Latest from the Society of the White Rose
Statement from The Society of the White Rose & Teachers' Alliance of Gwinnett (TAG)
December 15, 2006
Dear Friends,
The TAG thanks that small band of community activists who have been fighting the forces of arrogance and corruption within G.C.P.S. We realize that you are badly outnumbered and outgunned at this point by the 'bullyboys'. Someday, the community at large in Gwinnett County will come to understand that you are owed a tremendous debt of gratitude for the efforts made, on behalf of our kids and public education, to expose the dishonorable and destructive agenda of J.Alvin Wilbanks & Associates.
Nothing that this cartel of profiteers and powerbrokers has control of is even remotely undertaken for the sake of students. They have proven this claim over and over again with their secret deals, cynical disregard for parent concerns, brutal and unprofessional treatment of teachers and staff, and their amateurish and laughable attempts to craft academic excellence - about which they know nothing and could really care less.
The T.A.G. believes that everyone employed by G.C.P.S. must cease being ruled by fear and must stand-up to the autocrats. Everyone must realize that in UNITY there is great STRENGTH. There are thousands and thousands of certified and classified employees working hard to provide top schools for Gwinnett's students. Massive resistance (even passive resistance where necessary) will completely paralyze the ability of the bullyboys to manipulate, intimidate and get their way.
Teachers... you are trained on how to deal with schoolyard bullies. They must be met with overwhelming force to convince them to stop. Then, we can proceed to work on "behavior modification" once the bullies have no other choice except to listen and comply.
The White Rose/TAG continues to organize and mobilize forces for what we hope to be a January 2007
'rollout'. This campaign to save our schools will require patience, persistence, leadership and discipline from all involved in winning back our schools. No individual or personal agendas must cloud the important task-at-hand.
We do not think that storming scheduled school board meetings will be effective as the oligarchy has learned masterfully how to manipulate these meetings and spin the truth to their advantage while creating the appearance that their opponents are bug-eyed radicals harboring unreasonable accusations and demands.
Instead, we believe that the bullyboys - given that they are shielded by political and business interests in the community that profit handsomely from SPLOSH money and influence peddling - can only be defeated through a determined effort by lots of school personnel, concerned parents, and community groups of activists uniting to pursue a disciplined strategy that includes:
1) taking legal action whenever feasible (GCPS almost always loses in court because they fail to respect and follow civil statutes and constitutional mandates)
2) supporting new citizen groups which organize to identify, encourage and fully support candidates with integrity to challenge the incumbent school board members when re-election time rolls around
3) enlisting outside sources of support, including leading professors in prestigious colleges of education in Georgia and beyond; legal aid groups; state and national teacher associations; etc.
4) raising funds and gathering other resources in order to support and sustain a viable organization that will bring fresh ideas and solutions to GCPS leadership in order to give them an opportunity to right previous wrongs and charter a new course for the schools.
The White Rose/TAG will need your help and continuing support to make this effort succeed. We will need members, donations, some materials, some specialized knowledge (such as more attorneys), and teacher-leaders in EVERY public school in Gwinnett.
Please spread the word and be ready to assist in some capacity if you really care about the direction of our schools. We teachers and allied support staff would prefer that Mr. Wilbanks opt to negotiate a solution to the serious problems created by his previous policies and practices... but we assume that he will not view doing so as in his best interest, nor do we think he will realize that it would be in the best interests of all concerned to compromise with a group of professional educators and their supporters - even though they lack the requisite and exclusive dining rights at the 1818 Club atop the Chamber of Commerce building on Sugarloaf Parkway that normally would attract the attention of the Gwinnett Superintendent and C.E.O. of Schools.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE... Thankyou
posted by The Truth Will Set You Free @ 12/16/2006 03:57:00 PM
39 comments
39 Comments:
This takes a tremendous amount of courage from the teachers; TAG/White Rose and shows that they really do have the best interests
of the children at heart. It is imperative that the citizens of gwinnett support them, and thus their own children, in this endeavor to improve the current situation...
God Bless the people behind TAG and good luck!
We support you, may 2007 be good to your organization.....
I am a bit confused. I keep reading about cover-ups from local goverment to the state. I keep reading that current employees are too afraid to speak up. What if, in fact, no one was really upset or concern except those who started this blog? Others say they have proof of how upset teachers are with the corruption but I haven't spoken to any and I AM a teacher. The central office does not impact my school day. However my local administrative team does and they are WONDERFUL. We love the students at our school and we work how to ensure that they meet with success. Please know that many of the teachers are very happy. I would appreciate it if you would please publish my post. Thank you.
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Gwinnett County bus driver Dora Elizabeth Cook was president of the United School Employees Association and spent her breaks recruiting other bus drivers to join the union. In 2002, Cook's supervisory duties were taken away and she was demoted from full time to part time. Cook claimed school system officials told her to stop talking about the union during work hours and that this was the reason for her demotion. According to the court, this violated her constitutional right of freedom of speech and she was awarded a $175,000 settlement. (Oct-07-05)
Gwinnett County Public Schools Outed by WhistleBlower Blog
As a whistleblower myself, I found this story rather interesting. The local school board has been allegedly in a very round about way outed by its former CFO, who was forced to resign, after it was suggested by the school board that the CFO might be having some kind of relationship with a person that reported to him either directly or indirectly. Now either the CFO or the person whom he may or may not have had a relationship with and or other persons un-named but that might be related to that person, have established a blog to point out conflict of interest issues and other skeletons in the Gwinnett County Public Schools system.
