Dozens of parents listened to the Clayton County school board Monday talk about their efforts to maintain accreditation. But to many parents, those efforts did not seem sincere.

"You say you care; when will it show? Stand as a group and leave now," mother Tarney Marshall told the board.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools gave the district until Sept. 1 to meet nine mandates or be the first school system in the nation to lose accreditation in the last 40 years.

Gloria Duncan, the district's interim superintendent, said chances of losing accreditation are slim.

"We are on track to meet the nine recommendations," Duncan told about 200 citizens Monday night. "Yes we can and yes we will show that the school system can work together to maintain its accreditation."

Duncan outlined a list of accomplishments in instruction and student achievement. However, the education system is not what has threatened the district's accreditation —- the behavior by the board is what led to the current problems, SACS said.

Parents and the attorney tasked with holding on to that accreditation said the district has a long way to go in meeting the mandates.

"A lot of work is being done. A lot of work is yet to be done," attorney Glenn Brock said. "But we are making good progress."

Brock and the two liaisons appointed by the governor have all recommended the board resign.

"I think the governor's people want you to do something: resign," father Dean Gray told the board. "You are still here, you are part of the problem."

So far, board chairwoman Ericka Davis is the only one to resign. The board declared Davis' seat vacant Monday night and elected Eddie White as the new chairman.

The governor's two liaisons and SACS officials attended Monday's meeting, but did not speak. However, the officials met with the board behind closed doors for about two hours before the public meeting. The state officials brought their own security, including a Georgia State Patrol trooper.

The board declined to say what they discussed during the closed session, but said it was "in the best interest of the boys and girls of this system."

"The only positive things I've seen is from the [county] commissioners, and the parents and students stepping in," said Heather Brown, a mother of a Brown Elementary School fourth grader. "I haven't see any progress from the board. I'm here to see what the progress is, because we're running out of time."

William B. Hill, a director at New Birth South Church in Morrow, said the district would not be able to hold on to accreditation unless the entire board steps down and comes up with a contingency plan.

"I just see there is still a lot of dysfunctionality on the board," said Hill, who says he will run for school board. "Their stubbornness is holding almost 53,000 students hostage."

The board agreed Monday night to hold off on moving forward the audit that was one of SACS' mandates. Several members said they did not have enough information on the auditors.

As mandated, auditors visited six schools last week and are beginning an audit of attendance records, Brock said. The mandate of an ethics policy is close to being met, Brock said. All that stands in the way is a signature from Gov. Sonny Perdue and board adoption. The Senate and House both approved legislation for an ethics policy.