Wanted to Call Attention to This
This information is from the comments section of our previous post. Please consider attending if you feel inclined to do so.
I have made arrangements for anyone that wants to meet to develop a strategy to collectively address the Board at the 12/14 Board Meeting. Our planning meeting will be held at the Gwinnett County Justice Building on Langley Drive in Conference Room A which is on the 2nd floor at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, December 5.
I realize that current GCPS employees may not feel comfortable attending but if you are a concerned parent or want to be an involved citizen, please attend so that we can determine how we want to proceed to present an united front. We can also determine who we want to put pressure to attend the meeting (TV, newspapers, politicians, etc), determine specific questions we want to ask to ensure answers, and develop a contact list if needed for future meetings.
I look forward to seeing you all!
A Concerned Parent and Taxpayer!
posted by The Truth Will Set You Free @ 12/04/2006 12:25:00 PM
34 comments
34 Comments:
The Central Office is a good old boy network. In the Facilities office look at how women dress and who they hire. How many black women? Same goes in the Transportation Office. Also, new principals can compeltely redesign their offices - even though they already have furniture. They want the designer goods to feed their egos. If you are a white male over 40 - you've got it made. And who in this day is allowed to expense report driving to and from work???
Has anyone put in a Phone call to the Anti-Deflamation League, The NAACP,ACLU, The Push Coalition or Atlanta Pride's office in Atlanta. If you know of religious or racial discrimination at GCPS please contact these organizations. Also contact The US Department of Education Office on Civil Rights enforcement?
Transportation would like to get one of those, outgoing dressed, managers back. That person left the county after being promised ny her manager and the director she would get promoted higher than what she was. This did not happen.
The samething happened just a couple of weeks ago when a driver was given an office job thinking she was now a supervisor and when for the first time HR made Grant do something about it. You need to get the letter this person sent to JAW, FD, Jim Steele, and board members.
I would be willing to bet, this person wanted to do the right thing and that is why she was removed. If she would have just told Grant "yes" she would still be there making more money than teachers.
To the individual with all the facts on The GCPS Transportation Department why don't you e-mail them to Laura Diamond with the AJC and share them with the District Attorneys Office?
Based on the fact that Dr. McClure believes "this all a bunch of nonsense", would you all think we should start a petition to have him removed from his position for not doing his job? According to Jim Drumond's posting, I believe it says we have to have 30% of the number of votes he received to do that within 90 days of the vote. Wasn't Louise Radloff just re-elected as well in the Nov election? Here's a way to look at putting 2 new people on the Board of Education that want to see significant change! If people are interested in discussing this concept, please attend the meeting tomorrow!
Jim, since you seem to know so much about this process can you attend the meeting?
My son was effectively "pushed out" by this school system 3 years ago. We now spend $18,500.00 per year for private school because Trickum Middle School was not willing to help a special needs child. Had his "special needs" been sports or some gifted type situation this would not have been the case. In other words, if the student is "easy" to teach they want them there to pad their test scores. Who is running the assylum? Yes, we did call the ACLU but they failed to return our call.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. If people knew of the cover ups, unethical treatment of people, and yes illegal activities you would hope they would support those who spoke up. The JAW'S cabinet with the support of the Board have ruined professional careers. Employees are even afraid of going to the board because you don't know who to trust. The BOE have become "yes" people and not the thinkers and protectors of our children's education. Two suicides of county employees that were highly dedicated and loved by children, parents,and fellow employees occurred after "conversations" with Mr. Wilbanks. The employees of GCPS are very afraid to speak up. The comment of mafia is not as accurate description as Hitler would be. Study how Hitler was able to get away with destruction under his leadership and you will understand how all the unethical and illegal things have been allowed to happen in Gwinnett. The solution to all problems that JAW's team uses is "don't address an issue, it will go away." Also look at who he has placed in leadership roles. In Gwinnett it is not what you know, it is who you know. Where else could a principal be drunk at a school function (wasn't the first time either)get removed from that school after a parent complaint, only to be quietly placed as the prinicpal of an alternative school after a few weeks off. This person did not miss a pay check either. I guess parent's of students in an alternative school don't complain. Also there was no announcement,or plans for, a new principal in this school. The announcement would have been a legal responsiblity of Dr. Davis. Several qualified people would have wanted the position had it been known or advertised (as required). A known alcoholic is such a great role model for kids who have problems. Yes be a friend of JAWs or the child of a friend of JAW and you'll always have a job. Among employees,it is said if you make enough mistakes you earn a promotion (and pay raise) to the county office. There are some great people at the county office, but there are many there for other reasons.
