Walker: State Charter Commission 'End of Universal, Free Public Education'

DeKalb County Board of Education chair and District 9 member Gene Walker said this week the proposed Georgia Charter Commission will lead to an unequal and economically segregated school system.

The creation of a Georgia Charter Commission would lead to an erosion of local tax dollars and an inequality of education in DeKalb County and other local school districts, DeKalb County Board of Education member Gene Walker said this week. In a column published in Neighbor Newspapers, the board chair and District 9 representative said a charter school commission run by the state would siphon $430 million from local school districts and cherry pick the best students in each system, leaving the poorest and most troubled students to the leadership of under-funded school districts. A revival of such a commission will be on the ballot on Election Day. The referendum seeks to ammend the Georgia Constitution to allow the state government to …

•  15 Comments
• Photos (1)

Cheryl Miller

11:40 am on Monday, October 15, 2012

The only schools that can exist on the state-only portion of funds are virtual schools. That is what this is really about.   more ›

Walker: School Board Has Done Nothing Wrong

The DeKalb County Board of Education chairman and District 9 member said he doesn't believe the school board did anything to warrant dozens of complaints sent to SACS.

DeKalb County Board of Education Chairman Gene Walker said last week he doesn't believe the board did anything to warrant dozens of claims of mismanagement sent to the school system's top accreditor. SACS – the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – notified the school system of the complaints in a letter late last month, and the school system is crafting its response, according to a Neighbor Newspapers report. Walker's response in the story: School Board Chairman Eugene Walker dismissed the notion that this latest round of controversy tarnishes the district’s image. “Remember now, SACS is not accusing us of anything,” Walker said. “I feel strongly that we’re acting appropriately … but, people make allegations. It’s the …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

DeKalb's School Budget Deficit: What Would You Do?

The DeKalb County School System is facing an $85-million deficit that's forced the school board to make some tough decisions.

The DeKalb School board is set to vote on a budget Wednesday, and that budget is going to cut deeply into district programs. The district is considering an array of cuts, like eliminating transportation to magnet programs, cutting a district supplement to pre-kindergarten programs, gutting funding for the popular Fernbank Science Center and eliminating extra teachers in magnet programs. Here are the big issues: Below is an explanation of some of the high-profile cuts the district is proposing. They aren't the biggest cuts, but they've received quite a bit of attention from county residents. Be sure and vote in our poll about how you would go about balancing the budget. And leave us some comments. Pre-kindergarten The district could save $2…

•  38 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)

Daily 10

Daily PatchCast: Atkinson Promises Change, Sandy Springs Bank Robbery, Xerona Clayton Dedication

The day's top headlines for Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Atkinson To Focus On Students, Makes Changes Across System. Riverwood Audit Shows Several Areas Of Concern. Police Investigating Wednesday Morning Bank Robbery. Patch Profile: State Rep. Ed Lindsey Tucker Native Making An Impact At Stanford. Hundreds Celebrate Xerona Clayton Way.

• Videos (1)

DeKalb School Board Passes $475M SPLOST Resolution

DeKalb County voters will be able to vote on the proposal in November.

8:45: Discussion about the SPLOST IV proposal begins. Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson is asking the board to approve the $475 million list. 8:47: Discussion of Henderson Mill and Hawthorne elementary being combined. That's not possible, Tyson said. She reviewed a series of changes to the initial proposal from several weeks ago. All documents can be found on the school system's website here. 8:49: Referndum would be in November 2011. A 1 cent sales tax, a school district official said. Resolution with City of Decatur Schools and Atlanta Public Schools. Will continue SPLOST for additional five years. 8:51: Board member Nancy Jester asks for ammendment. Wants language changed referencing a future Dunwoody elementary school. Board …

•  6 Comments
• Photos (1)