Category Archives: Board Meetings

Friends and Family 2.0
DeKalb Schools’ theme, “New leadership, new vision, new direction: Improving student performance through parental engagement”, seems to translate into the board and administration creating new non teaching positions. This is Friends and Family 2.0. While Thad Mayfield is too close to the SPLOST IV campaign to truly be objective, he is the only one asking germane questions and voting ‘no’ on the absurd agenda items. Dr. Morley, on the other hand, appears not to have met a bureaucratic idea she doesn’t like. She also seems comfortable in the roll of Patron Saint of Friends and Family 2.0. She’s advocated for “handsomely paid” administrators, steadfastly objected to GAC accreditation and supports the administration heist of “after school program” funds that were to accrue to the individual schools and families that raised those funds. Somehow, that record, which is also the record of the Board in total, doesn’t seem to match the rhetoric of “improving student performance” nor does it provide much “new” of anything; especially leadership, vision or direction. The administration with this board’s approval is instituting Friends and Family 2.0.
I have summarized and provided links to the recap and video clips of the meeting’s highlights.

• School Readiness Report
• Financial Report
• Human Resources Report
• After School Program (ASP) Money
• School Attendance Lines
• English Language Learner District Plan

School Readiness Report – PowerPoint Presentation and Video Clip
Dr. Alice Thompson gave a school readiness PowerPoint presentation. Over 700 new teachers were hired to back fill the exodus. The implementation plan for the Interim’s Superintendent’s pet project, Parental Engagement, was unveiled. A hotbed for friends and family, the failed, expensive and recently closed Family Centers will be reopened in South DeKalb. As a show of support and PR, central office staff will be deployed to schools the first week and will hold daily briefings.
Financial Report – Recap and Video Clip
Peronne is gone, money is being found left and right and the financial albatrose hanging around DeKalb School’s neck has magically disappeared. There’s a report for invoices paid, but no mention of invoices outstanding. I remain skeptical of this financial windfall.
Human Resources Report – Recap and Video Clip
Retaining the best and brightest teachers plagues DeKalb Schools. Orson is disappointed teachers are breaking their contracts and leaving for more money saying, “If people can constantly leave for more money, then this will bring instability to our system.” Dr. Ward-Smith discusses the circumstances under which contracts can be broken and plans to add more verbiage to contracts next year. Mayfield would like to know more about teacher ratings. Traditionally, teachers have all been rated high, but we now have teacher/leader “keys” (new evaluation system) for the first time.
Dr. Morley would like to see more punitive measures and fine teachers for breaking contracts. She is disheartened that teachers with masters degree don’t make 6 figure salaries like many in the corporate world with less education. Note: Many states are moving to a model of paying for performance and eliminating pay increases for additional degrees. Studies, like The Sheepskin Effect and Student Achievement from the Center For American Progress, have shown no (and sometimes negative) correlation between teachers with advanced degrees and student outcomes. Personally, I’m all in favor of teachers making more money and administrators making less. But compensation decisions should be based on competence and effort, not simply checking a block.
After School Program (ASP) Money – Recap and Video Clip
Orson continued to advocate for the ASP money to accrue to the schools raising these funds pursuant to past agreements. Dr. Morley staunchly opposes this. Despite the public outrage over the Interim Superintendent’s attempt to claim ASP money for the general fund, the passage and implementation of the “Student Activities Funds Management” policy, codifying the past agreements between schools and the administration, was once again delayed and keeps these funds at risk. Curiously, the original budget hearings at which the Interim Superintendent attempted to claim ASP money for the general fund, are not posted online and DCSS is still refusing to do so.
School Attendance Lines – Recap and Video Clip
The administration would like the ability to make minor changes to the school attendance lines without board approval. I’m not sure what attendance line emergencies come up that can’t wait a few weeks for a board to approve.
This policy allows the Superintendent (or their designee) to adjust lines up to 1/8 mile and affect 5 or fewer children. This seems odd because one can’t argue that this is about balancing enrollment. If only 5 children can be moved, that adjustment won’t significantly change the enrollment numbers at a school. So, why the need for this policy? It isn’t a leap to see that this policy could be used to benefit friends and punish adversaries. Furthermore, the frequency at which the policy can be used is not specified. Can the Superintendent invoke the policy daily, monthly, quarterly, yearly, minute-by-minute? Eventually, 1/8th of a mile and 5 children can become whole neighborhoods. This isn’t a good policy.
English Language Learner(ELL) District Plan – Recap and Video Clip
The district is putting in place a plan to improve instruction to our ELL population. As with most command and control governance, the administration will tell the communities what they need. This would be an ideal opportunity to relinquish control, decentralize decision making, and enable the consumers of English Language Lerner services to make their own decisions.

Unlike previous board meetings, Dr. Morley and the Interim Superintendent didn’t beat the other board members into submission. While the agenda contained some surprises and the voting results were sometimes unclear, Dr. Morley and the Interim Superintendent arguably outwitted their opponents. Dual Accreditation and the After School Money were the big issues of the day.
I have summarized and provided links to the recap and video clips of the meeting’s highlights.

