School board candidates weigh in on how they would get system back on track
- 10/15/10
- Categorized in: DeKalb News, Education, Politics
Several themes—leadership, ethics, money—dominated as candidates for the DeKalb County School Board spoke out at an Oct. 7 forum. Political analyst and commentator Bill Crane served as moderator.
The forum was one of several opportunities the 15 men and women vying for five seats on the school board had to share their views with potential voters in the Nov. 2 general election. Seats in Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are on this year’s ballot.
Candidates expressed strong views on leadership within the school system and especially on the selection of a person to fill the vacant superintendent’s seat. Eugene Walker, who is seeking reelection in District 9, said the county’s education system is “in crisis” and the board must find “a dynamic superintendent who had insight on how to spend money.”
Walker said that DeKalb County should not measure itself against other Georgia school systems, but against the best schools in the world. “We should seek to be the gold standard,” he said.
Because the most recent superintendent resigned in the wake of a corruption scandal, it’s not surprising that many, like District 7 candidate Donna Edler underscored the need to find a superintendent of impeccable moral character. The new superintendent should “be ready from day one to rebuild the credibility of the DeKalb County School System,” she said.
The board’s overall focus should be raising the level of achievement in the schools, said District 7 candidate Richard Gathany, a lawyer and longtime PTA member. “We need a superintendent with a proven record of academic improvement.”
District 1 candidate Bobbe Gillis, a Doraville business owner, also said she wants to see the board hire a superintendent with a proven record. “It must be a person who has been an outstanding example of ethics and who has taken a failing school system and turned it around.”
Willie Mosley Jr., also a candidate for District 7, said the system needs “an outstanding person of the highest standards,” then the board must hold him or her accountable. “There’s no leadership, it’s just not there. Money is not being spent properly.”
Zapora Roberts, the incumbent in that district, agreed that integrity is a top requirement for a superintendent. However, she disagreed with many other candidates on another issue: the construction of the new administrative headquarters on Mountain Industrial Boulevard. She said that the decision was a good one since it brought all the administrators under one roof.
Gathany disagreed saying that spending money for a new administrative headquarters was “not appropriate” when so many schools were in need of repair and renovation.
In a school system troubled by criminal charges against the superintendent and other high ranking officials as well as accusations of unethical behavior by administrators and board members, challengers touted the need for new blood on the board while veterans like Roberts insisted that experience is needed to set matters right.
Jaques Hall Jr., who graduated from Lakeside High School five years ago, is taking on District 5 incumbent Jay Cunningham. He acknowledged that he has had no experience in office, but said that his approach, staying in close touch with people in the community, would make a difference. “We are at a crossroads. We need to come together.”
Cunningham, however, said that the ability to bring together board members with divergent points of view has been one of his strengths. He said the board is moving in the right direction although there is still a lot more work to be done. He said that he feels the system has nothing to fear from an investigation by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the state’s accrediting agency.
Ella Smith, a former teacher in Fulton, Gwinnett and DeKalb counties and a District 9 candidate, said that her career experience especially qualified her to oversee the school system. “I have been an educator for 33 years,” she said. “Education has been my whole life. Things have changed and the DeKalb County School System hasn’t changed. We need to look at current trends.”
Elder said her background as a certified public accountant, real estate appraiser and contract investigator would bring to the board skills that are particularly needed right now. Faced with multimillion-dollar spending decisions, she said, the board needs her type of expertise.
District 1 candidate Nancy Jester, a former actuarial consultant, also cited her financial background as an asset needed to address the system’s problems. “To reform the school system, we have to reform the budget,” she said.
Corey Wilson, a business manager, was the only District 3 candidate at the forum since incumbent Sarah Copelin-Wood was not present. He said the school system needs courageous leadership—“people who are willing to do what is unpopular if it’s the right thing.” He said that current ethics guidelines probably don’t go far enough. “We need to be very transparent in all our dealings,” he said.
