Atlanta, GA — A Democratic state senator is asking two of the state’s top Republicans to investigate DeKalb County Schools.

State Sen. Elena Parent sent a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp and State Superintendent Richard Woods asking them to investigate the district following the DeKalb County School Board’s surprise decision to fire Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris on April 26. Watson-Harris’ firing followed a period of turmoil for the district surrounding a proposed renovation project for Druid Hills High. The school board has repeatedly blocked that project, doing so even after students at the high school released a video showing the unsafe and unsanitary conditions in their building.

The board gave no explanation for the superintendent’s firing. Sen. Parent wants answers about what’s going on in the district.

“As a member of the Senate delegation from DeKalb County, I write with concern over actions taken in recent months by the DeKalb County Board of Education,” Parent wrote. “I am not elected to manage the schools or the suddenly terminated Superintendent, Cheryl Watson-Harris, but the perception of a system quickly spinning into turmoil is a matter of importance to my constituents and to our State. I call on both of you in your respective capacities to investigate recent events at DeKalb County Schools to ensure that decisions are being made that are in the best interest of the students.”

Here is her full letter to the governor and state superintendent:

Dear Governor Kemp and Superintendent Woods,

As a member of the Senate delegation from DeKalb County, I write with concern over actions taken in recent months by the DeKalb County Board of Education. I am not elected to manage the schools or the suddenly terminated Superintendent, Cheryl Watson-Harris, but the perception of a system quickly spinning into turmoil is a matter of importance to my constituents and to our State. I call on both of you in your respective capacities to investigate recent events at DeKalb County Schools to ensure that decisions are being made that are in the best interest of the students.

A few recent events that have given me pause:

DeKalb County Schools paid $2,000,000 to Perkins + Will for the development of a Comprehensive Master Plan (“CMP”) to guide decisions and spending around ESPLOST V and VI. The development of the CMP involved months of public meetings. One of the projects prioritized by Perkins+ Will in the CMP was the modernization of Druid Hills High School (“DHHS”), which has an almost 100-year-old building.

In February, the Board of Education (“Board”) voted to remove this project, and only this project, from the list of projects to be acted upon.

This sparked an outcry and spurred students at DHHS to make a video shining light on some of the structural failings at their school, including mold in many areas and human waste infiltrating an outdoor picnic area. Troublingly, comments of some Board members in response to this video suggested that DHHS was undeserving of modernization because it had “affluence.” {In reality, it is a Title I school.)

At the next called Board meeting, the Board voted 5-2 to approve a plan that seems hastily cobbled together that neither the whole Board, the administration, the outside vendor, Perkins+ Will, nor the taxpaying public had been given time to review, digest, and provide feedback on. This plan was approved despite the Superintendent, Ms. Watson-Harris, asking for time to review it so that a vote on it could be made from a position of understanding its ramifications.

As I understand it, this plan has several flaws, including that the money does not exist to implement both the CMP and the new plan, and eliminates projects, such as DHHS, that can be partially reimbursed under the Georgia Department of Education’s Capital Outlay program. The tax-paying public deserves thoughtful decision making from the Board both with respect to the decision to invest $2 million in the CMP, with regard to any decision to jettison those recommendations, and certainly with regard to the termination of the Superintendent.

After a visit by officials from the Georgia Department of Education, Superintendent Woods released a letter firmly decrying the conditions at DHHS and stating that DeKalb County’s facilities plan would not receive state funding in its current form.

Instead of taking a step back upon receipt of Superintendent Woods’ letter, the Board Chair, Ms. Vickie Turner, released a letter seemingly attempting to pin blame for the current state of affairs at DHHS on Superintendent Watson-Harris. Hours after releasing that letter, the Board voted to fire Ms. Watson­ Harris.

This is very troubling. First, it was the Board who voted to remove the DHHS modernization project from the CMP list, disempowering the administration. Worse, the recent Cognia report that was just released on DeKalb County Schools gave high marks to the items of review that are under the Superintendent’s purview while raising concerns about the performance of the Board. It states,

“Each governing authority board member is highly committed to the district andthe students, but board members are not working together collectively in support of the mission of DeKalb County Schools…Support for various initiatives across the district was not consistent across the board member interviews.”

And:

“The board may wish to further examine a system of reflection that looks at the board as a whole, how it works in unity, and public perceptions. Board members must fully understand and appreciate the important role they occupy in school district governance, and the equal importance of acting within, not beyond, this role. It is incumbent upon every board member to set aside personal agendas and focus their efforts on governing together in the best interest of the school system.”

I am concerned that, as alluded to in the Cognia report, some on the Board are attempting to micromanage the operations of the district rather than remaining in their appropriate governance role. Furthermore, DeKalb Schools has had a rotating door of superintendents in the past 10 years. This in and of itself is cause for governance concern.

Let me close by saying, I am not privy to all of the facts. If I have misstated any events, it is inadvertent. This letter could in fact be much longer, with more concerns raised, and it must be noted that the Board members work hard and have difficult decisions to make. I do not send this correspondence lightly.

Oversight is needed at this juncture to ensure a bright educational future for the 100,000 students in DeKalb County Public Schools, and for the many dedicated professionals who work there.

Thank you both for your dedication and your service to our great State.

Sincerely,

Elena C. Parent

State Senator, District 42

If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $3 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community. To become a supporter, click here. 

Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.