Saturday, March 23, 2013
DeKalb County's board, with its new members, convened Wednesday.
The DeKalb County Board of Education held its first meeting Wednesday with a new line-up. This included, of course, the six chosen by Gov. Nathan Deal in a controversial move that drew a lawsuit from suspended members. The most significant action taken Wednesday was a motion for the district to remove itself as a plaintiff from that lawsuit, thus saving taxpayers a considerable sum in legal fees. It passed 9-0 and was introduced by District 2 board member Marshall Orson. Orson, who was elected last year and began his term in January, said in his opening remarks, "My only criticism is that the three of us can longer call ourselves the new guys." He was referring to District 4 board member Jim McMahan and new board Chairman Melvin Johnson of…
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The former school board member from Dunwoody was recently ousted by the state.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Applicants have until March 6 at 5 p.m.
The nominating panel that Gov. Nathan Deal assembled will begin immediately accepting applications for candidates to fill the seats of suspended members of the DeKalb County Board of Education. Those seats include District 9, which covers parts of the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area. It is represented by Gene Walker until a federal judge rules on the case. Applicants should send the following information to dekalbschoolboardnominations@georgia.gov: The panel will accept applications until March 6 at 5 p.m. Here is previous coverage of the issue in North Druid Hills-Briarcliff Patch:
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The three DeKalb school board members who remain state their point of view.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Wednesday, February 27
As elected representatives on the DeKalb County Board of Education, we find ourselves in a unique and confusing situation. We are the three members of the Board of Education not subject to the State Board of Education's review process because we joined the DeKalb Board in January 2013, and the State Board's action concerned the nine Board members who held office prior to January 2013. We, along with Superintendent Michael Thurmond, are committed to restoring full accreditation and focusing our efforts on the academic achievement of DeKalb's 99,000 students and the professional well-being of the people who teach and serve those students, and we pledge to restore making outcomes for children the priority of the DeKalb County School …
School board member Eugene Walker responds to Gov. Nathan Deal's decision to suspend six members of the DeKalb board of education.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Wednesday, February 27
The Governor is wrong in his decision to suspend members of the DeKalb County Board of Education. The DeKalb School District has been placed on probation by a private accrediting institution called SACS which holds considerable sway in the education community. SACS has made a multitude of allegations, some of which I agree with, but all of them were developed unilaterally in a shrouded process. The leadership of SACS is not elected by the public, do not have to conform to open meetings and open records laws, and are not subject to constitutional due process as they sit in judgment of public institutions and elected officials. The DeKalb Board of Education, like all school boards, is a public institution. We have open meetings, open …
Monday, February 25, 2013
Nancy Jester and Pamela Speaks, who represent several Dunwoody schools, would lose their jobs if the courts rule that Deal's suspension is valid.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced Monday that he is signing an executive order that accepts the State Board of Education's recommendation that six DeKalb school board members be removed. Deal made the announcement Monday afternoon during a press conference at the state capitol. Board members Marshall Orson, Jim McMahan and Melvin Johnson were spared from Deal's order because they were elected in November and did not take office until January. Prior to the announcement, Deal huddled with members of the DeKalb legislative delegation for several minutes. Deal has also appointed a nominating committee to recommend new members of the school board, composed of Keith Mason, a current member of the State Board of Education and who will chair the …
Former DeKalb County Board of Education District 2 member Don McChesney said he believes the fight between the state and our school board is just getting started.
A former DeKalb County Board of Education member from the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area believes residents should settle in for a long legal ride before the fight between the state and the board is resolved. Don McChesney, who was unseated from his District 2 post by Marshall Orson last year, said last week on his blog he believes any potential changes to the board, including the removal of six members, will be bogged down in lawsuits from the board itself and individual members. From McChesney's blog: What will be the outcome of all this posturing and opining? The voter will eventually get hyper focused on our legislature and their law making abilities. The Charter School law was overturned two years ago. Will this bill, that was run …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The state representative predicts the governor will accept the state board's recommendation and suspend the six DeKalb school board members.
Friday, February 22, 2013
The move was made late Friday afternoon, in hopes of stopping Gov. Deal from suspending any school board members.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Friday, February 22
Gov. Nathan Deal's office announced on Friday that he, along with members of the DeKalb legislative delegation, will hold an 11 a.m. news conference Monday to respond to the state Board of Education decision. The state board recommended to the governor that he remove six members of the DeKalb school board. However, in a legal move late Friday afternoon, the school board filed an emergency motion in federal court, hoping to stop the governor from taking any action. According to Channel 2 Action News, the emergency motion was filed just before the close of business on Friday. “I have closely followed the situation in DeKalb County schools since their accreditation was put at risk, and I paid special attention to the state Board of Education…
Board members Jim McMahan and Marshall Orson were spared in the state board of education's recommendation to the governor.
Betsy Parks
6:28 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
If anyone wants to send Governor Deal a “Big Thank You!” you can do it easily at http://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form more ›