The blog in question is the Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Insider and its been up and running for about a month and a half or since about October of 2006. The blog appears to be running without any advertisements, so the blog owners are not currently receiving any financial benefit from their whistleblowing activities.
The Gwinnett Daily Post ran a front page top of the page story about the Blog as it has caught the attention of the local District Attorney Danny Porter. He indicated that he had spoken with some of the blog contributors but had not as yet launched an investigation. He also indicated that an investigation could commence in the future.
Three of the accusations include claims that the school system donated tax funds to the retirement of a pastor, that the county failed to bid out a computer and technology contract, and that a consulting contract was sourced to a member of the Board of Education.
The blog calls for more checks and balances of GCPS and the adoption of benchmarks found in Sorbanes Oxley but not required of school boards. The argument for greater transparency to educate tax payers such that they can keep direct oversight of their tax dollars at work seems to be the theme.
Technorati tags: gwinnett county public schools, GCPS, GCPS Blog exposing potential misconduct or conflict of interest
posted by BrettBum at 3:17 PM
2 Comments:
jan said...
I think we might expect more of this type of whistleblowing in the future. I hope it doesn't turn into witch hunts, but so much is so secret in education (I'm a former teacher) that it is good to have a watchdog group paying attention.
12:02 AM
BrettBum said...
Hi Jan, I agree. My wife is a teacher and I'm a whistle blower myself even though I didn't blow the whistle on the internet.
The idea is definitely attractive. When I look at the repurcussions of taking evidence to the government as I did and what did and didn't happen versus outing the dirty laundry on the internet in a way that generates a lot of noise (some good and some bad) and forces public officials like the DA to take note and at least make a public determination to proceed or not proceed, I think that could be valuable.
To many important decisions are made behind closed doors and may be subject to even more corruption.
On the flip side, if too much is vented through blogs it will all turn into noise and no one will be able to pay attention to anything
Wilbanks sends in the Storm Troopers to Vermont....
Just when you thought there was nothing bizarre left to say about testing come these reports from Georgia. Actually, the Georgia stories are continuations of past travesties in the Peach State. Readers may recall that Gwinnett County sent one of its school police officers all the way to Vermont to harass and threaten Susan Ohanian over her alleged sabotaging of the Gwinnett County Gateway Test. Gwinnett also tried to fire and revoke the certification of a teacher who had posted online six items that he deemed invalid after the test was given. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission decided the act merited no more than a six-month suspension, and the teacher has appealed to the superior court in Atlanta.
The Gwinnett School Police, who come off as the Gestapo, badgered parent Terry Knight and her husband even worse than they did Ohanian. Officer Jim Keinard (who also visited Ohanian and interviewed me by phone) interrogated Knight at length. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which obtained a tape of the interview, Keinard repeatedly told Knight that “fellow parents in the Concerned Parents of Gwinnett were going to jail, and if she didn’t cooperate, she would go to jail as well.” The officer said he had “ironclad evidence” against her. (He has yet to produce it in the ensuing two years.) He even told her that, if she didn’t cooperate, her children would be taken from her.1
Funny thing was, Terry Knight wasn’t even the right person. There was another Terry somebody who was the “guilty” party. The Knights said Keinard had lied to them, and they asked, If a police officer is willing to lie, what else might he be willing to do? Not comfortable waiting for an answer to that question, the Knights moved to Pennsylvania.
The T.A.G. believes that everyone employed by G.C.P.S. must cease being ruled by fear and must stand-up to the autocrats. Everyone must realize that in UNITY there is great STRENGTH. There are thousands and thousands of certified and classified employees working hard to provide top schools for Gwinnett's students. Massive resistance (even passive resistance where necessary) will completely paralyze the ability of the bullyboys to manipulate, intimidate and get their way.
You can count me in! I like to think that I'm already an advocate to better our schools by resisting the insidious agendas set forth by my administrators and their bosses. You're absolutely correct. Every time I speak up and say what my heart is telling me, everyone (teachers inluded) turns their cheek and the administrators ignore it. All I hear is that I've got some nerve to say what is the truth but nothing is done about it. People are afraid! That's because these demands and ridiculous programs are coming from the top and anyone who rebuts them are "replaceable".
It's truly unfortunate that many teachers concede to gcps' tactics in fear that they will lose their job. So they go ahead and pass students or teach directly to test so it "appears" that student learning is taking place. Not that many of you do not already know (parents included), we are "dumbing down" our young generation of kids and teachers. No money or "security" in the world should keep a teacher or administrator from telling the truth but it's happened and our kids are the ones who ultimately suffer. I am seeing it everyday. At least I have enough sense and experience to change my profession if this is what it comes down to but these students do not. They are at the mercy of a CEO, which is really unfortunate because schools should not be a "dog-eat-dog" institution.
