"We Would Rather Go Back to the Refugee Camp Than Live Like This."

"We would rather go back to the refugee camp than live like this," said a refugee in his late 70s, suffering from a medical condition and unable to speak any English.  

His 23 year old daughter provided the interpretation between her father and someone who had reached out to offer assistance.
She works as a maid in a local hotel.  Her brother, 18, gets on a bus every day to ride to a chicken factory where he labors for minimum wage.  The two of them support their elderly parents and three younger siblings who have learned some broken English since they were brought to Clarkston, GA, just outside of the traditional Tucker community limits, about one year ago.  

"At least in the refugee camps we knew where our next meal was coming from," he continued.  "At least there we could speak the language.  We did not have to fear the criminals because there we had nothing.  Here, there are criminals who want to take what little we have.  And there is no police protection.  Why are we here?  How can we go back home?"

Facing the Facts

In a 10 year period, there was only one metro Atlanta county that met certain state standards for educating English Language Learners and that was Cobb County.  But, an interesting statistic about that ... in the past 10 years, Cobb County received a total of 227 refugee children to educate.
Guess how many were sent to DeKalb County Schools during that same 10 year period?  Try:  14,578!  

That's right, 14,578 documented refugee children entered our schools during the past 10 years.  It is not clear how many of them dropped out, but it is likely a very high number as many of our teachers and classrooms are not prepared for the multiple challenges that come along with such a diverse group of children who are expected to sit side by side with American children, take the same standardized tests and perform equally as well. There are likely adults who would be unable to perform under those conditions.  These are children.  And they have already been through a lot before their arrival on American soil.  They deserve better.  

DeKalb County is the most diverse county in the state of Georgia

There are more than 130 languages spoken in our schools on any given day. How did our former school board respond to this challenge before they were removed from their positions by the Governor?  They cut all the interpreters for the school system.  

Graduation rates are the only measure that Sandra Nunez told the new appointed school board recently that her office was actually tracking.  What happened with graduation rates?  They fell drastically that same year.  No surprise.  

These refugees come to America from war torn nations for a better way of life.  The money that is handed down by the federal government for their care as they are integrated into our society is either not enough, or it is not reaching them.  Or the programs that it is being spent on are not working.  

The School Board Responds

Please listen and watch the recent video to learn about how our current school board is trying to respond.   At the recent work session, school board members Thadius Mayfield, Marshall Orson, John Coleman and Dr. Joyce Morely all appeared to realize the serious impact this human issue is having on our school system.   Superintendent Thurmond questioned the source of the funding and the process by which it is being spent.  There is hope that these board members are working to get on top of this issue and help these children.  We applaud them for their service.  

However, in the meantime, children are entering and leaving our schools like a revolving door and their needs are so great that they are depleting other funding sources.  Our schools are massively overcrowded even though new buildings were recently built with SPLOST funds, there still is insufficient room and trailers are becoming common on almost every school campus. Who is forecasting the influx of these students or responding in measurable ways to help them?  

Governor Deal Asks for a Reprieve

Governor Deal has asked the U.S. government to slow the influx to DeKalb, but is that enough? (See article in the AJC here.)  Why is it that the taxpayers of DeKalb County are still seeing more than $1 million a YEAR taken out of our education taxes and sent to other counties deemed more "needy" (like the more successful neighboring area of Gwinnett County)?   This is an issue known as the "QBE funding formula" and if you are not aware of how your money is being diverted, you are encouraged to read up on it.  Here is a reference guide from Cobb County that helps explain it in more detail.

Is this acceptable to you?  Do you realize the impact of these refugees on our area?  Are you going to hold our government accountable for the lives that our soldiers are fighting to protect?  What kind of a life are we giving these families if we cannot even help the children learn to speak our language?  

This is clearly a sensitive issue and it is one that has bothered my soul as a human being since the time I learned about it.  But, I am just one person.  The best I can do is support those political figures who are willing to look for solutions.  I don't have the answers.  But, I am a concerned resident who is at least aware of the situation.  So many people have no idea of the impact these policies are having on our area.  If they did, I think we would be able to find better solutions.

What will a City do to Help the Needy?

Do you think any of the recently proposed cities in the north end of our county are going to address this issue?  After all, the state legislators are the ones who are touring the county and touting the benefits of cityhood, right?  Surely they are aware of this issue since they are the ones sending the refugees here, right?  Well, guess what ... not one of the recently proposed new cities has addressed this issue.  Not one of these proposed cities has sought to claim any of the unincorporated areas where the majority of the refugees are forced to live, behind barbed wire fencing with little police protection and some without even the basic locks on their doors.  Not one.  

This is an issue that is being swept under the rug, but it is becoming too large for that to continue.   If these cities are seeking incorporation now, but hope to start their own separate school systems later... where will that leave the rest of DeKalb?  What will happen to the children?

I live inside the boundaries of the city of Tucker proposed map.  But, I do not support the idea of a city if there is no plan to help these families who live in our county and were promised a better way of life once they made it to the United States.  I do not support the idea of a city that will take money away from those who are the most in need of the services a well-funded government can provide.  And even if my heart tells me that a city school system would be better for my family, I cannot help but think about the many children who would be harmed if our education dollars were not shared among the entire county the way they are now.  

I do not want MORE government.  I want government that is MORE accountable.  Join the discussion by "liking" this page on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SaveTuckerFromLakesideCity.