"Raze Dekalb's education ghetto"? (Dunwoody, Decatur: middle school, legal, to move)

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Big L

I just read this shortly before you posted it on here. It was an interesting read, especially considering how much both schools and society as a whole has changed over the years.

Yep.

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by AlGreen

...but who is he trying to impress with the big words?

He has a B.A. from Georgetown and a Ph.D. from Yale. Maybe that is just the way he writes. I don't think he should be derided for his vocabulary. If there is a word that you don't know, look it up on dictionary.com. Then there will be even more people that are familiar with each word!

[RandyWatson13]

Originally Posted by Big L

As a former DeKalb County educator and the ex-husband of a current DeKalb County educator, I can attest that this article is accurate. The bureaucracy and top-heaviness that I saw in DeKalb was one of things that drove me out of the field.

Sadly it reminds me of this scene in Wall Street where Gekko is saying how the company has 30 something VPs and he can't figure out what the hell they do.

Dailymotion - Gordon Gekko "Greed Is Good" Full Speech High Quality - a Film & TV video

[TakeAhike]

Who is SACS, and where did they get all this power? *| ajc.com

'But it is the school boards, not teaching and learning, that have drawn so much of SACS' attention in metro Atlanta.

DeKalb and Atlanta’s problems are similar to those in Clayton, which in 2008 became the first school system in the nation in nearly 40 years to lose accreditation. All of the problems in these systems are about board governance, power struggles and unethical behavior – not teachers or lack of funding, Elgart said.

“Not one of these systems can say they lack resources. All of the metro systems are well funded,” he said. “It has nothing to do with race or whether a child comes from poverty. It’s how you use those resources to meet a child’s needs.” '

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

Who is SACS, and where did they get all this power? *| ajc.com

'But it is the school boards, not teaching and learning, that have drawn so much of SACS' attention in metro Atlanta.

DeKalb and Atlanta’s problems are similar to those in Clayton, which in 2008 became the first school system in the nation in nearly 40 years to lose accreditation. All of the problems in these systems are about board governance, power struggles and unethical behavior – not teachers or lack of funding, Elgart said.

“Not one of these systems can say they lack resources. All of the metro systems are well funded,” he said. “It has nothing to do with race or whether a child comes from poverty. It’s how you use those resources to meet a child’s needs.” '

Management is failing and isn't being replaced.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Management is failing and isn't being replaced.

In DeKalb --The Manager/Superintendent certainly did fail--forthcoming trial for fraud and fiscal negligence and a laundry list of other charges--and the search is on for a replacement.

I don't even try to keep up with all that goes on with the School Board--expecting a strong reaction from many citizens when the proposal to close 14 schools is finalized.

Lifting my eyes to the heavens--mortal and flawed as we may be surely we can do better than this.

At some point--when the price is right--the DeKalb BOE can at least sell the Briarcliff High School property for a tidy profit--how slowly the wheels of progress turn. My alma mater--fwiw. Not looking too good these days--may it RIP.

[TakeAhike]

'Legislators Target DeKalb Board'
DeKalb school board's size under legislative fire *| ajc.com

<The growing belief that the nine-member DeKalb County school board is too large has hit the state Legislature, where two bills could reduce its size.
House Bill 22, sponsored by state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, would let voters decide in a referendum whether the board should be kept at its current size or cut to seven or five members. The county’s legislative delegation must approve the proposal as local legislation.
As a backstop measure, state Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven, has filed HB 63. It applies only to school boards in counties with a Homestead Option Sales Tax and education tax -- which is only DeKalb -- and mandates a seven-member board.>

[TakeAhike]

Looks like 'It's On' for DeKalb---

DeKalb removes 24 educators from classroom *| ajc.com

'DeKalb removes 24 educators from classroom
Reassignment linked to CRCT cheating investigation'

^^^^
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned that DeKalb’s interim superintendent notified the employees Thursday that they will be re-assigned to other duties while the state investigates their certification.

This afternoon, the district will deliver those findings to the DeKalb district attorney.

“No cheating has been proved and no one has come forward and admitted to cheating," schools spokesman Jeff Dickerson said. "It’s just to keep the district attorney comprised of actions.”

Dickerson said he does not anticipate criminal charges, but it is up to the district attorney if he wants to investigate.

^^^
I suspect that by this time next year--maybe sooner--DeKalb will also be on probation for accreditation. I shudder to think what the next step might be.

[RoslynHolcomb]

"It’s just to keep the district attorney comprised of actions.”

COMPRISED???? COMPRISED???? COMPRISED???? COMPRISED???? And this from the spokesman? Dear God I've got to get out of this town.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

COMPRISED???? COMPRISED???? COMPRISED???? COMPRISED???? And this from the spokesman? Dear God I've got to get out of this town.

I doubt it's just the town, unfortunately. The dumbing-down of America is proceeding at a clip that's starting to seem frightening.