I'm delighted that I have come across this blog and look forward to reaching out to The Society of the White Rose & TAG. I have been collecting evidence and recording my stories for many years to write a book about what really occurs in gcps and finally, I'm not alone. THIS must be a sign because when asked, "What is the title?" I can only reply with something about the TRUTH. Though it changes from time to time, I have been telling myself and other’s who listen, that the title will have the word TRUTH in it. The book will even have statistical evidence (something gcps worships:-)
At least then, I will be set free!
We all eagerly await more details and news from TAG/White Rose ! Especially GCPS employees on the battle front everyday....
For your Information and Contact To:
State of Georgia Education Audit Division:
The Education Audit Division, State of Georgia (EAD) is the largest of nine divisions within the Department of Audits and Accounts. The Division has a staff of approximately 115 auditors and support staff in its headquarters in Atlanta and seven regional offices across Georgia. These regional offices are located in Athens (Bogart), Augusta, Calhoun, Douglas, Leesburg, Macon, and Statesboro.
The Education Audit Division is responsible for performing annual financial and compliance audits and reviews of approximately 70 state governmental units. These units include state colleges and universities of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and state technical colleges of the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education.
"The Education Audit Division is also responsible for approximately 225 annual audits of public local education agencies (i.e., boards of education and state funded local and regional libraries)."
In relation to the above responsibilities, EAD performs accounting and auditing related research to ensure successful implementation of generally accepted accounting principles and government auditing standards as such standards apply to the types of engagements performed by the division.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail the following people with GCPS contracts to look at:
***Ronald E. Watson , CPA - Director
Telephone: (404) 656-2182
Facsimile: (404) 656-7534
E-Mail: Watsonre@audits.ga.gov
Deputy Director - Standards, Research, & Quality Control
Randal L. Sanders, CPA, CFE, CGFM
Telephone: (404) 651-8750
E-Mail: Sandersr@audits.ga.gov
Deputy Director - Audit Operations
Ben M. Riden Jr., CPA, CGFM
Telephone: (404) 651-8757
E-Mail: Ridenbm@audits.ga.gov
Audit Manager - State Colleges, Universities, Technical Colleges & Libaries
Claire Arnold, CPA
Telephone: (404) 651-8818
E-Mail: Arnoldcm@audits.ga.gov
Audit Manager - Public School Systems
Suzanne L. Hatfield, CPA, CGFM
Telephone: (404) 651-8760
E-Mail: hatfield@audits.ga.gov
To Order a Financial Report:
Supervisor of Support Staff
Vickie Sewell
Telephone: (404) 651-8814
E-Mail: Sewellvh@audits.ga.gov
Employment Opportunities:
ACLU CASE 2004/ Involving Racial Prejudice and GCPS !
For your Information:
A Gwinnett county honor student was repeatedly
subjected to disciplinary actions for wearing clothing associated
with his African American culture. The ACLU filed a lawsuit on his
behalf, alleging that the student was repeatedly harassed, punished
and labeled as a “discipline problem” by Brookwood High School
officials. The Gwinnett County school district has refused to
expunge the student’s discipline record. The lawsuit alleges that the
dress code is unconstitutionally vague and overbroad, and violates
students’ free expression and due process rights.
To the teacher who posted at 7:46 PM and sees no problems... GREAT ! You must have a fine administration at your school. I'm guessing also that you work in an elementary school.
There are many superb and professional administrators in GCPS. These school leaders, though, are often veteran principals approaching retirement. The Central Office leadership is incrementally replacing such local school legends with their handpicked loyalists... individuals who are willing to introduce the Wilbanks version of industrial management theory... and thus sell-out their profession and colleagues in order to realize personal ambitions, increase their pay and perks and 'move up' the food chain toward a cushy central office administrative job where, as one such person there said in my presence a few years ago, "My work is essentially done by 10 AM!"
The T.A.G. finds fewer major problems at the Primary school level presently because the move by district officials to install Total Quality Management (TQM) practices is focused at the Secondary school level for the time being.
Having said that, we at T.A.G. are daily learning about more and more concerns of elementary teachers and staff.
The Teachers' Alliance of Gwinnett is also determined to add more elem. school personnel to our advisory group. The environment in these schools are usually much more homogeneous (we are not referring to student or faculty populations)than that found in middle and high schools. Problems are also frequently of a very different nature.
Finally, it's important to note that a rosy scenario today may develop rapidly into an intolerable one tomorrow. It happened at my school this year, and allegedly at many others in recent years as respected principals retire or leave the district.
A strong and diverse alliance of teachers, parents, and civic groups is the BEST INSURANCE to maintain quality schools. There currently is no balance of power guiding decision making or checking abuse of power, and thus, abuse and shenanigans abound among leaders accountable to no one other than themselves.
If this isn't now obvious to you... it soon will be. I suggest that you withhold criticism and open your eyes to the bigger picture than your single school.
Thanks.
To the 7:46 anonymous poster:
I have to somewhat agree with you. There are schools where the surrounding area is still well maintained and very traditional, especially when it comes to parenting and education. The two go hand in hand. Local administrators, teachers, and parents support one another giving each other happiness in their lives. In effect, the students receive this as well. It's all very symbiotic.
