Racketeering: The Crime that Keeps on Giving ...

We have often complained loudly about and marveled at the amount of money DCSS spends in legal cases. Now that the indictments are in (will there be more?), at least we taxpayers can rest easy that our tax dollars will be safe from lawyer fees defending Lewis and Pope/Reid, right? Not so fast ...


Unfortunately, even though the criminal charges do leave the targets of the indictments to fend for themselves in terms of paying for defense fees, the prosecution itself doesn't come free! I am afraid we need to brace ourselves for a very expensive and drawn out case. And who will pay? Why the same taxpayers that were paying to protect the suspects during the investigation.

To add to the drama of this case, how is this for a turn-your-stomach twist: after suspects grab millions in tax dollars for themselves, and after the tax payers pay bags of money to defend the offenders, and after paying even bigger bags of money prosecuting the offenders, there is an acquittal.

I'm not predicting this outcome I'm just sharing my worst nightmare as a taxpayer inspired by this reading on CommunityRadar.com today:

Lawyers in GA School Racketeering Case Reflect High Stakes

Talk about delayed gratification, not only may we have to wait a long, long time to have a chance at justice. We have to spend a lot of money through the DA's office to get this case brought to closure.

If this drags out as long as it very likely could, how will this affect the current interim administration and the recruitment efforts for a new superintendent? Oh! If only we could see swift justice this time around. I'm planning on the opposite and you should, too. The cloud of this thing is going to hang around for awhile ...

Going forward, how  much am I willing to pay for prevention of future such schemes? Looking at the downside risk we're seeing now, there are a whole lot of zeros behind the number I would support for proper oversight, control, and audit of DCSS.

DeKalb Schools Forfeit Millions in State Money

This warrants a posting unto itself. I am simply floored. Flabbergasted. Outraged. How on earth can we have such pitiful "leadership" endorsed and continually rubber-stamped by our board of education? How can anyone expect a student to turn in an essay on time - when our school leaders cannot seem to make a 5 year deadline with millions of dollars hanging in the balance?

I just have no words.

From WSB today:

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

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

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

. . .

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

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

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

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

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

. . .

You said it, Paul. Personally, I think it's criminal - at least to the extent that Pope and Lewis were fearful of the state looking closely at their shenanigans.

For a full listing of the forfeited funds, click here.

Monday June 7 Board Meeting

Oh no!  Ok - I missed it - what happened? Let's have a collaborative report...

UPDATE -- Lynn Deutsch, an active DCSS parent shared her 3 minute speech she gave to the board at last night's meeting.  I think her speech accurately reflects how most of us feel.  Read on --

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Good Evening.  I am Lynn Deutsch, a DeKalb County parent and taxpayer.  Like so many others, I am beyond frustrated with the current situation in DeKalb.  

As Board Members, whether or not you believe you created this mess, you are responsible for turning this around.  Right now, among both interested observers and the general public, the DeKalb County School System has no credibility.

First, you must order a forensic audit.  Hopefully, this thorough examination of the system’s contracts, expenses, purchases, and much more will uncover nothing more than routine day to day operational expenditures.  However, as many of you have stated to the media, major changes occurred without your knowledge.  This Forensic Audit will give you a much clearer picture of how a billion dollars a year is being spent and afford you the opportunity to offer a transparent view of the finances of this school system to the taxpayers.  In addition, having this done before a new superintendent is in place, offers that person some protections because any wrong doings or errors will be corrected before they assume their new job.

Second, you need to act like the indictments are a big deal.  They are.  Regardless of the outcome of the case, this is a real black eye to our school system and a reflection of, if nothing else, pure sloppiness in how things were getting done.  This matters.  It will impact the school system for months, and perhaps years to come.  From the seriousness of possibly having accreditation impacted to the loss of potential donations from foundations, this is a mess that will linger.  Get this system in order and get it in order now.

Third, you need to adopt a new P Card policy.  At most governmental institutions, misusing a P card once may be grounds for firing, even if the misuse is accidental.  Misusing multiple times, would certainly be grounds for dismissal. It is my understanding that the current policy in DeKalb is to remove the P card from the user for a set period of time.  Enough said.

Fourth, I am greatly concerned that we remain a top heavy, inefficient bureaucratic organization.  Concerned, but not surprised.  It is time for you to change the Reduction in Force Policy.   It seems to me, after sitting in budget hearings where there were many concerns expressed about cutting low hanging fruit, this is exactly what happened.  In a few months when all the dust settles and school begins, I expect that there will be a continually growing outrage.    Do you think you should have kept the core subject coordinators’ positions in math, science, reading and social studies?  Have you looked at test scores in this system recently?  

Fifth, speaking of test scores, our next superintendent should be someone with a proven track record of improving student achievement.  We need an outsider who can come in and put a sharp eye to the challenges and barriers to student achievement in DeKalb and then come up with a plan to address them.   From AYP status to SAT and AP test scores, DeKalb’s data shows there is a problem.   Find the very best person to lead this system and help DeKalb students achieve more. 

