School board hires lawyers to address accreditation
The DeKalb County Board of Education has hired a law firm to represent it when it meets with the state board of education about its accreditation problems.
Without comment during the special called Feb. 1 meeting, the county school board voted 6-1 to hire the law firm of Wilson, Morton & Downs to represent it. Board member Nancy Jester voted against the measure and Marshall Orson was absent.
School board chairman Gene Walker said the law firm will help the board “address a number of the [AdvancED] issues that we are to respond to and maybe some legal ramifications we are not aware of. We wanted to get an expert in dealing with a number of different type governance issues.”
AdvancED, the agency that accredits the DeKalb County School District, placed it on probation in December after an investigation prompted by parents, stakeholders, school staff members and others raised concerns about the district’s operations.
The school district was given a list of action items, including better financial oversight, improving technology in schools, improving communications at all levels within the district and additional board training.
In January, the state board of education passed a consent decree to allow the DeKalb board until Feb. 21 to make “significant progress” on issues identified in the AdvancED report.
Walker said the school district would be successful in addressing the AdvancED concerns and maintaining its accreditation.
“Ain’t no doubt in my mind,” Walker said. “We will persevere. We’ll do what we have to do. We’ll do it for our children and for our county. We’re going to be all right.”
DeKalb leaders, businessmen and residents are not so sure, said David Schutten, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators.
“There’s a lot of concern in the business community—realtors especially, among legislators, county commissioners—about the school district losing its accreditation,” Schutten said. “There’s deep, deep concern about this.”
One concern is about the future employment of school district Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson, Schutten said.
“There’s concern about the speculation that Dr.Atkinson is leaving due to the timing with the [AdvancED report] and going back before the [state] board of education,” Schutten said. “Everybody’s speculating based on the number of meetings [board members are] having in executive session that they’re negotiating a departure for Dr. Atkinson. Nobody will speak on the record but all signs are pointing to that.
“It’s just a very frustrating time for everybody in DeKalb County right now,” Schutten said.
Walker would not address Atkinson’s future employment.
“I can’t ever speak to you about a personnel matter,” he said. “The superintendent is personnel.”
When asked why the district could not handle the AdvancED concern in-house, Walker said, “If we had felt we could do it in-house we would be looking in that direction. We feel that we’re trying to galvanize the resources necessary to help us be successful in responding to those [AdvancED] requirements.”
The school board, which had five meetings during the week of Jan. 28 is going to have “a whole lot more meetings,” Walker said.
The board has scheduled three meeting per week until Feb. 21, when it is set to go back before the state board of education. The meeting will address “every aspect of the [AdvancED] requirements in preparation for going to the state,” Evans said.
In a letter to the board, Robert Wilson stated that his law firm would “put forth our best efforts to address the matter…to secure the most desirable resolution possible.”
“We will do everything in our power, within professional ethical standards, to represent the district’s interests,” Wilson stated.
Walker said he did not know exactly what the Wilson law firm would do for the district.
“If I knew specifically what they’re going to do I wouldn’t have hired them,” Walker said. “They are the experts. They will share with us expertise that will help us and I don’t know quite what that will be. I expect it to be useful.
“They’re going to help us assess many of the concerns that were raised by [AdvancED] and help us see elements of it that we did not see,” Walker said. “No board member, to my knowledge, has ever violated one of [AdvancEd’s] standards. We’re not talking about breaking the law. We’re talking about standards that many of us don’t see the implications of the so-called infractions that we may have made.”
This is redundant silliness. It’s always ‘just about to get better’. Bull.
Below is a comment from the DeKalb School Watch. Pay attention to the dates:
This SACS baloney has been going on … and on and on and on… it’s been Groundhog Day for quite some time in DeKalb.
Read these articles posted on the old DSW blog:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/dekalb-schools-placed-on-advisement.html
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/11/sacs-update.html
And these from the AJC:
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/sacs-will-evaluate-dekalb-schools/nQmWK/
Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010
A school regulatory agency will formally evaluate DeKalb County schools to ensure the district is meeting national accreditation standards, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution learned late Thursday.
The school system’s accreditation is safe for now, but the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools told the district they have concerns that must be addressed by early 2012. On Thursday, SACS told DeKalb officials to expect the first visit before Feb. 1.
“This visit is focused on helping them move forward in the challenges they face,” SACS’ president and CEO Mark A. Elgart told the AJC. “They are in a state of uncertainty. They have lingering legal matters. They have an interim superintendent and potential changes in board makeup because of the election.”
Elgart said the review has not reached the level of a full-scale investigation similar to several other systems now under scrutiny, but said SACS has some serious concerns.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/sacs-orders-dekalb-to-make-changes/nQrCs/
Thursday, March 3, 2011
DeKalb County schools have until Oct. 31 to make changes or risk national accreditation sanctions, a situation not unfamiliar to metro Atlanta school districts.
On Thursday, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the state’s third-largest district on advisement, which is the step preceding probation.
“For accreditation purposes, they are not in crisis,” SACS president and CEO Mark A. Elgart said. “It’s not to say these challenges are minimized or not real.” . . .
DeKalb board members formally accepted the report in a short afternoon meeting and announced that interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson had formed a task force to address each of the recommendations. Chair Tom Bowen said the report didn’t contain any surprises, and he stressed to parents that the district was not in the midst of an accreditation crisis.
“Our goal is to make sure that the five-year, district-wide accreditation in 2012 goes smoothly,” Bowen said. “This just gives us a road map to make sure it goes well.”
In addition, you are aware that Tom Bowen (pictured above) is no longer on the board, right?
What is there to negotiate with Dr. Atkinson? If the Board wants to get rid of her, then get rid of her. What are they afraid of?
Sorry to know the Board will be spending more money/resources for legal assistance.
Glad to know the President of ODE is available to share an honest assessment of the circumstances.
I would like to read a dedicated coverage (one focused reporter) of the entire situation until there is a resolution the entire county – especially parents and stakeholders – can appreciate.
Message to DeKalb School Board Members = Get out of Dodge ! You are pathetic and the citizens that voted you in ain’t much better !
From the “Druid Hills Charter Cluster” Facebook page:
“The Druid Hills High School cluster of schools currently is exploring the potential benefits of petitioning to become a “charter cluster” of schools. Charter schools are public schools and receive all the funding that non-charter schools receive, but two words distinguish them from public schools as they exist today: autonomy and flexibility. A charter cluster of schools would be governed, not by the local board of education (in this instance, DeKalb), but by an independent Board of Directors with ties to each one of the constituent schools. A charter cluster would have waivers, or flexibility, from certain state and local rules and regulations, in exchange for a higher level of accountability for increasing student achievement. Charter schools use this flexibility to implement innovative or unique programs or models in order to provide educational opportunities typically not available in public schools as they exist today.”