However, in schools in this county where there is low parental involvement as well as extremely poor performance, such as AYP, (did I mention the two go hand in hand?) there is a lot of turmoil. One of the problems as I understand it, is that too many teachers and administrators are definitely afraid to make any noise.
Both teachers and administrators do not choose to dislike their profession and/or place of work but when students are obviously not learning and somehow keep passing through the system, bitterness will permeate. Such bitterness, that it has actually been said that some teachers will pass students just so they will not have to do the additional paperwork or to not appear that they themselves have failed their own profession. This type of pressure comes from the top and unfortunately it starts with the teachers when it ultimately should start with the parents. To some extent it does start with the parents but only when their child fails.
Since GCPS is operated like a business, the parents and students are merely customers. And like most customer-based businesses, “the customer is always right.” Sadly, when a student does not succeed many uninvolved parents will blame the teacher and the teacher cannot blame the system; how else did this child make it this far? Surely, everyone else has been truthful about this child’s education so it must be YOU. Remember, we are talking about an environment where there is little parental involvement. If a child passes, no noise is made and if a child, or many children fail, you can hear it a mile away. When the responsibility is put solely on teachers, and the only noise audible can be deafened with the student passing, it only seems practical to keep quiet, even if every new research-based strategy is ridiculous and apparently not working. Even if meeting the minimum score on standardized tests is set below 50% correct. Even if it means that students and parents will be lied to.
I don’t really see any point for a bunch of teachers or administrators trying to tackle GCPS. It’s a huge business and employees are “replaceable.” Parents however are not. Not until parents realize that their child(ren) are being lied to when it comes to their education will there ever be any change. According to my sources, when a parent does realize this, they simply pack up and move away because they cannot let their child’s education suffer any more than it already has. As long as Wilbanks has these pockets of success (due in large part to parents), there is no need to change. As the county continues to change, so will our schools. It is therefore, again, the teachers responsibility to enlighten the parents so the noise can be heard around the country. Do your duty and teach to the best of your ability and if a student does meet the expectations set forth, do not keep quiet by passing them along. Grab a hold of the dangling cord and let that whistle holler.
This blog has just turned into a list of disgruntle ex and current employees complaining about anything and everything and blaming anybody but themselves.
The Eagles had it right with the song GET OVER IT. To all the complainers, this blog is perfect for you.
I turn on the tube and what do I see
A whole lotta people cryin' 'Don't blame me'
They point their crooked little fingers ar everybody else
Spend all their time feelin' sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your momma's too thin; your daddy's too fat
Get over it
Get over it
All this whinin' and cryin' and pitchin' a fit
Get over it, get over it
You say you haven't been the same since you had your little crash
But you might feel better if I gave you some cash
The more I think about it, Old Billy was right
Let's kill all the lawyers, kill 'em tonight
You don't want to work, you want to live like a king
But the big, bad world doesn't owe you a thing
Get over it
Get over it
If you don't want to play, then you might as well split
Get over it, Get over it
It's like going to confession every time I hear you speak
You're makin' the most of your losin' streak
Some call it sick, but I call it weak
You drag it around like a ball and chain
You wallow in the guilt; you wallow in the pain
You wave it like a flag, you wear it like a crown
Got your mind in the gutter, bringin' everybody down
Complain about the present and blame it on the past
I'd like to find your inner child and kick its little ass
Get over it
Get over it
All this bitchin' and moanin' and pitchin' a fit
Get over it, get over it
Get over it
Get over it
It's gotta stop sometime, so why don't you quit
Get over it, get over it
Please can T.A.G. or the White Rose Society post a contact e-mail address on this blog site. So interested Parents, Taxpayer's and GCPS employees like myself have a way to get in touch with T.A.G to get involved or join....
Thank you,
Happy Hanukah to the Gwinnett Jewish Community which began Friday Night. I wonder if any School Offices in Gwinnett County display a Menorah in respect of the Jewish Holiday Season, other than the elaborate Christmas decorations which are displayed currently in all schools and offices?
As one anonymous blogger has so cleaverly pointed out....It is too my belief that the majority of the comments being posted on this blog are being made by current employees who have the priviledge of "witnessing" the daily infractions committed by the current GCPS administration. Yes, we are all concerned about expressing our dissatisfaction about the underhanded, unethical and corrupt practices. Yes, most of us are afraid to speak out or even attend the regular board meetings because we fear that our presence, even if we are silent, will send a "red flag" to the watchful eyes of the adminstrative henchmen. It truly saddens me that I am unable to attend the board meetings or ask questions, although I have two school age children in GCPS, because I fear losing my livelihood.
What is wrong with this picture and why is there no recourse for the victims (victims = employees, students, parents & ordinary folks)?
To the Eagles fan,
Send your child to one of the the southside or eastside county schools and let me hear you sing Get Over It.
Yes some of the Teaching environments are better in some Schools then others Brookwood and Parkview etc.. However teachers must look at the situations facing teachers throughout the system in general, before making comments.
