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DeKalb County, GA — Decaturish held a forum for the DeKalb County Board of Education District 1 candidates on April 25. The seat is open because incumbent Anna Hill chose not to seek re-election.

In introductory remarks, Andrew Ziffer described many years of volunteering for the DeKalb County School District including fostering communication among parents across different school clusters, and his professional experience in banking, IT, and real estate.

“I’m going to focus on students independent of who they are and where they live, create sound fiscal policy and accountability, and most important build bridges to make DCSD the first choice for parents to send their school-age children,” Ziffer said, adding that making sure that tax money is spent transparently is also a priority.

Austin McDonald said that he is a former teacher with special education certification and experience in both public and private schools. McDonald said that he was appointed to the State Rehabilitation Council in 2019 where he advised on policies to support people with disabilities.

“I’m looking to make the schools safer, to spend money wisely in the classroom instead of in the central office,” McDonald said. 

McDonald added that he also sought academic excellence and saw teacher retention as the root of some of the district’s problems.

“We’ve got to focus on teacher retention if we want to bring the school system back to its former glory,” McDonald said.

In response to a question about the current District 1 board member, both praised Hill’s follow-through on promises, especially the formation of the Board of Education Audit Committee which meets regularly.

Redistricting

At a recent board retreat, the possibility of “reimagining” the school districts and moving away from the cluster model that DCSD currently uses was raised. The candidates were asked what they thought. Both were cautiously supportive, especially if it would ease overcrowding in some of the schools in District 1.

Ziffer said that like some other parents, his family had bought a house hoping to go to a particular elementary school only to be redistricted into another school, and at first he was skeptical, but the new school turned out to be a good experience for his child.

Ziffer said that as long it is done thoughtfully, redistricting can solve existing problems such as overcrowding in some schools.

McDonald said that the biggest issue that District 1 is currently facing is the need for a new high school in Doraville, which would keep students from having to drive to Cross Keys from there.

McDonald added that shifting students from overcrowded schools to underused one would make the schools safer, and he would like to see students moved out of the trailers at Dunwoody High School.

Standardized testing

Both candidates agreed that testing was necessary but overused.

McDonald said that testing is unfortunately necessary to measure progress, but that he thinks that students are tested too much. McDonald added that testing is stressful for teachers, which has a negative effect on teacher retention.

“I think it’s important not to make the curriculum all about the test,” McDonald said.

Ziffer called standardized testing a mixed bag.

“We all know why it has to be done. There needs to be some kind of tool in place that actually measures whether children can read or do math at a certain point,” Ziffer said.

However, Ziffer added, the tests create a great deal of anxiety for some students and some just don’t test well.

Mental health

Ziffer said that the district isn’t doing enough, and both candidates said that the district needs more school counselors.

Ziffer said that mental health is also a school safety issue. He brought up an incident where a student threatened a teacher, and said that when violence appears in the classroom, it didn’t start at that moment. Ziffer said that there are always opportunities to intervene before it reaches that point. 

McDonald said that the American Counselors Association recommends a ratio of one counselor per 250 students. McDonald added that if the state doesn’t approve the increase, the district will have to pay for the extra counselors.

Strategic plan

McDonald noted that all the groups surveyed, including both parents and students, were concerned about school safety, and that has implications for mental health among other things.

McDonald said that school board members have an obligation to bring the community’s concerns to the superintendent or whoever is making decisions.

“Ultimately, it’s the people’s school,” McDonald said.

Ziffer pointed out that surveys and plans made for the district in the past have not necessarily been carried out.

“A strategic plan is only good if it’s followed,” Ziffer said.

Other topics discussed:

Maintenance

Ziffer said that a crucial part of the solution to the district’s maintenance backlog is having a capital plan that anticipates future maintenance needs and accounts for them.

McDonald said that the current problem isn’t money but finding contractors to do the work. 

New superintendent

McDonald said that he likes the Ignite school teacher residency program that Dr. Devon Horton started and hopes that it will improve teacher retention.

McDonald said that if anything, Horton is a little too busy and that could make it harder to focus on the highest priority.

Ziffer said that he has heard nothing but positive feedback about Horton so far, and he is pleased to see that his contract was extended. Ziffer added that the frequent turnover of superintendents has been detrimental to the district.

In response to a question about how the board can work effectively with the superintendent, Ziffer said that the board needs to support the superintendent when and if mistakes are made rather than being quick to fire.

McDonald said that while he agrees that the turnover is not a good look, he doesn’t think a superintendent should get a pass just because of turnover.

Both candidates agreed that a District 1 board member should reach out to and learn from board members in other districts.

Declining enrollment

McDonald said that private schools put money into admissions and recruiting, and that the school district should work on retention and attracting students.

“I want to see our public schools compete with the private schools in District 1,” McDonald said.

Ziffer said that District 1 has lost about 2,800 students, while DCSD has lost 8m=,000 students overall. That means that 35% of the decline in enrollment is coming from District 1.

Ziffer pointed out that even if you are sending your children to private school, you should want the schools in your neighborhood to be top-notch.

Teacher retention and recruitment

Ziffer said that along with competitive pay, it was important to have improved culture coming from leadership to make the district a good place to work.

McDonald said that he left teaching in 2020 and a lot of it was work-life balance. McDonald pointed out that teachers are working long hours and paying for school supplies out of their own pockets.

In closing statements, Ziffer reiterated his career experience in managing a large organization, as well his experiences working with DCSD over the last 13 years. He said that he wants to emphasize financial accountability, including making sure that repairs on the schools are up-to-date.

“No more HVAC problems or leaking roofs,” Ziffer said.

McDonald brought up his experience as a teacher and said that DeKalb used to be considered a leader in education and teacher professional development.

“There was a time when DeKalb was considered the jewel of education in this state…I believe we can bring DeKalb County back,” McDonald said.

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