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DeKalb County, GA — Incumbent Deirdre Pierce and challenger Deidra Wright participated in a debate moderated by Decaturish editor and publisher Dan Whisenhunt for the District 3 Board of Education seat.

Pierce pointed to her three and a half years of experience on the board, preceded by many years in the community, and said that she felt the district was going in the right direction under its new leadership. The board hired Dr. Devon Horton as Superintendent in July.

Wright, who has two daughters in the DeKalb County school district and is also a teacher herself, emphasized the need to hire and retain teachers and to provide wrap-around support for students.

When asked why she was challenging Pierce, Wright criticized Pierce’s lack of communication. 

“I don’t think that my board member has been as accessible as I need her to be. I don’t think that communication always comes down to me in the way that I need it to come to me,” Wright said.

Pierce responded that she is not allowed to respond to public comments during regular board meetings, but that her email address and phone number are on the Board of Education website, and she responds promptly to calls. Pierce also said that she has held meetings for the five school clusters in her district to hear what parents have to say.

Standardized tests

Whisenhunt said that as a parent with a student in the district, he feels that standardized testing is unnecessarily stressful. He asked each candidate about standardized testing and what could be done to make it less difficult on students emotionally.

Pierce said that while she believes the district needs a way to measure progress, they have to follow requirements set out by the state of Georgia.

“So many of those mandates come from downtown. We don’t make those rules,” Pierce said, adding that the district has discussed testing with legislators.

Pierce said that regarding the stress levels of both teachers and students, she believes that some of it is a carry-over from the pandemic, and the district is still seeking solutions. 

Wright was bluntly critical of standardized testing as culturally biased and not particularly useful.

“I hate standardized testing,” Wright said. 

Wright said that she found them problematic both as a teacher and parent and had sought a way to exempt her daughter from testing. 

“I want parents to be able to legally opt out, and the schools not get penalized for it,” Wright said.

Pierce responded that the district must have information available to parents but that the board can’t interfere directly except through the superintendent. Additionally, she said that the board advocates with the Legislature through the chair.

Wright said that in that case, the board needs to check how the superintendent’s communication with parents is flowing.

Mental health

Wright said that she didn’t feel the district had done enough to support students’ re-entry to school during and after the pandemic and that some of the things implemented were not available throughout the district. 

“I’m a mental health advocate to my core. I think it needs major improvement in our district,” Wright said.

Pierce said that McNair High School was the first school to get a “safe center” intended to be available for students, their families, and faculty. However, she said that in some cases, families don’t want to admit that there is a concern and don’t use what is available.

Pierce added that the district is trying to add those centers throughout the county and that a ribbon cutting was held for one at Redan High School recently.

“We are definitely paying very close attention to social-emotional education and also supports for everybody,” Pierce said. 

Five-year plan

Candidates were asked about the district’s five-year strategic plan, which is in progress, and the role that it should play going forward.

Both candidates seemed mindful of the district’s reputation for making plans that don’t come to fruition.

“The strategic plan is supposed to guide the district. It tells us what the mission is, the vision is, and how to get there,” Pierce said, adding that it’s intended to hold the district accountable for doing what it says it means to do.

Wright was a little more direct.

“I want to see it implemented and the things that they plan come through,” Wright said, adding, “What more can I say?”

Maintenance backlog

Both candidates acknowledged the need to address school maintenance concerns but differed in their approach.

Wright said that she would like to be on-site more frequently to ensure the safety of the school environments.

Pierce said that board members can only visit schools when invited, and that all follow-ups about maintenance from the board have to go through the superintendent. However, Pierce said that the board does receive frequent communications about maintenance problems and what is being done about them.

New superintendent

Pierce said that Horton seemed eager to get started as soon as he was hired and that she was impressed by him. Pierce said she was especially proud of the new teacher residency and paraprofessional-to-teacher programs.

“I think he’s doing a phenomenal job,” Pierce said.

Wright said she appreciates his efforts to connect with the community and bring various community members into the conversation.

Wright said that the board could collaborate with the superintendent by fostering communication and learning what measures he has in place to monitor progress and find solutions to problems.

Pierce said that she advocates for accountability and sees both frequent engagement and accountability from Horton.

The candidates also discussed ways to address declining enrollment, district accounting, managing their time, and speaking for their district.

Wright said that she feels the best way to address declining enrollment is to address the major problems in the schools and reach out to members of the community. She added that she feels that families in District 3 and those who are marginalized throughout the county are not being heard.

Pierce said that no one should hesitate to contact their school board members.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Pierce,” Wright said.

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