Do not let the children of DeKalb down.  Their futures are in your very hands.  Shape this system up now by shaking it up.  Do what is necessary to make sure that we head back in the right direction.

What happened to the "PeaPoD"?

Wow! DeKalb Parent has shared with us a fantastic new award-winning design for temporary portable classrooms created by Perkins+Will Architects. This environmentally healthy "green" design was created for Druid Hills High School as an entry in this international design competition and was deemed the Winner of Modular Category for: 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom. The "PeaPoD" was also named Best Re-Locatable Classroom Design in the Open Architecture Challenge".

We must investigate the feasibility of building these modulars in lieu of the multi-million dollar annual contract for renting old-fashioned, tired, environmentally unfriendly trailers. Please, encourage your board member to insist on implementing this award-winning green initiative.

Below is a description from the website:

The PeaPoD portable classroom implements cost-conscious building materials to create a learning environment which can be adapted to any environment. With generous daylighting, operable windows, and natural ventilation, the PeaPoD can operate with significantly lower utility costs while at the same time providing a wonderful and refreshing educational experience to the students and teachers. Numerous design features such as sun shades, integrated rainwater collection, photovoltaic roof panels, and sustainable materials including FSC certified wood, high-reflective roofing and bio-based insulation and flooring, make the PeaPoD an excellent example of passive and active green building strategies. Creative thinking behind classroom standards such as marker boards, group work tables, and computer stations are evident in the PeaPoD’s interiors. The interiors are comprised of walls which slide to reveal breakout learning space, storage, glazing, or teaching surfaces. Each side of the PeaPoD serves a different purpose, whether it is a wet wall with bathroom facilities, a glass wall which opens to provide access to an exterior classroom space, or a deep wall that provides ample storage.

It is no secret that every student learns differently; similarly every teacher teaches differently. Classroom environments which are adaptive and can meet all of these needs are proven to be the most successful. The goal of any classroom is to have inspired teachers and engaged students. If these are in place there is no limit to the success of everyone involved. This type of adaptive learning environment can happen, and it can happen anywhere: Portable Educationally Adaptive Product of Design, the PeaPoD.

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For detailed files to download, visit the main website:
Open Architecture Network

Should we really reduce professional development requirements for teachers?

In an article titled, Budget woes could mean less training for DeKalb teachers, the AJC reports that the state is allowing DCSS to cut mandatory training hours for teachers in half because of the district’s budget problems.

The school system currently requires teachers to have 20 hours of professional development a year. On Wednesday, the board’s instruction committee discussed cutting training time to 10 hours a year.

Last month, the board approved a budget for next school year with $104 million in cuts, including seven furlough days for teachers. A proposal calls for three of those furlough days to be designated teacher professional development days, said Gloria Talley, deputy superintendent of teaching and learning.

To make up for that lost time, administrators are proposing teachers see to their professional development during the school day and in between instruction time.

Teacher Magazine, in an article titled, "Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher," reported that Ron Walker, executive director of the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, publishers of "Standards for Schools Educating Boys of Color" has this to say about professional development:

How important is professional development for teachers? Is good professional development key to undergoing some of the reforms suggested in the report?

Absolutely. Good, solid PD is the lifeblood of creative and successful schools because they are on the razor's edge. It keeps teachers sharp. Good, well-developed, thoughtful PD that takes into account where people are across the continuum of their learning styles and experiences validates and affirms. It keeps people fresh. It gives people a chance to create and contribute to their own development.

I would contend professional development needs the people who live in that school to be the stakeholders. They need to play an active role in developing it which is why having learning communities that are really functioning entities makes sense.

So, what are we to think? This is yet another example of how the "emergency" budget cuts will effect students in the classroom, continuing our school system's slide down a very slippery slope. As I understand Gloria Talley's budget-cutting proposal, teachers will be expected to "see to their professional development during the school day and in between instruction time." When exactly, is that?

DeKalb schools cut lower paid workers

For those of you who have been asking and asking for a list of the jobs that were eliminated in the central office, you can now thank Megan Matteucci at the AJC for digging up that information by filing an Open Records Request.

In her report in today's AJC, Megan tells us -

When the DeKalb County school board voted last month to eliminate 289 jobs to help meet an estimated $88-million shortfall in next year’s budget, at least 150 of those jobs were supposed to be in the district’s central office, which parents thought included mostly administrators and other high-paid staff.


But records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show that more than half of the employees laid off by DeKalb schools make less than $40,000 a year. They include nine custodians, 11 school resource officers, 12 secretaries and 19 maintenance workers.


An Open Records Act request of the 289 jobs included in the layoffs lists only 253 names. And only 12 percent of those employees make more than $100,000.

Visit the article at the AJC for the full story.