Yes many of the JAW's team live outside of Gwinnett. I am concerned about Gwinnett school leaders who think that Gwinnett is not good enough for them. Look at our board- a board member who would not but his/her children in Gwinnett Public School instead sent them to private schools. We have a board member who will not accept the medical insurance plans that the board approves for its employees.
Gwinnett students deserve so much more.
I appreciate Jeff coming forward. To bad he had to leave before he was able to come forward. I understand, thousands of employees hope the government will follow through and look into these and other issues.
Send letters to the editor of the gwinnett section and comments about the article should be sent to the ajc. if they see an interest, perhaps they will investigate further. they're in the business of selling news. they'll do more if they feel this story has a following.
Why were the former CFO Jeff Weiler and The Former Director of Internal Audit Mr. Keith Knight escorted out of the Central Offices on the same day a couple of months ago by School Police Officers (SRO) at the same time ? This always seemed strange to me and others. This was also
never explained by Mr. Wilbanks? The whole building saw what happened !
PS:Why did they break into to Keith's locked desk what were management looking for?
It is very Important that Former GCPS employees attend tomorrows meeting to share information and help formulate a stradegy that will be effective. Who knows more about GCPS and its inner workings then this group of folks. Please plan on attending and do the right thing! We need your participation for our efforts on 12/14....
"So what did Gwinnett County's Attorney General say about this? He refused to view this blog and told us the only way Gwinnett County would investigate is if we filed a police report. This does not seem like the due diligence that I would expect from public official.
FYI not only did GCPS give money to the church, they for a number of years supplied them with a computer and onsite technical support.
I was personally ask (by my supervisor) to go to the church after business hours and help them sort computers so that the church could get rid of some of the obsolete items.
Ernie Smith,
Former GCPS Coordinator of Technical Support Services"
So much for not using public money to support religious institutions?
From the GCPS website:
Procedures for Addressing the Board
The agenda is prepared in advance of each meeting. Anyone wishing to speak before the Board should inform the Superintendent's office in writing by noon on the Monday prior to the Board meeting. Items for the agenda may be suggested by any Board member, staff member, or citizen.
Before each regular meeting, a public forum is held at 6:30 p.m. to allow persons not on the agenda an opportunity to address the Board. Citizens may sign up at the Board meeting to speak during the 30-minute public forum period. Speakers are asked to keep their comments brief, and no Board action is taken.
I'll try to make it but have a prior committment to attend to starting at 6:30.
And actually the recall process can be found easily on line with an engine search. that is where i got it.
Now, re: those just re-elected it should have been seckinger and McClure. The other three come up in two years.
Jose Perez was appointed to the State Board of Education by Governor Perdue on April 12, 2004. The state BOE sets education policy and judges legal appeals that are not resolved at the local (School Board) level.
Just 13 months after Perez was appointed to the board, GCPS Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks initiated a consulting deal with Target Market Trends, whose president and sole-proprieter is Jose Perez. This 1-year contract was in the amount of $150,000 to work on Phase III of the district's Hispanic Outreach Initiative. We neither know of nor have found any documentation of TMT working on previous phases of the Hispanic Outreach (prior to Perez being appointed to the BOE).