We also must not lose focus on the business issues raised on the blog. Money given to religious institutions which directly violates The US. Constitution. Questions concerning technology spending and how it was implemented wasting taxpayer dollars. Take a look at some of the other new cases noted on the blog, the school discipline legal case at Brookwood High and the case where a Bus Driver was awarded a settlement of $175,000 for violating her rights of free speech. These are all serious matters that also must be considered by all as well, before commenting!!!
“There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!”
-Mario Savio, student leader of the 1960’s free speech movement at the University of California Berkeley (December 3, 1964)
The School Board is counting on that interest in the blog will just fade and the blog will go out of existence.
Do not let that happen !
Continue to contribute entries and do not get discouraged.
Real change takes time....
Where can I sign up to become an advocate with T.A.G.?
This doesn't surprise me at all. I'm a consultant, don't live in Gwinnett county and don't work on the project. I have friends who are sub-contractors working for IBM on this mega project. I can say that I have heard many stories of how IBM and the leadership at GCPS in charge of this effort are scratching more than each others backs. I'm shocked that this large publicly funded project can be funded without going through the normal bidding process. Must mean that someone at the State is involved too... think about it.
Gwinnett schools in secret deals
$117.4 million to be spent on land for 24 new schools
By DUANE D. STANFORD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/14/06
The state's largest school system has spent the past two years secretly buying more than 1,000 acres of land for another massive school expansion that will outpace any in metro Atlanta.
The Gwinnett County School Board has voted during numerous closed sessions to spend $117.4 million on land for 24 new schools.
School administrators talked up the purchases Thursday at a joint meeting of school and county government leaders. The school board is preparing to ask voters in November to extend the system's 1 percent retail sales tax for school construction.
"Finding school sites is getting harder every day," said Jim Steele, chief operations officer for Gwinnett County Public Schools.
Board members made the land purchases in closed executive session as they have for at least the past 30 years. They say the secret votes protect their negotiations and help them get the best price for land.
Open government advocates say the policy cuts taxpayers out of the process because they aren't aware of the deals until after the contracts are signed. The secrecy makes it more difficult for watchdogs to ferret out bad deals, advocates say. Some parents have said they want to help decide where schools are located.
The need for the land comes down to simple arithmetic: School officials expect the system's student population to grow by a fifth during the next five years, to about 174,000 kids. Officials estimate they will need to build a total of 35 schools by 2012 to handle the 30,000 new students expected.
By comparison, fast-growing Cherokee County schools have spent $10.7 million for about 235 acres since December 2001. Fulton County's system expects to build 13 schools by 2012. Henry County schools, another fast-growing but smaller system, will open four schools this summer and four more in 2007.
Gwinnett's swelling enrollment has been fueled by a steady flow of new houses and townhomes in north and east Gwinnett, as well as infill developments in mature areas of southwest Gwinnett near I-85. Residential development has been so brisk, it has outrun commercial development. That's troublesome to county and school system officials because it costs more to provide education, police protection and other services to residential developments than to commercial areas.
Gwinnett school officials expect a new five-year sales tax to raise nearly $1 billion for schools. The current five-year tax, which expires next June, had raised almost $614 million as of January.
Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks has said the school system's new building program would include five new high schools. This will create five new clusters of schools in the county. The district has 15 clusters.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first raised questions about the secret votes last May, after the Gwinnett commission voted in private to spend $3.7 million for a shuttered Wal-Mart.
Gwinnett County commissioners abandoned a similar policy last year, deciding it unnecessarily kept taxpayers in the dark. Commissioners still negotiate in private, but they require sellers to sign an agreement locking in a price. Commissioners then vote to accept the deal in a public meeting, releasing details several days in advance. They also offer limited details of their private negotiations as they unfold.
Asked Thursday whether they have evaluated Gwinnett County's new policy to see whether the approach would work for the school system, board members insisted their closed votes were legal and necessary.
"I know the way we do it would protect [taxpayers'] interests," School Board member Dan Seckinger said.
Board Chairman Robert McClure said board members did look in earnest at Gwinnett County's new purchase policy but decided against adopting it. He said the process would delay purchases and drive up costs, but did not provide specifics.
Other board members said they trusted their attorneys' advice.
"We have the best legal advice that we can get," said board member Mary Kay Murphy, "and we are confident that we are working within the law."
State Attorney General Thurbert Baker has said the policy violates the state Open Meetings Act. An exemption to the act allows elected officials to negotiate real estate sales in private, but all votes must be taken in public, he said. But Baker has not taken legal action against agencies who fail to comply with the law, choosing instead to leave it to voters to pressure elected leaders.
Attorneys for the school system interpret the law to say all aspects of the purchase can be done in private. They are backed by lawyers from the Georgia School Boards Association, which shares the interpretation.
Like Gwinnett, Forsyth County schools have stuck to their secret process.
Cherokee schools vote in public but don't reveal the location of the property, which Baker has said is acceptable. Cobb schools vote in public.
Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Paulding, Cherokee and Douglas county governments all vote to buy land in public.
Tina suggested some common-sense ways that GCPSS might identify out-of-county students using education facilities/services paid for by Gwinnett taxpayers. Her suggestions bring to mind the role of the Gwinnett Legislative Delegation in local public education matters.
