Clayton.Talk

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 24, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this

First on the list should be Rod Johnson for being willing to throw the ENTIRE system under the bus by calling SACS in a snit. Especially considering the REAL reason he called SACS is:

-when it came out that Rod Johnson abused his power to KNOWINGLY bring an accused (now indicted) child molester on board as a “bodyguard” he lost his job in the Sheriff’s Dept.

-the Johnson family stands to lose extra THOUSANDS in income now that it’s been CONFIRMED via an Open Records request that Celeste Johnson has been illegally “double dipping,” drawing a salary while away at the General Assembly.

And who did Johnson file the complaint against? The board member who EXPOSED, and put a stop to, this abuse of taxpayers’ funds, Norreese Haynes.

That people come on this board and defend Johnson in this case, or call Haynes the problem for EXPOSING it, is incomprehensible.

PS Given the half dozen or so stories on this, don’t you find it odd the AJC hasn’t done a story on the “double dipping” when an Open Records request has CONFIRMED it?

By racebaiterhater

December 24, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

The entire board needs to be removed by the governor (If he even cares about Clayton County, can you blame him?), and a state temporary overseer should be assigned to run the school system. The board is dead in the water at this time. The state overseer should run the schools until such time as Clayton residents can demonstrate that they are capable of selecting a qualified board, without basing their decision solely on race. That is why the school system has fallen into the sad shape it is in today. Once a great school system, now a disgrace!

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 24, 2007 11:13 AM | Link to this

Racebaiterhater,

Given that Rod Johnson threw the system under the bus by calling SACS because his actions were exposed (see above) why should the ENTIRE board be recalled?

And why specifically, should the person who EXPOSED the wrongdoing be recalled? Do we not want board members willing to challenge the “powers that be” when they take actions that are unethical, immoral, and illegal?

Well, don’t we? Or do we just want to be led by the nose by the AJC because they have their own agenda in Clayton?

By t williams

December 24, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this

John Trotter

John Trotter

John Trotter

inquiring minds see that logic goes out the window when John Trotter and his various identities want to engage in politics of personal destruction. It’s okay when the agenda is set by John Trotter and his puppet Norreese Haynes but, let’s destroy anyone who gets in the way of John Trotter and his puppet Norreese Haynes doing their personal agenda on the BOE.

John Trotter

John Trotter

John Trotter

By sick of this idiot

December 24, 2007 3:17 PM | Link to this

t williams is insane t williams is insane t williams is insane

You are not stable are you? Don’t you know anything else to talk about? They should bar you from here.

t williams is insane t williams is insane t williams is insane

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 24, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this

The responses I have read so far is the reason that I am not optimistic change is coming in Clayton County. The so called informed/educated are the culprits. They have no personal responsibility for the people they represent. The so call leaders are the people who can not rise above the petty bickering to lead the board out of this mess. Kimberly, you asked “Would you support a recall in your district? Why or why not?”?

The responses did not answer the question. The responses have been the same finger pointing behavior that brought SACS back to the district. Do John Trotter, Rod Johnson, Sandra Scott, Lois Baines-Hunter, and Noreese Haynes not understand they are giving SACS the documentation they need to take the district’s accreditation? SACS need not investigate. They only need to talk to these individuals to get all the documentation they need. Individuals this dumb should not be allowed to lead us.

To answer your question, would I support a recall? There are two reasons I will not support a recall in my district or otherwise. 1) The stipulations for a recall are not realistic for the entire board. I choose to pursue realistic solutions instead of politically charged solutions. 2) John Trotter can not be recalled. He is the underline problem on this board. Unfortunately, because he is an egomaniac, he enjoys every time his name is mentioned in this way.

Let me ask you this… do you think Trotter would be able to influence the board of educations in Fulton, Atlanta Public Schools, Dekalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb the way he has in Clayton? The answer is no. The people and the leadership in these counties would not allow this to happen to their children. Did we forget about the children? The personal battles of these adults are costing our CHILDREN.

My mother told me many years ago, taking money from people always come at a price. It seems the price in this case is board members not able to act freely without the continued interference of the person that put up the money for their campaigns.

Merry Christmas Clayton County. I pray for a better new year for our board of education.

P.S. Maybe Santa will leave a few resignations under the tree.

By Tired of a Dysfunctional Board in Clayton County

December 24, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this

That dog won’t hunt, Clayton Parents. Just because Norreese “exposed” things in attempting to personally take Johnson down does not justify that he’s fit to serve the County. He has skeletons in the closet and non-ideal personal agendas against the best interests of our school district just like Johnson, Erika, Scott, etc. There’s fire where he sits and you’re trying to conduct a little dog and pony show in an attempt to hide the smoke. He’s helped burn this pot, he needs to be thrown out with it. In addition, we don’t want his childlike attitude and public tantrums around anymore either. He can take his unprofessional behavior elsewhere until he learn to control it in public.

By Help Citizens Understand John Trotter

December 24, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

Nothing to Gain or someone else,

Please educate folks why John Trotter is the underlying reason for our Boards failures? How can one man be such a powerful puppeteer? Does our board not have a choice to be or not to be influenced? How are the ethics violations tied to him?

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 24, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this

To say Norreese Haynes exposed things “to personally take down Johnson” is the dog that won’t hunt, since many things he exposed didn’t have Johnson as the prime focal point.

Case in point the “Pulliam Patronage Plan” was all about Barbara Pulliam’s attempt to add hundreds of thousands of dollars in administrative salaries for positions she couldn’t even provide job descriptions for! Had nothing to do with “taking down Rod” it had to do with making sure the resources were going to the students, not to Pulliam’s cronies.

I’m not saying Norreese Haynes is perfect (that person’s birthday is tomorrow for the believers out there) but I think a lot of the “we” in Clayton are willing to accept a “public tantrum” now and then, as without it, the land deal would have gone unnoticed, there wouldn’t be procedures in place like there are now to prevent it from happening again, and Pulliam and her cronies would have most likely continued to take Clayton taxpayers for a ride.

As far as the charges and countercharges strengthening SACS hand, that’s a legitimate point. But what is someone like Norreese suppossed to do, sit and be silent while Rod Johnson’s wife takes THOUSANDS of dollars from Clayton taxpayers by illegally double dipping?

And why hasn’t the AJC reported on this? If the AJC reporters in Clayton want to report the WHOLE story, I challenge them (or Kimberly for that matter) to post a fax number, so they can see first hand the Open Records request that has CONFIRMED that Celeste Johnson has been double dipping.

Or is the AJC afraid to post that number, because then they have NO excuse to continue to sit on the story?

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 24, 2007 4:43 PM | Link to this

Dear Help citizens understand John Trotter: To answer you question in one word, MONEY. I agree with you that personal responsibility should never be yielded to another individual. These board members have free will and should be dealt with accordingly. The fact remains that John Trotter (his own admission) was the reason Nedra Ward, Connie Kitchens, LaToya Walker and Noreese Haynes were elected. What do all these individuals have in common? 1) John Trotter and 2) SACS investigation.

With regards to ethics, I predict that SACS will find John Trotter and his board puppets in violation of 1) integrity and autonomy of the board 2) extent influence of outside organizations 3) board being compromised by conflicts of interest 4) patterns of verbal and written abuse of the staff.