As the schedule shows, the contract was to provide recruitment strategies for Hispanic teachers and administrators, support the development of the GCPS foundation, improve performance among Latino students and develop Latino awareness courses for current employees. No itemized billing for professional services was required.
Interestingly enough, the contract also allowed for at least one trip for Perez and two GCPS employees to Puerto Rico that totalled more than $2,400 that was covered by additional taxpayer dollars. (Note: One GCPS employees was Human Resource Director Frances Davis, who will appear in multiple future blog entries).
During the time of this contract, The record will show that the state Board acted on at least several appeals relating to employment termination disputes raised by now-former GCPS employees. This is a clear conflict of interest. However, it does make life a lot simpler for Wilbanks and those pulling the strings within GCPS each time they immediately terminate any district employee who dares to question or look into other questionable spending practices by the school system.
To further the audacity, Wilbanks and Perez signed another 2-year deal on June 6th to continue the consulting payments to Perez. The contract dictats that Perez and TMT will receive $100,000 a year to provide “Hispanic outreach,” “NCLB reauthorization, including Monthly DC interaction,” “support GCPS Professional development and Foundation efforts,” and “provide support for the Georgia Legislature and the PSC.”
Not only is this new contract a clear conflict of interest, it obligates GCPS to a 2-year contract with no provision for non-appropriation by the School Board. Why? Because Alvin Wilbanks believes that no one has the right to question his authority or decisions.
PLEASE FLOOD GCPS WITH E-MAILS TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT USING THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL FORMAT ASKING QUESTIONS THAT CONCERN YOU AND DEMANDING CHANGE FOR THE BETTER NOW:
firstname_lastname@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Leadership Team:
Dr.Robert McClure School Board
Chairman
Louise Radloff Vice Chairwoman
Alvin Wilbanks School Superintendent
Francis Davis HR Director &
Associate Superintendant
Division of Academic Support
Associate Superintendent
Bobby Crowson
Division of Teaching & Learning
Dr.Cindy Loe
Associate Superintendent
Rick Cost, Chief Financial Officer, GCPS
Chief Operations Officer
Jim Steele
Using the following e-mail address
format below for each person e-mailed:
firstname_lastname@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
ex:alvin_wilbanks@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Democracy is about speaking your mind and paticipating and being vigilant.
Also remember the sqeaky wheel gets the oil....
With all these unethical deals and spending why aren't GCPS Internal Auditors reviewing these things and reporting on them. Maybe they are not real Internal Auditors?
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 the 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 ? FD's relatives and church members being hired and given favortism...
4.Problems in Accounting and Auditing. False leave reports by Keith Knight for years. Unqualified people hired without professional certifications and graduate degrees. Auditors not working 8 hours a day? No oversight by Mr. Wilbanks apparently. Rush to hire replacements for new openings without proper advertising for positions... No new procedures put in place to prevent these problems in the future?
5. Overspending on Computers and Peoplesoft implementation. Where was Mr. Wilbanks again ??? IBM abusing GCPS employees and writing their own PO's? Wilbanks using his County Platinum American Express Card to lavishly decorate his offices...
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 today!!!
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!
Look what the American Public did by speaking out in stopping the publication of OJ's new book. Gwinnett County citizens can be as successful if eveyone tries!
FIGHT AND STOP ALVINGATE NOW !!!!
GCPS Truth League...
It was the Manager/Director of IMD whose daughter was employed several years back as the IMD receptionist, working for her dad.
In a privately owned company if the owner wants to employ and supervise his own daughter there is no problem. This is not proper in a government agency using public tax dollars.
Who is running The Internal Audit Department now that The Director Keith Knight was Fired?
From the 'Society of the White Rose'
1) Gwinnett D.A. Danny Porter assembled a couple of Grand Juries last week... one is looking into the allegations made against GCPS. They will then decide whether an indictment is warranted.
