DEL.ICIO.USThird Clayton school board member makes exit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/28/08
A third Clayton County school board member has announced his resignation, and he asked his colleagues Friday to also step down to help the district retain its accreditation.
Eddie White, the board's vice chairman, said he is resigning, effective June 15, after learning "the board was a heavy obstacle" to salvaging the school system's accreditation.
|
White's announcement came one day after the president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and two school board advisers recommended that all nine board members resign.
SACS gave the 52,800-student district until Sept. 1 to meet nine mandates or lose accreditation. The first mandate is to establish a board capable of fulfilling its roles and responsibilities.
"If I as a board member step down and the others step down, hopefully SACS will modify the punishment to warnings and probation," White said in an interview Friday. "I still believe the district can meet the recommendations before September if we work together and all step down."
White joins board Chairwoman Ericka Davis and member Rod Johnson, who have announced plans to resign before the July 15 primary.
The idea is to get a new board in place by the primary so it can be trained and immediately begin work on the nine accreditation mandates, said school attorney Glenn Brock.
Board seats that are vacated could be filled with temporary replacements appointed by the sitting board, Brock said.
"I admire Mr. White's leadership in submitting his resignation," said Brock, who was hired by the district to help meet SACS' mandates. "He has dedicated his life to education, and his conduct throughout this entire matter has been exemplary. He is clearly putting the interest of the children of Clayton County ahead of his own personal interest."
Elections officials said board members have less than two weeks to resign if they want someone to replace them on the July ballot.
If they want their board seats to appear on the ballot, "they need to resign immediately —or at least by April 11," said Annie Bright, Clayton's director of elections and registration.
That would allow county elections officials time to advertise the positions before the start of candidate qualifying on April 28, Bright said.
If the board members miss the deadline and then resign, Bright said, the earliest that the county could hold a special election to fill their seats would be in September —after SACS' deadline passes.
Davis, who is up for re-election in 2010, has said she would resign by June 15 but first wants to help meet some of the SACS mandates, hire a temporary superintendent and approve a budget.
Johnson, whose term expires at the end of the year, also has said he would resign, but has not given a date. He did not return phone calls Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
The board voted March 3 to remove board member Norreese Haynes because he allegedly did not live in the county. He has filed a lawsuit to regain his seat.
Davis Ashe is the only board member who has announced plans to run for re-election.
"As of right now, I'm not planning on resigning," Ashe said Friday. "I hate to see Eddie retire. We need to be naming buildings after him, not making him feel like he is an impediment to getting the accreditation."
White spent 35 years as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent in the Clayton school system. He was elected to the school board, representing District 6, in 2004.
Board members Lois Baines-Hunter, Yolanda Everett and Sandra Scott did not return phone calls Friday. Board member Michelle Strong said she was at an appointment and could not talk.
Services »