I do find it interesting that John Trotter’s name has been in the middle of both SACS investigations. My entry is a warning for citizens that have an interest in running for the school board in the future. DO NOT take money from this individual. He does not give campaign contributions freely. With his money, he expects unwavering allegiance.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 24, 2007 4:56 PM | Link to this

Nothing to gain just telling the truth,

If SACS were conducting a LEGITIMATE investigation, wouldn’t they want to look into the Open Records request that CONFIRMS Celeste Johnson, Rod’s wife has been illegally double dipping?

Is that not a legitimate topic of discussion?

By t williams

December 24, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this

John Trotter

John Trotter

John Trotter

inquiring minds see that John Trotter and his various identities would love for t williams to be banned from this blog. Isn’t that wild! Just weeks ago John Trotter caused the Clayton News-Daily to shut down its blog. Can you spell hypocrite now John Trotter?

Hmmm?

inquiring minds see that John Trotter and his various identities keep throwing up that smoke screen about Rod Johnson wife Celeste and her alleged doubledipping. I repeat: Clayton County schools can simply demand the money back, if they wanted to. School Board Members don’t decide on such payments, the Superintendent appointees does.

FRAUD BY ANY OTHER NAME

inquiring minds want that fax number from the AJC too. Would a copy of a check numbered 817923 signed by Phillip M. Kane of Community Education Partners on a check from First Bank of Nashville for $3000 payable to Dr. John Trotter at the MACE office in Fayetteville be something to look at too?

NOTE

inquiring minds state that since Norreese Haynes is CEO of MACE the business that John Trotter began as a for-profit corporation that John Trotter receiving payment from Community Education Partners for Consultant 7/1-9/30/07 is an ethical and legal problem for the puppet Norreese Haynes. As MACE CEO how could Norreese Haynes NOT know that his boss and puppetmaster John Trotter was serving as a consultant for a group Norreese Haynes as Clayton County schools Board Member was moving heaven and earth to have adopted by the Board?

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

inquiring minds encourage you to go to MACE website and read up on John Trotter and his various identities and his merry band of thieves. Business must be bad if MACE just raised its monthly membership dues for teachers to $40/month! The letters written by John Trotter for Norreese Haynes that appear on the MACE website homepage are a hoot.

PURTY IS AS PURTY DOES

inquiring minds would like to see Norreese Haynes sit in a room at his legal residence in Clayton County with the SACS investigators without puppetmaster John Trotter around and actually write a statement about, say, why he wants Community Education Partners adopted into Clayton County schools.

WHERE WALDO, OOPS, NORREESE

inquiring minds are still waiting to know what legal address Norreese Haynes uses now for his Board of Education seat. inquiring minds state that Norreese Haynes hasn’t just become homeless, the puppet hasn’t had a legal residence in years.

John Trotter

John Trotter

John Trotter

…and you’d like everyone to think I’m the idiot John Trotter.

HO HO HO

BRAZIL BRAZIL BRAZIL

TITHES TITHES TITHES

click here

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 24, 2007 5:10 PM | Link to this

Clayton Parents, what do you mean by a LEGITIMATE investigation. When Dr. Elgart notified Dr. Duncan there will be an investigation, that legitimized it for me.

If your only concern is exposing Rod Johnson, call Channel 2 whistle blower and get it over with.

When board members open their mouth to prove their so called innocence, our school system suffers. With every declaration that the other guy is the problem, another hole is launced in the sinking ship called Clayton County Public Schools.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 24, 2007 5:21 PM | Link to this

Nothing to gain just telling the truth,

Here’s some info on Lois Baines-Hunter (the cheesecake lady)

-she didn’t have transportation (car was totaled) so someone else arranged the hotel stay for her to complete the participation at the conference in question.

-she was booked at an alternate hotel because there wasn’t a room where the conference was being held

-HERE’S THE KICKER: she REPEATEDLY refused offers of taxicab and WALKED to the conference from the hotel. I don’t know how many blocks that entailed, and it may not have been the safest thing to walk in downtown at night, but it does NOT sound like the behavior of someone who is trying to soak the taxpayers.

In addition, Ericka Davis publicly praised her performance at the next board meeting, so it doesn’t speak well to those board members who later decided to drag her name through the mud to get back at others on the board.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 24, 2007 6:59 PM | Link to this

My “only concern” is not exposing Rod Johnson. My concern is three fold.

One, that Rod Johnson was willing to throw the ENTIRE system under the bus by calling SACS to get back at board members who stopped his personal gravy train. If people are angry that SACS is involved, maybe they should direct that anger at the board member who involved SACS in the first place.

Two, that the reporting on this has been extremly one sided. (The AJC has reported accusations that Johnson made, but hasn’t reported that he TOTALLY recanted them, even though the AJC reporter who originally reported them was at the meeting where he recanted them. What gives?)

Three, that people are so upset with the board that they aren’t turning a critical eye toward SACS. Why did Elgart meet privately with Johnson and Davis before the announced “investigation”? And why has SACS focused only on MACE affliated members when Davis and Johnson have documented evidence of “micromanagment” against them?

Is SACS the only accreditation agency out there? They aren’t a government entity and thus aren’t accountable to the voters. If they are willing to let Clayton suffer in order to do Rod and Ericka’s bidding, (time will tell, the “investigation” is not complete yet) maybe Clayton should go with a more impartial accreditation agency in the future.

By t williams

December 24, 2007 7:07 PM | Link to this

Read the news again.

Rod Johnson wasn’t the only one to file a SACS complaint.

And, did you not think all that huffing and puffing Norreese Haynes did about the land deal that all but one Board Member voted for would fail to generate SACS attention?

Talk about being impartial when you start showing some impatiality.

By sticktothe topic

December 25, 2007 9:59 AM | Link to this

Why don’t folks stick to the topic? Looks like a lot of you should get your own blog instead of trying to take over this one!!!

By WTF?

December 25, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this

That’s why they got kicked off of the News-Daily forums. They are probably trying to shut down every blog and message board except their own so they will be the only show in town.

why don’t you guys take some action in your community instead of talking trash on a blog.

By t williams

December 25, 2007 10:38 AM | Link to this

John Trotter

By t williams

December 25, 2007 6:00 PM | Link to this

t williams is an idiot. I’ll bet this is the guy they had to expel from a board meeting.

By Dorks Enemy

December 25, 2007 6:04 PM | Link to this

(((By WTF? That’s why they got kicked off of the News-Daily forums.)))

Why hello Dork Avenger! Where you been hiding? Still a coward huh? LOL

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 25, 2007 6:19 PM | Link to this

Clayton Parents,

I read the same information about the cheezecake letter on MACE’s website. Again, why are our board members so closely associated to this organization. We continue to give SACS the information they need in order to take the district’s accreditation. KEEPING OUR ACCREDITATION is THE TRUE SUBJECT… How do we save our accreditation and rid the board of self serving egomaniacs?

Furthermore Clayton Parents, it is dangerous to dismissed this investigation as if we can go down the street and get another accrediting agency to give the system accreditation. Name another accrediting agency in the southeast.

By joe

December 26, 2007 9:58 AM | Link to this

There is no personal accountability with the BOE members. But , ther is not much any where else. Not many will do what is right if no one is going to hold you accountabile. Politicans all have their own selfish agendas, and the voters are asleep at the switch. Wake up befor it’s to late.God will hold all accountabile.

By JustAnotherFool

December 26, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this

There is no reason that the town hall meetings that have taken place should have not been packed to the hilt. You want answers? You got your answer. This county is all talk and no substance. The ones who need to be here are the fools who vote and don’t have a clue who they are voting for, but dang sure enough, they felt good about voting.

By Tell it like it is!

