In 20 years, only three other school districts have lost their accreditation.
Feb 15, 2008 - The Southern Association of Colleges and School Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) has recommended that the Clayton County School District lose its accreditation, beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.
SACS CASI made the announcement at a Friday afternoon news conference in Decatur. It follows a three-month investigation. The focus of the probe has been complaints of unethical behavior by school board members. They wereinvestigating allegations of micromanagement, abuse of power, and misuse of funds.
This is the second time in five years Clayton County’s accreditation has come under question. In the past 20 years, only three school districts —Biloxi, Miss.; Hartford, Conn.; and Duval County, Fla.— have lost accreditation, according to SACS.
The SACS report.
p 10 "The Board abandoned a system wide curriculum program, two-thirds of the way through its contract with the curriculum provider because the program was not endorsed by the teacher's union in which one of the members is the Executive Director. This left the school district without a clear curriculum and further deprived the schools and its teachers with academic vision and purpose." It cost the school district $1 million.
p12 (d) "A board member sent through the CCPS email system information about the union in which he is Executive Director. The information demanded the removal of a number of administrative staff, principals, and most notably, Board members."
Then there is,
p 12 "The Board member who is a union Executive Director who votes on pay and benefit raises that affect his union members.
"The Board member who is employed as a union Executive Director who pushes to cancel the Kaplan Core Curriculum because it not endorsed by his union and expresses his desire to use the money used for Kaplan for additional money for teachers and custodians despite the Title I restrictions on such funds;"
"The Board member that despite a conflict of interest voted on employment conditions, including compensation, for his wife'"
"The Board member that despite a conflict of interest voted to approve the employment of her husband."
p 13 There appear to be members of the board who do not meet the residency requirement to be a member of the school board. p 14 During a training session to improve working relations between board members, an altercation erupted between board members and police had to be called due to an alleged battery on one member upon another.
The school board failed to provide and distribute textbooks at the beginning of the year.
p 14 They also allowed a paid lobbyist for a company seeking a contract for an alternate education program to sit on a Blue Ribbon Committee that was assigned to determine the necessity of such a program.
p 15 Board members routinely put their loyalties to individuals, voting districts, particular schools or a special interest group ahead of students or the district as a whole.
p 20 - "During the course of the investigation, it became increasingly clear that an elusive negative outside external force has not only permeated a significant segment of the Board of Education but has also infiltrated key leadership positions within the school district." [Bolding ours.]
p 24 Several members of the board are members of local education associations. In particular, the Metro Association of Classroom Educators (MACE) actively presents opposition to the decisions and policies of the Clayton County Public Schools. MACE promotes and encourages action against the school district and individuals employed by the district. For example, MACE publishes lists of of employees of the school district that, in the opinion of MACE, should be dismissed from employment. The executive director of MACE is a member of the Board of Education and endorses such actions.
p 24 Several members of the Clayton County Board of Education belong to a teacher union organization and one is Executive Director of the union. There is mounting evidence that the union exerts pressure on its members on the board to support its issues. A good question that needs an immediate answer is whether or not these board members are responding to the union pressure at the expense of children they were elected to serve. [Bolding ours.]
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TT - The Clayton County School District has 59 schools and 52,533 students.
You get some idea of the problems from this Feb 5th story on the new rules adopted by the board to try to stave off the investigation.
Beginning immediately, board members no longer can direct staff, attend administrative meetings or take any steps that interfere with day-to-day school operations. Board members also must make an appointment to meet with the superintendent.SACS was also looking allegations that board members Norreese Haynes lobbied for a company to obtain a $10 million contract to run the district's alternative education program.
The board also agreed to relocate its offices away from the schools central administration building and to give more power to the superintendent.
All staff, including the board secretary, will report to the superintendent once a permanent superintendent is selected. The only exception will be the board attorney.
The board also approved Monday a policy that prohibits board members from talking with vendors during bid processes.
History
Previous TT entry on the school board. Including the bodyguard who was accused of touching two girls in a Clayton school who was hired by one board member and the coach who was fired because he wouldn't give in to a board member who wanted her son to play more.
A recall drive was started in January. And then there's a role model teacher.
BOARD MEMBERS and pictures The Executive Director of MACE is Norreese Haynes.
MACE web site tells you all you need to know.
OPEN IN NEW BROWSER. It is difficult to leave.
