Don't Just Take Our Word For It
The information that we have posted on this blog probably seems unbelievable to at least some of you. Judging from many of the comments, though, many others out there are not surprised. Either way, you have the right, as citizens, to know for yourself first-hand. In fact, that right is spelled out in the Georgia Open Records Law. The Attorney General has a wonderful website dedicated to the details of this law (http://www.state.ga.us/ago/open_govt.html).
Using that as your guide, exercise your rights as citizens to request information from GCPS yourself. If you want, look at some of the documents we have posted and ask for them specifically. Or ask for other information, whatever you have concerns about. All you need to do is to put your request(s) in writing, being sure to be very specific and clear about the information you are seeking.
Remember; GCPS is spending YOUR money, educationg YOUR children, and running YOUR schools. You have every right to know how, and how well, they are doing. Once you have the information in-hand, then judge for yourself. Take us (the bloggers) out of the equation and then see what the message is.
posted by The Truth Will Set You Free @ 11/27/2006 12:03:00 AM
36 comments
36 Comments:
All an investigator would need to do is interview all the Diredctors secretaries, and they would find out all they need to know. I know for a fact that many of these ladies have already been moved or have been sworn to screcracy
All an investigator would need to do is interview all the Directors secretaries, and they would find out all they need to know. I know for a fact that many of these ladies have already been moved or have been sworn to secrecy.
Unfortunately be prepared for a lot of run around. These folks have become pro’s at denying requests stating such documents do not exist even if you are able to correctly identify the data you are seeking but simply fail to use the correct language that they use to file this stuff.
Also understand that they seem to think the least paid person able to fill your request is making about $40 per hour and you will be required to pay for these services. Ahhh--- but they will give you a free estimate
Been there---Done thst.
WHITE ROSE / TAG
How about posting an email address for teachers, reading this blog, interested in joing you.
Problems and Concerns !!!
1. Problems with the management of our classrooms.Wilbanks Philosophy and interference!
2. Problems in the Transportation Department.(mismanagement and hiring).Buying plush houses for staff member use? Contributions to only area Christian Church's by department with public funds?
3.Problems and games played in Human Resources, the HR Director supporting her church and others with GCPS Assets. Coaching selected candidates for interviews behind closed doors ?
4.Problems in Accounting and Auditing. False leave reports by Keith Knight for years. Unqualified people hired. No oversight by Mr. Wilbanks apparently. Rush to hire replacements for new openings without proper advertising for positions... No new procedures put in place ?
5. Overspending on Computers and Peoplesoft implementation. Where was Mr. Wilbanks again ??? IBM abusing GCPS employees and writing their own PO's?
6.Nepotism in the Schools and the central office, why was this allowed ?
The School Board must look into these things now and if some of them are true, fire Mr. Wilbanks !!!
The Public needs to speak out using all available means now !
Use the Open Records Law to look for proof yourself, call, write and e-mail GCPS Senior Management and School Board Members demanding answers now!
9:34 AM
Actually people/employees are forced to sign confidentiality agreements.....
PLEASE FLOOD GCPS WITH E-MAILS TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT USING THE FOLLOWING FORMAT ASKING QUESTIONS AND FOR CHANGE:
Alvin Wilbanks School Superintendent
Robert McClure School Board Chairman
Francis Davis HR Director
Using the following e-mail address
format:
firstname_lastname@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Democracy is about speaking your mind.
Is there a recall procedure in Georgia to remove the School Board
from office if irregularities are found or they refuse to start an investigation of these charges?
Concerned Taxpayer and Parent.....
Indeed recalling any elected official uses the same process.
How the Recall Process Works
Grounds for Recall
Specific grounds for recall are required in only seven states:
Georgia: act of malfeasance or misconduct while in office; violation of oath of office; failure to perform duties prescribed by law; willfully misused, converted, or misappropriated, without authority, public property or public funds entrusted to or associated with the elective office to which the official has been elected or appointed. Discretionary performance of a lawful act or a prescribed duty shall not constitute a ground for recall of an elected public official. (Ga. Code §21-4-3(7) and 21-4-4(c))
Petitioning
The recall process is similar to that for initiatives in that citizen petitions are required. The number of signatures necessary to qualify a recall petition, however, is significantly higher than for initiatives. Signature requirements are based on a formula, generally a percentage of the vote in the last election for the office in question, although some states base the formula on the number of eligible voters or other variants. Whatever the formula, the signature requirements are high: 25 percent in nine states; 25 percent for statewide offices and 35 percent for legislators in Washington; one-third in Louisiana; and 40 percent in Kansas. California's requirements are 12 percent for statewide offices; 20 percent for legislators and appellate judges. Georgia requires 15 percent for statewide offices; 30 percent for all others. Idaho's requirement is 20 percent for all offices. Montana has the lowest number of required signatures - 10 percent for statewide officials and 15 percent for state district offices such as legislative districts.
Circulation Time
in Georgia is 90 days to obtain signatures.
