You have got to be kidding! Bennett's Mill is awesomely staffed and has produced an oustanding 1st year. Anyone with sense would understand that a higher ratio of staff per student yields excellence for learning. It is obvious since you mentioned Booth, that you are still a disgruntled parent that had to move. GET OVER IT and realize what is best for the kids. This is a chance of a lifetime to have this type of ratio. If you want 2nd rate schools move to a different county!

First, I sure don't think Bennett's Mill should be closed, but the idea that the reason for its success is the staff-pupil ratio really doesn't give credit to the success taking place. It's also a disservice to the teachers/staff/students/parents.

Somewhere along the way a theory was created that lower teacher-pupil ratios equals better education. That has NOT been proven. It's yet another theory that somehow became accepted as a "fact" without actual evidence. Some students in fact do learn better when in that setting. Others do worse. Others it doesn't matter. The theory is another "one size fits all" that lacks real, tangible evidence of working. It's too bad it doesn't because it would make the solution to declining public schools real simple: just build more schools and hire more staff. It would cost more, but the results would be much better. Nice theory and all, but yet another lesson that throwing loads of money at a problem is not a solution.

To say that "anyone with sense" knows that a higher ratio is better doesn't have much desire to research and is ignorant on the issue.

Nuk, you are partially correct. Lower student-teacher ratios have not been proven to increase performance, but lower class size HAS. ("lower teacher-student ratio" is defined as nymber of students divided by total number of salaried professsionals..principal, counselors, teachers, special ed, etc).

A number of longitudinal studies have shown that lower class sizes (less than 16 students), particularly in grades K-3, have an enormous positive impact on future school performance for students. Google "Tennessee STAR program" for example.

I'd somewhat agree. I've read the STAR studies and its conclusions, but I'm not convinced that is enough evidence to conclude that lower class sizes in and of themselves lead to better student performance. It obviously had an effect in Tennessee of helping minority low-income students the most, but data/results from California were inconclusive.
I think the STAR is a good, balance report and a starting point for further studies overall, I'm just not sure it's the final answer on an issue where large $$$ could be involved.

I think the report is good and I've looked it over a few times every now and then, but I do not know if you can draw an absolute conclusion that lower class sizes for Grades 1-3 is the only reason for improved performance. There were also several caveats to that including just how much of a reduction is needed as well as how larger class sizes after the 3rd grade had no effect on the student's improved performance.

What I got overall from STAR then and now is that lower class sizes may only matter in Grades 1 through 3, as well as confirmation about staff-pupil ratios having no effect. I'd forgotten how parapro's being in the classroom in addition to a teacher also has no effect on performance, though.

This is about fiscal responsibliy. How can you ask tax payers to pay more taxes and not look at running costs of schools. I guess you work for the government too.

when those schools are sitting in the middle of no where? And ...land... in the middle of no where? Why didn't they buy the land across from McIntosh high just like Weiland bought it, and put another school on it. That is a big piece of property. It isn't just were that subdivsion of houses are, he also bought the land behind that he build/building condos on. As a matter of fact, the land Bob Adams built his houses on that face 54, was all a piece of that. Why was the school board members looking at property out around Brooks then?

That would have been prime land, across from McIntosh, to help with congestion

If it is true that we are paying for a number of “illegal” out-of-county students, which seems to be the case, then it is no wonder that we are having budget problems. Unfortunately the victims of this abuse will be Fayette County residents’ children.

