Schools chief: Board not yet fully functional

It will take up to two years for Clayton County’s “dysfunctional” school board to become fully functional, the superintendent said Monday.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools revoked the schools systems’ accreditation effective Sept. 1, citing, among other problems, a dysfunctional board.

Clayton County schools headlines:

• Photos: Timeline of Clayton schools' woes

[an error occurred while processing this directive] • AJC editorial: Less hope

• Read the full report to SACS:
  • Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Large PDFs)



• Read SACS' report (PDF)

Clayton County news

On Monday night, superintendent John Thompson told parents that the board has made great progress toward becoming functional, but still has work left to do.

“The whole process of training and learning their jobs will take a period of one to two years,” Thompson said. “The board is being responsive. They are keeping our feet to the fire. We just want the community to know that.”

The 50,000-student school district has pledged to meet nine improvement mandates by April, to regain accreditation before the Class of 2009 graduates. The first mandate is to have a school board that fulfills its roles and responsibilities.

On Monday, deputy superintendent Judith Simmons outlined steps the board has taken to become functional, including:

• Hiring a parliamentarian

• Undergoing training

• Hiring the Georgia School Boards Association to revise policies

• Swearing to follow a code of ethics

• Limiting time spent meeting in sessions closed to the public

“We need to let everyone know we are a functioning board,” vice chairwoman Jessie Goree said. “I am checking things off and we have met that requirement.”

SACS was unavailable for comment Monday night.

Although the current board is making progress, the district must show SACS that its new board members will also work well together.

Sid Chapman, president of the 2,800-member Clayton County Education Association, said he has seen progress, but wants to see how things go once the new board is elected. Four of the nine seats are contested on Tuesday’s ballot. The new board will be seated in January.

“I see they are heading in the right direction,” Chapman said. “But I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. We need to see how they get along once the new board gets elected.”

Dean Perry, a Morrow father of two, said he has seen a noticeable difference in the board’s behavior.

“It seems now that a certain level of concern, integrity and quality has risen to the top,” said Perry, who has daughters in the 8th and 10th grades. “I’m happy they are receiving education and training, but only time will tell.”

Clayton is the first school district in the nation to lose accreditation in the past 40 years.