A couple days ago, some members of the Gwinnett Legislative Delegation schmoozed with GCPSS brass at taxpayer expense (free breakfast) while dutifully listening to the standard 'gimme more money' pitches. (11/29/06 Gwinnett Daily Post article entitled Schools talk needs with legislators) Voters rarely, if ever, get the same opportunity! If they did, however, their message probably would be "quit sucking up, get involved and thereby represent the parents and students who attend GCPSS -- your constituents!
How can Legislators get involved? Here's 3 suggestions for starters:
1. Insist on a comprehensive independent audit of GCPSS: By law, GCPSS is supposed to be regularly audited by the state or an approved outside auditor. When's the last time you remember any such audit being conducted at GCPSS?
Interestingly, Boards/Superintendents of other Metro Atlanta public school systems (City of Atlanta, Cobb County and Fulton County to name a few) voluntarily have initiated special/forensic audits of various in-house program expenditures, SPLOST construction projects, staff activities, etc. IN EVERY CASE, these audits have uncovered illegal activities and/or wasteful expenditures! Inasmuch as Wilbanks/BoE have never asked for such an audit(s), the Gwinnett Legislative Delegation could demonstrate its commitment to "good government" by tying efforts to obtain more state funding to GCPSS conducting a comprehensive independent audit. Memo to the Gwinnett Legislative Delegation: read www.gcps.blogspot.com/.
2. Dig into what's happening education-wise at GCPSS schools in your voting districts: Tina has suggested that out-of-county students may be contributing to increases in GCPSS student enrollments. The Gwinnett Legislative Delegation needs to take the lead in investigating this issue. Legal Gwinnett County taxpayers should not be paying for new schools, providing school bus transportation, hiring additional teachers, interpreters, support staff, etc., to accommodate students illegally enrolled at GCPSS. Gwinnett legislators shouldn't be "winking" at this problem as state officials apparently have done with respect to the loophole in the law that gives Georgia driver licenses to illegal aliens!
It's long past time that Gwinnett City/County legislators -- particularly those representing the north-westerly portion of Gwinnett County -- take an interest in educational situations ALL children of their constituents are exposed to. Example: the last time I checked, there were 4 elementary schools in BoE Member Mary Kay Murphy's District III -- Norcross, Peachtree, Susan Stripling and Simpson. Norcross, Peachtree and Susan Stripling averaged 87% minority enrollment, with 70% of their combined enrollments eligible for Free & Reduced meals; whereas Simpson's minority enrollment was 9% and only 4% of its enrolled students were eligible for F&R meals. And, as expected, academic achievement (as measured by performance on standardized tests) matched their enrollment compositions and F&R stats. So, how is it possible that this disparate grouping/performance of students at elementary schools could occur IN THE SAME DISTRICT without any affected city/county politician getting wind of it or doing anything about it? Perhaps legislators would better serve their constituents if they "educated" themselves in such matters rather than ham-and-egging it with GCPSS brass
3. Promote the consolidation of duplicative County and GCPSS support activities and personnel:
This objective has been around forever but no Gwinnett politician has pushed it for obvious reasons. Suffice it to say there are legions of opportunities to consolidate duplicative support functions which would have no negative impact on the academic education of students! If any reader wants examples, check out The Cost of Education post in this thread.
Bottom Line: The odds are Gwinnett legislators will bob and weave around all of these recommendations and end up doing ZILCH. Their out will be "it's not our job" or something along this line. If so, this should be a telling story, namely: the Gwinnett Legislative Delegation must believe it (1) has a role in local public education, (2) that role is to get as much state money as they can (or minimize any reduction in state money) to GCPSS, but (3) it's NOT their job to say or do anything with respect to how GCPSS spends the money they get regardless of any negative consequences to their constituents
Land Transactions!
This is ridiculous. J. Alvin Wilbanks (JAWs) and the Gwinnett School Board have absolutely NO excuse for conducting these dealings behind closed doors.
According to the article and Attorney General Thurbert Baker, what they are doing is against the law and there are numerous counties in the metro Atlanta area that conduct land purchases in public.
The only real reason Gwinnett doesn't is that JAWs and the school board don't want to. They would be held accountable just like FORMER Gwinnett Commission Chairman F. Wayne Hill.
We weren't able to change the thinking on the BOC so we changed the BOC. It's time for Gwinnett citizens to implement the same "No Tolerance Policy" and change the School Board.
Jim and leaders of the White Rose, please shoot me an e-mail
Did we ever get to the bottom of the consultant being paid by Grant Reppert to live in Florida and get paid to work from home?
Or the other consultant who has been supplied an office and travel expenses to trouble shoot for Grants famous tracking system?
Or the other individual who works on the same projects for Grant?
The totals coming to more than $1 million dollars for Grants play toys.
Did we ever get the county issued cars back in the county or are we still able to drive them all over the state of Georgia?
Did we look into the excessive overtime spending to include most of Grants office staff?
$69 million army..............that serves one man's dreams.................and our board and JAW are making Grants dreams come true.