Fayette County Board of Education residency requirements:

“Non renters or occupants of another person’s home/residence:

A designated Fayette County Schools Property Affidavit signed by the parents/guardian, as well as by the home’s occupants and the property owner. The record must include the name of the parent/guardian, the student(s) being enrolled and a photo ID. The property owner must also provide the documents noted above…” (property tax statement or closing/purchase information…and a current electric or gas utility bill…)

The process for collecting and verifying school residency requirements is stated, but is an informal process documented by school administrators, often at a time when there are long registration lines, people concerned about getting registered before school starts, and at a time when there is a lot going on administratively. Those excepting or denying residency documentation may be fearful of their jobs if they make a wrong judgment call, and also don’t want or need a confrontation with an irate parent, no matter what the circumstances. I have personally had two different experiences in the past several years. At one point I moved to a new rental in a new school district. When I registered my child, I had not been living there long enough to get a utility bill. I did not have my lease agreement with me at the time, and the administrator said that a check with the address printed on it would do. Luckily, I had printed my new address on my checks, but how easy at that. Even though this was all legitimate, an address on a check is not proof of residency. I was thankful that the person doing the checking made the exception, but looking back, I could have been anyone from anywhere registering my child at that school. On another occasion, I moved after my divorce, registered my child in a new school district and had to show everything…including divorce papers that gave me custody of the child. Point is, it is very informal and very inconsistent. A utility bill is not proof of residency. My son moved out on his own to a different county. Just to help him out, I called and had the utilities put in my name with no questions asked. Since I was willing to make sure the deposits were paid and took responsibility to ensure that the bills were paid, they gladly accepted my name. This also was innocent and legitimate, but I easily could have offered to put someone else’s utilities in my name for whatever reason, and “proved residency” with a utility bill for a house that I did not live in.

How do you prove that a child actually lives at a particular residence and should be allowed to attend the school in that district? In a situation where someone in the county has family members living in another county with a poor school district, they very well might consider signing an affidavit saying that the out of county children live in their house so that they could attend schools in a better district. After all, it is the children’s future possibly at stake and this could be considered a quasi-survival matter. True, there are penalties for signing a false affidavit, but it’s a maximum fine of $1,000 possible jail time. How often is that kind of case going to be tried, or can it be proven? If I’m concerned, I might have extra beds set up in my house with clothes and other items belonging to the out- of-county child. Even if someone were to come into the house to investigate, the child apparently “lives” there. I could explain that they do live in my home, but that they went back temporarily to visit with their parents, or are temporarily staying with friends, etc. There are laws, but in some minds preservation or survival
has priority over certain kinds of rules or laws.

In my opinion, we actually have very limited ways to prove that a child meets the residency requirements. If there are people who choose to circumvent the requirements by abusing it, then I think that is fairly easy to do. Cars at schools with out-of-county plates might be an obvious clue, but I saw a student get off a school bus at a local restaurant awhile back. I figured he was coming to a part time job, but he just hung around awhile before he was picked up by a car with out-of-county plates. Not everyone is going to play by the rules, and when there are no failsafe methods, it’s easy to make up your own rules.

The school administrators charged with documenting residency requirements are neither qualified nor equipped to do a good job with this. The numbers of out-of-county cases recently has made this a much more significant task than in the past and it may be time to take a different approach to documenting and verifying residency. There are hundreds of ways around the current system. How do you prove that a child actually lives somewhere. If there is a question of residency, a lease agreement or property tax bills might establish residency of adults (although I’m sure these can be faked also.) The adults claiming residency for children in question should be asked to provide divorce custody papers, guardianship papers, adoption papers or tax returns showing that the children are “legal” dependents. All of this makes the process a significant one and would also make the burden of proof of residency more complicated and irritating for legitimate residents. But, once again, we all have to sacrifice and pay for criminal elements who are determined to override the laws.

what you say is very good. It is a huge problem that the board members have not done much about. When I take my child to school, Clayton and Fulton county tags abound EVERY morning. As I've said so many times, they are costing us MORE than if Clayton had collapsed and we took them with a subsidy. Now we are getting nothing. Yes, all the other kids know who they are, but won't rat them out, but then again, that is not the kids jobs, to fix what the adults who are paid to do it, won't.

Could you please detail what this means:
"I bet random checks by either the County Tax Assessor with the Sheriff's department would turn up...." Tax man and sheriff?

Sounds like the grand fence on the Mexican border!

