The new Clayton County Superintendent John Thompson seems to fit in quite well with the Clayton County mindset. I have heard the following and I am determining the validity and authenticity. It is a little difficult due to the nature of the relationship that he has with the CCSB (Clayton County School Board).

He has hired his wife as a consultant for approximately 150$/yr.
He has mandated that all High Schools tear up the entryways to lay mosaics of the School Mascot.
He has purchased "Grey Hound" style luxury busses (2 for each High School) for the athletics department.
He has required diplomas to be reprinted with his name vs. someone who was on staff for almost 90% of the academic year. (Verified)

If you have other nuggets of his ability for a Turn-Around, please post. I feel real sorry for the deserving children in Clayton County. But I also feel a general disgust for the voting adults in Clayton Count.

The More I learn, the Less I know

You can't help people that won't help themselves. Those children are in trouble but Fayette County needs to stay out of that MESS or we will go down with them. The state of Georgia needs to take over that whole County...Totally dysfunctional and very dangerous. This dangerous place is on our border and that is Scary and Sad at the same time.

Teachers unions and government education. Or, The DMV educating your children. Yeah, that sounds about right. Maybe we can get socialized medicine here too. That worked so well for Cuba, Canada England etc.

The problem lays with the educational leadership, not the children. The "We don't want em' here" mentallity will end up depriving all students involved. Let the state figure it out.
1. Fire all of the nincompoops
2. Hire teachers that give a damn
3. Have Clayton County pick up the tab.

No Brainer!

"The one constant in all of your failed relationships is you."

You know Clayton borders many other counties too. Not a Fayette County problem to solve. Good grief.

That's right let Fayette County run the whole thing - the Clayton County school system.
Think about it - why should Fayette scramble around to make space and gear up for extra students and why should everyone burn more gas commuting to school? And is it fair to leave some students behind to suffer in a non-accredited system?

Clayton has classrooms, buses and teachers in place. Let them go to their own schools. All Fayette needs to is expand their administration to cover Clayton - an assistant supeintendent, some staff and maybe replace some principals and teachers who don't measure up. For starters all assistant principals (the disciplinarian) would be from Fayette - either an administrator or a deputy sheriff.

We would have 100% control of their tax dollars, so it wouldn't cost us a thing. They would get their accreditation back immediately since they would be part of Fayette which is already accredited.

This way you have minimum disruption and you are addressing the real problem - the school board and chaos they have created. It is simple and classic - sort of like an occupying army in a foreign country. What's not to like.

In some state, NJ for sure, if a district is decertified, the State comes in and manages it. That has happened in Newark and I think

"After more than a decade under state control, the Newark and Jersey City public schools have improved enough to be allowed to take back some of their fiscal and management operations as a first step toward regaining local control, state education officials said yesterday."

"The Jersey City school system, which was taken over by the state in 1989, has 30,000 students and is currently run by a superintendent appointed by the state commissioner. The elected nine-member Board of Education serves in an advisory role."

"The Newark Public Schools, the state’s largest school system with 43,000 students, has been under state control since 1995."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/25/nyregion/25school.html

If it's good enough for NJ it's good enough for GA!

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Fighting for truth, justice and the American way, while ignoring the ignorant!

it is not the responsibilty for Fayette County to bail out Clayton county public schools. It seems to me, that SB458 was a knee jerk response to the situation in Clayton County.Tahnk God that didn't pass!!! I've lived in Fayette county for over 10 years. Part of the reason our family chose Fayette over Clayton was the school system. Clayton has been a mess concerning schools for more than 10 years. Voters in Clayton County are reeping what they've sewn! yes, it is very unfortunate for the kids of Clayton County. The State of Georgia needs to step in and demand better for these kids. Until the state of Georgia takes a really good look at education in this state across the board and holds school boards accountable for their actions nothing will change.It is sad, frustrating and true...education in this state is not a priority for the people in power.

I feel bad for the students of Clayton County, but honestly not bad enough that I want them at our schools. We have enough on our plates here in Fayette County to have to deal with out of county students. And if we accept some, who decides who? If we accept the ones with the high test scores, what about siblings? Better to just accept none. Cold hearted? perhaps, but like someone has already posted, this didn't just happen overnight. If the parents and citizens cared, they would have been more proactive. Just my opinion.

I might have greater sympathy for the situation in Clayton were it not for several important factors.

1) This situation didn't develop overnight. It wasn't sudden and it didn't come out of the blue. It could have been addressed at one of a number of opportunities in the preceding YEARS but was not. As the old saying goes, "Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."

2) Where was all the passionate interest and outrage during the elections for the board members who oversaw this development? Single-digit voter turnouts in Clayton County speak more to the true character of these outraged parents than their current actions. It's always easier to efface one's complacency with an outburst of moral indignation and condemnation. The qualifications of certain Clayton County board members are HIGHLY suspect and certainly should have received greater scrutiny during an election. But when less than 10% (or even 40% for that matter) of the registered voters ignore an election, it becomes very easy for unqualified people to assume office.

3) What has Clayton County offered Fayette County? It sounds contrived, but let's seriously ask what has Clayton County done for Fayette County- lately or ever? Bailing them out of their self-created educational crisis is no different than bailing out people who got in over their heads on a mortgage, failed to adequately plan their finances and now want a handout from those of us who are responsible and conscientious.

We are inviting a great many problems for ourselves as taxpayers and responsible people if we become embroiled in Clayton County's mess. It's their bed, they must now sleep in it.

Besides, if the state of Georgia does what I expect them to do, which is follow the lead of the state government of Florida in Duval County's similar education crises in the late 1960's, this will become a problem for which every taxpayer in Georgia will ultimately pay.

If the prospective student were to come to Fayette for strictly academics, and was also gifted in other areas -- sports or the arts -- would think that the parents would look elsewhere. The same is true of those looking to go to various military academies, and are looking for leadership positions their senior year of high school.

Sadly, if left to the politicians, can assure you that they will screw it up, and you and I will pay about 150% of the true/total cost -- including travel (which the politicians will consider an 'entitlement'.)

Would like to hear what the prospective school board members have to say about how they will address Clayton youngsters coming to Fayette. When the 'dust up' regarding liberalizing kids changing schools arose in the Spring, one member suggested 'nothing could be done.'

Wonder if they all feel that way, and if so, should we be looking for new candidates??

Well, to start with any Clayton student who has a good SAT score is likely to be able to get into college---in spite of not having a sanctioned diploma. He may have to take some make up math and language classes, but he can get in if his scores are good.
How do you think football and basketball players get in to the top schools? They have something else special!

Anyway a GED is as good as a diploma. It just takes hard work for a while. Anyone not able to do well on an SAT or unwilling to work hard for a GED need not go to college anyway.

I think you need not worry about too many Clayton students coming here except those who can do the work. The others will flunk out soon.

DeKalb, Fulton, Henry, Spalding, these other county’s also border Clayton, are they also in this dilemma along with Fayette to help these students?

parents that really care about the quality of education system in Clayton County.

As for the moral obligation, the burden should not be just on Fayette County.
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