The last weeks of political races, especially close ones, produce of flurry of testimonials on behalf of candidates. In his contest against Democratic state Sen. Jason Carter, Gov. Nathan Deal earned two from GOP House members Mike Jacobs and Ed Lindsey.
Credit: Maureen Downey
Credit: Maureen Downey
The willingness of Republican House members to rally around their party leader is expected. However, it’s interesting Jacobs and Lindsey cited DeKalb County schools as evidence of Deal’s effectiveness. I’m not sure the lawmakers will find agreement on that point among parents.
It is fair to describe the school situation in DeKalb as shaky; the movement by neighborhoods to form their own cities and then pursue their own school districts through legislation, annexation or chartering remains strong, even more so after the rejection of the Druid Hills Charter Cluster.
Student achievement continues to lag. The district's elementary schools – which set the foundation for student success in high school – earn a state grade of 62.9 on a 100-point scale. The average score for elementary schools statewide is 77.8.
The two lawmakers credit Deal with restoring stability to the schools by removing most of the school board last year after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed DeKalb on probation. SACS placed DeKalb, Georgia's third-largest school district, on probation at the end of 2012, citing mismanagement and school board squabbles.
(As I often note, SACS focuses more on school board acrimony than student achievement in censuring districts.)
Deal appointed new board members through a nominating process. While the new board has fewer arguments, it votes much the way the old board did, as demonstrated by the 5-4 rejection of the Druid Hills Charter Cluster.
In his tribute to Deal , Jacobs goes full throttle, writing, "In replacing these six members, Governor Deal appointed six highly qualified and professional citizens who promptly rolled up their sleeves and righted the ship…Governor Deal led when DeKalb needed him. He took necessary steps in a moment of real crisis. His swift action vastly improved the trajectory of our school system…The district's red ink has been reversed and has become a substantial surplus. The school system has eliminated furlough days and implemented teacher and staff pay raises. This is a direct result of the improved governance Governor Deal installed on our school board."
You can see rebukes to Jacobs on DeKalb School Watch Two where one poster asked, "What is the basis for your assertion that the new school board 'rolled up its sleeves and righted the ship'? What have they done? What has changed? True, they don't seem to argue as much as the last board, but what leads you to believe that they have made or are making good decisions? My observation of school board meetings is that they ask very few questions, don't seem to be very knowledgeable of the issues, and simply rubber-stamped each and every proposal put forth by the administration."
Lindsey was less effusive than Jacobs, opting for a simple summation of Deal's role in DeKalb in an essay this morning on Peach Pundit: "In the case of the DeKalb School Board, he recognized that a tougher move was necessary and chose to remove and replace the school board all together. Once again, this move led to this school system's being freed from its accreditation probation status."
Did these lawmakers do Deal any favors citing DeKalb in their testimonials? Or was it a mistake given the parent and teacher unrest in the district?
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