It is a sad social, educational and community commentary six members of the Dekalb County School Board have individually and collectively damage the integrity and future of the quality of education of our children.
Not only is the educational integrity of our children and schools being damaged by some school board members, every consideration possibly considered by a company thinking to locate to DeKalb could be reconsidered.
This sad saga by some school board members who refuse to resign is believed by this writer is based solely on the personal Ego’s of each of the six school board members.
It is being reported the three remaining school board members issued a statement reading in part “We find ourselves in a unique and confusing situation with only three of us authorized to act by virtue of the federal court order, the Dekalb Board of Education will lack a quorum to conduct any business until such time as there is a decision in the legal matter.”
This writer find it inconceivable the school board members who are the focus of the controversy impacting our school system do not see the importance of each of them individually and collectively resigning for the future educational stability of our school system.
This writer previously wrote an article which was posted in the online version of this paper onAugust 19, 2010about the issue of concern by (SACS) which have not been addressed by the members of concern on this board. Yet these members who are the center of concern today have not address the questions asked by (SACS) over two years ago.
It is inexcusable for the “Sorry Saga of Six School Board Members” of the DeKalb Board of Education to publicly state they would like time to address the issues presented by (SACS).
For those sad six members of the board who seem in this writers view determined not to resign and are committed to getting a definitive ruling on whether the law allowing Gov. Nathan Deal to act is constitutional, apparently have refocused the primary questions of concern from their individual and collective inability to effectively and professionally manage the affairs of the DeKalb County School Board.
It is interesting board member Jesse “Jay” Cunningham stated “I’m standing before you asking you to stand behind me and let me finish my term.” Mr. Cunningham’s statement implies he will not seek re-election in 2014. If it is the goal of Mr. Cunningham and perhaps the other five members not to seek re-election what is prohibiting each of them from re-signing now and challenge the legal questions later.
This writer is convinced there is a real reason why the DeKalb school system is in the condition it is in now. However, the real question is are the sorry sad six members of the DeKalb School Board willing to do what is best for DeKalb County by resigning now?
Please allow me the opportunity to express my previously adopted principle of not responding to writers who chose to anonymously post comments.
My position has evolved and as a result of my evolution I have a new appreciation for anonymous commentary.
I also, believe anyone not willing to evolve in there thinking or belief in my view is not a person willing to accept the reality of an ever evolving society.
My rational for this evolution is, I have come to understand anonymous commentary allow the writer to openly express views which may otherwise be detrimental to their personal standing or well being in the community or their employment.
I made the personal decision to stand boldly for what I express in the public forum, by signing my name and posting a photo so there would be no doubt.
I have no fear of what man may attempt to do as it relates to positions I stand for.
Additionally, it is understandable I can not expect others to share my position in public commentary.
With those self serving comments I would like to express my agreement with much of your views expressed in your post, however, I would like to correct you in your view of my objections of V.J.
I have and had no objections to V.J. attempting to seek the office of U.S. Senate…I simply addressed to facts as I believed the fact to be about V.J. character as a public office seeker.
Now the federal courts have ruled and the issue may continue if the “Sad Six School Board Members” continue to waste taxpayer’s money by appealing the federal judges ruling.
I am not one who is willing to play the civil rights issue regarding the future of the school system or the future of the county…if the “Sad Six” are concerned about the constitutionality of an elected official being removed, well the fact is each of them have been suspended.
Now, my belief is perhaps it is about the salary each of them receives. Each of them should resign and thereby checking Gov. Deal and his hand pick committee. There resigning would allow for a special election and the voters of DeKalb would be able to make the decision on who should represent our community on the school board.
Again, to the Sad Six School Board Members…please resign now.
I must applaud you for the invariably cogent and meaningful positions that you have taken in these pages, at least since I begun reading you, when you vociferously objected to Vernon Jones' run for US Senate. (Remember Vernon's picture superimposed on an Obama flyer?- priceless piece of fraud)
Please consider that this DCSB/SACS fiasco has a greater object lesson.
We are currently noticing the devolution of the relevance of removing a defiantly culprit school board into the question of whether or not the governor can legally remove these people- even though the Governor's action is protected in state law. Now, as is customary, the African American community is fractured- between those who just want these six people to become anonymous, and those who believe civil rights voting triumphs are leaking out.
The NAACP, John Lewis, Mr. Dubose and others from the civil rights old guard have come out- not to support the Governor's in the interest of protecting the institutional academic integrity of DeKalb County children but to worry about a imagined, some would say trumped up threat to civil rights gains. Even here the African American argument has become bogus.
There is something frightening about the fact that it is more important to these gentlemen to harass the Governor than to celebrate the removal of these six scoundrels; by any means necessary.
Bro. Jerry, please be aware that the DCSB is only a symptom of the disconnect of the greater African American community- an almost immoral disconnect between voting and holding those for whom they voted accountable for the accomplishment of the platform.
These Board members and their poor oversight and there governance indiscretions are not particularly new.Eugene Walker was at the controls when Crawford Lewis and Pat Pope were allegedly shaking down $10 million of county money.
We can extrapolate this gross disaffection for productivity values between the African American voter and successive DeKalb County governments.
This school board brouhaha is becoming another smoke screen the community we can not afford.