RetiredArmyMAJ - once students start driving there is another issue I haven't seen discussed here before: when the student lives out-of-county, but uses an in-county address of a relative for "proving residency." This scenario is being played out over and over in our county's high schools.

My senior knows of a few of his friends attending other high schools that are using this exact scheme in order to continue to attend their preferred FC high school. Apparently the loopholes in FC's proof of residency are big enough to literally drive a full-sized automobile through it, since it's a very common occurrence. I'd venture saying if you ask a current FC high schooler, they can tell you BY NAME the students who live out of county and forge residency proof.

I don't think it would be such a bad thing for kids to start walking a little way once in a while. My brother and I used to walk all the way across the town we lived in, every morning, when we were in middle school. Kids today are getting heavier and more sedentary and it would be good for both them and the environment to do a little walking.
On the other hand, perhaps it's a question of safety. I doubt that the town I lived in when I was in middle school was any safer than Peachtree City is now, but I think I'd have a hard time with letting my kid walk alone to school, no matter what the crime rate is.
Car pooling is a good option all the way around. I avoid being out directly after school because of the line-ups all around town both in PTC and in Fayetteville. I don't understand why parents don't take up car pooling.

Less bus routes may help with the price of gas. I grew up walking to school, or taking public transportation to middle school and high school. For the safety of younger children I can see why buses are a better choice, we don't have sidewalks, kids would take golf cart paths, which may wind around longer distances than a straight away to the schools. But to help with the rising cost of fuel, perhaps less buses with longer routes would be the answer. You can't say one subdivision doesn't get the buses because it happens to be very close to the school, the parents would rant about being taxpayers deserving the opportunity. Perhaps the parents leave early for work, and the buses afford the parents the visual of seeing their child on the bus in the hands of school employees before they leave town for work. Difficult choices to make for the upcoming school year. I just hope they don't cut the actual teachers salaries.

Yes, everyone needs to come!! Meet the candidates on July 12th at the Tyrone Depot from 6-8. It is essential to get rid of Smola, Smith and Wright! They are going to bankrupt this county. They do not question any expenditures and sign them off with a rubber stamp! I could tell you some story. But that is another blog. The current HR director is trying to get a million dollar computer for the HR dept. We don't need. We are not that size of a system. She also wanted an $8,000 a year raise. Everyone needs to take this next election very seriously. Todd and Key are the only board members questioning these purchases!

Meeting is June 12!! Tyrone Depot 6-8. They will have refreshments.

Meeting is June 12!! Tyrone Depot 6-8. They will have refreshments.

Most people don't realize, that the primary will decide who wins the BOE posts for 2008 election in November. All the candidates are running on the Republican ticket. You can cast an absentee vote before the election, or even vote the week before the primary at the libray in Fayetteville or PTC. Make your voice heard, get out and vote!!!!!!!!

JUNE 12 at the tyrone depot.

Yes, We had Mr. Smola on the Tyrone council, and we did question the high pay of two people, that being our famous Barney and Thelma lou. Every time that was done, he would look down his glasses with a very santamously and tell us their saleries were in line with other towns of their size. We are just now finding out that they had 100% paid health care. Not that they paid a % like everyone of the taxpayers footing the bill. 100%! and guess who's 'watch' that was on?

Speaking of which...I understand Tyrone's loss is now Stone Mountain's gain. I hope he's got a big switch blade!

I'm soon to be a non-wildcat, if you know what I mean, and I've been trying to figure out who you are. If you know my identity, drop me a line, please. There's a lot of good people I would like to get to know better, including you. There never seems to be enough time.

Based on what you write, pictures in the yearbook and the fact that you're leaving...would it be safe to guess that you reside in the trailer park??

Yes, I'm just trailer trash! My secret is out. Drop me a line when you get a chance. (Use my work email.)

tell them to stop 15 mins at each stopsign!

That goes back to questionable land deals!! Thank a specific board member for that!! That is why we have schools in the middle of no where. Her husband and a former board member were going to develop the lands around these schools. How convenient!!

