Air Conditioning is completely down at Chamblee Charter High School (CCHS). I’ll use this page to relate information as I get it.
Message from CCHS Principal Barnes
Good afternoon,
Concerning the HVAC at Chamblee HS, we have had issues with the motor on the cooling tower. It is back up and running until we get a new motor installed. The new motor is due here later today or tomorrow and it will be replaced at that time. We have 60 portable HVAC units onsite in to assist with the cooling of the building
Gail Barnes
Principal
Chamblee Charter High School
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
Friday we were told it should be fixed within two hours and if not portable AC units would be brought in. I just left the school and I did see two portable AC units near the lobby but it was very warm and I have no idea if those are being used throughout the building. Students are reporting many of the classrooms are extremely hot.
I cannot imagine that those units would be able to cool off that entire building. Even if they brought in 50 of them.
If not the whole school, it’s the majority. We have been promised repairs for days now, but not getting any. It’s been incredibly hot since school started, the AC has not worked properly this school year.
I believe 11Alive will be doing a story this afternoon. I’m not involved with that so I can’t provide more details.
My response to Dan Drake and the Board when I got his blanket response.
Mr. Drake:
Thank you for your response regarding the CCHS HVAC issue. My question is, CCHS is only a five year, how is the motor already not working? Do we not have warranties on mechanicals like this? It seems as many times as HVAC has gone out at CCHS this year, the problem would have already been diagnosed and a warranty call to the HVAC company would have already happened.
I know that you have a busy day today and if you have a chance to answer my questions, I would greatly appreciate it.
I ran into a friend with a student at CCHS. She said her daughter was begging her to pick her up because it was so hot. Apparently kids were leaving all day.
Its unbelievable that the air conditioning is still not fixed – its been out since last Thursday. Its also appaling that students and staff are expected to attend in this heat.
Dan Drake, interim Chief Operating Officer, said in late June operations performed a preventive maintenance cycle to identify any issues with HVAC systems across the district. That cycle apparently produced some list that they went to work on the rest of the summer. Drake is supposed to get that list to us and an update on all the issues on that list. I’ll release that when I get it.
I am at an Elementary School we haven’t had proper air conditioning in days. Can you also check to see if schools can have soap in our restrooms? Supplies are always low.
@ Stan – This has been an ongoing problem for over five weeks at CCHS. Other schools have been years with problems. A brand new unit should not have serious maintenance issues in the first five years, and if so, it should be under warranty. Why was the contractor of the HVAC not called immediately and still not called? This is Dan Drakes MO….. Give all the examples of what could have happened or he blames the schoolhouse employees for not doing their job. I have heard his stories in different schools for the past ten years, and mentally, I am done with the lies. HE NEEDS TO DO HIS JOB AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! Enough is Enough.
Is any district employee above a teacher ever accountable for anything?
CCHS parents and teachers – place thermometers in your rooms and take pictures of the temps. Send them to the media, the health dept., GADOE, etc. and copy Dr. Green and the BOE. Hopefully the CCHS water fountains will keep working to keep students hydrated.
Actually I believe that Dan Drake’s MO will be to also use these examples of his incompetence to extort even more money from the taxpayers (see the GO Bond discussion). Broken AC is not a new thing to him and there were 100 classrooms without working AC and 2200 outstanding and overdue maintenance items – with many dating years of neglect. It seems that he only shows up and things get fixed when there are cameras around and damage control to perform.
https://twitter.com/EducateDeKalb/status/1164600320577671168
Here is Dan Drake’s quote, “As a parent, I would be happy to send my students to any of these DeKalb County Schools.” If Dan Drake was you employee and had wasted all these resources, what would you do – give him even more? Well, actually he is supposed to work for your children, educators, and taxpayers – not the other way around!
https://twitter.com/EducateDeKalb/status/1163884893731901440
https://twitter.com/EducateDeKalb/status/1167546424961261568
https://twitter.com/EducateDeKalb/status/1163899363304906752
All this plus declining test scores across the board. Dan Drake’s facilities failures have a direct impact on the learning environment.
https://www.educatedekalb.org/academics
Finally, Dan Drake has the audacity to ask for more tax money when he has been such a poor steward through multiple administrations. People across DeKalb are fed up and opposed to the GO Bond while echoing Stan’s ongoing request for a financial audit.
http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/opposition-to-dekalb-county-go-bond-proposal
On the Scene with Dr. Green – Public community conversation event
WHEN: Thursday, September 12, 2019
7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Redan Middle School
1775 Young Rd.
Lithonia, GA 30058
Drake’s salary in 2018 as Director of Plant Operations per open gov: DRAKE,DANIEL E PLANT OPERATIONS DIRE… $115,074.09; travel – $436.80; The salary has increased for 2019 as interim COO – Stan, can you share his new salary?
Want to see what other DCSD staff make? Check out http://www.open.georgia.gov/openga/salaryTravel/advanceSearch. Enter last name and search.
Stan, why does DCSD schedule an On the Scene the same week as one of it’s community meetings on the GO bond and the BOE meeting? And many schools are also hosting their curriculum nights/Title 1 meetings this same week. Folks can’t devote 3 week nights in a week to DCSD. Maybe I just answered my own question!
This is yet another reason why Dekalb County Schools suck so badly and represent one of the worst school systems in one of the worst education states. Nice job, Dekalb.
Why haven’t we moved yet? Why aren’t we all taking second jobs as pizza deliverers so we can send our kids to private schools. I’m so fed up that my tax dollars and my children are going toward this joke of a school system. Its my biggest regret as a parent – sending my kids to these schools.
11-Alive, “60 portable air conditioners brought to DeKalb school as motor in main system is repaired”
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/dekalb-air-conditioner-hvac-schools/85-efb9ddc5-c917-4323-914a-e55bd693a7db
See also the September 10, 2019 AJC article “Groups call for DeKalb Schools leader’s immediate resignation”:
https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/groups-call-for-dekalb-schools-leader-immediate-resignation/MImvKmKLkTyGAcuXOOam5I/
“Decision not to renew APS chief’s contract has people in DeKalb abuzz”:
https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/decision-not-renew-aps-chief-contract-has-people-dekalb-abuzz/qLaL4D4exhGN70G6piwYXJ/