Why are Fulton County Schools not having the same problems as DeKalb County Schools? (best schools, housing)

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

I was wondering why are the better/best schools in DeKalb suffering so much because of No Child Left Behind(NCLB) whereas Fulton has not suffered the same way?

I really think it is sad that some schools in DeKalb that were once regarded as providing excellent educations are now overcrowded and "bad".

[cqholt]

North Fulton is helping the whole system and DeKalb, especially South DeKalb, was hit hard by the housing crisis.

[ATLTJL]

Probably because North Fulton

1) Feeds money into the system
2) Elects legislators that know what they are doing

[mrdkb]

Originally Posted by cqholt

North Fulton is helping the whole system and DeKalb, especially South DeKalb, was hit hard by the housing crisis.

Gwinnett is helping the whole system.

[lastminutemom]

It isn't really that complicated. DeKalb has been pretty dysfunctional for generations but was helped by the demographics of the student population (and their parents). DeKalb has had a long history of friends and family hires dating back several superintendents. While this kind of behavior is not uncommon in school systems everywhere, DeKalb has elevated it to an art.

Because of this, the central office has been home, again for generations, to many, many overpaid incompetent folks who were unable to prepare for the demographic shifts that occurred in the last 20 years but were propped up by incompetent and uneducated school boards.

Things happen in DeKalb Schools System that don't happen very much anywhere else. Remember the previous Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer have both been indited and face trials this summer.

And this gem today...
DeKalb school payroll review uncovers payments to non-employees *| ajc.com

Fulton parents across the county hold the school system accountable. That is not true in DeKalb, at all.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

...
Because of this, the central office has been home, again for generations, to many, many overpaid incompetent folks who were unable to prepare for the demographic shifts that occurred in the last 20 years but were propped up by incompetent and uneducated school boards.

...

This.

Well said.

[arjay57]

I remember when DeKalb was considered one of the top school systems in the country.

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

South Fulton was also hit pretty hard in the recession. I was thinking if people from South Fulton where most schools do not make AYP did not have to travel so far to North Fulton would they be more likely to exercise their school choice? Because in South DeKalb you do not have to travel nearly as far as people in South Fulton for school options.

[chalvey]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaLakeSearch

South Fulton was also hit pretty hard in the recession. I was thinking if people from South Fulton where most schools do not make AYP did not have to travel so far to North Fulton would they be more likely to exercise their school choice? Because in South DeKalb you do not have to travel nearly as far as people in South Fulton for school options.

This. A good friend of mine, who is graduating Northview this year, was mentioning how they only have a handful of students from S. Fulton. Who wants to travel travel more than 1+ hour each way?

[RoslynHolcomb]

I'm wondering if maybe the difficulty of school choice relocation has actually benefitted Fulton. It seems to me that when changing schools is easy the motivated parents will simply do that. Thus resulting in a "motivated parent drain." When it's more difficult they might be inclined to stay in their old schools and work to improve them. I think the new superintendant in Dekalb seems to be headed in the right direction, but I don't think this school district is salvageable. The racial politics are too deeply entrenched. We're never going to be able to elect a decent school board, and the friends and family plan will continue. At this point we're looking to get out. We'd probably stay pat were it not for our one year old. This ship is sinking fast and I fear by the time the baby starts school in four years it'll be too late.