Georgia

Assessing Kathy Cox

Sun, 06/08/2008 - 3:22pm
By: sniffles5

I've noticed of late that it has become fairly commonplace - even amongst Republicans! - to bash our state superintendent of schools, Kathy Cox.

I'm wondering what has happened to trigger this apparant groundswell of dissatisfaction? Was it any one particular event or just an overall feeling that she's accomplished so little?

To this point, Kathy Cox has led an exceptionally charmed political life. She began her political career when she ran for the state house touting her schoolmarm credentials against Dan Lakly many years ago. Dan Lakly shot himself in the foot during a candidate forum, as I recall he was bragging about how LITTLE Fayette spent on education, and Cox squeaked out a 500 vote win.

Cox then hitched her wagon to Lynn Westmoreland's rising star (mixed metaphor...sorry!) and bragged on several occasions that Lynn taught her everything she knew about politics...which may be the first time in recorded history that someone actually learned something from Lynn!

One particular odious political trick she learned from Westmoreland was to never introduce any local legislation unless their was unanimous approval from the local government board. This, sadly, crippled Peachtree City for several years and allowed the loathesome Annie McMenamin to be a one-woman obstructionist.

Cox then ran for school superintendent and got yet more political fortune thrown her way when the incumbent Republican got mired in a scandal regarding fur coats and plastic surgery paid at public expense. Cox got elected.

One of her first orders of bidness as school superintendent was to attempt to ban the word "evolution" from school curriculum. "It's sooooo devisive!" She got publicly ridiculed, and rightly so, when her backroom maneuvering came to light.

Since then she's had an uneven tenure as school superintendent. As a good Republican soldier, she's embraced such things as the concept of high-stakes student testing (i.e. No Child Left Behind Alive). She was noticeably AWOL from the Chance/Seay/Ramsey voucher scandal earlier this year.

So, now we have a local "hero" as our school super. What could she be doing better? I'm not sure I have an answer for that. I've come to believe that she's doing the best job she can do, but that her best isn't quite good enough. Who else could do the job?

I apologize for having all these questions and no real answers to propose.

Regards,
Sniffles the wordy

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Kathy Cox: $90.8 million
Submitted by justwondering on Wed, 06/11/2008 - 11:26am.

" Inspector General Faults Handling of ‘Reading First’ in GA "
Education Week www.educationweek.com
Published Online: January 30, 2007
Published in Print: January 31,2007

Georgia education officials mismanaged several aspects of the federal Reading First program, says a report by the inspector general’s office of the U.S. Department of Education.
The failing, according to the report, resulted in confusion over policies and procedures, the hiring of underqualified grant reviewers, inconsistencies in how local grant proposals were reviewed, and the unfair treatment of some vendors.
“Without written policies and procedures in place for performing administrative responsibilities, [the Georgia Department of Education] did not effectively manage and monitor its Reading First program,” the report also states.
During the audit period, GDOE received $90.8 million for the Reading First program. Two other audited states, WI and NY, that also mismanaged the program were required to return some of the federal funds they had received.GA was spared that fate.

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The Kathy Cox story
Submitted by loanarranger707 on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 9:57am.

When Kathy Cox first beat Dan Lakly for state representative, she was not alone in the race against him. Another candidate was insurance agent Rick Viall, who did the heavy lifting by bringing up instances of nepotism by Lakly and other negative information. In this 3-way contest, Viall came last and thus we had a run-off between Cox and Lakly, where Cox prevailed. Cox later boasted that she had not engaged in negative campaigning, but she certainly had benefited from the information brought to light by Viall.

As state education superintendent, she did make a fool of herself by proposing to replace the word “evolution” with “biological change over time.” The problem there is that the rest of the country is inclined to believe that the people who elect a fool are themselves fools. That’s us.

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You are right, LoanArranger.
sniffles5's picture
Submitted by sniffles5 on Wed, 06/11/2008 - 10:04am.

You are totally correct, LoanArranger, I forgot about Vile Rick Viall...didn't he get disqualified for living in another county?

In any event (and I'm doing this from memory), Lakly trounced Kathy Cox in the primary by more than 1000 votes (which is huge by PTC standards) but he didn't get 50%. Then he shot his mouth off about how little he thought we should spend on education and I think every educator in the county turned out to vote against Dan.

