Denise, I am so charged to read your post -- you stated, very well, the sentiments of many parents I have spoken to in my community. My family and I live in the Stone Mountain High School zone, and my daughters attend Stone Mountain Middle School and DECA. We see the writing on the wall, the devastation that will come to our students' futures if their education is invalidated by the loss of accredidaton, not to mention the financial fallout of losing hard-working families when they leave Dekalb in search of accredited education. WHY are our children and teachers being punished because of the corruption of one board in managing its funds? I have asked too many people when and how we can get the Fed Board to come in and crack open the books, so that these board members can be replaced. And once again, instead of the action that needs to be taken, the "powers that be" are looking at ways to pass the punishment on to us.

We are ready to unite. I suggest a unified group of Dekalb parents from every cluster, come together so that we can make sure SACS and the Board know that we are not going to just allow them to undo the years of work we have invested in our children's lives and education. I would like to connect so that we can talk next steps. We need to act fast.

Sharon Daugherty

pls see this:
http://www.change.org/petitions/georgia-governor-nathan-deal-replace-the-dekalb-county-school-board-2

Note the organizing that is taking place at:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.wordpress.com/

I do not disagree with your desire to improve DeKalb County schools. You have a call to action under the charge line of "for the sake of our children", a rather worn out line at best. Other than emotional rants what action are you suggesting? The Georgia Supreme Court has already determined that the governor has no authority to remove school board members.

"The Georgia Supreme Court has already determined that the governor has no authority to remove school board members."

Thanks to a new law, he can if the system is on probation and the state school board recommends it. He can remove the entire board. I'm not sure about individual members. He removed the Miller County school board earlier this year.

http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2012/sep/28/governor-appoints-five-miller-county-school-board/

Still looks like a long shot - There have been five probation cases since the new law was enacted in 2011. The state board has typically given systems six months to fix things before making its recommendation. In only one case, in Miller County earlier this year, did it conclude that the board had to go. The voters in DeKalb have a history of electing school board members like the ones now seated. If the governor replaces the current board next election ??? It might be more beneficial to work toward a long term solution.

The governor will get direct influence in here--different ways to do it. In Clayton, he appointed representatives. Their role is on the ground assessment, but I'm guessing also offering deals that cannot be refused.
Then of course, governor appoints "extra-judicial" investigators such as with Atlanta. That would either to help "shape" our DA's actions (criminal activity) or look at ethical lapses on their own (which is all that's come out of Atlanta--no matter what has been claimed about criminal charges--there haven't been any).

Either way--in both of those cases, the governors office and our ineffectual yet supposedly concerned legislators get political cover (yet great headlines) from the representatives and SACS.

Bottom line-no one will have the guts to exercize the new law's option of replacing DeKalb's board unless criminal charges are filed first. Maybe get a few choice resignations where deals are offered with conditions, such as no one writes a book.

Tom,

Resignations would be desired- but the possibility of that happening is slim to none- especially when the chair himself believes that they have done no wrong.

There are two petitions circulating that need support. They are:

http://www.change.org/petitions/governor-nathan-deal-and-georgia-state-board-of-education-review-sacs-findings-if-accurate-replace-the-dekalb-county-school-board

and

http://www.change.org/petitions/georgia-governor-nathan-deal-replace-the-dekalb-county-school-board-2

DeKalb School Watch has offered yet another option which is to write the Governor and Fran Millar.

You can email Governor Nathan Deal your thoughts regarding his appointing a new Board of Education for DeKalb County Schools by clicking on the link below. He now has the power to do this since SACS has put the school system on probation:

http://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form

Let's assume your "Plan A" petition is successful the governor appoints a new board to fill the current member's remaining terms or there are some forced resignations, now what? The same DeKalb County voters who elected the original board members will reelect them. In a very few years the system is back where it started. Maybe there is a "Plan B" - just something to think about.

Yes Terry--petitions are the only "plans" that average citizens can exercise their recourse, whether during or after an election. The "Plan B" that you mention is the sum of the machinations employed by the powerful--who are either able to continue profiting with status quo (and therefore fight to supress popular action) or have concluded they are losing their influence and manipulate the system (form a new system) to create a new profit flow.

So to your rumination about a "Plan B": heck yes, Plan B is at the core of the New City and charter schools movement. With these, they don't remove a county school board, they allow as many households to opt out of the school system as desire (at no out of pocket cost) and kill the county schools by a 1,000 cuts over time--thereby marginalizing those who run it.

The county boards of education exist by state law. Could there be changes to the state laws that would improve the quality of the school board members? Could there be changes to county code that would create a more efficient and effective school board? Wouldn't those changes make a more permanent solution to the problem? Maybe petitions are the average citizens only option. I am suggesting those petitions be directed at a more permanent solution than temporarily removing the current board members.

Just wanted to note that the new law in Georgia states that the state BOE must hold a hearing to investigate the situation that has led to a local system being placed on the level BEFORE losing accreditation. For SACS, that's called Probation and is what they placed DeKalb on. The hearing must take place no sooner than 10 but no more than 30 days from the date of the downgrade. After that hearing, the state BOE Superintendent, John Barge, will provide his recommendations to the Governor. Assuming that Barge suggests replacing the entire board and the Superintendent then, at that point, the Governor, armed with the above mentioned petitions showing him that the decision to proceed will be supported, may temporarily remove the board and Superintendent with pay and appoint a temporary board (only 5 members needed) while those who have been removed can either resign, or use the taxpayer funded break to get needed training and eventually make a case in front of the Governor for reinstatement.

And, Terry, have you considered that maybe it isn't "the voters" who have returned the same people time and time again? Perhaps the corruption and the friends/family network extends into the elections offices as well. In fact, here's a recent story about that very thing: http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19182733/dekalb-hires-family-members-turns-others-away

Denise, we have been considering calling for an outright boycott of the January 14 meeting as a show of solidarity. What are your thoughts as far as whether or not we could pull it off? IT would be a great way to show that we do not accept the new board (with three new members who are already showing that they will be just as bad) and we will not allow the board to trick us into the same old games. If SACS says accreditation is hanging on issues like certain groups turning to the board with questions and expecting favors, then we should not allow them to blame the accreditation issue on us! And, I think we all know by now that they are going to do whatever they want anyway.

We could still watch the board meeting online, but wouldn't it be great to watch them on their fancy stage, talking in front of a nonexistent audience?

Finally, someone willing to take some kind of action!

From the AJC: "State Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, said he’ll propose legislation to establish an independent school ethics panel with the power to remove wayward board members. He’s not confident the school board will take the steps demanded by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to restore accreditation, and said that failure would bring misery across DeKalb."

Please take 30 seconds and sign the petition! Enough is Enough.
http://www.change.org/petitions/governor-nathan-deal-and-georgia-state-board-of-education-review-sacs-findings-if-accurate-replace-the-dekalb-county-school-board