Victoria Johnson, a junior at Lovejoy High, was among the students, parents, real estate agents and school officials rejoicing Friday after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools restored full accreditation to Clayton County.
“We were thinking not many scholarships would be offered to a student from a system [not fully accredited]," Johnson said.
“I just kept the faith that we’d get it back,” she said. “Thank God we did.”
Johnson's family had debated whether she and her brother should transfer after SACS yanked the system's accreditation in 2008, but ultimately decided against it. The district's accreditation was restored on a probationary basis in May of 2009.
Friday's reinstatement capped years of work by a new school board, new staff and community leaders.
Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell delivered the news Friday to a crowd of realtors and housing experts, who erupted in cheers. The group was meeting to address housing problems brought on by the recession and foreclosures.
"The exhilaration of over 200 people in the room speaks volumes," Bell said. "It was at the tail end of of what we were discussing, what is the most important part of our recovery. Education is among the elements and the most important factor in our [housing and economic] recovery. I'm overcome with joy. We're on our way!"
Clayton County became the nation's first school system to lose accreditation in nearly 40 years, undone by unethical behavior by school officials and board members, including, according to SACS, misuse of funds, conflict of interest, abuse of power and bid tampering.
As 3,500 students fled in the months after, the system lost $23 million in state aid and 300 teachers. Then-Gov. Sonny Perdue removed four school board members for violations of the state's open meetings act and ethics code, and pushed for legislation to allow the state to exert more control over local school boards.
Mark Elgart, President of AdvancED, the parent organization for SACS, said Clayton County has taken a critical step forward.
"It doesn’t' mean they don't have challenges…but they better positioned than they were two years ago," he said.
Parents had a range of reactions.
“Oh my God! This is the best news we have had in years,” said Tammy Walker, who was at her son Keene Walker Jr.'s field day at E.W. Oliver Elementary School Friday. “They [the school board] have truly put in the hard work to make this happen. I’m excited. I’m so glad.”
Deborah Ybarra of Jonesboro was more circumspect. Her son, Drew Ybarra, attends Jonesboro High.
She did not move because she couldn't afford to.
“To me, this is no different than before because they’re not getting in the schools to understand the teaching and learning processes," she said. "That’s what matters. The problems in the schools are still going to be the same because the only problems that were fixed were administrative."
Clayton Superintendent Edmond Heatley said administrators can now concentrate on building performance.
"It's just a stepping stone," he said. "We are still not where we want to be, but we are no longer where we used to be."
A small cloud remains over the system. Forest Park High School, Kilpatrick Elementary and Worktec, a work-readiness program for young adults with special needs, remain under SACS advisement because of some “emerging” issues, which are already being addressed, said Heatly, who quashed rumors this week that he was planning to resign, saying he's committed to Clayton County.
In other SACS news:
-- It announced Friday that Atlanta city schools submitted a report May 2 showing they are putting frameworks in place to help solve the system's problems. The district's high schools are on probation. The board has until September to fix the problems. SACS cannot say whether they have improved, said Mark Elgart, President of AdvancED, the parent organization for SACS.
-- Cobb County schools remain under advisement for lack of board training and for board members not using agreed upon data to make decisions, he said. There is also concern that some board members exclude other members in making decisions. The school's accreditation has been under advisement for about two years.
-- DeKalb schools are under advisement after former superintendent Crawford Lewis, former chief operating officer Patricia Reid and two others were indicted on charges they ran a criminal enterprise in the school system. The district has been ordered to make eight improvements: implement strategic planning, update policies, develop training on policies, establish a clear line of authority with the internal auditor, fix the administration of the CRCTs, redistrict and close schools based on data, hire a new superintendent and develop a communications plan. Steps already have been taken on some of SACS recommendations, including completing the redistricting and consolidation process, according to school spokesman Walter Woods.
Staff writers Kristina Torres, Nancy Badertscher and Michelle Shaw contributed to this report.
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