Cox went from 1000 votes down to 100 or so votes UP and squeaked out a victory (Lakly learned his lesson: he became a late-in-life convert to the proper funding of public education). I remember someone saying that Kathy Cox's vote total was eerily close to the number of employees at the county board of education!


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Agreed Sniffles...Complete
ptctaxpayer's picture
Submitted by ptctaxpayer on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 6:20pm.

Agreed Sniffles...Complete failure. She may have been a sweet school teacher but you need someone with administrative skill to run a school system. Doctors don't use doctors to run hospitals; they use managers. Until the schools do the same we will keep getting worthless leaders like Cox and Janet Smola who know absolutely nothing about running a school system.

Correction: Westmoreland would do local legislation if it was less than unanimous if the developers wanted it. Did it twice in at least 2 cities.


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Sniffles I Have To Somewhat Agree
Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 4:07pm.

Unlike my mistake of supporting Westmoreland in his early years thinking he would keep to honorable principles and such, I have never supported Cathy Cox at any level. You hit it right on the head as you pointed out her meaningless and ineffective reign as a legislator.

Then as she moved onto to higher ambitions, she proved equally as unworthy in leading and changing the education issues we face today. We need some change in leadership for sure in that office. Yet, I fear the change we will see are more blindfolded political hacks trying to throw dollars into a five gallon bucket in the middle of a 160 acre quarter section.

Like you I don't know the answers that will fix our dilemma. Yet, somehow it seems like getting back to the basics seems a good start. We need to stop dragging the students across the line as River has eluded to and perhaps sort the students out and teach to the various levels of academic need rather than lumping them all in the group.
________

"That man was Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard".

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY


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State education
Fyt35's picture
Submitted by Fyt35 on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 4:26pm.

I give Ms. Cox an "F". How can someone be given such a large lifeline to continue to make mistakes? I'm afraid many people in this county do not want to criticize local a girl, wake up ya'll! How much lower can our state education system go?


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If...if ..only if..I could do it over again
Submitted by oldbeachbear on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 5:08pm.

I would move as far away from Atlanta as I could, find a county where the taxes are the lowest, THEN...I would put my kid in a private school.

Living in Fayette has been a joke! Every school district has a politics...and ours in N Fayette/Tyrone, is a joke. That is why I would get where the taxes are ...LOWEST... and then I could decide my child's fate instead of some want to be...couldn't be....like Smola...Putting your child's fate in the hands of someone who got the job cause no one ran against them...look who is running your child's life! For just a bit more in another county where taxes are ...lower...you could wash out about even....and never have to watch this kind of thing again...!

Overpriced taxes is Tyrone/Sandy Creek....for nothing ....except watch Clayton/Fulton kids come in////pay nothing...and your child not get the attention///or you.....the respect....for wasting your tax dollars....

My thoughts on if you want anything for your money...that is the way I would play it, if I had it to do over again.

Nothing is worth letting the 'mouth of the south' be in charge of your kids future...and you can't stand that person!

I would tell anyone...move out....pay for private school...never ever...let an incompetent person rule your childs world.

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PS
Submitted by oldbeachbear on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 5:19pm.

would you pay people the likes of Smola, not college edu., 500.00 a month to decide your child's fate? That is what the FCBOE does right?

Don't sit here and buy their promises....go where you can decide...Let people like that wither on the vino vine...they have raised their kids....what do you think they are there for? the betterment of yours? 500 hundred pieces of silver a month....Judas did Christ in for about the same + inflation....!

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FCBOE
Submitted by g8trgrl on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 9:31am.

Smola has had 8 years to do what she wanted with Fayette County education (along with Smith), it is time for someone new to step in without the local connections. The people in PTC should look at their candidate - Dave Houston - for BoE. He seems to have some fresh ideas, which I think the board needs. Raising taxes is not the answer, there has to be some areas in the budget that can be looked at. PTC needs some representation (I live in Fayetteville), it is a big part of the county.

Hopefully, people will get out and vote July 15th for some fresh faces & ideas on the FCBOE. Move the old ones out!

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What are Houston's fresh ideas?
Submitted by dorthea on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 10:06am.