December 26, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this

JustAnotherFool you are absolutely right. But remember who we are talking about here. The same scum who don’t care what their kids do in school, and use the schools as day care. Most likely they have about a sixth grade education, and don’t expect much more out of their own kids. They are baby makers. Thats all they are good for. My neighborhood is full of them. You won’t get much help from them!

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 26, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this

No matter who you think the bad guys in this drama are, JustAnotherFool is right. The voters by and large simply do not educate themselves on the issues. And since they don’t bother to educate themselves, they don’t make it a priority to educate their children. (How many parents do you think bought books for Christmas, as compared to XBoxes?)

For all the people who dislike MACE, there’s a simple solution. They should remember that MACE was founded on the philosophy of “you cannot have good learning conditions until you have good teaching conditions”.

That means discipline. If parents would merely parent you wouldn’t have out of control students in Clayton. (And yes, when a system reports 3,000+ fights in a single year, the students are out of control.) If parents would merely parent a spineless administrator couldn’t cave in to a parent who doesn’t want consequences, as that administrator would be met by ten other parents who demand that their children’s education isn’t hijacked.

These same parents would then in turn vote for candidates who would stress discipline. But who did they vote for? Candidates who belong to an organization (GAE) that, by its very nature, cannot stress discipline, because it makes its administrative members nervous. (By the way, why has no one from SACS every mentioned a “conflict of interest” when GAE members AND GAE paid employees serve on a school board?)

If “the people” really want to get rid of MACE, they’d bring their children to school prepared to behave and prepared to learn. Teachers then wouldn’t spend their money on an organization that protects their rights to actually teach free of verbal abuse and outright physical assault.

Why do you think MACE exists in the first place? The free market wouldn’t support MACE if parents did their job, and if administrators didn’t cave in to the parents who don’t do their job, because teachers would be able to do their job.

If you want to look a a root cause of what ails Clayton schools it’s not the school board. It’s a system that doesn’t hold parents (or students for that matter) accountable for their children’s behavior, and a system that consistently drives away teachers because of that very thing.

But that’s a root cause we don’t want to look at, because it forces us to look at ourselves.

By Clayton Resident

December 26, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this

I am undecided about a recall in my district. Michelle Strong is our rep and altho she’s not one of the “big 3” in this mess, she is on the board & I have heard NOTHING from her publicly as to where she stands on this issue, which makes me wonder who’s side she is really on or if she is on the take as well.

**I attended both meetings last week and heard that the attorneys for the school board told them to keep their mouths shut because this will eventually blow over and we will all forget about it and find something else to get mad about.

sounds like something a lawyer would advise, doesn’t it?**

I really hope we as a county and community can come together on this issue and figure out what will be the best course of action for the children of Clayton, whether that is a recall or just voting the bums out in November 2008.

By Tell it like it is!

December 26, 2007 2:59 PM | Link to this

Just pray the state takes over for the board of education.Its quick, and painless. Recalls drag on forever. Let Sonny know you want them gone now. http://gov.georgia.gov/00/gov/contactus/0,2657,7800674994820188,00.html

By ajc

December 26, 2007 5:55 PM | Link to this

Can fraud by any other name get the AJC a copy of that check to MACE from CEP? Please send it to mmatteucci@ajc.com.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 26, 2007 6:33 PM | Link to this

I can get you a copy of Celeste Johnson’s paystubs that show she has been illegally double dipping. Why won’t you post a fax number so you can report on that?!

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 27, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this

Back to the topic to RECALL or not to RECALL?

I am not for a recall. I do not think it is realistic. I am for citizens from each district meeting (minus the news cameras) and devising an grassroots plan to be carried out through out each district with hopes of mobilizing the citizens about this school board.

It is evident that a little school board can impact our lives financially. It is evident that a little school board can impact our children’s future. Every child in Clayton County is disadvantaged as a result of this school board. They are disadvantaged because they will not have the same opportunities that other children have across this state.

Classic irony… A majority BLACK school board is the obstacle for little BLACK children NOT receiving a fair and equitable education.

Racebaiterhater, This example is why I have always believed that elected officials should NOT be selected by the color of their skin.

By Gloria

December 27, 2007 9:20 AM | Link to this

Enough of you “self-hating” blacks and racist whites who decry an all black anything. Let me impart some knowledge. A majority Black Board is not the obstacle for…Black Children not receiving a fair and equitable education. It is what goes on inside the classrooms that is keeping our children from being educated in Clayton County. Thank God there are those of us who realize this fact. So to you Blacks who think that your race is not capable of governing—educate yourself about your history first before making such asnine statements. Ironically, I have never heard whites complain about an all white board here in Clayton County. But they are screaming like hell now because there cash cow is being threatned. They have controlled and manipulated this county for years and now they want to blame the Blacks. The sad part is that they have found a few colored people to help them out.

By Gloria

December 27, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this

whites vote for whites (always have), jews vote for jews (always will), … now who should blacks vote for?

By Black Woman in Clayco

December 27, 2007 9:38 AM | Link to this

Why is it that when a black calls another black out on his/her wrongdoing, we are made out to be a traitor to the race? That is ridiculous southern nonsense!

When whites call each other out on their wrongs, we do not judge them in the same way.

Gloria, whether you know it or not (or accept it or not) most of the black leadership in this county IS on the take and unfortunately the blacks in this county are making us ALL look bad with their lousy leadership.

But they won’t care because if we ever get them out of here, they will just pack up their families and move to the north side of town.

and the the sad fact is, most of them were voted in BECAUSE they are black, not because they are most qualified or best fit for the position.

I am all for black leaders and do not have a problem with them being in positions of power, but I am against them (regardless of race) using their office to further their own selfish ambitions, which many of Clayton’s elected officials are and have done.

Also to be fair, black folks are saying very little right now BECAUSE it is black folks in office. If it were white folks we’d scream racism too.

I am praying black folks in this county vote on the MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES in 2008 regardless of color.

As far as a recall, yes I will support it. My district representative hasn’t said anything publicly either nor answered any emails or letters I have sent re: accredidation, and that will cost her my vote when the time comes.

Yes Clayton’s schools have other issues we need to address. I say let’s clean house from the top on down. We need to show these elected officials and any teacher or school administrator who doesn’t care about our children that we will get them outta there if need be.

By Black Woman in Clayco

December 27, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this

Only simpleminded people with zero vision vote for candidates based solely on race (whether they be white, black, jew, latino, etc.). Anyone with some sense will vote for the most qualified candidate available, regardless of race!

Mixed leadership works in every other large city and state EXCEPT Georgia it seems. Just more proof that this place is azz backwards.

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 27, 2007 10:17 AM | Link to this

Well said Black women in Clayco. Lets move pass electing lousy black leadership for the sake of saying there is a black person in office. Lets also moved passed the weak argument that there were no complaints when the white folks were messing up in office, and there should be no complaints when the black folks are messing up.

Did we fight so that our leaders can be equally bad as their counter parts? Gloria, are you saying that I can never criticize the leadership because they are black. You can not believe that is acceptable. If you do, I bet you were one of the ones that cheered when OJ got off as if Black people won something.

Black women in Clayco, is Michelle Strong your board member? If so, I have received the same response-NONE.

By Mommy S

December 27, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

I don’t think a recall is going to happen. The requirements are much too tough. Hopefully the black majority will stop thinking that voting black will somehow help black people. When the school board was QUALIFIED all students were better off. Stop voting racial lines and let’s have some DIVIRSITY on the school board.

