Johnson, McMahan, Orson Issue Statement

The three DeKalb school board members who remain state their point of view.

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 …

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DeKalb Schools: 'There Is No Plan'

School Board member Marshall Orson spoke in front of a tough crowd Tuesday night.

DeKalb School Board Member Marshall Orson (District 2) held a nearly three-hour Town Hall Meeting in the Emory community off North Decatur Road Tuesday night, updating a packed room of parents and neighbors on the events that have taken place almost daily since the state BOE gave DeKalb a 30-day window to prove their commitment to an improvement plan.   The state BOE is scheduled to reconvene Thursday at 8 a.m. to finish the hearing started in January that was required by a law intended to help school systems protect their valuable accreditation.  But, the law has had its own share of controversy when, in 2010, then-Governor Sonny Perdue removed Warren County's school board, but the state Supreme Court overturned that decision. The law was…

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Cheryl Miller

7:01 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013

John Davis, great idea for a new structure. We would also like to see the School Choice program altered so that every parent must choose 3 schools in priority order before the start of every school year on an application, presumably with student input. If you select your neighborhood school first, and live within say 3 miles of it, you would be automatically selected to attend it. Then, the other…   more ›

Orson to Host Town Hall on DeKalb School System

The event will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Emory Presbyterian Church.

Jim McMahan Sworn in as New School Board Member

McMahan lives in the Sagamore Hills area.

DeKalb Board of Education District 4 member Jim McMahan and District 6 member Melvin Johnson were sworn in Monday, Jan. 7 at the school district's headquarters, along with newly-elected member Marshall D. Orson. McMahan beat Paul Womack in a run-off last last year. Pamela Speaks, who was re-elected to her seat, was also sworn in Monday. Orson represents District 2.

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McMahan: School Board Must Have 'Unified Vision'

Jim McMahan and Marshall Orson will take over the DeKalb County Board of Education's districts two and four seats in January.

Incoming DeKalb County Board of Education member – and District 2 representative – Jim McMahan said the board, moving forward, must have a unified vision to solve the school system's challenges. From a Thursday story in Neighbors Newspapers: One of the reasons he ran for the board position was that he was tired of the infighting. “I want the board to have a single unified vision,” McMahan said. “I want the board to come together and be one supportive team.” McMahan will take over for outgoing school board veteran H. Paul Womack. McMahan said he believes one of the biggest issues the school system faces is balancing its budget. He said he hopes his experience in the financial industry, as a residential mortgage loan officer, will serve to …

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