His web site doesn't list a single one....it also says he's involved in the community, but doesn't list a single organization he's involved with. It also says he's an MBA but....but doesn't offer any business affiliations. I find it hard to believe that an MBA didn't know that contributions to political campaigns are not tax deductible! He makes a lot of statements, but doesn't offer any action plan or solution at all...except, he'd like to redistrict again. Know why, he wants other neighborhoods to move so he can move his own back. That's why he running. So PTC, be careful which candidate you support. Exactly do we know about this guy???

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Dorthea
Submitted by g8trgrl on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 11:10am.

Regarding Houston's "redistricting plan" he clearly states he does not want to redistrict! Where do you get he wants to? His first priority is to give fiscal and ethical responsibility to the taxpayers - which is more than some members of the board have been doing. He wants to focus on educating students and empower teachers! Find a way to work the education budget without raising taxes (unlike some board members). I know his wife has been PTO pres & is currently treasurer at a school. They are very involved in the schools. Where do you get the part about tax deductions? The only thing the web site has is he wants no one to give over $100. There is nothing about a tax write-off. I hope people will look into some of the new candidates for BoE. We need a change in the county & now is the time & opportunity for people to make it happen!

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Get out and vote
Submitted by g8trgrl on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 11:10am.

EVeryone needs to get out and vote July 15th! Now is you chance Fayette County!

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If...if ..only if..I could do it over again
Submitted by oldbeachbear on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 5:07pm.

I would move as far away from Atlanta as I could, find a county where the taxes are the lowest, THEN...I would put my kid in a private school.

Living in Fayette has been a joke! Every school district has a politics...and ours in N Fayette/Tyrone, is a joke. That is why I would get where the taxes are ...LOWEST... and then I could decide my child's fate instead of some want to be...couldn't be....like Smola...Putting your childs fate in the hands of someone who got the job cause no one ran against them...look who is running your child's life! For just a bit more in another county where taxes are ...lower...you could wash out about even....and never have to watch this kind of thing again...!

Overpriced taxes is Tyrone/Sandy Creek....for nothing ....except watch Clayton/Fulton kids come in////pay nothing...and your child not get the attention///or you.....the respect....for wasting your tax dollars....

My thoughts on if you want anything for your money...that is the way I would play it, if I had it to do over again.

Nothing is worth letting the 'mouth of the south' be in charge of your kids future...and you can't stand that person!

I would tell anyone...move out....pay for private school...never ever...let an incopetent person rule your childs world.

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Smola is a closet democrat...
Submitted by buckstopshere on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 8:08pm.

Smola is a closet democrat...every FCBOE meeting I've been to she brings up the millage rate and how the FCBOE can raise it. How about the FCBOE becomes fiscally responsible with tax payers money so that they can stop taxing us for their out of control spending!!! Smola has to go-o!!!

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OBB: Private School
Submitted by sageadvice on Sun, 06/08/2008 - 7:25pm.

You surely don't pay all of those taxes around here! A three hundred thousand dollar house would cost you about $1500 per year in school taxes!

ANY private school would cost you from $12,000-25,000 per year!

Did you study math in Clayton County?

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Private schools
Submitted by oldbeachbear on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 5:11am.

My taxes are about 3500 a year. I'm not sure how much of that is school taxes. The point of it is, if 1500 goes to the schools, and you have people in charge that do things that you feel are of no benifit to your kid, you've wasted your money. If I had to do it over again, I would put them in private school. This is no slam at the teachers, but it is to some of the school board members. That is my own feelings.

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OBB
Submitted by sageadvice on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 7:57am.

School taxes are usually about half of the property tax. Unless you are 65.

It would have cost you about $150,000 per child to educate them at a private school--a cheap one.

Teachers are also much of the problem. There are some good ones of course, but too many are not, and their supervisors go along with the system instead of correcting or firing them.

It won't be fixed until we start at First grade expecting more and taking unqualified parents out of it. Also sorting kids for the type of education they need.

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Fayette School Taxes Among Highest in Country
Submitted by tc on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 11:02pm.

Depending on where you live in Fayette County, you pay betwen 65 and 70% of your taxes to the Fayette County Board of Education. This includes the millage rate plus the construction bond passed in 2004. If you look on your tax bill, the amounts are itemized.

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