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 27, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

Diversity, diversity, diversity, diversity…. not just in race but also in vocation. Can we get other people to run for office other than educators? Did you all realize that six out the nine members of the board earn or have earned a living in the field of education.

I respect the work of an educator (more than you will ever know) but at the same time we need diverse approaches to issues. Our board will only benefit from the various experiences people from other professions can bring.

Ms. Hill, when you finish the superintendent search, lets see if you can find us great board candidates with a diverse background that will work together for the betterment of the county regardless of their color.

By Jim A.

December 27, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

To Kimberly Allen; Thank you for giving us a forum to air this out, More than I can say for our local newspaper!

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 12:32 PM | Link to this

Yes the Clayton school system is majority black. And given the socio-economic status and mindset of many (not all mind you, but many) who have moved in, it’s brought a host of challenges, among them discipline.

But while previous black members of the board (and the previous black superintendent) sat by and did nothing, (3,000+ documented fights for starters) who was the one black leader willing to confront the black community and say this must stop, discipline must be restored, the thugs must go?

Norreese Haynes. For everybody who bashes MACE out there, I’ve never seen anybody repudiate their guiding philosophy of “you can’t have good learning conditions until you have good teaching conditions and that MUST include support for discipline.”

What people fail to realize, because they haven’t taken the time to educate themselves on the issue, is that a lot of this SACS “investigation” is being driven by the Georgia Association of Educators because they cannot address discipline, because it makes the administrators who make up a large part of GAE membership nervous. And who are the GAE members on the board? None other than Rod Johnson and Ericka Davis.

Why do you think Clayton GAE president Sid Chapman is always at the board meetings “outraged” at Norreese Haynes but never at the actions of Rod and Ericka? Why do you think Sid Chapman tried to totally gut the Teachers’ Bill of Rights?

Because even though he is a “teacher” he doesn’t have to sit in a classroom. That’s right, as a “Morrow High” teacher, he gets paid to sit at the GAE offices in Clayton all day. No wonder he has no problem trying to undercut the discipline proposal the board passed. He doesn’t have to deal with the effects of it.

By the way, this is all perfectly legal, (that Sid Chapman is banking years in the Teachers’ Retirement System while sitting in a union office building). I point this out so that the next time you read a Sid Chapman quote in the AJC you’ll know the real reason he’s “outraged”. He’s doing GAE members Rod and Ericka’s bidding.

All of this is to point out that voters must educate themselves on the issues. This SACS “investigation” has NOTHING to do with what’s best for Clayton County’s students. It is STRICTLY a political power play by Rod Johnson and Ericka Davis (why else did they meet secretly with Elgart from SACS in the weeks before the “investigation”?)

I don’t know what’s in it for SACS (most likely just a chance to saber rattle) but the people not Sid Chapman should be “outraged” that Rod Johnson was willing to throw the ENTIRE system under the bus because he was mad at Norreese Haynes for stopping his and wife Celeste’s family gravvy train at the expense of YOU the voter.

Again, if people would educate themselves on the issues and not be led by the nose by the AJC they would have a clearer picture.

By KimWhit

December 27, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

Quality attracts quality. We are never going to get quality teachers and administrators in Clayton County as long as the population is increasingly comprised of people who place no value on education or anything else for that matter. I would not send my dog to a Clayton County school. My stepson lived with us briefly two years ago and attended our zoned elementary school. He had perfect grammar prior to attending this school and had terrible grammar when he left six months later. The principal and teachers had terrible grammar and I would cringe in disbelief at the sparsely attended PTA meetings. What top notch teacher or administrator would waste their talent in the Clayton school system? I am demanding my school taxes back if the system becomes unaccredited! We are now looking at a $1200 per month private school bill and will need our school tax money to defray the cost. We would move but no one will purchase our home! We are prisoners and it’s going to get worse when the City of Atlanta releases the rest of their project dwellers and they flood Clayton County. Let’s not even talk about the illegals. We could import some of the best minds in this nation to occupy every school board, administration, and teaching slot in the county and it will still go to heck because most of the parents and the kids do not place a value on education.
Uniforms should be mandatory as most of the kids I see look like they are going to star in a rap video. The girls look old and used up and the boys look like thugs. Most of the parents I see at my little girl’s preschool routinely dress like they are going to the club and they dress their toddlers like this. I’ve seen three year old girl with hair weave and wearing halter tops like their mothers. The few fathers who show up wear cornrow braids and dope boy outfits. We constantly have to deprogram our four year old of the bad grammar and ghetto habits that she is picking up from these kids. NOTHING FROM NOTHING IS NOTHING. The real solution is to raise property taxes to the point where Clayton is no longer an “affordable” county. We all know that “affordable” equals cheap and cheap doesn’t last. Stop the entitlement and handouts and make these folks pay the actual costs of goods and services they are receiving. Most of them are not paying a dime of local or federal tax and don’t know the true cost of anything because it’s all ONE BIG FREEBIE. Give them a big wakeup call and present them with the true bill and not some voucher and I guarantee the appreciation level will increase. I for one am SICK TO DEATH OF IT ALL and will support all candidates who feel the same way regardless of race, creed or color. Clayton County has a great opportunity to attract all of the mega commuters who are sick of the traffic and prohibitive gas cost. The current slate of politicians loves the status quo because they can sleep at the switch and voter apathy is guaranteed. VOTE EVERY ONE OF THEM OUT AND BE WILLING TO PAY HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES TO ATTRACT A HIGHER QUALITY POPULATION. Better businesses and a less grimy environment will follow. Get rid of the entitlement crowd along with their political enablers and the school system will improve by default.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 1:15 PM | Link to this

Think back to the case several years ago, when a Clayton County student falsely accused a Clayton County teacher of having sex with him. (It made the national news if I’m not mistaken) How the teacher had to go through the humiliation of showing her breasts to the jury to prove her innocence? (She had scars on her breasts that the “victim” did not mention in his detailed description of her body)

Who defended her so that she could be COMPLETELY exhonerated and return to her career? MACE did.

And who was the student who falsely accused her?

None other than Ericka Davis’s younger brother!

Now you know…the rest of the story and what’s REALLY driving this SACS “investigation”.

By Veteren Teacher

December 27, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this

This free advertising for MACE needs to stop on these Blogs. Let me ask you something… Have you considered that the disproportionate amount of TAPP teachers in Clayton County may also add to the discipline issues in the classrooms. In other words, we have a large majority of our teachers who have NOT been trained to teach. They have not been trained to effectively control large groups of children. I have taught in multiple areas (all affluent, all Black, rural,all white, and urban)and for many years. It has never been my experience that children just behaved without a strong classroom management plan and the unwavering expectation for them to behave. It helps if the administration was good but it was never a requirement for me to get my students to not only behave but to excel academically.

Instead of MACE offering assistance to these teachers, they prey on them for $40.00 a month. Read some of the letters MACE has written on behalf of these teachers. One letter advocated for a teacher who did not wear proper attire to work. Another letter advocated for a teacher cursing in class. Another letter advocated for a teacher who seemed to be an overall bad teacher.

MACE may have won the case with that teacher that admitted to having sex with that student in CLAYTON county but MACE LOST the case with the teacher at Tri-Cities in FULTON County. The teacher refused to prepare students for the graduation test by teaching the state curriculum. He chose not supplement the state curriculum with black history but to teach black history instead of the U.S. History class needed to do well on the state test. Without a passing grade on the state test, his students would not receive a diploma. I applaud Fulton for looking pass MACE’s racially charge arguments to do what was right for all students at Tri-Cities High School.