You may read Georgia code re: recalls here.
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/GaCode/?title=21&chapter=4§ion=11
Sworn to secrecacy?
When it comes to answering a grand jury. I do believe you could throw that agreement away.
Jim Dumond... The White Rose would like to contact you. Can you post a phone number or email address?
Thanks.
Still silence from members of our elected School Board? Say you are looking into the allegations, say they have no merit and you will do nothing? Say something to the public in response to the charges leveled on the blog!!!
Frustrated and Disgusted.....
Yes, I know but to the best of my knowledge for some unknown reason our DA Danny Porter is doing nothing nor has a Grand Jury been convened? The AJC or WXIA which have resources at their disposal are not doing an investigation either? Mr. Wilbanks is either very lucky or has some politcal markers out there that he has cashed in...
White Rose.
Here's one you can use.
jimdogi@mail.com
Mr Knight former Director of Internal Audit instituted a policy that he and his Auditors do not have to come into the office for days at a time. Therefore no one is really monitoring an Auditors time at work. Allowing them to work less then a full day while being well paid by government standards for less then a full days work. A waste of tax dollars!!!
Former GCPS Internal Auditor.
Requesting a grand jury investigation.
One may want to speak with the DA's office regarding the process.
Unless I'm mistaken anyone can request a GJ investigation. The grand jury may or may not act upon such a request--based on prilimary evidence that is provided them and there case load. They may refer to the next GJ if they feel an investigation into a matter is warranted.
I'm not an attorney but as I recall this is a relatively simple matter and Alvin has been required in the past to appear to answer questions. Seems to me it for more than just one year and before more than one Grand Jury. As I further recall this didn't make him a real happy camper and he became somewhat defiant. :-)
The new CFO just happens to be the former CFO that preceeded Jeff. And guess what folks.....HE'S BACK!!!!Why do you think that Wilbanks continues to recycle former employees of his administration? Are we to believe that these same individuals were oblivious to the questionable practices of this administration. I think NOT!
Typically, in the public sector but more specifically in the education system, a Master's degree is required for an individual to hold the post of CFO. It is also true that in the private sector a CPA is required in order to qualify for ANY management position.
Since we are playing WHO'S WHO, who is the new Budget Director that replaced Dan Smith (who just happened to have resigned this summer also, WHY? Where did he come from and what are his qualifications?
A recycled CFO after Jeff being forced out, the Budget Director resigns unexpectedly this summer? The Director of Internal Audit fired ? Do you see a pattern and a problem here ? The Director of School Nutrition forced out. Lets make sure the New Director of Internal Audit will turn his or her back or just be incompetant and not do a thorough job!
6:59 PM
GCPS Top Management appears to be Anti-semetic as well as anti-people of color, based on hiring patterns in the central office!
The School Board reminds me of the old joke, Monkey sees no evil; Monkey hears no evil; Monkey speaks no evil therefore? Hence their silence.....
To the former internal auditor. I thought that the auditors mostly audited schools. Thus it seems logical that they do their work on-site at the schools. To have to come into the office every day would seem a bit inefficient. Just a thought.
To the contrary of anti-color....thanks to Francis Davis, a black woman, more blacks have been appointed to Principal and Assistant Principal than ever before. The Human Resources dept. is full of black people. She has done a good job of mixing up colors of employees.
However, Her picks as principals have failed. Arthur Knight, her friend from church was promoted to Lilburn MS Principal. Under his leadership the school not went from bad to worse in scores, violence and moral. He had the highest turnover rate of any school in GCPS. But he promoted Francis Davis's sister to an AP position before he was yanked mid school year to some made up county position in student discipline where he failed again...He was last seen as a teacher somewhere...
Principals at Meadowcreek ES and HS were also blacks and friends of FD.....one was forced to resign after she stole money from the PTA and altered reviews of her staff without anyone's knowledge. The other was abruptly removed from the HS mid year, where she also had a huge turnover rate of teachers, scores were down, AYP issues.....
Other friends of FS have gone from obsecurity as teachers to AP's to principalships in skyrocket time. One now is at the county office working for her as one who hires administrators, all in less than 7 years.
I have seen good outstanding teachers and leaders get bypassed for AP positions while their fellow teachers of color get promoted. TO make it worse, they are lousy leaders who do not follow thru, have zero discipline skills, ignore requests of teachers for leadsership, while they persue their next goal of being a principal!
No I am not racist but the actions of FD are causing alot of people to think that way.
So to counter the earlier poster, GCPS is quite the Affirmative Action organization!
Color has nothing to do with being a good leader....
Dear Blog Administrator,
I am deeply saddened by the fact that the comment I posted earlier tonight regarding recycling of former GCPS employees was altered. Please respect the fact that while I am in support of this blog and it's mission, I am totally against anyone appending or editing the thoughts that I have expressed.
Since my comment in no way defamed any person(s), why was there a need to alter the third paragraph (which happens to have been the last paragraph of my comment)? The fourth paragraph was not a part of my comment and I would appreciate it if you would remove your additions and refrain from these sorts of actions. Otherwise, I will be led to believe that you are no better than those you stand accusing of inappropriate actions.
