Superintendent confronts tough questions from parents

DeKalb County schools Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson fielded tough questions from parents Friday, who wanted to know what could be done about crowded classrooms, low teacher pay and too few math teachers.

Atkinson has been giving her state of the school system address at high schools across the county, this time at Dunwoody High. A sample of the mood: one frustrated man asked Atkinson if she’d considered breaking the school system in two.

Atkinson said that wasn’t even on her radar. Instead, she’s focused on cutting expenses to keep up with falling tax receipts, while doing what she can to maintain adequate staffing. When asked when things will turn around, she responded: “I don’t know.”