MACE blames the 1% of bad children that are in ALL schools as the reason Clayton Co. schools are in a mess.

I am telling MACE that if we can get the adults in the school to not contribute to the problem, then the adults can work collaboratively to move that 1% out of our schools.

I understand, that MESSAGE does not scare teachers into giving money each month.

I predict that if we can attract qualified veteren teachers back to Clayton County, MACE will have to take their show on the road and find another county where the teachers buy into the distructive message MACE will bring to town.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 2:51 PM | Link to this

Let me ask you “Veteran Teacher”. Did “one percent” of the students cause over three thousand documented fights?

Tell me specifically what GAE members Rod and Ericka did to stop the “one percent” from destroying the integrity of the learning environment? I can tell you specifically that Norreese Haynes campaigned on a promise to try to restore discipline and then followed through with a Teachers’ Bill of Rights.

You might be able to sway the uninitiated, but I know something about the realities of what Clayton teachers face and the lie that “teacher training” will solve everything. (It won’t; but it sure helps make a lot of “trainers” rich on the taxpayers’ dime) And if you want to claim that it’s only “one percent” of the students who are a problem, your credibility is nil. (Ask yourself this readers: Do you think ALL of Clayton’s problems are from merely “one percent” of its citizens? Then why would we think ALL of Clayton’s problems in the schools are from “one percent” of the students?)

Please explain how NOT having the right to remove a chroncially disruptive student from the classroom (as GAE member Ericka Davis tried to push for before she realized there was no way she could vote against the Teachers’ Bill of Rights) helps the learning environment?

Now as far as “teacher training” it can help. But, if a teacher is verbally abused and/or physcially assaulted and the administrator does NOT back up the teacher (non-teachers have NO idea how often that happens in Clayton) you are in fact training the students that there are no consequences for misbehavior. And THAT is what the “adults” in Clayton schools have done, for that is the ONLY reason you have 3,000+ documented fights (and God knows how many more undocumented) in a single year.

“Teacher training” will not address that. Administrative BACKBONE will, something that GAE members Rod and Ericka have never pushed, because it makes the GAE leadership nervous.

Sounds like GAE may have got a spokesperson to come on this blog because they don’t like the truth about what’s coming out about GAE members Rod and Ericka on the blogs.

But unlike MACE bashers who would promote censorship I personally have no problem with a GAE advocate coming on this blog, as “the free exchange of ideas” will help voters educate themselves on the issues. (And if they think SACS is involved for the benefit of “the children” they NEED an education.)

However, in the case of Ericka Davis’s younger brother (I noticed you didn’t exactly deny it was Erika Davis’s younger brother) before we drag a teacher’s reputation through the mud, let’s note that three seperate investigations TOTALLY exhonerated her and she, if I’m not mistaken, still is an active teacher in good standing.

One thing I will agree on. If the adults DID deal with discipline, if parents would “parent”, and administrators would “administrate” MACE would cease to function. The free market would take care of MACE as teachers would no longer pay to join an organization that protects their rights as teachers to actually teach, if they were actually allowed to teach!

And as much as I support the MACE philosophy of “you can’t have good learning conditions, until you have good teaching conditions” if we did have those conditions it would be a great day indeed, and I would trust that those involved with MACE have the talent to contribute to society in other areas.

Of course we wouldn’t need GAE either. Don’t know how happy that would make Sid Chapman, having to leave the comfort of his GAE office and return back to real teaching.

By the way, care to tell us what is so “destructive” about a philosophy that says “You cannot have good learning conditions until you have good teaching conditions and that MUST include support for discipline”?

I think even adults who’ve haven’t stepped inside a school since the day they graduated can see the wisdom in that!

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this

For those who aren’t up on “the nuts and bolts” of teaching, let me break down Veteran Teacher’s claim that “one percent” of the students are the problem. Imagine four second grade classrooms. 25 students each. 100 students total. Now go into any low performing school and ask those four teachers “Out of all FOUR of your classrooms is it true that there is only one student acting out?”

Then step back so you don’t get slapped by four teachers all at once LOL!

Ask yourselves this readers: Do you think Clayton’s abysmal test scores, and huge numbers of documented discipline problems (one of the top two reasons teachers give for leaving the system by the way) are caused by one out of every one hundred students acting like a knucklehead? Seriously.

Might want to rethink that claim; readers of this blog may not all be “Veteran Teachers” but I bet most of them have common sense

By mlk

December 27, 2007 3:33 PM | Link to this

John Trotter is such a transparent puppet master. He logs in as “Clayton Parents” and then defends his second rate teacher organization and advances his destructive agenda. I wish we could recall him. Since we cant, we should at least recall his main puppet. this clown just filed another complaint with SACS. What an embarrasment!

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 4:01 PM | Link to this

We’ve been through this before. People claiming John Trotter was posting at the exact same time he was with a hotel’s worth of witnesses at a social function. NOT on a laptop by the way LOL

Still, care to explain specifically what is wrong with an “agenda” whose central tenant is “You cannot have good learning conditions until you have good teaching conditions, and that MUST include discipline”?

For all the MACE bashers out there, I’ve yet to see someone come on here and refute that. And I’ve yet to see a MACE basher offer up a defense for Rod Johnson throwing an ENTIRE system under the bus by calling SACS.

Maybe MACE bashers can’t do that, because then they have to deal with the fact that Rod Johnson lost his job with the Sheriff’s Department when Norreese Haynes EXPOSED that he helped try to hire an accused (now indicted) child molester and the Johnson family stands to lose THOUSANDS of dollars because Norreese Haynes EXPOSED Celeste Johnson’s double dipping.

I have put forth the argument that Clayton citizens should be furious at Rod Johnson, because the SACS “investigation” was nothing more than Johnson’s attempt to get back at Haynes for stopping the Johnson gravy train and had NOTHING to do with supporting Clayton’s students.

If you can make a more compelling case for Rod Johnson’s actions, if you can defend his KNOWING involvement with the accused child molester as “bodyguard” or can justify his wife’s “double dipping” PLEASE do so.

Otherwise, don’t shoot the messenger. One last thing. Rod Johnson was the one brought SACS back to Clayton. Rod Johnson was the one who met PRIVATELY with Elgart in the weeks before the “investigation”. Was Norreese Haynes just supposed to sit there and be slandered and libeled by Johnson and do nothing? Would you?

By racebaiterhater

December 27, 2007 4:02 PM | Link to this

Its quite apparent we need to throw out the board, MACE ,Trotter, and all these idiots, and take back our school board, and school system! We don’t need educators on the board either. The board would do better off without them. Lets reclaim the board! It belongs to us, not the idiots mentioned above. They have stolen it from us!

By Epiphany

December 27, 2007 4:13 PM | Link to this

After reading this thread my personal litmus test for Board Members in future election’s will be to ensure that the candidate had no connection, membership, business dealings, campaign finance, what-so-ever, in the past and in the present and they must pledge, no alffiliation with GAE, MACE, NEA for the term of their office.

It’s very obvious how these orginaizations have divided the system against itself, corrupted officials through financing elections, spreads inuendos and mis-information, deflects attention from criminal activity and make every excuse in the world as to why the system is bad.

The ClayCo electorate are responsible for this parade of fools we call a School Board. The electorate tolerate mediocre behavior by parents, officials, students, teachers and administrators.

