The Southern Association of Colleges and School (SACS), the chief accreditation agency here in Georgia, is recommending that Clayton County Schools lose its accreditation. The AJC article linked focuses on the fact that loss of accreditation would strip Clayton students of HOPE Scholarship eligibility. At any rate, the real losers in this system are the students and teachers. I interviewed for a teaching post in Clayton County right out of college, and I’ve never been so glad I didn’t get a job. The stories I’ve heard from teachers in that system are upsetting. What do you do to fix an entire school district that is “fatally flawed”?
Update, 3/24/08: I know this issue makes many people angry, but I must remind you to read the comments policy before submitting comments.
I wrote about the whole sorry mess here. In some ways, it is incomprehensible. The school board screwed up, badly.
I feel so sorry for the Clayton County students and teachers.
There's no good answer. If school boards are abolished, there are no checks and balances. But boards — often electoral offices — are no guarantee of quality.
And private school boards (who are not elected, but are self-perpetuating) can fall off the quality deck too.
Sigh.
thats crazy that we students is finna lose our accreditation, that will be hard to just move to another school and county
This is another case of the wrong people in position of power…we need to not just look at their degrees as a qualification but their passion for children and the quality of education… it also tells you PARENTS are'nt as involved their childrens education… i know working and paying bills are important but damn it!!! these are your children and their future depends on your present strength… stop buying all the high end clothes and demand a high end education and educators…..make those in power responsible for the down fall by firing them demanding them to step down, just think less than 50 years ago african Americans was denied education we gotta fight to preserve and honor those that took abuse for us, now we gotta do the same for our children… and if clayton County losses Accreditation that these people never be rehired in the Education field because this is abuse to our children no different than a teacher hurting a student this is worse
This whole ordeal makes me sick. I was raised in CCPS from 1959 through 1972. FP was a great place to grow
up and I got a first rate education in CCPS that prepared me for UGA and an education degree. It is a shame how all has gone down hill!!!
Accreditation in our schools determine how far our children can reach their goals and as parents we know the children are getting a proper education to move to the level. To take accreditation away shows the failure of our school system on the whole and it will imprison all students. The New Jersey school system experience the same thing but the State took over the schools in one major city and they still fail the students. What are the solutions to this crime of education, we need to further teachers' education with pay, allow them more flexibilty to adjust the Curriculum to fit student needs, a Principals and Superintendents grading system to show who is doing their job and who is not. To punish the students for a failed school system expresses and points blame at who. As educationers and parents, we are not involved as we should be but revoke a countys' accreditation is never the solution — just revisiting what is right can fit what is wrong. Thank you.
"Accreditation is a process of external quality review. Accrediting agencies develop standards of excellence in areas such as faculty, curriculum, administration, and student services. Institutions and programs that meet the standards and that are granted accreditation continue on a path toward ongoing improvement."
On that note, I would like to say that the schools should be held accountable for their actions against our youth. The accreditation process is one that is rigorous and for schools that do follow the guidelines set by SACS.
We went through a very rigorous process to gain our accreditation and keep it.
We would like to help students who find themselves facing the consequences of other people's neglect and selfishness.
National High School would love to work with the youth of Clayton county and provide them with a sound and stable education that will only build their future and enhance their career.
Man this is crazy i will be a junior in high school and i haved worked so hard to maintain good grades in order to get a good education and now finding out tha they will take accrediatation away from us is very upsetting. It would also be very hard to beable to relocate instantly. Alot of parents will not beable to relocate. They say they want what is best for education. If they do this alot of kids will be left behind and then it really would be an education problem so they really need to rethink this whole situation
I am closing comments on this topic, as recent comments have not adhered to the comments policy. I fully understand this is a controversial topic, and it's a very sad thing for Clayton County, but I will not tolerate attacks on fellow commenters. Debate is encouraged, but there is a respectful way to comport yourselves during debate that does not reduce parties involved to playground behavior. I realize it's ubiquitous on the Web, but not on this little corner of it that I own.