• Dual Accreditation
• After School Money
• Revenue Shortfall
• School Attendance Lines
• Tribute to Gregory Davis
• Ashford Park Parent Paid Renovation
• Charter Schools Presentation

Dual Accreditation – Recap and Video Clip
The board debated allowing schools to pursue GAC accreditation.  Mr. Coleman called the question on a proposed amendment to the action item.  The question was voted on and passed, so the proposed amendment was voted on and passed.   The action item itself, however, was never actually voted on.
Dr. Morley and the Interim Superintendent were joined by Thad Mayfield in their opposition to GAC and the dual accreditation concept.  Board reps Orson and Coleman have been feeling the heat from Terry Nall, parents and taxpayers to make this happen.  The Interim Superintendent wants Dr. Elgart to be the only accreditor.
Last week I had the opportunity to speak with a long-time resident of South DeKalb.  I learned it is a commonly held belief in her area that GAC/dual accreditation is somehow seen as a first step in a process to break off into smaller school districts.  Clearly some citizens and parents would like to see smaller districts – count me as one.  But, I do not see how GAC accreditation would assist, strengthen or hasten the movement to break DeKalb into smaller districts.
After School Program (ASP) Money – Recap and Video Clip
In one of the first budget hearings, the Interim Superintendent appropriated the after school money for the general fund.  There was widespread public outrage over this breach of trust.  the Interim Superintendent has since recalibrated his position, but it is interesting to note the previous budget hearings are not published and DCSS is refusing to do so.  Those hearings offer clarity into the original intent of the administration and Superintendent regarding the After School Program funds.  The final budget does not appear to use the ASP money but we’ll need to go through the budget in more detail to confirm.  I’ll get Nancy on that!
Revenue Shortfall – Recap and Video Clip
The FY 2014 budget has General Fund revenue and expenditures at exactly $755,761,000. Mr. Bell announced at the board meeting today the tax assessors have adjusted anticipated revenues for DeKalb Schools down $2M. This news in addition to the “System-Wide School Scheduling Efficiency” revenue forecast adjustment, however, hasn’t deterred the administration from keeping revenue estimates at the same level. The “System-Wide School Scheduling Efficiency” revenue forecast was adjusted down $6.6M (from $9.2M to $2.6M). Despite Mr. Bell’s advice that “You need to be conservative on your revenue estimates and aggressive on your expenditure estimates”, he mentioned that these forecasts are just a trend analysis. Senior administration ultimately decides what forecasts to go with. He further said, “On the revenue side, we are over 90% accurate.”. I’m not sure he realizes that comes out to +/- $100M.
School Attendance Lines – Recap and Video Clip
The administration would like to make minor changes to the attendance lines without board approval.  I’m not sure what attendance line emergencies come up that can’t wait a few weeks for a board to approve.
This policy allows the Superintendent (or their designee) to adjust lines up to 1/8 mile and affect 5 or fewer children.   This seems odd because one can’t argue that this is about balancing enrollment.  If only 5 children can be moved, that adjustment won’t significantly change the enrollment numbers at a school.  So, why the need for this policy?  It isn’t a leap to see that this policy could be used to benefit friends and punish adversaries.  This isn’t a good policy.
 Tribute to Gregory Davis – Video Clip
Gregory Kane Davis of Stone Mountain died suddenly after he collapsed June 3 at the DeKalb school board budget meeting.  This is the tribute to him at the 07/01/2013 board meeting.  The board named the fleet service center adjacent to the AIC in memory of Mr. Davis.
Ashford Park Parent Paid Renovation – Recap and Video Clip
Ashford Park Elementary School is in dire need of renovations.  Ashford Park and Montgomery ES should have received major renovations with SPLOST IV.  Brookhaven, Chamblee and Dunwoody are all in need of more seats in elementary schools.  SPLOST IV does practically nothing to address the crowding and conditions at schools in District 1.  The “Facility Assessment” numbers were manipulated to produce a better outcome for the favored at the expense of some.
I have tremendous respect for parents and communities who come together to fundraise to improve their school.  But it strikes me as a tragedy that these parents have to pay for renovations, playgrounds and more by fundraising and, thus, taxing themselves another time.  We currently have one of the highest millage rates for schools in the state.  The mismanagement and politics of SPLOST have combined to deprive some children of what should be basic at every school school.
So I cringe when I hear Board members, like Mr. Coleman, compliment Ashford Park for their donation and commitment without taking issue with the billions of dollars DeKalb has collected through the SPLOSTs  and demonstrably misallocated.  All the while, we see some schools in disrepair, children without safe playgrounds and trailers without covered walkways.
Charter Schools Presentation – Video Clip and Powerpoint Presentation
Mr. Louis Erste, Director of the Charter Schools Division, State Department of Education, gave a charter schools presentation during the work session.  The state is pushing to see conversion charters have real autonomy.  Also, class size waivers are scheduled to go away by 2015