My child was registered in 3rd Grade a few years ago in what was statistically the best Elementary School in ClayCo. Within 3 weeks she was in private school. Other Third Graders with MF this and MF that. Teachers and Admin telling me language can’t be controlled. Tells me y’all just punks.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this

racebaiterhater,

Can you explain SPECIFICALLY why you mention MACE and Dr. Trotter by name, but fail to mention GAE members Rod Johnson and Ericka Davis by name?

Was it a MACE member who KNOWINGLY facilitated the hiring of an accused (now indicted) child molester to work as a “bodyguard”? No, it was a GAE member?

Was it a MACE member whose wife has been illegally “double dipping”? No it was a GAE member.

Was it a MACE member who signed off on paying MILLIONS above value in a questionable land deal? No it was a GAE member.

Given all that, I find it curious as to why you don’t mention GAE in your “the board must go” rant?

Care to explain?

By racebaiterhater

December 27, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this

Let me put it bluntly. I want everyone associated with that board in any way including members, election campaign promoters, relatives employed by the board, and any organization attempting to influence the board, mace, Davis, Trotter,GAE,bla bla bla,or whomever, kicked out of this county. Period. We don’t need them. Go play with dekalb, or fulton county. Not us. That should be clear enough. WE WANT OUR BOARD BACK! NO MORE GAMES!

By mlk

December 27, 2007 4:52 PM | Link to this

Come on Trotter. We all know it is you. Who else would go through all this trouble to defend that second rate teacher organization you created. Who else would try and defend your puppet? Restate MACE’s little slogan all you want to but we know its really all about the money for you. You don’t care about our students or our county, its all about the money. John Trotter sued our school district tears ago and got a huge settlement. He used the money to start mace and get his members elected to the board. his candidates then get us on probation and may lose our accredidation. Now i cant even sell my house for what i paid for it! As soon as the Mace members learn they are getting robbed by an unmasked bandit, the better we all will be. Did you give any of your members a cut of that $3000 check from First Bank of Nashville?

By racebaiterhater

December 27, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this

Looks like all the school systems vermin is right here in this forum! My god no wonder the system is in shambles. Hopefully REAL clayton parents can see through all this bull. Throw them all out!

By mlk

December 27, 2007 5:22 PM | Link to this

I thought the the vermin were purged after we got off probabtion but it appears that the pide pipper has just recruited bigger, nastier, less sophisticated, more controllable vermin. I agree “racebaiterhater”, hopefully the REAL parents and property owners will do their research. They will see that the common denominator in this problem we call a school district is John Trotter, aka “Attn: Clayton Parents”

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 5:23 PM | Link to this

So you “know” John Trotter is posting? Just like the blogger who “knew” John Trotter was posting…at the exact same time John Trotter was at a social function with a entire hotel’s worth of witnesses?

Ever consider the possibility that someone who has seen first hand what the lack of administrative support for teachers in matters of discipline does to teachers and ultimately students might want to advocate for a board member who ran on a platform of returning discipline to schools?

Not saying I agree with everything MACE would advocate. I don’t think offering pay increases to Clayton teachers is going to do a thing to help the system if the system doesn’t first deal with discipline; I seriously doubt that’s a MACE position (or for that matter, a GAE position) And I’ve always maintain that if parent would merely parent and send children to school ready to learn AND behave, MACE wouldn’t have a legitimate reason to exist. And I’m pretty sure THAT is not a MACE position LOL

But I do think MACE is spot on when it comes to discipline, and I think they have been at the very forefront in addressing the discipline problems in the schools in a way that GAE cannot because their membership contains administrators.

That is a nutshell is why I blog; that and the fact that I think the AJC’s coverage has been extremely one sided. I think the more information out there, the more informed voters will be. Of course the question is, do voters even want to be informed or do they just want to engage in knee-jerk reactions that satisfy an emotional need to “do something” when the real answer to “doing something” is right at home (and the library; and the bookstore?)

By mlk

December 27, 2007 5:36 PM | Link to this

“t williams” PLEASE post a copy of that $3000 check from the First Bank of Nashville with John Trotter’s name on it.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 5:53 PM | Link to this

mlk,

So tell me, is a “pide pipper” anything like the Pied Piper? Please tell me you’re not teaching our children literature anywhere in Clayton (or for that matter, even basic phonics).

And like so many of the MACE basher/Dr. Trotter is the anti-Christ posters out there, you seem cotent to “bash the bogeyman” but not so keen on dealing with specifics.

When the 3,000+ documented fights hit the news, was it John Trotter who sent a memo to principals asking them to stop writing up fights so the numbers would look better?

Did John Trotter vote to spend MILLIONS extra on a questionable land deal?

Did John Trotter KNOWINGLY hire an accused (now indicted) child molester as a “bodyguard”?

Well, that would be, no, no…and no.

Is John Trotter even ON the school board. Um, that would be no.

What’s next, John Trotter plotting with the Illuminati and the Trilateral Commission to facilitate an alien takeover of Clayton County government?

Oh, I forgot, he DID do that LOL!

By Let's Make Clayton County Better

December 27, 2007 6:09 PM | Link to this

I’m learning as I go (and as my kids enter the system). Someone please explain to me where I may be wrong or not understand. The problem I see with our Board is lack of oversight, accountability, and governance. Not by them for the school system but of them by another entity. It seems very odd to me that there are no safety nets in place to ensure the Board is acting appropriately. We’ve now had 2 investigations in 5 years by SACS. If using the standards I belive we should have, changes on the Board, policy revisions or additions, etc. should occur far before SACS ever gets involved. Who provides the oversight of our School Board? If this occured, we wouldn’t be in such deep waters without a life raft.

By mlk

December 27, 2007 6:13 PM | Link to this

Did you learn the correct spelling before or after you sued the school district? Hmmm. Funny how a so-called educator who cantt get a job with a school system spends time correcting misspelled words. Maybe if you had spent more time educating students (instead of physically assaulting them) or advocating for their banishment to corrrectional facilities, you would be working for a school system today. You sure do spend a lot of time defending John Trotter, not to be him “attn clayton parents”. How would you know that Trotter was in a hotel full of people last time someone called you/him out for pretending not to be you/him? You may be able to pull the wool over your puppets’ eyes but the rest of the people here in the county are not going to be fooled by your transparent efforts to manipulate and destroy. We will see to it! your days of raping and pillaging (is that the correct spelling) the school district are over.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 6:18 PM | Link to this

Let’s Make Clayton Better,

The voters are the ones who ultimately “oversee” the board. A more important question you might want to ask yourself is who oversees SACS?

They are a private entity themselves, with no government oversight as far as I know. So you may want to ask yourself why Dr. Elgart from SACS met privately (secretly?) with Ericka Davis and Rod Johnson weeks before this “investigation” was announced.

Who’s overseeing SACS to see that their own agenda isn’t harming Clayton students?

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 6:32 PM | Link to this

mlk,

How would I know John Trotter was in a hotel during a social function at the exact same time he was allegedly posting if I wasn’t John Trotter? Maybe I am one of the people who attended that function. Or maybe someone in my family was in attendance at that function. Or maybe I was a guest at the hotel the same night as the function. Or maybe I work at the hotel that hosted the affair.

Or maybe, just maybe, I’m a member of the Illuminati, and I know everything.

BOO!

By Nothing to gain just telling the truth

December 27, 2007 7:01 PM | Link to this

THE PUBLIC OVERSEES THE BOARD OF EDUCATION!!!! and the public needs to require that the board pass an ethics policy. This ethics policy must have teeth. The consequences for the inappropriate actions of board members need to be clear. My motto is hit them in the pocket. When they violate the ethics policy, their first consequence is a healthy fine.

