In the midst of adult antics, it’s easy to forget that education is ultimately about the students. Or should be.
In the instance of the DeKalb County School System, the voice of children hasn’t always carried to the forefront of the district’s various struggles and fracases.
Sure, both the grownups whose behavior helped get the district into worrisome straits as well as the adults who’ve stepped in to try and make things right say they are acting on behalf of DeKalb’s 98,000 students. The proof of stated intentions may be found in the results both past and present, we believe.
There’ve been encouraging signs of stability in recent weeks, yet DeKalb County schools still have a long ways to go to achieve solid footing that will make improving educational results a more-attainable task.
Current students have lived through the upheaval of a dysfunctional school board and the replacement of six of its members by the governor in an extraordinary move — the legality of which is now before the Georgia Supreme Court. There have been fiscal gyrations by the millions of dollars.
Meanwhile, the potential loss of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools now seems less likely as SACS has taken stock of recent positive changes and shifted toward more of a “wait and see” attitude toward the district.
All of which, as one writer on today’s page points out, made for a civics lesson not taught in any textbook. That’s what DeKalb’s students, parents and residents have endured — for too long. The problems created in large part by the adults responsible for the system have been felt by its students. And, as the ultimate end-users of the educational instruction offered within Georgia’s third-largest school district, we asked some DeKalb high school students to give their views on their school system and how they expect its problems will affect them, and their classmates, now and in the future.
Their insights should be heard by those whose work is aimed at fixing DeKalb’s issues.
Andre Jackson, for the Editorial Board.
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