All Articles Tagged "school board"
Atlanta Schools Official Reassigned Pending “Go to Hell” Investigation
(AJC) — The Atlanta Public Schools official under investigation for advising principals to tell GBI agents to “go to hell” was reassigned Monday. District leaders moved Tamara Cotman from her position supervising about 25 elementary and middle schools to another job in the system’s English as a second language department until the inquiry is finished. District spokesman Keith Bromery declined to elaborate on the reasons for the transfer or provide further details on Cotman’s new job. The reassignment marked an abrupt shift for the district, which had allowed Cotman to continue in her supervisory position for two months after it received a complaint about a meeting with principals.
Ethics Panel to Investigate Atlanta School Board Chair
(AJC) — An ethics panel related to the Atlanta school board has decided to investigate whether Chairman Khaatim Sherrer El wrongfully used an outside communications firm last year during a lawsuit that split the board. The decision was made after the panel received two complaints — including one filed by El himself — about his use of the Atlanta-based Alisias Group. Alisias President Richard White said Thursday that his firm billed the legal firm that represented El and other board members in their defense against the suit that sought to overturn El’s September appointment as board chairman. The legal firm, Lightmas & Delk, then included Alisias’ costs in the overall bill it submitted to Atlanta Public Schools. The system, however, denied payment to Alisias. El last year had also sought to pay Alisias as much as $23,000 over three months to provide “crisis communications counsel” and help plan community meetings.
APS to Learn SACS Fate Today
(AJC) — Atlanta Public Schools officials learn Tuesday morning whether or not the system will be sanctioned, after one of the nation’s top accrediting agencies formally reviewed it and said the city school board’s capacity to govern is “in serious jeopardy.” Mark Elgart, president and CEO of AdvancED, said he will meet with the Atlanta system’s leaders privately at 9 a.m . At 11 a.m., he will hold a press conference at the agency’s headquarters in Alpharetta to announce the review’s results. “Yes, it’s a possibility,” Elgart told the AJC Monday evening when asked if Atlanta will be put on probation. “But I would not guarantee that’s what it’s going to be.”
Teachers Union: Elect School Board Members, Not Appoint
(Chicago Defender) — Teachers, parents, students and community groups are urging state legislators and Chicago’s next mayor to revamp the current school board to include elected members.By doing so, Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, said it would allow for more input from parents who have children attending public schools. “By establishing an elected school board it would give democracy a choice,” Lewis told the Defender at a Dec. 29 press conference and rally held at the Thompson Center. “The community needs to be a part of the school board and that can be best achieved by having a student, parent and community resident as members.”
Teachers union wants elections for school board
(Chicago Sun Times) — The Chicago Teachers Union was among seven organizations Wednesday to demand that Chicago move to a 13-member elected school board that would strip the next mayor of the power to appoint board members. Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis and others contended an array of reforms under a board appointed by Mayor Daley has stalled and in some cases has hurt schools and kids. The group called for a change in state law that would create an elected school board composed of three parents or community members from the South Side and two each from the North and West sides. Two teachers, one administrator, one “academic,’’ one school “paraprofessional’’ — such as a school clerk — and one “business’’ person also would be elected to sit on the board.
No Ethics Findings for Atlanta School Board Members
(AJC) — An ethics panel voted unanimously Thursday to close its investigation of five Atlanta school board members. It made no findings of fault. he investigation stemmed from complaints filed Nov. 4 by two Atlanta parents, who alleged the five — new board Chairman Khaatim Sherrer El, Yolanda Johnson, Nancy Meister, Courtney English and Brenda Muhammad — violated multiple board policies in their fight for control of the board. At the time, the five had just been sued by the board’s other four members over a midyear change of leadership.
APS Board Agrees to Settle Suit
(AJC) — After four hours behind closed doors with a Fulton County judge, warring Atlanta school board members agreed Tuesday to stop fighting one another in court over the board’s leadership. Later in the day the board met in emergency session, took a vote on new leadership and agreed to work with an outside expert in governance. The legal and parliamentary moves were a crucial first step toward a truce on a board that is facing several serious challenges, particularly the state and federal investigations into widespread cheating on tests, plus a threat to the school system’s accreditation, and, as of last weekend, the need to find a new superintendent.
AJC Files Complaint with State over School Cheating Scandal
(AJC) — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked the state attorney general Friday to investigate Atlanta Public Schools for withholding a critical report largely confirming the newspaper’s findings last year that test results in a dozen schools were highly suspicious. The AJC asked Attorney General Thurbert Baker to determine whether the district’s denial in July of a request for the report was a criminal violation of the Georgia Open Records Act.
‘Cloud’ over Atlanta School Board
(AJC) — On the heels of Beverly Hall’s weekend announcement that she will step down as superintendent of Atlanta schools in June, talk is already turning to who may replace her and what the school board should do to find the right candidate. City Councilman Kwanza Hall said Sunday a community coalition should be formed to help the school board launch a national search. But first, he said, fractious board members must set aside their differences and focus on doing what’s best for children. On Tuesday, the warring factions on the board will meet in court for a hearing on their lawsuit over leadership of the board.
School Board Chief Wants $23K for PR
(Atlanta Journal Constitution) — Atlanta school board Chairman Khaatim Sherrer El proposes paying an outside company as much as $23,000 over three months to provide “crisis communications counsel” and help plan community meetings. The firm, Atlanta-based Alisias Group, has done work for the lawyer who represents El and other board members in defending against a lawsuit that seeks to overturn El’s September appointment as board chairman, Alisias President Richard White said. The additional proposed work for the school board is unrelated, White said. When it would be set in motion is unclear because it has not yet been approved by the board.
