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20 | FEB. 22—MARCH 7, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
BK
EDUCATION
Parents angry, frustrated with DeKalb County school board
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Amy LeVasseur, co-president of the
Dunwoody Elementary PTO, called
the school system a “top concern”
among parents. “Parents want answers
and I think they deserve to get answers
from the people who are running their
schools,” she said.
The accrediting agency AdvancED
placed the DeKalb system on accredita
tion probation last year because of ac
tions by the board. The agency said in
dividual board members meddled in
school operations.
That has convinced some parents that
the board needs to be replaced immedi
ately. “I think that if we do not change
the current board, were going to lose ac
creditation down the line,” Smith said.
Parents said they still feel their in
dividual local schools are doing a fine
job. But they worry that things could
change.
Some said they’ve heard neighbors
talk recently about pulling their chil
dren from public schools and sending
them to private schools. Parents have
organized campaigns writing letters to
Gov. Nathan Deal asking for state ac
tion. Some worry that businesses or
new residents will choose to locate else
where because of problems facing the
DeKalb schools. And Dunwoody offi
cials want their own, separately accred-
itated schools.
“People are not considering public
schools as a viable option right now,”
said Kim Gokce, president of the Cross
“At this point there’s
just such a lack of
confidence in the whole
system. It takes a long
time to bring that back.”
- NANCY HALLORAN
VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATIONAL
ENHANCEMENT, MONTGOMERY
ELEMENTARY PTA
Keys Foundation, which supports Cross
Keys High School in Brookhaven. “It’s
being overshadowed by governance
problems. That’s the ultimate crime in
my opinion that’s going on right now.”
In recent weeks, the board has tak
en several actions related to the accred
itation probation that have angered
parents, who worry aloud that board
members are simply trying to protect
their positions.
The board replaced the school super
intendent. After board members could
not elect a new chairman, the board’s
sitting chairman resigned the post. The
board took state officials to court to chal
lenge a process to remove board mem
bers because of the threat to the district’s
accreditation.
“I certainly don’t want us to be on
probation, but we re on probation for a
reason,” Gokce said. “Winning the pro
bation fight is not a priority for me. Ad
dressing the fundamental reasons for
probation is a priority for me. Are we
trying to win the fight or are we trying
to do what’s right? I’m concerned that
they’re focused on winning the fight.”
The board’s legal challenge to the
process allowing state officials to remove
DeKalb board members especially an
gered some parents. Dunwoody parent
Stacey Harris, who has two children in
Austin Elementary, said the action was a
waste of money that should be spent on
education. “They’re taking away money
from my children,” she said.
Dunwoody City Councilwoman
Lynn Deutsch, a parent of two chil
dren in DeKalb schools and a long-time
school activist, said the DeKalb system
“People are not
considering public schools
as a viable
option right now.”
- KIM GOKCE
CROSS KEYS
FOUNDATION PRESIDENT
should have dealt with its governance
problems many years ago.
“I went to a board meeting 16 years
ago and came back and reported they
spent more time talking about truck pur
chases than anything having to do with
academics. Unfortunately, not much has
changed ...” Deutsch said. “These are
not recent issues. They’re generational.
What I think has changed is the mis
management of funds, and the econom
ic downturn has exposed the problems.
It’s a cultural problem.”
Nancy Halloran, vice president of
educational enhancement for the Mont
gomery Elementary School PTA, said
parents want to be able to believe the
problems are going to be fixed.
“At this point there’s just such a lack
of confidence in the whole system. It
takes a long time to bring that back,” she
said. “We need [a superintendent] who
is going to stand up and be a leader. It
still remains to be seen if that’s going to
happen.”
Shari Wassell, co-president of the
Dunwoody Elementary PTO, said
many of her neighbors were drawn to
the community by the quality of the
schools. They still support their neigh
borhood schools, but they’re more and
more dismayed by actions at the top, she
said.
“It’s really frustrating,” she said. “I
think people are just tired of it. We’ve
had a lot to deal with over the last cou
ple of years with the school district.”
And Halloran worries that the board’s
actions eventually could have conse
quences in the classroom.
“If confidence in the school board
continues to drop, eventually it will
trickle down to the quality of educa
tion,” she said. “We have to stop it now
before it becomes an even worse situa
tion. This is where it needs to stop. It
can’t continue the way it is.”
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