AT OUR EXPENSE
Some points:
Yes, Wilbanks and the Board DO have a good excuse for buying land privately. If property owners know the school system is looking at a piece of land, the price skyrockets. Should we, as taxpayers, pay WAY more for land just so a few "involved citizens" can have the opportunity to voice their opinions about the purchase? My vote goes for a lower price every time.
Call the CFO's office and ask about the last audit of the books. Bet you'll find one has been done every year. If not, then Jeff Weiler let that happen since he was the CFO since 2000.
Why all the criticism of Grant Reppert and the transportation department? When is the last time you've read anything negative about the GCPS transportation department in the paper? Looks to me like they do a pretty good job getting the kids to and from school safely.
Every organization has disgruntled and unhappy employees. GCPS must have 20,000 employees. I'd be willing to bet the majority of them are happy and support their school system. Don't you think if all 15,000 teachers were miserable we would have heard about it before this blog was started?
Why does everyone keep complaining about the school system spending money donating to a church? Read the original post about the situation. Alvin Wilbanks paid that bill from his personal checking account. No district funds were given to the church. It's a non issue.
People keep complaining about the system, and Frances Davis in particular, being racist and anti Jewish. Can you post some specific examples? Otherwise, it's nasty gossip, pure and simple. Francis Davis should hire a lawyer and sue the operators of this blog. She's not a public figure...she's a private citizen and a very decent person.
Jeff Weiler has complained about IBM charging $600-plus to set up a computer. Has he disclosed what all is included in that setup? Does it include, perhaps, the cable drop and other wiring? If $600 is too much, then what, Mr. Weiler, is a reasonable price?
If Mr. Weiler was so disturbed by the "corruption" he has so gladly exposed, why did he work for GCPS for so long, happily accepting a rather large paycheck the whole time? Why did he allow his internal audit director to take advantage of the system, even after becoming aware of the situation? If Mr. Weiler was so offended by Alvin Wilbanks and the administration of GCPS, why didn't he do the right thing and resign years ago? That's called Leadership. I guess it's much easier to tear the place down when you're living safely across the country. Mr. Weiler, if there really is a problem at GCPS, you were a large part of it yourself.
Information from the Teachers' Alliance of Gwinnett (T.A.G.):
Dear Friends & Supporters,
Since we are receiving many requests for information about joining T.A.G. or lending support, and though our target date to "debut" as a viable organization to support Gwinnett's teachers and support personnel is this coming January, we have decided to release the following preliminary info.
Until such time as our projected T.A.G. website is up-and-running, you can correspond by writing to...
Teachers' Alliance of Gwinnett
P. O. Box 1126
Auburn, Georgia 30011
There are three membership options
and annual dues are $45 for all
member categories* =
I. Teachers ($45) -
Certified, Active [CT]
Retired [RT]
Substitute or Student [ST]
II. Support Staff ($45) - [SS]
III. Friend of TAG ($45) - [FT]
* Your name and membership information will be kept completely confidential.
You can write the P.O.B. for
a list of our goals/aims to serve Gwinnett's teachers.
Membership applications will be available shortly.
T.A.G.'s governing body consists of 17 positions (nine are officers & eight are advisory). The officers are dues-paying members. Advisory members are dues-optional.
We still have need for a few more officers and an advisor or two.
Positions are:
Officers - Exe. Director
Deputy Director
Community Affairs Rep.
High Sch. Membership Leader
Middle Sch. Mem. Leader
Elementary Mem. Leader
Sr. Field Investigator
Assist. Field Investigator
Webmaster
Advisors - Legal Counsel and
7 Honorary Consultants (GCPS Teacher, GCPS Support Staff, Retired Teacher, GCPS Parent Leader, Non-GCPS Teacher, Business Partner, College/Univ. Professor)
Our modest membership goal for Year One (2007-2008) is 300 dues-paying members & $10,000 in donations. Currently, we have NO BUDGET (!). We could also use certain other donated services and resources as will be requested later...
Ultimately, we strive to have at least three T.A.G. members in every GCPS school, one of whom will function as a TAG Section Leader [SL]; one as Assistant Section Leader [ASL]; and one as Deputy Section Leader [DSL]. These individuals will be responsible for recruiting new members from that school community and several other key duties.
Many public systems have handled this problem by getting a contract on the land first which you can back out of. Then disclosing the potential purchase publically prior to a vote. Governments are to disclose their actions allowing the public a chance to comment!
To the 9:07 PM poster come on Ms. Roach, GCPS Press Spokesperson, identify yourself in your post!
All the problem about Grant Reppert is not that the kids get to school on time, but at the money he is spending outside what is needed to get the kids to school.
The waste of money being used in his inner-circle that could be used for teachers pay raises and classroom instruction. The fact that what Grant does with the extra millions of dollars need to get the kids to and from school.
The fact that he has developed Reppert Research Systems, using his county tax dollars (DEKALB), but Gwinnett tax dollars.
So you are saying that it is okay to have your child on a bus have the driver has been working more than 90 hours?
