Clayton’s fears are realized

The stunning loss of accreditation for Clayton County schools left students, parents and residents reeling Thursday at the realization of “worthless” diplomas, dashed college dreams, depressed home values and an exodus of families.

The troubled 50,000-student district will become the first in the nation to lose accreditation since 1969.

News of the loss came Thursday just hours before Gov. Sonny Perdue ordered the removal of four school board members. A state administrative judge had recommended their removal for violating the state Open Meetings Act and the state code of ethics.

“The fate of the Clayton County school system is now in the hands of the voters,” Perdue said in a statement.

The unanimous decision by the national Accreditation Commission left students and parents devastated. Some students burst into tears; others left school early. Parents flooded main offices at various schools to withdraw their students.

“I blame those board members who didn’t put my needs before their own. They all say they put the students first, but they really just think about themselves and because of them my future is now at risk,” said Ludny Lily, 17, a senior at Jonesboro High School. “I didn’t work this hard for all these years to graduate with a worthless diploma.” Lily wants to attend Georgia State University and study law.

As many as 2,000 students failed to return to the district this school year, and officials expected more would leave for other districts.

“I fear we’re going to have to move,” said Isaac Robinson, the father of a second-grader at Jackson Elementary in Jonesboro. “We can’t stay in a school system that’s not accredited. Sure, it may get better, but I don’t know if we can afford to wait it out.”

Superintendent John Thompson urged students to remain in the district.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure these kids get full accreditation,” he said.

Thompson said the district will appeal the accreditation loss, which takes effect Monday.

“A storm came through and look at it now, the sun is shining,” Thompson said Thursday afternoon. “That’s what’s going to happen in Clayton County.”

The commission cited Clayton’s dysfunctional school board as the school system’s main problem.

The governance issues hampered everything from teaching and learning to staffing and allocation of resources, accreditors said.

“It affected the entire school system,” said Mark A. Elgart, president and chief executive officer of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. “Today, the students’ education in this particular district is being compromised.”

The national commission governs SACS.

Perdue called on Clayton voters to fix the board:

“Through the elections to replace these four board members, they can send a clear signal that the kind of behavior that has led to this ruling and the system’s loss of accreditation will not be tolerated.”

The loss of accreditation means students could have trouble getting into some colleges and universities, or receiving scholarship money. Georgia’s public colleges have promised to accept Clayton students. Students who graduate before 2010 will still receive their HOPE scholarships, thanks to new legislation signed by Perdue this year.

School officials have 10 days to file an appeal, but they will have to show that SACS was incorrect and they have met all the nine mandates spelled out by accreditors in February.

Clayton can regain accreditation if it shows before Sept. 1, 2009, that all the nine mandates have been met.

If successful, accreditation would be restored, retroactive to Sept. 1, 2008. If it is not successful, the school system would have to start the accreditation process from the beginning, which likely would take about three years.

That means that if Clayton meets the mandates by May, this year’s seniors could graduate with an accredited diploma.

On Thursday, SACS said the school system had fulfilled only one mandate: to assure that every board member lives in the county.

“There’s positive intent in some cases, but there is no result in some cases,” Elgart said.

A team of investigators from across the nation reviewed Clayton’s progress and found no evidence to show the school system had a fully functioning board or permanent superintendent, Elgart said.

Accreditors were particularly concerned that the board surrendered its governing authority to Thompson, Elgart said. In April, the board signed a contract that allowed Thompson as the new superintendent to violate policies and circumvent the board.

“The current contract cedes authority to the superintendent,” Elgart said. “It not only violates standards for accreditation, but board policy and violates state law.”

Elgart said he and two state Board of Education members appointed to help Clayton pointed out the flawed contract months ago, but the board didn’t listen.

“They gave the superintendent responsibility that needed to be held by the board,” said state Board of Education member James E. Bostic Jr., who was appointed by Perdue to help Clayton.

On Thursday, Thompson said he would amend his contract if needed.

The governor’s liaisons said they were optimistic —- as long as new board members are committed to meeting SACS’ mandates and not pointing fingers.

