Can Clayton lure new businesses?
A few new businesses are trickling into Clayton County. At a time when much of the attention is focusing on problems in the school system, it’s refreshing to learn new jobs are being created. Read my latest blog entry on Wordpress
Home > Clayton.Talk > Archives > 2008 > February > 18
Monday, February 18, 2008
SOS= Save our schools, Part II
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On March 15, The Southern Association of Colleges & Schools will vote whether or not to revoke the accreditation of Clayton County Public Schools.
Our board of education would have until September 1 to make the necessary improvements.
Problem areas identified in the SACs report have absolutely nothing to do with the students who will be affected by their decision. Nor does it have anything to do with homeowners, whose property values are already not worth the paper the tax assessor wrote them on.
The problems (micromanaging; questionable hiring practices; altered attendance records; influence by outside interests; need for a full forensic financial audit, among many other things) rest with BOE members, and their inability or refusal to do their job ethically.
This is just the beginning, folks. How many tenured teachers will work in an unaccredited school system?
How many children’s futures are in jeopardy?
How many good residents will sell their homes at a loss just to get out of Dodge? And if they can’t, how many will simply rent out their unsellable homes to less than desirable tenants?
So, what should we do Clayton? Should we: (1) Seek out an alternative accreditation agency; (2) Join District 9 by recalling BOE members in our individual districts; (3) Wait out their elected terms in order to vote them out; or, (4) Ask BOE members to put Clayton County first and resign, as a show of good faith to SACs? (Especially since according to the report, some may not even live here anyway!)
The latter is unlikely. Past calls for resignation(s) have been completely ignored. But it is obvious something has to be done, and sooner rather than later. Any suggestions?
Paging Governor Sonny Perdue … STAT! Email: http://gov.georgia.gov/00/gov/contactus/0,2657,7800674994820188,00.html Snail Mail: The Office of the Governor, State of Georgia, 203 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Telephone: 404.656.1776 Facsimile: 404.657.7332
Permalink | Comments (135) | Post your comment | Categories: Kimberly Allen