Offense Date
28-JAN-10
Charge Level / Code and Description
FINANCIAL TRANS CARD FRAUD/Felony
Filing Date
08-FEB-2010
COPELIN, THOMAKIA ROSHAY
DOB: 08-MAY-74
SPN: X0405631
BOOKING DATE: 28-JAN-10 01:23 PM
RELEASE DATE: 29-JAN-10 03:37 PM
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=165732
Corey Wilson:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/more-dekalb-school-board-692027.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-school-officials-record-690212.html
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/10/25/dekalb-school-board-candidate-corey-e-wilson-response-coming-tomorrow-it-ought-to-be-today/
down right disgusted. It is shameful and quite evident that the entire DCSS needs to be restructured from top to bottom. The system needs
employees who are geniunely committed to looking out for the wellfare of all children. There are marked discrepencies from school to school, north, south, east and west of DeKalb County. Parents and every community should be outraged at curriculums that fail while students are over-tested on what they have not been taught. When will these PHDs get a clue and admit that DCSS has been on a downward spiral for decades. When will the egos and titles and patting each other on the back for a job poorly done stop? There is a definite culture in this system that places the children at the bottom of the agenda. Enough of
the parents just don't care about their children-it's their fault, or the teachers aren't doing their jobs, while school administrators make their
staff lives as miserable as humanly possible, while students fall through
the cracks. Political rhetoric, well chosen words, and proper protocol is
entertainment only. This system needs to be restructured with people with morals, ethics, and dedicated to doing the absolute best that can be done Everyday for the benefit of every child. If you're fortunate enough to be a parent who can proudly say your child's school is great and your child is getting the greatest education in DCSS then guess what...you're still a part of a failed system. One thing I know for certain,
paths have a way of crossing. As adults, we have to do our parts to make sure that within one system all schools are upwardly equal. That
every student has the same resources, equal learning environments, and
great experienced teachers. That not one school year begins without books or permanently assigned teachers. For years I've wondered, when will common sense come into play and an innovative approach of
researching a school system that works (somewhere in this world) with
a curriculum that works and produces well-educated students be found and duplicated. Seems as if it would be so much easier that changing
test answers to falsify test results. What are we teaching our children anyway?!? One last comment. I watched the miners' rescue in Chile and it was so clear to me why it was successful and triumphant...they
reached out for help and worked cooperatively in one direction for one goal. It was a success because they didn't just try to resue a few of the
miners, the goal was to resue all of them. What a tremendous success!
Can't we all, from the superintendent to the board members, learn from that! It is my prayer that we do.
Ex-DeKalb School Board Member Accused Of Bribery
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/25470144/index.html
What about the millions wasted by DCSS MIS on eSIS, School net, and an unproductive staff focused on the "pipeline" while providing hit or miss service to teachers and students in the school house. Why are there 200 school police officers with two chiefs and nine dectectives, while Gwinnett has half that number and thousands more students?
There was a salary survey done a few years back and it stated that DCSS overpays in admin salaries by $15 MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR. Funds that should be spent in the classroom go to overpaid bureaucrats. DCSS spends that same amount on the Office of School Improvement, with a huge staff that shouldd be in the classroom instead of giving teachers a hard time about not having perfect bulletin boards. That's $30 million right there that should either be spent in the classroom or given back to DeKalb taxpayers.
Ernest, you very publicly supported Crawford Lewis. It's one thing to be a cheerleader of many good things are students and teachers are accomplishing. But don't run form the simple fact that the DCSS BOE and Central Office waste millions and manage ineffectively.
Despite some of the 'distractions' in our community and school system now, there are MANY successes occurring every day in the schools and classrooms around the district. I'll be glad when the election is behind us so we can focus of the consolidation/redistricting plan along with selecting a new superintendent.
Parent involvement is also an issue. More parents must show concern over their childrens quality of education and future. Many parents work multiple jobs in DeKalb County and may have problems attending their childrens activities.
Schools in Georgia have been no better than FOURTH from the BOTTOM of all other States in America for Education for decades ! To place low in the State of Georgia is to be among the poorest of Schools in the entire United States of America.
Wher have the DeKalb CEO and Board of Commissioners been ?
In the past they have not sent representatives to cover School Board Meetings, MARTA or Grady Hospital ! What's up with that ?