2) We are very disappointed in the Gwinnett Daily Post's lack of serious interest in all this... The GDP, however, has a conflict of interest problem. Years ago, they were in a contentious competition with the AJC Gwinnett Section to win rights to publish the weekly 'Legal Notices' supplement. Since Gwinnett's political leaders sided with the GDP for this lucrative opportunity, the newspaper somehow became a pussy cat when it comes to taking on the bigwigs in the county.
3) All readers of this blogsite must understand what's at stake here. Powerful business interests and local political leaders have an enormous stake in protecting and defending Alvin Wilbanks as long as he continues to award their firms lucrative construction, consulting, maintenance and/or supply contracts. The White Rose does NOT believe that Wilbanks is himself profiting above-and-beyond his VERY adequate salary & perks as "C.E.O.",
but the average life expectancy of a school district superintendent in the U.S.A. is about 3.5 years. That Alvin has lasted more than a decade says more about his usefulness to the members of the Business Roundtable & Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce than his achievements as superintendent.
Religion in the Public Schools
ADL Can Help
The Anti-Defamation League would be pleased to serve as a resource regarding the sensitive and complex issue of religion in the public schools. Administrators, teachers, parents, students and members of the religious community should feel free to contact the nearest ADL office for assistance in formulating or implementing school policies dealing with the issues raised in this handbook. Many ADL offices offer programming and speakers to help train faculty, administrators and parents to deal with these issues.
This, and many of our other church-state publications, can be found at www.adl.org.
Southeast (Atlanta)
Serving: Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee
Contact Information:
E-Mail: atlanta@adl.org
Phone: (404) 262-3470
Fax: (404) 262-3548
Web Site
Religion in the Public Schools
Background: Religious Liberty in America
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...
-- The First Amendment
"Believing... that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."
-- Thomas Jefferson to Danbury Baptists, 1802.
A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and degrade religion.
-- Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black,
Engel v. Vitale, 370 U. S. 421, 431 (1962).
Why Care?
Since its founding in 1913, the Anti-Defamation League has been guided by its mandate of combating bigotry, bias and discrimination, and securing the rights and liberties of all citizens of the United States. ADL believes deeply and profoundly in the importance of preserving and safeguarding freedom of religion in our increasingly pluralistic nation. Consequently, we believe that government should neither promote nor be hostile to religion. This belief has engendered what for many is a distasteful result: organized religious activity must be kept out of the public schools. This position is not one of hostility towards religion; rather, it reflects a profound respect for religious freedom and a recognition of the extraordinary diversity of religions represented by the students in our public schools.
Our nation's founders recognized the importance of keeping religion and the government separate. They did so out of respect for both religion and government, knowing that the combination of the two helped neither and often hurt both. To do this, they wrote three clauses in the United States Constitution to ensure that religion and government did not mix.
1. Religious Test Clause: "[N] o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Clause 3.
2. Establishment Clause: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . . ." U.S. Constitution, Amendment I.
3. Free Exercise Clause: "Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise thereof." U.S. Constitution, Amendment I.
Together these three clauses embody and ensure what Jefferson called the "separation of church and state." (For those dealing with the public schools, only the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause are of immediate concern.)
Not merely burdensome legal technicalities, these two clauses enshrine the belief that all Americans should be free to practice their religion without state interference.
Compliance with the separation of church and state must be vigorously enforced in the nation's public schools.
Not endorsing or appearing to endorse religion is especially important in the public school setting due to a number of considerations unique to the public schools: the specific sensitivities of school-age children, the fact that public schools are public institutions, and the profound influence of school officials and teachers over students. This last point bears special examination. Most children view their teachers and other school officials as important authority figures. Moreover, children are highly susceptible to coercion, pressure to conform both from adults and from their peers. These factors create a significant danger when religion is introduced into the public schools in circumstances evincing the apparent endorsement of teachers.
