Barrow BOE gives thumbs down to state report
The Barrow County Board of Education gave a resounding vote of disapproval to a report put together by the state Commission for School Board Excellence during a called work session last Thursday.
BOE members balked at suggestions that the state become involved in local school board issues and policies.
“They are using Clayton County as a way to beat up the rest of the state,” BOE member Larry Ballard said referring to the embattled Clayton County school system which recently lost accreditation due in part to school board problems.
The study was put together by a group of state business leaders as a way to study national school board governing practices and then to make recommendations for improvements.
The commission’s recommendations fall into three categories: Board governance accountability, an education task force and board candidacy and elections.
A board survey was included asking school boards if it believed the state should intervene if local boards were having trouble or were not meeting certain standards.
Barrow BOE chairman Bill Bramlett polled members in attendance on each question to formulate a response and all questions were answered “No” when it came to allowing the state to become involved with local issues.
“I will respond and say the whole concept done by the commission to bring the state in to oversee local boards flies in the face of what we believe,” Bramlett said.
“They are using Clayton County as a way to beat up the rest of the state,” BOE member Larry Ballard said referring to the embattled Clayton County school system which recently lost accreditation due in part to school board problems.
The study was put together by a group of state business leaders as a way to study national school board governing practices and then to make recommendations for improvements.
The commission’s recommendations fall into three categories: Board governance accountability, an education task force and board candidacy and elections.
A board survey was included asking school boards if it believed the state should intervene if local boards were having trouble or were not meeting certain standards.
Barrow BOE chairman Bill Bramlett polled members in attendance on each question to formulate a response and all questions were answered “No” when it came to allowing the state to become involved with local issues.
“I will respond and say the whole concept done by the commission to bring the state in to oversee local boards flies in the face of what we believe,” Bramlett said.
DuWayne R. Anderson
Winder, GA
I've met our new School Superintendant. I'm very worried. I get the impression that Barrow County students are nothing more than numbers. Your child is just a number. Don't be concerned with your child's welfare, mental health, social growth, or education...#13745 will be just fine.
Remember when your child was assisted by what they needed? Treated as an indivudual? Well it is now official. Barrow Countys School system is so big, we can't be concerned with the needs of the individual. We must instead concern ourselfs with the heard. Yes your children heareded like cattel. I guess it's more cost effective.I went through the school system here in Barrow County. As did my wife. I have two children who went through this system and graduated. They were treated as individuals. Given the assistance they needed to succeed. However my youngest son who is or was in the Barrow County School system must be treated not as an individual but as a population demographic.
What is the solution? Talk to your Board of Education representatives and candidates for those positions. Tell them we want our school system to go back to the way is was 3 to 5 years ago. Back when students were treated like individual people. The time to act is now before all hope is lost. It is a slippery slope from bad to unrecoverable. We have to depend on the people we elect to do the right thing for our children.
Help! Talk to the candidates and VOTE!