There’s no stronger argument for the virtues of servant leadership than the Atlanta Board of Education.
What’s most needed by that body are leaders who focus foremost and always on the needs of those whom they’re elected to serve. That hasn’t been the case, and that must change.
Happily, there’s reason to believe that a reinvention process may have already begun. It’s exciting to note new, early signs of progress that could bring an end to the board’s battles if the good work continues.
Under pressure from taxpayers and political leaders from City Hall to the Gold Dome, the nine-member board seems to be moving toward electing a new chairman and vice chairman who can hopefully bring consensus leadership back into vogue. Current Chairman Khaatim Sherrer El, whose leadership has been criticized, if not ridiculed, in influential quarters, has agreed to step down. His promise to relinquish the chairmanship for a greater good shows a leadership maturity we wish he and other board members had displayed in past months.
The board has also indicated it may be moving away from the simple-majority vote requirement it had adopted in a controversial move that Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and others say conflicted with the district’s charter.
We hope these tentative, yet potentially significant steps will mark the beginning of a march in the right direction — toward good governance that is badly needed by both the district’s 49,800 students and its weary, if not disgusted, taxpayers.
This cannot be a false start. The important work ahead means it’s imperative that the old board pattern of squabbling and otherwise engaging in counterproductive behavior must not again be allowed to consume time and energy that should be spent far more productively. This entire region is affected by the fortunes of Atlanta’s schools and it should not have to pay the cost of the board’s failure to lead well.
The Atlanta Public Schools face a long, steep list of serious challenges that would test the capabilities of even the smoothest-running school boards. And no rational observer would consider the recent history of the Atlanta School Board as coming anywhere near model governance.
This situation has harmed Atlanta, this region and — worst of all — it has endangered the education of the children entrusted to APS. Fixing the board is what’s required for the system to regain full accreditation. That’s a non-negotiable point that the board’s mediators should be wielding like a hammer as they try to coax the factions toward a collaborative, productive posture.
With Georgians, Mayor Reed and even Gov. Nathan Deal watching intently, the board should be feeling pressure, appropriate in this instance, to reform itself. Members can either acquit themselves well in current weeks or stumble squarely into a process that could result in some, if not all, board members being removed from their seats by Deal. That’s made possible by a new state law passed out of frustration with the board’s finger-pointing gamesmanship.
The clock starts ticking July 1 if full accreditation is not restored. That’s not likely to happen, but significant progress in coming weeks may slow the extraordinary remedy that’s now in Deal’s — and, in a sense, Reed’s — arsenal.
Other big deadlines face APS in coming weeks.
There’s no doubt that the board’s issues have made more difficult the process of finding a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Beverly Hall, whose last day is the end of this month.
The final report into allegations of widespread cheating on the CRCT exam is expected to be released soon. Dealing with the possible aftermath of its conclusions will require a board that’s capable of courageously working together for the benefit of taxpayers and pupils.
The board’s recent moves to bring about new leadership and return to supermajority vote requirements are important, needed steps. Members are to be commended for rethinking past decisions and seeking to act for the greater good of the community.
We encourage them to continue their work to rebuild both the board and the school system they govern.
Even at this late hour, they can still lead the way if they act fast. If they don’t, they should be led out of the way.
Andre Jackson, for the Editorial Board
Atlanta Forward: We look at major issues Atlanta must address in order to move forward as the economy recovers.
Look for the designation “Atlanta Forward,” which will identify these discussions.