Moreover, the student body in America's public schools is growing increasingly diverse. Schools must give special consideration to the fact that many school children belong to minority religions or are raised in non-religious environments. The nation's public schools must be hospitable to students from a variety of backgrounds -- students of all faiths or no faith. Public schools should inculcate students with understanding and respect for diversity, as well as a spirit of tolerance, acceptance and inclusion.
In Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe, the Supreme Court nicely summed up the difficulty with school sponsored religion:
School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it sends the ancillary message to members of the audience who are nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community. 2
Some have said that this viewpoint "bristles with hostility to religion." 3 ADL does not agree. To the contrary, this statement brilliantly expresses the difficulties that arise when government makes religion its aim.
The Law
A. The Establishment Clause
As a legal matter, any school practice or policy must not violate the Establishment Clause. For more than three decades, compliance with the Establishment Clause has been examined under the test the U. S. Supreme Court enunciated in Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U. S. 602 (1971). When a court looks at whether a program involving religion is permissible, it first asks: does it meet the criteria set forth in Lemon? Indeed, the "Lemon test" has proven largely successful in protecting the religious rights and liberties of all Americans, including religious minorities.
Thus, in order for a state practice or policy, including a public school practice or policy, to pass constitutional muster under the Lemon test, a school official must answer "yes" to the following three questions:
Does the policy in question have a secular purpose?
Will the policy in question have a primary effect which neither advances nor inhibits religion?
Does the policy in question avoid entangling government and religion?
Dr.McClure:
"Paying for Employment Ads in Church Newsletter. No...
Supporting Churches with Computer Support? No.
Making Contributions to Churches? No.
Hiring Employees out of Churches? No Again!
If a school official cannot answer an unequivocal yes to all three of these questions, then the policy must be abandoned!!!
This is necessary as a matter of constitutional law and is good policy.
It respects the rights and sensitivities of all students, some of whom may have religious practices that differ from the one being advanced by the policy in question.
In practice, this means that the public schools must never endorse -- or appear to endorse -- any religion or religious practice. Indeed, not only may they not appear to endorse religion, but they may never appear to disapprove of religion either. Moreover, schools may not give the impression that they endorse religious belief over non-belief or any particular belief over others.
The principle that public schools must never endorse or disapprove of religion has been established in a long line of U. S. Supreme Court decisions. Students must never be given the impression that their school officially prefers or sanctions a particular religion or religion generally. Further, students must never feel coerced by pressure from their peers or from the public to adhere to any religion.
The U. S. Supreme Court reemphasized the importance of church-state separation in the public schools in Lee v. Weisman, 112 S. Ct. 2649 (1992) and more recently in Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe, 530 U. S. 290 (2000). In both cases, the Court was particularly concerned with the danger of student coercion in public schools resulting from peer and public pressure. The decisions are a ringing reaffirmation of the importance of government not endorsing one religion over another or religion over non-religion, particularly when public schools are involved. Notably, the Supreme Court has held that the state (school) is constitutionally obligated to see that state-supported activity is not used for religious indoctrination. 4
B. The Free Exercise Clause
The second question a school must ask about a proposed policy or practice is whether it violates the "free exercise clause" of the First Amendment. "The free exercise of religion means, first and foremost, the right to believe and profess whatever religious doctrine one desires. Thus, the First Amendment obviously excludes all governmental regulation of religious beliefs as such. The government may not compel affirmation of religious belief, punish the expression of religious doctrines it believes to be false, impose special disabilities on the basis of religious views or religious status, or lend its power to one or the other side in controversies over religious authority or dogma." 5
While this protection seems very broad, the Court has held that the right of free exercise does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply with a "valid and neutral law of general applicability on the ground that the law proscribes (or prescribes) conduct that his religion prescribes (or proscribes)." 6 That is, if a law or policy is passed that applies to everyone but hap-pens to impinge on your ability to practice your religion, you may not be able to challenge the law or policy on free exercise grounds. These challenges are difficult because the government must only show a minimal justification for such laws. So, for example, criminal drug laws preventing the use of peyote are applicable even to those whose worship requires the use of peyote because the laws were not passed with religion in mind and are applicable to everyone. 7
The relationship between the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause can be a bit hard to tease out. At the end of the day, however, so long as the school district is neither endorsing nor disapproving of religion, it should not run afoul of the Constitution.
