Much of the DeKalb County School System’s crisis is out of any parent’s or student’s control. But we have some power here, and it’s time for us to claim it.
The possibilities are frightening: Losing accreditation at some point could result in well-deserving students being deprived of a valid diploma and could drive some of our best teachers out of our system. And the cause seems clear. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) report indicated divisions within the previous school board that negatively impacted their ability to govern. SACS alleges that board members have meddled with school-level staff and have habitually mismanaged money.
But how did these people get put in charge? We elected them.
It’s up to us, then, to reclaim our school system, starting with school board elections.
The situation in DeKalb led Gov. Nathan Deal to suspend most board members and later appoint replacements. That put in place the current board, but in the future the people of DeKalb will again decide who fills the seats of the school board. Voters need to be more informed on board members’ duties and what candidates say they will do for the schools of DeKalb. Voters must demand that board members do what’s best for all schools.
But we must also be more attentive. We as a county dropped the ball when it came to actively keeping up with what decisions our board was making. We stood by while they dug the grave for our schools deeper and deeper. The Board holds meetings at least once a month. These meetings are free to view on the DeKalb school system website. Watching the goings-on can greatly inform you on what is happening with our school board. If I asked what the board member who represents your sub-district voted on at the last board meeting, would you know?
We must also speak out. At the board’s monthly work sessions, people can speak openly in front of the board for three minutes. If every school had a representative to speak to the board, we could drastically help in giving board members an understanding of what is happening within our schools. Gather together and find three minutes of things to say to your school board.
I’ve gone to school in DeKalb for 12 years and in one year there’s a possibility I may end up with a diploma not worth the paper it was printed on. I’m not willing to sit by passively and let that happen, and you shouldn’t be either.