Clayton county parent, your criticism of SACS makes me think you have lost your mind. Didn’t you try citicizing the accrediting agency the last time the school district was faced with this situation. I remember your puppet Nedra Ware threatened a law suit because SACS did not have the right to sanction the board. That argument did not work last time and it will not work this time.

By New Board Needed

December 27, 2007 7:05 PM | Link to this

The State of Georgia should dissolve the school board and appoint one person to run it until next election.

After that happens, the voters should insist on an strict ethics policy, more interaction between the Board and the public, and ensure more time is spent by the board studying issues and less on legislating.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 27, 2007 7:11 PM | Link to this

Nothing to gain just telling the truth,

First I don’t have a “hidden agenda”. I’ve been pretty clear about posting because I believe in the philosophy of “You can’t have good learning conditions until you have good teaching conditions” (And I believe the AJC’s reporting has been very biased to say the least.)

I’ve seen what happens to students who are “taught” by spineless administrators that there are no consequences for lack of work, disrupting class, verbally abusing or even physcially assaulting teachers. (Not saying ALL administrators are that way, but the system does encourage it.)

Eventually life, too often via the criminal justice system, teaches them the lessons they should have learned in school. We ALL pay for that.

Sorry if it bothers you that I don’t want the TOTAL lack of discipline in the schools to have an adverse effect on children I’ve worked with, either in their classrooms, or by sponsoring extra-curricula activities, or by taking them to a bookstore to make their very first book purchase, or by transporting them and their families to the public library to get their first library card to promote the importance of reading.

I think they call this “walking the walk”.

As far as SACS, you’re right. I don’t know their motivation, I just find it very suspicious that Elgart met with Davis and Johnson only in the weeks beforehand and Elgart has said nothing about the documented offenses of either.

You can pretend SACS is a paragon of virture if you want, but I haven’t seen anything to make that leap of faith.

By Gloria

December 28, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this

Sorry to disappoint you but I was a kid during the OJ murder trial. But I do know of Marcus Garvey, who extolled the strengths of our race. And I know about Willie Lynch. From what I have been told about OJ, he was a criminal. No you are not a traitor of the race. You are what I referred to as “self hating” Deep inside you are ashamed of your blackness that God put on you.Why? because you seem to have the need to espouse the ill-held idea that blacks can not lead or do anything right without whites. This way of thinking is linked to slavery. Well guess what there is good and bad in both races. Now lets just focus on Clayton County— There was a team of whites who ruled this county (and still do for that matter)for years, raping the land and robbing the taxpayers. Did whites complain about Griswell, Bray and Matthews? No! and they still will not. But the moment Blacks were elected they started complaining and you along with them. Let me just tell you this, whites in Clayton County do not want to serve with you — who by the way if I am inferring correctly are black. That is why they continue to sit back and enlist your

Black woman in Clayco you may not know any qualified black people with strong leadership skills who have a sense of self and recognize that criticizing the race serves no purpose but to help the staus quo keep you and your progeny at bay and no dogs are required! I feel sorry for you because there is no stopping you from this mindset. Any black person would be suspect in your eyes.

Did we get the strong Black leadership we needed in the last 2 elections? No. Does that mean that we are not capable of leading? No. It will take some time to correct this mess, and we can.

I

By Gloria

December 28, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this

Sorry to disappoint you but I was a kid during the OJ murder trial. But I do know of Marcus Garvey, who extolled the strengths of our race. And I know about Willie Lynch. From what I have been told about OJ, he was a criminal. No you are not a traitor of the race. You are what I referred to as “self hating” Deep inside you are ashamed of your blackness that God put on you.Why? because you seem to have the need to espouse the ill-held idea that blacks can not lead or do anything right without whites. This way of thinking is linked to slavery. Well guess what there is good and bad in both races. Now lets just focus on Clayton County— There was a team of whites who ruled this county (and still do for that matter)for years, raping the land and robbing the taxpayers. Did whites complain about Griswell, Bray and Matthews? No! and they still will not. But the moment Blacks were elected they started complaining and you along with them. Let me just tell you this, whites in Clayton County do not want to serve with you — who by the way if I am inferring correctly are black. That is why they continue to sit back and enlist your

Black woman in Clayco you may not know any qualified black people with strong leadership skills who have a sense of self and recognize that criticizing the race serves no purpose but to help the staus quo keep you and your progeny at bay and no dogs are required! I feel sorry for you because there is no stopping you from this mindset. Any black person would be suspect in your eyes.

Did we get the strong Black leadership we needed in the last 2 elections? No. Does that mean that we are not capable of leading? No. It will take some time to correct this mess, and we can.

I

By Gloria

December 28, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this

Sorry to disappoint you but I was a kid during the OJ murder trial. But I do know of Marcus Garvey, who extolled the strengths of our race. And I know about Willie Lynch. From what I have been told about OJ, he was a criminal. No you are not a traitor of the race. You are what I referred to as “self hating” Deep inside you are ashamed of your blackness that God put on you.Why? because you seem to have the need to espouse the ill-held idea that blacks can not lead or do anything right without whites. This way of thinking is linked to slavery. Well guess what there is good and bad in both races. Now lets just focus on Clayton County— There was a team of whites who ruled this county (and still do for that matter)for years, raping the land and robbing the taxpayers. Did whites complain about Griswell, Bray and Matthews? No! and they still will not. But the moment Blacks were elected they started complaining and you along with them. Let me just tell you this, whites in Clayton County do not want to serve with you — who by the way if I am inferring correctly are black. That is why they continue to sit back and enlist your

Black woman in Clayco you may not know any qualified black people with strong leadership skills who have a sense of self and recognize that criticizing the race serves no purpose but to help the staus quo keep you and your progeny at bay and no dogs are required! I feel sorry for you because there is no stopping you from this mindset. Any black person would be suspect in your eyes.

Did we get the strong Black leadership we needed in the last 2 elections? No. Does that mean that we are not capable of leading? No. It will take some time to correct this mess, and we can.

I

By Visit and Join-In

December 28, 2007 9:04 AM | Link to this

Visit www.give-em-the-boot.com

Read, register, participate in the many and varied voices of Clayton County.

www.give-em-the-boot.com

By Delta, I'm ready!

December 28, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this

It is very interesting that Gloria seemed to exclude Martin Luther King, who lived and died hoping ALL races could to find a way to work and live together peacefully.

Was MLK also “self hating”?

By mlk

December 28, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this

Gloria,

Ironically, John Trotter (they guy who called you out about OJ and logs in as “Attn Clayton Parents” is WHITE. He is not “self hating”. He is self serving and is lining his pockets at the expense of our disenfranchised students

By Gloria

December 28, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this

Martin Luther King was not self-hating, He was a strong black man with a strong sense of race pride. A leader among other black leaders and by the way he had a black board!You are right he went to his grave hoping all races could come together. Delta it is not blacks who keep the races from coming together(obviously you want to get with them and others have tried and continue to do so.)It is the staunch racism that is passed down from generation to generation. Let me define racism,…racism is the act of denying rights and priveleges based on color of skin. The last time I looked Blacks were not able to deny whites anything.

As for our internal problems we are as capable as whites of resolving them. Step out of Clayton County better yet step out of Georgia!