So you say it is okay to spend more of the budget on consultants, office equipment, reasearch tracking equipment, excess drivers working in office jobs, county cars driven as personal cars over 30 miles outside the county, overtime out of control, work on sale presentations on county time to sale the vendors products, travel to "conventions" on county dollars, not to go to the convention, but to visit his son?
If you think so, then I'm sorry, I don't have that deep of pockets......
In response to the 9:07 post: If you really believe that most of the GCPS employees are happy and content with the current administration, then you are TRULY DELUSIONAL! Let's keep it real....all closed eyes aren't sleep and all closed mouths aren't mute!
Scuse me there ol defender of the faith 9:07 blogger.
You said "If property owners know the school system is looking at a piece of land, the price skyrockets."
HORSEFEATHERS,
Negotiating in private signing a contract contigent upon approval, which by the way all motions are tabled for 30 days to allow public input, would in no way create a danger of inflated pricing.
OTHER AGENCIES DO IT and THURBERT BAKER as penned an opinon that the way GCPS is doing it behind closed doors is IN FACT A VIOLATION OF GEORGIA SUNSHINE LAWS.
NO, I rather suspect there's some sweetheart deals being made with a few land speculators that aren't really having to do much speculating. WHAT OTHER REASON COULD THERE REALLY BE?
I am the 9:07 poster, and I'm not Sloan Roach. I take it as a compliment that you think I am. However, I'm a private, concerned citizen and parent just like you claim to be. Unlike you, I support our incredible school system, its outstanding teachers and dedicated administration and central office staff. I think we have a school system to be proud of, and I believe our School Board is the best of any of the metro systems. Believe me, the majority of Gwinnett citizens do NOT want to destroy our public school system, nor do we believe half of the posts on this blog.
Response to 9:07 PM post titled 'Some points'.
Another district administrator blowing smoke here, one suspects. Let's just analyze your curious comments, may we?
1) The public's business should NEVER be conducted in secret. If it costs more that way, that's the price for the necessary transparency essential in preserving our democracy and preventing corruption. Most states have 'Sunshine' Laws to prevent even a hint of impropriety. And sadly, impropriety seems to abound within the leadership ranks of this public school system.
2) Loyal and well paid 'Alvinistas' keep referring to comments on this blogsite as coming from 'just a bunch of disgruntled ex and current employees'. Well, if that were true... why are several GCPS officials wasting their valuable time spreading so much disinformation on the site? I smell fear in reverse - and you SHOULD be afraid. Every principal and every central office administrator supporting and abetting the bullyboys will eventually be remembered and identified by those who do the real work in GCPS as having been on the wrong side when more progressive and professional leadership takes the helm in Gwinnett someday - as it surely will.
Besides, not counting misinformation and self-serving rationale, disgruntled employees are the most prolific product churned out by the Wilbanks regime. I would place the number of frustrated and disillusioned employees much higher than in the hundreds...
3) Former C.F.O. Jeff Weiler apparently tried for years to be the good and loyal soldier through his numerous attempts to convince top school officials that they were breaking laws, engaging in unethical activities and spawning one conflict of interest after another. Since he wasn't willing to leave his personal and professional imprimatur on the corrupt practices, he was finally evicted for his lack of 'cooperation'.
4) With respect to criticism of the GCPS transportation dept. leadership... if even half of what we've heard from numerous bus drivers is true concerning alleged misdeeds by certain supervisors, the newspapers will soon be feasting on the entrails of Mr. Reppert and friends.
5) Concerning Gwinnett's 20,000 employees... and teachers in particular... I've been one in GCPS for 15 years and can honestly say that the last ten have been disheartening for me and countless colleagues, even including many local school administrators. In fact, surrounding school districts such as Hall, Cherokee, Barrow, Forsyth, and Jackson are hiring more and more experienced and highly acclaimed teacher 'refugees' from Gwinnett as administrative interference and mistreatment of staff increases. Many teachers have even heard that several of these other districts are telling prospective new hires that "teachers will be allowed to teach according to their professional training and judgment" if they sign on there... Or, in other words, no micro-managing.
5) With respect to "donating" money to churches and church leaders, it's a clear violation of separation of church & state. Also, Mr. Wilbanks only wrote the personal check after Mr. Weiler informed him that previous GCPS checks drawn-up for that purpose were a violation of the law and a misuse of taxpayer money.
More importantly, however, is this disturbing feature of Gwinnett politics... current school board members are usually re-elected after getting political exposure and after being "introduced" in the county's mega-churches (Snellville, Dacula, DuLuth)by pastors. Then, despite the fact that many of these church folks enroll THEIR kids in private Christian schools, often affiliated with their own mega-church, they troop to the polls on election day to vote control of public education to a small group of politicians who have learned which code words and other strings to pull will result in their obtaining the 'Christian conservative vote' (a backdoor takeover of public schools by private, special interests !)
I would be curious for Mr. Jeff Weiler to personally respond to the 9:07 PM. Poster, his thoughts on his comments would be enlightening to all? Perhaps a new Blog Article would be in order....
For more information about the Dora Cook case visit the website of the United School Employees Association at USEA.BIZ. Follow the "Liz Cook Lawsuit Information" link.
Is the Dora Cook suit that one that transportation director created on the county?
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