This is not true. I was never involved in any plan to develop that property. Greg Powers is my friend, but we aren't business partners. This rumor has been around a long time, but it's just a rumor.

Since you want to participate in these boards, and set the record straight, can you tell us besides TCG holdings, and Action plumbing, what other companies you are a party to, as well as the other land development companies, if any. Just so we know and can tell the rumor mongers a thing or two.

Give me a call at Action Plumbing, 770-892-3811. We can talk about it.

If what you say is true, then why is the land at Inman still for sale?

The property is zone A/R 5 acre lots. Developers want 1 acre lots.

the property has a contingency upon sale to be zoned from 5 acre lots down to 1 acre lots (why would the school system care about zoning?). Fayette County will not honor that request because it does not follow the land use plan. I think something in the BOE stinks and it aint the gentrified members of the BOE...

They wanted to sell it for hardly nothing until certain board members that actually care found out and started asking questions. Then they made the sell known to the public and at market value price. They also tried to do that with the mitigation rights for the property behind WHS. They wanted to sell that to for a song. It is worth millions. Very suspect.....but what do I know?? haha

I guess the board members you are talking to have big imaginations. I have nothing to do with that land behind WHS. You don't know as much as you think you do. Talk to my wife instead of spreading these lies.

Why are you so quick to respond? Guilty conscious?

I don't think he makes that much! You're thinking of the new CC superintendent that only has to work 90 days and has security guards and all!!

who are very aware of the saleries tell me. If it is less, I will be very happy to know I have been mis informed.

He makes about 187,000 a year in salary. He also has a monthly car allowance and a fully funded benefits package that the school board pays. He doesn't have to even pay into teacher retirement. The school board does that. Very lucrative for a small district such as ours.

Fayette County School System is larger than 93.7% of all the other U.S. school districts. That isn't large?

In comparison to the metro area of Atlanta. That is how his salary was determined. They used a salary study of metro counties that have MUCH larger district populations.

Fayette County has 22,000 students in 30 schools, which ranks 17th out of 180 systems statewide. That doesn't sound too "small" to me.

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the very guts, God that's gross!, of our school system. All our focus should be on paying them fairly and helping them in the class room. I know mine told me a while back, he wanted to be home schooled. I think he got it in his head this would be a piece of cake. I told him I'd prob kill him after a week! How you guys have a class full of them and aren't in rehab is beyond me!

OLD BEACH BEAR and others who harp on how much the Super gets paid are clueless. He's the CEO of a $200 million non-profit corporation that not only is the county's largest employer, but it's economic engine. Just watch how your property values will plummet if Fayette County schools begin to slip and the desire to live here begins to decline. (What happened in Clayton Co, btw). The schools are why EVERYBODY sacrifices to live in Fayette County, and John DeCotis is the reason (along with sharp administrators and principals, whom he HIRES!) why the schools have been able to maintain a level of excellence through some very trying times in recent years.

School boards have three constitutional responsibilities: Adopt a budget (i.e. set a mileage rate); review and approve of staff-recommended policy; and hire a superintendent. Period. The BOE members I've known over the years have always admitted that keeping DeCotis is their TOP priority! And they've done a good job so far. As far as I'm concerned, they should do everything in their power to keep him here as long as possible. The man has spent most all his career in Fayette County schools (arriving as a classroom teacher in the 1970s) and is as humble and dedicated as you'll ever meet. What's more, any school district in this state and country would probably love to have him, and I'm sure he's gotten plenty of offers. Some of you would probably like that. But losing DeCotis for any other reason than retirement, right now, but would be a HUGE blow to FC schools.

By the way, OLD BEACH BEAR ... every salary of every employee of the school system (including the superintendent) is included in the school budget. Do you EVER make an effort at finding out the facts on your own before you go spewing your ignorant remarks on here? Geeez.

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NEWSBOY : DELIVERING NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Smola, Smith and Wright.