Clayton Schools Re-hire Some Teachers

Clayton County has re-hired 100 of 400 teachers who were told they would not have jobs in the next school year. Earlier this month, former superintendent John Thompson laid-off teachers amid budget cuts for the district. Only days later, he was fired and replaced by interim superintendent Valya Lee. She appointed a committee which found dozens of special education teachers were let-go without a performance review. Clayton officials say in addition to the 100 teachers brought back, some of the other 300 could be re-hired based on vacancies. The district south of Atlanta employs roughly 4,000 teachers.

Clayton schools to lose 27-million dollars

Clayton County schools’ loss of accreditation will cost the district $27-million in state funds over the next two years. Already, more than 3,200 students have left schools in the district south of Atlanta since a certification board revoked accreditation September 1st. Without accreditation, students could have trouble getting into some colleges and universities and earning scholarships. Along with the flight of some students, over 500 employees have left the district. Clayton County officials now are considering layoffs among other cutbacks to help deal with the state funding loss.

Clayton schools OK superintendent

The embattled Clayton County school district will keep its superintendent. Clayton’s school board Monday night voted 6-1 to keep John Thompson on the job permanently. The previous school board hired Thompson in April, with the intention to launch a national search. Clayton schools lost accreditation September 1st. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools had cited a dysfunctional school board as one of the main problems with the district.

Clayton schools lose accreditation

A Georgia school district has become the first in the nation in nearly 40 years to lose accreditation.

The decision comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools against Clayton County. The 50,000 student district, just south of Atlanta, expects to appeal the ruling.

The accrediting agency in a scathing February report detailed widespread unethical conduct within Clayton’s school board, calling the board "dysfunctional" and "fatally flawed". It gave the district until September 1st to show enough progress and meet nine mandates. But just this week, a judge ruled four members of the school board should be removed for violation of Georgia’s open meetings laws and ethics code.

The loss of accreditation means students in the county will have a harder time obtaining scholarships, and getting into some colleges and universities. The district will also lose pre-kindergarten funding and some teacher benefits.

Governor Sonny Perdue did sign legislation earlier this year ensuring students of unaccredited schools would be eligible for the state’s lottery-funded college scholarship.

Ruling in: Clayton schools to lose accreditation

The ruling is in for Clayton County schools. A national committee unanimously decided the school system should lose its accreditation at the start of September.

If the ruling stands, seniors who graduate starting next school year will no longer be eligible for the HOPE scholarship. They could also face difficulty getting into college.

The only way to overturn the ruling is for the school board to successfully appeal it, or to comply with some strict recommendations for the next 5 months.

The head of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools was doubtful that would happen. However, vice chairman of the Clayton school board says the board will respond to those recommendations.

Secretary of State opens Clayton County school board probe

Georgia’s Secretary of State’s Office is opening an investigation of the embattled Clayton County School Board. Some members are under fire for possible violations of Board policy, which is threatening the school system’s accreditation.

Secretary of State Karen Handel says investigators want to see if the county’s school board complied with local election laws, and specifically whether Board members reside in their districts as required by law.

The request for investigation was made by Governor Sonny Perdue. Handel says to have her office launch an investigation of this type certainly is rare.

"It certainly is unique under my time. I certainly have and share the concerns for the parents and the students in Clayton County. This is clearly an extraordinarily difficult and disturbing situation, and we want to be partners in helping to be supportive in getting this to some good conclusion".

Handel’s Inspector General is handling the probe. She expects a report on the matter within 30 days.

Tighter security at Clayton County schools' offices

Tougher security measures have been put in place for entrance into the Clayton County Schools’ administrative buildings. Starting today, visitors must walk through a metal detector going into the building, then be searched with a hand-held device. This change in security policy comes in the wake of school board members who have been subject to verbal assault from parents, students and teachers in the midst of the county’s accreditation problems. A recent recommendation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools says the school system’s accreditation be revoked in September. Reasons given include infighting among school board members and violation of board policies and procedures. A Clayton County schools spokesperson says the extra security at its administrative complex is not a response to the controversy, but an ongoing effort to improve security.

State to help Clayton County schools

State lawmakers are responding to the chance a Georgia school system could lose its accreditation for the first time in state history. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has give Clayton County until September 1st to improve its school system. Students in Clayton County schools would lose pre-kindergarten funds, HOPE scholarships, college hopes.

Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced several initiatives to help Clayton County Public Schools maintain its schools’ accreditation. Two liaisons from the state Board of Education will serve as advisors to the county. Governor Perdue has also called for state agency assistance in the three separate audits recommended by SACS so that the system can maintain accreditation. Governor Perdue has also asked for legislation to be drafted that will automatically trigger a referendum to remove a school board if the system it governs loses accreditation.


The head of the Clayton County School board, Erica Davis issued the following statement.

"I appreciate the Governor’s offer to assist our school system in its efforts to maintain its accreditation. I know that our students, parents, school system staff and members of our community have made requests for his intervention and I, for one, am grateful for it. With the experience and expertise of Mr. Bryant and Mr. Bostic as liaisons, along with the state agency assistance to conduct audits of our system so that corrective measures can be taken, I am assured that we will be able to do what must be done to protect the educational futures of our children. I also wholeheartedly support the Governor’s legislation for a referendum to remove a school board if its’ accreditation is lost. While our SACS report indicates that not all of our board members failed to comply with school board policy and SACS standards, the reality is that with any board, the actions of some affect the public trust of the entire board. No governmental entity can
effectively and successfully operate without the support of its citizens. Once public trust is comprised and children become the casualty, the best and only answer is to start anew. "
Ericka Davis, Chairwoman
Clayton County Board of Education

Clayton Co. system investigated second time

The south's regional accrediting agency is investigating the Clayton County school system for financial mismanagement and abuse of power.

It's the second time in five years the school system has been investigated by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The probe puts thousands of students at risk of losing their HOPE scholarships, and makes it difficult for them to be accepted to some universities.

The association says it is investigating allegations that one board member had a football coach fired for not handing-over a game film featuring her son. Another board member apparently spent more than $500 of school money at an Atlanta hotel.

This is the first time in the last 15 years that the group has investigated a Georgia school district twice in such a short period of time. No school district in the state has ever lost accreditation.

The association is considering asking Governor Sonny Perdue to impeach the entire school board.

The Clayton school board chairwoman said the district will fully comply with the probe.