I now question YOUR creditability! This will make for interesting conversation at work tomorrow, don't you think?
Internal Auditors need to come into the office for Audit workpaper review and audit scheduling and planning. The Audit Reports would be prepared off site.
All translating in more time in the central office then is currently put in?
Also what procedures are currently in place to make sure that an Auditor arrives at a school at 8:00 and does not leave until 5:00 PM, making sure they are working a full day as all employees should? Has the planned audit schedule been met each year, I know it has not, why?
Is the Director of Internal Audit showing up at schools unannounced to check up on the work and attendance of his or her staff? Just some common sense procedures!
Former GCPS Internal Auditor
Can anyone tell us why the Special Education Director of GCPS was quietly forced out?
IBM is just the tip of the iceberg! Mr. Wilbanks spent over $250,000. on his new office furniture when the move was made to the new building plus $6,000. for just the designer fabric for his lobby chairs! Why could he not use the very expensive funiture in his former office??? Also, why are any investigations by the DA's office dropped? i.e., the disciplinary discrepancies several years ago, the school police not being notified of drug and weapons arrests within the schools. Mr. Steel's fraud of the police retirement system, the purchase, remodeling, selling and leasing of the new building - and on and on and on. For some reason, the media and the DA's office just back off from investigating the system. WHY????
It appears that Grant Reppert plans on traveling to Louisville in March and take two of his drivers to do a puppet show. That is what our tax dollars are spent to do in transportation.
A must read for you avid reading teachers.
Bully in sight: How to predict, resist, challenge and combat workplace bullying by Tim Field
Disappointed poster,
I am sorry that you feel that your post was edited. I honestly don't remember doing this. Plus, I would have marked that the post had been edited (as has been done whenever a name has been removed). The only way that it could have happened is if someone else edited the post, which I don't suspect is true. Please re-post your original post and I will put it up on the board. Sorry for the trouble.
The ex principal from Lilburn Middle who was removed from the county office is now at Dacula High as an Assistant Principal, not teacher, preparing to return to a principalship through the Dacula Mill of Principals where AW runs people through who he wants to be principals even though they do not have the experience necessary. Rumor has it he was removed from the Middle School not because of his inability to run the school, but because he spent special education funds on a desk(over 10K) for his office. Yes FD and AW knew about this illegal spending of funds.
Seconding the affirmative action comment: Richards Middle is another fine example of FD's handiwork. Angela Pringle, recently removed from Meadowcreek HS, was hired as an AP at RMS from out of state, spent one year at Richards before being promoted to principal. Meanwhile, the principal at RMS at the time was being strongarmed into hiring people of color. He made it no secret to white candidates that he had been told he must hire black. He also said he'd testify in court if anyone wanted to sue for discrimination. Of course no one did, and RMS suffered through two of the worst AP's ever that were hired for their color, while more qualified candidates were passed over because they were white.
Dr. Davis needed to be fired yesterday by Mr.Wilbanks. The School Board should be embarassed for letting this go on for so long!
I noticed that nobody has disagreed with the statements concerning the lack of Jews in the Central Office and School leadership positions. Also GCPS has contributed technology and aid to Christian Church's. Every Jewish
Synagogue in Gwinnett County should request similar assistance from GCPS via phone or letter today....
The Central Office is definitely Anti-Jewish and Anti-People of Color. Yes, Miss Davis has hired a few, but they are her close friends. The district is also anti-gay. There are only 15% or less minorities in the Central Office and schools, eventhouth the student population is approximately 60% minority. They do not reflect in any way shape or form the population they are serving. A large percentage of minorities apply, but they do not hire them.
James Karr was relieved of his position as principal of Peachtree Ridge H>S> last year after coming to work drunk!! A letter was sent to the parents saying he was leaving due to medical conditions! He was sent to rehab and then given the job of principal at Give West which is where the students who get into trouble in the High schools in Gwinnett County are sent!! Most parents assumed the man was deathly ill as it said he was not coming back !! Little did they know he was drunk on the job!!
To the previous poster, Has anyone contacted Civil Rights Groups like The Anti-Deflamation League, The NAACP or the Rainbow Coalition in Atlanta? If they have not this might be a good time to do so, about racial and religious discrimination in GCPS...
Every study that I have ever read concerning public education concludes like this: Add ompetition and the abiliy of people to leave schools, for whatever reasons they see fit. Let them either redirect their tax money to the school of their choosing or be issued an educational voucher. These market forces will both lower private school tuition and forcably increase the quality of public education. Public schools are literaly run by the government; the most inefficient way of doing anything. If we don't approve of the local corruption and all leave, then and only then, will something be done.
All this from a Gwinnette Co. family who now sends their child to private school (you get exactly what you pay for.) Here's the kicker, my sister and 3 inlaws are teachers here in Gwinnette Co.
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