Accreditation team returns to Clayton

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Clayton County schools will be back under the microscope next week to determine if the district can continue to keep its probationary accreditation.

“It’s just to check up and see where we've gone,” board chairwoman Alieka Anderson said Tuesday.

Last year, the south metro Atlanta school system became the first school system in the nation to lose accreditation in 40 years.

In May, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools restored the district’s accreditation and placed it on probation for two years.

The probationary period requires the school system to show continuous progress and be re-evaluated every six months, SACS president and chief executive officer Mark A Elgart said. The review team -- comprised of educators from across the nation -- is scheduled to return Oct. 8-9.

“The team will not make an accreditation recommendation during these visits,” Elgart said Tuesday. “The team is responsible for monitoring the progress being made by the system and provide the system with additional guidance and feedback where warranted.”

However action could be taken if the team finds “significant problems,” Elgart said.

Anderson said the board has been working diligently with its new superintendent, Edmond Heatley, to address all of the problems cited by SACS.

“I’m not worried," Anderson said. "Dr. Heatley has been working real good."

Elgart said the review team will be specifically looking at several recommendations, including:

- Establish a community process to revise the school system’s mission and vision.

- Implement a strategic planning process to refocus on student achievement.

- Conduct a full review of the school system’s structure and all job descriptions.

- Establish an action plan for conflict resolution for all board members and staff.

SACS will also be monitoring the board, which was cited for unethical behavior – including micromanaging, misuse of funds and abuse of power.

In addition to the new superintendent, all nine of the board members are new. Clayton has 48,000 students and is the fifth largest school system in Georgia.