is important to you. It will make a difference.

Here is how. Below is a list of all the DeKalb Delegation members. If you are unsure of whom your STATE rep and senator are, go here:

http://www.sos.ga.gov/mvp/

Representative Pat Gardner (D) District 57 404 656-0265 (office)

pat.gardner@house.ga.gov

Representative Simone Bell (D) District 58 404 656-0325 (office)

Simone.bell@house.ga.gov

Representative Gloria Tinubu (D) District 60 404.656.0220 (office)

gloria.tinubu@house.ga.gov

Representative Tom Taylor (R) District 79 404.656.0152 (office)

tom.taylor@house.ga.gov

Representative Mike Jacobs (R) District 80 404 656-0152 (office)

mike.jacobs@house.ga.gov

Representative Elena Parent (D) District 81 404.656.6372 (office)

elena@elenaparent.com

Representative Scott Holcomb (D) District 82 404.656.6372 (office)

scott@repscottholcomb.com

Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D) District 83 404 656-0265 (office)

marymargaret.oliver@house.ga.gov

Representative Stacey Abrams (D) District 84 404 656-0220 (office) stacey.abrams@house.ga.gov

Representative Stephanie S. Benfield (D) District 85 404 656-7859 (office) stephanie.benfield@house.ga.gov

Representative Karla Drenner (D) District 86 404 656-0202 (office)

karla.drenner@house.ga.gov

Representative Michele Henson (D) District 87 404 656-7859 (office) michele.henson@house.ga.gov

Representative Billy Mitchell (D) District 88 404 656-0116 (office)

billy.mitchell@house.ga.gov

Representative “Coach” Williams (D) District 89 404 656-0202 (office) earnest.williams@house.ga.gov

Representative Howard Mosby (D) District 90 404 656-0287 (office)

howard.mosby@house.ga.gov

Representative Rahn Mayo (D) District 91 404 656-6372 (office)

Rahn.mayo@house.ga.gov

Representative Pam Stephenson (D) District 92 404 656-0126 (office) pam.stephenson@house.ga.gov

Representative Dee Dawkins-Haigler (D) District 93 404 656-0287 (office)

Dee.dawkins-haigler@house.ga.gov

Representative Randal Mangham (D) District 94 404 656-0126 (office) randal.mangham@house.ga.gov

Senator Curt Thompson (D) District 5 404 463-1318 (office)

curt.thompson@senate.ga.gov

Senator Emanuel Jones (D) District 10 404 656-0502 (office)

Emanuel.jones@senate.ga.gov

Senator Fran Millar (R) District 40 404 463-2260 (office)

fran.millar@senate.ga.gov

Senator Steve Henson (D) District 41 404 656-0085 (office)

steve.henson@senate.ga.gov

Senator Jason Carter (D) District 42 404 463-1376 (office)

jason.carter@senate.ga.gov

Senator Ron Ramsey, Sr. (D) District 43 404 463-2598 (office)

ronald.ramsey@senate.ga.gov

Senator Gloria Butler (D) District 55 404 656-0075 (office)

gloria.butler@senate.ga.gov

Feel free to email the entire DeKalb Delegation. (You can cut and paste multiple email addresses, just separate them with a comma or semi colon or whatever function your email provider requires.)

I would like to think that all the different groups that advocated for changes to the various redistricting and school consolidation plans would work hard to get this legislations passed. (Though I am not calling names, SCORE, Fernbank, Dunwoody, Flat Rock, etc… )

What should be in the email? The email should be in your own words and should stress the importance of passing HB 22.

Since the expansion of the DeKalb County Schoool Board from 7 to 9 members, DCSS has:

• Had its superintendent and chief operating officer indicted;


• Been placed on advisement status by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;


• Had to censure several board members;


• Seen SAT scores plummet, in 2004, the SAT mean Math score in DeKalb was 459 and in 2010 it was 442. In 2004, the SAT mean verbal score was 464 and in 2010 it was 449.


• Had one of the lowest “make AYP” rates of any school system in the state


• Spent over 15 million dollars in legal fees in a lawsuit that may not result in that much if won;


• (and any thing else you can think of…)

In addition, for positive reasons why shrinking the board is a good idea, consider:

• In metro Atlanta, the most successful school districts have school boards with 7 or fewer members.


• A smaller school board will incur fewer travel expenses, salary expenses and possibly legal expenses.


• A smaller school board will be easier for a new superintendent to work with.

Please consider sending emails as soon as possible and leaving phone messages tomorrow, indicating your support for HB 22. This is important and has the possibility of beginning to straighten out our very broken system.

(Breaking news -- Senators Millar, E. Jones and Carter filed a bill in the senate that would effectively do the same thing as HB 22. You can find this bill here,
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/displaybill.aspx?BillType=SB&billNum=226 and you may want to mention it in your emails.)

HB22 / Time for change, positively!

This year is the only year in the next decade that the school districts can change.

Dekalb Legislator, Mary Margaret Oliver, has introduced House Bill 22 that will reduce the size of our school districts from 7 to 5 with 2 super districts that cover half of the county each.

What this will also do is reduce the size of the school board from 9 to 7 and get rid of a couple of unwanted board seats/members.

You can't FIRE a school board member but you sure have the ability to change the law and get rid of their board seat for at least another decade!

I spoke with her during the holidays and she would like our help from this blog.

She asked if everyone would contact their Dekalb delegate from the State House and Senate to get their opinion and make it public for all to see. My representative from the House is MMO, my Senate representative is Jason Carter*.

MMO has already expressed her opinion by presenting HB22 and I have contacted Senator Carter's office for his position on the bill. I will post his opinion as soon as I here back from him or his office.

MMO was very prompt in returning my message, just a couple of hours later. She is watching this blog to see what our fact finding reports.

The Dekalb delegation is headed by Rep. Howard Mosby.

We will need a grass roots movement to make POSITIVE CHANGE for DCSS and this is the first step and a HUGE step in the right direction.

Please contact your delegate and ask their opinion and let's see where they stand!

This will be a ballot item in the fall and will take place for the 2012 school year. We won't have to wait for change we can make change happen now! Change that will positively impact DCSS!

Happy New Year,

Sagamore 7

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*(If you are unsure of who your legislators are, click here or here or here to find out.)