“If folks continue to talk about the blame and try to do the autopsies, a year from now we’ll be in the exact same place,” said William “Brad” Bryant, a state board member and Perdue’s liaison.

Perdue removed board Chairwoman Michelle Strong, along with members Sandra Scott, Yolanda Everett and Lois Baines-Hunter.

“It’s a great day to be an American,” Scott said, declining further comment.

The accreditation loss doesn’t just affect students, but every resident and business owner in Clayton.

Real estate agents have estimated the county has lost almost $550 million in housing equity since the school system was placed on probation in 2003.

“It’s about as bad a thing as could happen to a housing market,” said Richard Martin, associate professor of real estate at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.

Demond Scott, the father of two children at Camelot Christian Academy in Rex, said his home has been on the market for more than a year.

“It’s already hard enough to sell a home here, and now it’s about to get worse,” Scott said. “Now this is going to drive down all our property values and bring up foreclosures. Get ready for the mass exodus. I was planning to put my kids in public school starting in middle school. But now I don’t want to be in this county anymore.”

Staff writer John Hollis contributed to this article.

IMPACT OF LOSS OF ACCREDITATION

> Students may have difficulty getting into some colleges and universities, especially those outside the state.

> Students may have a harder time obtaining scholarships but remain eligible for HOPE scholarships until June 2010.

> Students may have difficulty getting credits accepted in other school districts.

> District loses pre-kindergarten funding.

> Property values likely to go down, property harder to sell.

> Teachers could lose benefits if they transfer to other school systems.

> Teachers will get credit for their current certification training from the schools but the accreditation loss means they’ll have to pay for college classes in the future.

> Future economic development in Clayton County could be diminished.

—- Staff

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

“I think we’ve seen this train coming. It’s unfortunate it happened. We’ve now got 55,000 education refugees in our state from no fault of their own.”

STATE SEN. ERIC JOHNSON (R-Savannah), the Senate president pro tempore and a strong advocate for vouchers

“The future of many excellent students, especially those in Clayton County high schools, has been thrust into turmoil by the actions of the very people who were elected to look out for their best interests.”

KATHY COX

State superintendent of schools, in a statement

“This is a sad situation that could have been averted. All nine mandates dealt with mismanagement at the school board level, and unfortunately the board chose inaction rather than to protect the interests of the citizens of Clayton County.”

U.S. REP. DAVID SCOTT (D) whose 13th District includes Clayton County, in a statement

“How could they do this to us? Don’t they see all our hard work? We’re getting better. They didn’t have to do this. Why couldn’t they just put us on probation?”

JO ANN MITCHELL- STRINGER

Parent of an eighth-grader at Sequoyah Middle and a freshman and junior at Mount Zion High

“I’m heartbroken. I don’t know if I’m going to stay, but I’ve got to think about my kids.”

DAWN MAULDIN

a bus driver for the school district. She is the mother of a sophomore at Jonesboro High and a fourth-grader at Jackson Elementary.

“This is a setback for us, but people should watch because they’re going to see this community rally behind our schools and turn them around.”

LASHONDRA SWANSON

mother of three young children, including a first-grader at Jackson Elementary

“This isn’t the teachers’ fault or the principal’s fault or the students’ fault, but we’re the only ones punished for it… . Sure I may get into a college out of state, but will I be able to get the scholarship money to pay for it?”

BRAEDEN ORR, 16

a junior at Jonesboro High and a member of the national championship mock trial team for two years. He wants to attend Harvard or Yale and study law.

“I don’t want a dummy diploma. I’m working hard, and I want to go to college, a good school. Don’t these adults know they’re messing with my future?”

JASMINE SHELTON, 16

a sophomore at Jonesboro High. She wants to become a nurse.

“I study and I do my homework. I do what I was supposed to do, and now it may be for nothing. It’s hard to focus in school, but I’ve got to look out for my future. No one else will.”

DOMINIQUE MAXWELL, 14

a freshman at Jonesboro High. She wants to attend The Juilliard School.