DCSS is a billion dollar enterprise, a major league operation. But it is being run in a minor league manner.
The front page of today's AJC Metro section has yet another salacious DCSS article, this one about Harold Lewis, Director of Special Operations, Transportation Department, $107,000 annual salary, accusing Pat Pope of sexual harassment. In absoutely record time, the school system settled, with Lewis receiving a promotion and pay raise (Is Harold Lewis related to Crawford Lewis? We'd like to know.) Pope is still receiving her $200,000 salary a year while being demoted.
The most surprising part of this is the school system settling this in two weeks. I guess the Ron Ramsey-led Internal Affairs Dept. can move quickly on rare occasions.
This comes on the heels of the shocking news that the Crawford Lewis administration is refusing to work with the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office, on an investigation the the Crawford Lewis administration requested.(?!) By the way, if I was an elected Board of Education member, I would demand that the Lewis administration cooperate with the DeKalb District Attorney, or face immediate dismissal. What does it say when the county school system refuses to cooperate with the county District Attorney (and Crawford and DeKalb DA Gwen Keyes are even Leadership DeKalb alumni!)?
This also comes on the heels on every local TV station covering the in school protest of teachers and staff wearing black in protest of the Crawford Lewis, with one station interviewing an unsteady, warbling BOE member Paul Womack.
“I am going backwards,” (Crawford) Lewis said Wednesday. “I can’t continue doing this. I am not a rookie anymore.”
"I am a bargain for this board."
"From [the teachers' point of view], it's unfair. I agree with that," said board member H. Paul Womack. "But you do what is in the best interest of the county and the kids."
What's that quote about the "inmates running the asylum"?
How does the school system expect to attract top talent with this non-stop barrage of self-induced negative media coverage? Talk to any DCSS teacher, and they'll tell you that the system is going to lose scores of experienced teachers who are tired of eSIS, schools with leaking classroom and moldy heating and air systems, silly e-mails about healthy chili recipes from the Central Office, and Gloria Talley's high paid but unproductive curriculum instructors. The Crawford Lewis demand for a raise was the final straw. We're going to have hundreds of teaching positions open, but top teaching talent won't be applying after doing a Google search about the system.
Now we hear the Crawford Lewis and his administration won't even cooperate with our county's DA Office? When will the madness end? What is it going to take for the Board of Education to make a management change?
Enough is enough is enough.