I will not apologize for knowing that there is greatness in blackness too! Like whites and other races I will uphold and extol the positive. There are young black leaders like me who will not fall prey to self-hate. Our time is coming! Prayerfully, we will usher in a new generation of leaders who do not require white validation.

We will not take their (white) money to run for office so that they can control us! Which is what Clayton is laboring under now. Not all of the elected officials took the pay-off. Check out the financial reports and contributors of your elected officials and with half a brain you will be able to see who is on the take!

Then go out and have some real intellectual exchange with other Blacks in Clayton County who want to serve and have the ability and skills but not the money. Support them or run your damn self!

We have an emerging black middle class population between ages 25 and 45 here in Clayton County. You do not talk about that. You would rather pull a Bill Cosby — that makes you feel as though you are different —and you can say look at me I am not like those blacks. The irony of the situation is that they lump us all together! Your money does not matter, your education does not matter, hell your opinion does not matter unless it validates them.

All white people are not bad and all black people are not good. May I suggest that you go see, “The Great Debaters”.

By Gloria

December 28, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this

mlk, thank you for the insight. I meant every word I said and it applies to the self-hating and self-serving as well.

We have to Man Up and Woman Up! There are over 55,000 students depending on us. Black, White, Latino, Asian and others are looking to us to solve this problem of inadequate education in Clayton County.

Do not leave our destiny to SACS,O’Keefe, Barton and Elgart (they seem to be the only ones being referenced by the AJC).

By Delta, I'm ready!

December 28, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this

Gloria, do not profess to know that I “want to get” with anyone. You do not know me.

I personally have no problem with good black leadership. But I’m not going to support a bunch of crooks just because we share skin color. That makes no sense.

if that makes me Bill Cosby then so be it. There are worse people to emulate in this world.

P.S. - I saw the Great Debaters on Christmas Day - excellent movie. But maybe you should see it. They debated hard to get to show off their skills & be accepted in a white establishment (Harvard). But I guess that’s okay, huh?

By Delta, I'm ready!

December 28, 2007 11:04 AM | Link to this

Oh and I do plan on researching ut any and all potential candidates for ALL offices in 2008 that run in Clayton County, because I damn sure will not be supporting most of the incumbents - black nor white.

By racebaiterhater

December 28, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

Here come the race baiters! They show up every time when they are loosing. Must be some of the Scotts!

By Gloria

December 28, 2007 1:05 PM | Link to this

If I remember correctly you were voicing your idea that, “a majority BLACK school board is the obstacle for little BLACK CHILDREN not receiving a fair and equitable education.” I disagree with that thought. A majority Black board can govern. Stop validating Whites in Clayton County’s idea that they are better equipped to solve issues that negatively impact on our children. I only referenced Bill Cosby because he touts the negative when he could be promoting the good in us. So go ahead be like him as for me I would rather be identified with Michael Baisden.

The Debaters were not seeking white acceptance. They were proving that we are equals. There is a distinct difference. The issues in the movie were more varied than just that one point. The Willie Lynch seems to apply to our blog. Here you and I are hurling words at each other. As for me i am done blogging with you. It has served little purpose.

By t williams

December 28, 2007 3:36 PM | Link to this

John Trotter

John Trotter

John Trotter

inquiring minds want to know how much of the MACE business funds go into your puppet Norreese Haynes efforts to get Community Education Partners adopted by Clayton County schools?

Hmmm?

inquiring minds want to know why you won’t come on here John Trotter in one of your various identities and discount that CHECK FOR $3000 that Community Education Partners sent you? How about that $5000 check that came to the MACE office right before you went to BRAZIL in August?

Hmmm?

inquiring minds believe that your puppett Norreese Haynes actually handed you that check!

John Trotter

John Trotter

John Trotter

By Clayton Needs to Change

December 28, 2007 3:53 PM | Link to this

Gloria,

That’s not what was said. Take off your “black power, we gotz to get ours” glasses and re-read it. You should know the difference.

The poster said, “Classic irony… A majority BLACK school board is the obstacle for little BLACK children NOT receiving a fair and equitable education.”

You do know what irony is don’t you, Gloria? There is no inference that blacks could not lead. The poster only speaks to those we currently have on the Board, which consists of a black majority.

And as for Bill Cosby. Is “touting the negative” what you call it when another black calls his own people out on significant issues with black culture and community? Go figure Clayton is the way it is becoming. The answer for Clayton County education does not reside with the Board. It resides with expectations of parents and the family structure. Start there, Gloria. That, along with 70% of black children born into single parent families with a majority having no father figure/role model was what Mr. Cosby was talking about.

By Lexi

December 28, 2007 4:20 PM | Link to this

I would support a recall of all school board members. They are not benefitting the children of clayton county.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

December 28, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this

The real irony is that there IS a black board member showing leadership and he’s not getting credit for it. Norreese Haynes hasn’t, like so many other African-Americans on the board, shied away from the word “discipline”.

In fact he made it a centerpiece of his campaign. When he says “the thugs must go” he sure as h-ll isn’t talking about Skinheads LOL

When he proposed the Teachers’ Bill of Rights he didn’t cave in to the criticism that it might affect a disproportionate number of African-American children.

He didn’t make excuses, like some board members did, that it’s not realistic to remove disruptive children from the learning environment until they CHOSE to behave.

Unlike many black “leaders” (especially in education) he didn’t fall for the line of “African-American children don’t respond well to discipline, so we have to find other ways to ‘engage’ them in learning”. (Think about the message that sends: We don’t believe black kids can’t behave; so we have to find ways to “entertain” them so they’ll learn. And you’d be SHOCKED at how prevalent that thinking is among administrators in Clayton. And if they don’t believe black kids can “behave” do you really think they believe they can learn?)

Just because some black leaders on the board won’t take a stand, for fear of upsetting some folks, doesn’t mean ANY of them aren’t showing leadership.

Is there ANYBODY out there who doesn’t think the lack of discipline is not a major problem out there? (Certainly not the teachers who left the system, who put it, along with pay as the TOP reasons they left)

Yet we have someone who took the first tangible steps towards addressing it, a black leader no less, and no one wants to give credit where credit is due.

By Jim A.

December 28, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this

Hey Gloria did you really think hitting POST eight times was gonna make it come up faster? What school system did you come from?

By Seems Strange

December 28, 2007 6:29 PM | Link to this

IT’S SEEM STRANGE TO ME THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS TEACHER YOU PUT THIS ON THE CLAYTON.TALK. WHY NOT TRY TO FIND HIM ON DEKALB.TALK. JOHN TROTTER IS THAT BAD/ WOW….

By Sick of this crap

December 28, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this

Throw out every one of them! Start over. http://www.give-em-the-boot.com/

By Do You Really Know?

January 4, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this

We can talk all we want about the schools, BOE, teachers, unions, students, and parents. But the bottom line is that if the citizens of Clayton County continue to elect board members that do not have the best interest of this system, we will become a wasteland.

I plan to do the only thing I can as a resident of Clayton County - I will be attending any and all political forums to ask questions and make sure I understand where each candidate stands on the issues important to me. I will be an educated voter and when I go to the polls that education will be reflected in my vote.
I encourage everyone to do the same.

To anyone planning to run for school board, do not let me find out that you have taken any contributions from John Trotter, Rev Rod Johnson or Lee Scott. I don’t want any board member that cannot make their “own” decisions.

FACT - Parents have been writing to SACS about the school board antics since Dr. Pulliam left.

The only people that will be affected by directly affected by any SACS sanctions are the students.