Petition Asking Gov. Deal to Oust DeKalb School Board Gains Momentum

Less than two weeks after being put on probation, the DeKalb County School Board is now the target of an online petition calling for their removal.

The online petition has already received more than 500 signatures. The signers included a Lakeside High School student who said, "I feel like I am being set up for failure by the thieving BOE."

Another person posted: "DeKalb schools need high quality leadership. The present board is an embarrassment to this county which is the home to the CDC, Emory, Mercer and other higher educational entities. REMOVE THEM AND START OVER."

DeKalb resident Grace McKenna began the online petition, calling on Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to replace the entire school board.

On Dec. 17, the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) placed the school board on probation until December 2013. 

"There is significant and irrefutable evidence that the DeKalb County School District is in a state of conflict and chaos,” said SACS Chairman Dr. Mark Elgart. "This failure to govern effectively has resulted in a decline in student performance, financial mismanagement, and lack of integrity and ethics in recruiting, appointing and evaluating personnel at all levels of the school system."

The Georgia Department of Education must meet within 30 days of SACS report and make a recommendation to Gov. Deal on how to proceed. Under a new law, Deal has the authority to replace the school board.

Patch wants to know: Do you believe the governor should replace DeKalb's school board? Tell us what you think in the comments area below.

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DeKalb Schools Probation: 'A Lot Of Unhappiness About The Board's Leadership'