Op-Ed: Tasks Thurmond and BOE Must Accomplish

By Kirk Lunde

The challenge of repairing the DeKalb school system and restoring it to its former designation of “premiere” will require strong leadership from its superintendent, Mr. Thurmond, and his successor, as well as competent central office employees who are committed to doing their jobs. This means resolving the concerns of parents, students, and teachers who rely upon central office staff to respond quickly and competently to issues as they arise. Central office staff must recognize their roles as public servants and act in the best interest of the all the stakeholders they serve.

The question now becomes whether or not Mr. Thurmond can lead his staff, guiding them to excellence and eliminating staff where there is, incompetence, or failure to act with responsibility. He must also reassess salaries of all staff. Many employees make far more than our classroom teachers and principals who are on the frontlines, educating our children. In fact, a complete reorganization of DCSD’s central office would go a long way toward soothing the frustration and discontent felt by many parents and teachers within our community. Other steps Mr. Thurmond can take to rebuild trust with stakeholders include making all previous audits and reviews available to the public, ordering a new audit, then making the results public, and ensuring all open records requests receive responses.

The new Board of Education must act conscientiously when called upon to fulfill their duties. They must thoughtfully and respectfully work together toward the goals of improving academic achievement, increasing graduation rates, and elevating teacher morale. This will require tact and an ability to keep their egos and sense of power in check as they attempt to work through the appropriate channels to achieve resolution for their constituents when the need arises.

Perhaps the biggest challenge the superintendent and the Board of Education face is rebuilding the infrastructure of the school district. What I mean by this is installing computer systems that can produce reports, hiring competent employees, and restructuring the “power bases” away from the Friends-and-Family network. As Dr. Atkinson found out, it is a powerful network. They have to lead a cultural revolution of the school district. Central office staff must no longer be able to threaten and bully employees and parents. Employees who raise concerns or give feedback must no longer be afraid of retaliation. Students must not be promoted to the next grade only so the principal will get a bonus. The superintendent and Board of Education must work together to hire an outstanding permanent superintendent regardless of race or Mark Elgart’s approval. Finally, they must do these things while raising student achievement and working within the constraints of legacy budget deficits.

I am confident the DeKalb County BOE and Mr. Thurmond can tackle these challenges, restoring a once-great school system before it swirls further down the drain toward a complete loss of accreditation.

DeKalb County School District Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond will address the Tucker Parent Council on Tuesday, April 23, 6:30 p.m. at Brockett Elementary School.

Related content on Tucker Patch:

• Op-Ed: The Definition of 'Premier DeKalb'
• A Call for DeKalb County Citizens to Act
• DeKalb School Board Appoints Michael Thurmond Interim Superintendent
• School Superintendent Will Speak at Brockett Elementary