Patch Voices

DeKalb Schools Crisis: Governor is Wrong to Suspend the DeKalb School Board

Ex-board chairman Eugene Walker responds to Gov. Nathan Deal's decision to suspend six members of the DeKalb Board of Education.

by Eugene P. Walker The Governor is wrong in his decision to suspend members of the DeKalb County Board of Education. The DeKalb School District has been placed on probation by a private accrediting institution called SACS which holds considerable sway in the education community. SACS has made a multitude of allegations, some of which I agree with, but all of them were developed unilaterally in a shrouded process. SACS' leadership is not elected by the public, does not have to conform to open meetings and open records laws, and is not subject to constitutional due process as it sits in judgment of public institutions and elected officials. The DeKalb Board of Education, like all school boards, is a public institution. We have open meetings…

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DeKalb Schools on Probation

SACS finds plenty for taxpayers and parents to be concerned about after investigation.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has placed the DeKalb County School District on probation — a move that could lead to ouster of the school board. SACS, which said it could eventually strip DeKalb County School District of its accreditation, made the move following a lengthy investigation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Among SACS' key findings: Some students don't have textbooks and most aren't using the Internet or have computers, the AJC reported. That's in spite of the fact that the district — which includes McNair High and Meadowview Elementary schools in Gresham Park — collects nearly $1 billion a year from DeKalb taxpayers. School board Chairman Eugene P. Walker told the newspaper that while he takes the …

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