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Schools

Cobb School Board Largely Silent on SACS

The superintendent didn't detail at Wednesday's work session how he'll respond to the accrediting agency's letter of allegations.

The Cobb County Board of Education had several lengthy discussions during its monthly work session Wednesday, but a possible review that could endanger the county accreditation wasn't one of them.

Superintendent Fred Sanderson did discuss the sent to him March 29 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)–for about four minutes.

That wasn't much longer than the statement on the same topic Gerald Williams made to the board during the public-comment period that opened the meeting. Williams, a father of two Cobb County schoolchildren, wore a “Restore the Trust” T-shirt as he asked the board whether recent actions, including the s, were worth the chaos and the trouble of the SACS inquiry.

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He said SACS is scrutinizing the Cobb schools, as it previously investigated the Clayton County and Atlanta schools, because of more than a couple of parents upset about the calendar.

“I hope you are honest in your response to SACS,” Williams said. “I’m hoping you think about all the kids.”

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Sanderson’s presentation detailed the letter’s allegations, which mostly focus on board governance.

The retiring superintendent told the board he will “do everything in my power to remain in good standing with AdvancED,” the parent company of SACS.

Board member Lynnda Crowder-Eagle of Post 1 followed Sanderson’s presentation by reminding the public that the letter in “no way reflects what our teachers do.”

“We are an outstanding school district,” said Crowder-Eagle, whose post includes , , and high schools. “This letter is to the board, not the district.”

Board member Tim Stultz of Post 2, which includes , asked Sanderson whether he will send board members copies of his response to SACS, due April 28.

Vice Chairman Scott Sweeney of Post 6 ( and high schools), who was leading the meeting while Chairwoman Alison Bartlett was home , said the “board is absolutely committed to work together.”

Without comments from typically vocal board members David Banks of Post 5 (, and high schools), Kathleen Angelucci of Post 4 ( and ) and David Morgan of Post 3 (, and ), the discussion that followed Sanderson’s presentation ended after about three minutes.

During a break, Morgan said he wished there had been a “public conversation” about the SACS letter. He wasn’t sure what to think of the board's limited response.

“The lack of conversation, I don’t know how to interpret that right now,” he said.

Banks and Stultz each said the response to SACS should solely rest in the superintendent’s hands.

“He’ll do whatever he’ll have to do at this point,” Stultz said.

Added Banks: “It’s his responsibility; it’s not a board issue. I think the board doesn’t even need to talk about the issue. Otherwise, it looks like the board’s trying to influence him.”

Improper board interference in the operation of the schools is one of the allegations in the SACS letter.

Early in the meeting, the board illustrated the sort of dysfunction that led SACS to question its governance abilities.

The March 9 meeting minutes, covering Banks' effort to rescind the Feb. 17 calendar vote and the board's 4-3 decision to table the calendar issue indefinitely, were tabled at the board's March 24 meeting after Banks said they were inaccurate and Bartlett said they shouldn't include opinions.

Revised minutes came up Wednesday morning, but Sweeney said the changes didn't go far enough. On the other side, Banks argued that the board had no business changing what the board secretary, Sanderson, produced unless there were actual errors.

The discussion lasted about 10 minutes and required several tries just to get a motion to approve the minutes. The board voted 4-2 to accept the minutes as presented Wednesday. Crowder-Eagle and Banks voted no, with Banks reserving “a right to rescind” his vote.

“The motion today didn’t have the original verbiage; it was sanitized,” Banks said after the meeting. “The only reason the board should change the minutes is because of an error, and since there were no errors, it should not be changed. ...

“What they’ve set is a new precedent of manipulating the minutes of the secretary. So how can a community have trust in a board that would do that?”

Another issue SACS raised was the Cobb board's failure to get required training.

The board moved toward addressing that concern Wednesday with the Georgia School Boards Association's professional development director, Tony Arasi, who held his first informal training session with the Cobb board.

Arasi, a former 10-year Cobb County assistant superintendent, went over a 20-page GSBA-produced board- and self-assessment form. The form offered 11 sections for board members to rate themselves on a five-point scale in areas such as media, superintendent and personnel relations.

Arasi said board members needed to be honest in their evaluations. The board planned to return the forms by 5 p.m. Monday to clear the way for additional training.  

Because Arasi lives only 12 miles from the Central Office, he isn’t charging for his services. The GSBA usually charges member schools only its consultanst’ driving expenses when sessions are only an hour or two in length.

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