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. . . so long as the school district is neither endorsing nor disapproving of religion, it should not run afoul of the Constitution.
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Danny Porter needs to ask how many family members of present employees have been employed by GCPS in contravention of rules.
In response to the previous post, Mr. Ken Keown's wife is employed by GCPS? He is in the sensitive position of GCPS Internal Auditor. The department should be monitoring and in some respect enforcing school system policies and rules...
Another former Internal Auditor's mother is employed as a School Bookkeeper?
The former Director of Internal Audit falsifying his time off requests?
Do these facts affect an Auditors independence when Auditing a particular department or school, you be the judge of that?
This could be why the department is not all that effective...
It's time for A LOT of changes at GCPS all the way from the top down to administration. The school system has had the same group running it too long and a change is needed. Someone told me the following.."It's best to leave while they applauding." In other words, the GCPS leadership should leave while the school system is doing well rather than to wait until they are forced to leave.
Get a clue tax payers in Gwinnett. Just take a trip to the big building off Old Swannee. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where all the money is going. Other school districts publish their yearly budget off their web page. In Gwps, you have to go up there and check it out. Certainly the worst place I have ever worked. As an employee, I have been asked to get out the big broom and sweep issues under the carpet. Issues like death threats they did not want reported, stabbings that they didn't want parent to know about. The list goes on, parents....move to another state!
It was the Manager of IMD whose daughter was employed several years back as the IMD receptionist.
In a privately owned company if the owner wants to employ and supervise his own daughter there is no problem. This is not proper in a government agency using public tax dollars.
FD-
Are you ever going to look into the department that has given a supervisor position to at least three people, and given them a county car to drive as far as 30 miles outside the county to and from work. Remember, FD these position are not even approved. Take a look at this board members. Is this the kind of people you want to try and help educate our children. Ones who cannot follow instructions themselves. Ones who just make up the rules as they go. I think I would like to be the CEO of the school system. I don't have to be approved nor does there have to be that position, just pay me a big pay check and a office on the hill, where no one can get to me, and I will travel all of the US on the tax payers dime, and will all be happy.
OH...............I forgot to tell you that my tax dollars are paying those three non-supervisors (acting)(appointed)(blessed)overtime at a rate you would not believe. Just check with the payroll in that department.
Gwinnett County Government has eliminated its Internal Audit Department believing it was not cost effective...
Perhaps GCPS should eliminate their Internal Audit Department as well. Saving the Taxpayers money???
I have just been informed of this blog regarding the situation in Gwinnett County Schools. If there is Fraud, Waste or Abuse of Federal Funds, then I suggest contacting the United States Fraud Waste and Abuse Hotline and put it in writing. They will investigate the matter and come up with a finding. I would make sure to provide documentation that proves the allegations.
Be very careful and document EVERYTHING you send them.
Linda Lucky, chair of the math deptartment, is also one of the authors of our GCPS math text books in the elementary school! Wonder what kind of $$ she made off that deal. Interesting that it was NOT the adoption originally selected by the teacher's who participated in the pilot program. Seems like a conflict of interest for a chair of a department to have her own text adopted.
Please attend the School Board Meeting this coming Thursday 12/14 at GCPS Headquarters in Suwanee at 6:30. It is crucial that we have a good size crowd at the Meeting!!!
Ask Questions of the Board during the public comment portion of the meeting on Thursday 12/14...
Make signs to display to the TV cameras filming the meeting !
It is also the last meeting of 2006...
The Media will be covering this Meeting !!!!
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