school officials promised Tuesday that every senior will graduate with an accredited diploma in May. But some parents remain unconvinced.
“We’re going to work hard and do what we need to do,” Superintendent John Thompson told about 120 parents and students Tuesday night. “We have our back up against the wall. We’ve got to come out and fight.”
But some parents and students at the meeting were angry and weren’t so sure that the unaccredited school system will turn around in time.
“When I listen to you, I’m not hearing a sense of urgency and sincere-ness in resolving this,” parent Tracey Davis told the superintendent. “I kind of feel that there is a horse and pony show going on. … We came here for answers.”
Davis, mother of a sophomore at Mount Zion High School, said she heard a lot of promises, but not many plans.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools last week revoked the 50,000-student district’s accreditation as of Monday.
On Tuesday, schools officials told parents they have a plan that includes working toward reinstatement, seeking accreditation from another agency and a lawsuit.
If the district meets SACS’ nine mandates by Sept. 1, 2009, accreditation will be re-instated and made retroactive to Sept, 1, 2008, SACS has said.
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School attorney Julie Lewis said she plans to have the system reaccredited by April 1.
But Darryl Brassell, who graduated from North Clayton High School in May, said he has little confidence in that plan. “I’m tired of hearing the same things,” said Brassell, who has siblings in the 8th, 9th and 10th grades in Clayton. “I came to get some answers because I don’t think we’ll make that appeal.”
Like Brassell, many parents said they heard Thompson say last month that the nine mandates had been met and accreditation was safe. Then last week, SACS said only one of the nine recommendations had been met.
On Tuesday, Thompson apologized and accused SACS of not reading the board’s 2,300 pages of evidence. SACS has said it read all of the evidence.
“I feel like I lied to you the first time when I came here and said we met all nine mandates,” Thompson told parents.
Lewis said she is looking into a lawsuit against SACS, which would allow school officials to present evidence to a judge and cross-examine witnesses.
However, the board did have a chance to present evidence to a state administrative judge last month. The judge ruled against the board and found four members violated state law when they put the district’s accreditation at risk. Gov. Sonny Perdue removed the four board members last week.
Tamika and Alexis High, 17-year-old twins and seniors at Forest Park High School, don’t have time to wait for lawsuits or other action. They are graduating in May and need to make sure their scholarships are intact by the end of the year.
“My biggest fear is not being accepted to the colleges I want,” Tamika High said. “I was mad and I came to get answers. We can’t afford for this to happen.”
Thompson also promised to write a letter for every student to include with college applications, explaining that their education is sound and the board is to blame for the accreditation loss.
However, SACS cited a trickle-down effect in its decision to revoke accreditation, saying that the board’s dysfunction affected the entire education system in Clayton.
Thompson said he is not only looking at the possibility students may not get into their desired colleges, but the financial impact.
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