SACS President: CCSD Remains Accredited on Advisement

In a letter dated May 11, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools President Mark Elgart thanked Cobb Schools Superintendent Fred Sanderson for his professional response letter regarding allegations that the Cobb Board of Education had been unethical in its recent actions.

Board Chairwoman Alison Bartlett and Vice Chairman Scott Sweeney met on Wednesday –the same day the letter is dated– with Elgart at his Alpharetta office, according to The Marietta Daily Journal.

Although Elgart said the accrediting agency will continue to monitor the board, it will not conduct an investigation about the initial allegations.

"Currently, the Cobb County School District remains Accredited on Advisement," Elgart stated in the letter.

The district's accreditation status will be reviewed once the Accreditation Progress Report is received, which is due by Dec. 1.

The report must also include "a comprehensive growth and development plan for Board of Education members."

Elgart agreed with Sanderson that professional development and training is key to the effectiveness of the board.

As for the school calendar issue, Elgart called it "a local issue" which, like redistricting, would evoke an emotional response from the community. It is the responsibility of the board members to navigate such issues "with consistency, clarity, transparency and objectivity.

Contacted by Patch, board member Tim Stultz said in an email, "I feel that the board is committed to moving forward and will continue the helpful training.''

And said board member Lynnda Crowder-Eagle: "I think that they addressed the four points in the SACS letter very respectfully and very fairly. Our school district is strong, has always been strong and will continue to survive in spite of the lack of experience from a new board, and that includes me. We’re going to be fine."

AdvancED has scheduled a news conference for 11:30 a.m. Friday at its Alpharetta offices to discuss the Cobb inquiry, as well as the agency’s work with the Atlanta and Clayton County school systems.

Meanwhile, the calendar issue crept back into the conversation during Wednesday's board meeting. Bartlett’s put up her right hand several times to try to keep Post 5 board member David Banks from continuing to discuss why his new “modified” 2011-12 calendar proposal that he posted on his David’s Grapevine e-newsletter should be put on the June agenda.

Banks has tried at different board meetings to revive discussion on the calendar issue since the board voted 4-3 to revert to a traditional calendar for the 2011-12 school year with a start date of Aug. 15. The Feb. 17 vote, supported by Bartlett, new board members Sweeney of Post 6, Kathleen Angelucci of Post 4 and Stultz of Post 2, had divided the community. Banks, Crowder-Eagle of Post 1 and David Morgan of Post 3 voted against the traditional calendar and favored an earlier starting balanced calendar with more weeklong breaks throughout the year.

In March, Banks told Patch he would drop the calendar issue.

“Mr. Banks you asked something regarding the calendar and the last time we had a vote on the calendar (in March) it was appealed and everything, and it was agreed upon by this board by consensus that someone would have to change their vote,” said Bartlett, whose Post 7 includes , and elementary schools. “Have any of the four that voted against that proposal changed their vote?”

“I haven’t asked and I think the modified proposed calendar is an appropriate item to be on the agenda,” said Banks, whose Post includes Lassiter, Pope and Sprayberry high schools.

“I disagree because, well, the calendar discussions were done for next year,” Bartlett said as she holds up right hand in a stop motion. “If you want to look at that for the following year that is fine, but at this time, unless we have a board member who’s going to change their position, this board agreed 6-1 that we were going to stay where we were and continue on.”

“That is not the proper protocol for this discussion,” Banks responded. “This is an item that I have asked to be put on the agenda and it should have a proper vote.”

“You’ve already had your proper vote, Mr. Banks,” she said.

“No, I haven’t,” Banks said.

“No, you had your fill. We’re done with the conversation,” Bartlett said as she waves him off.

“This is a discussion that should be on the agenda,” Banks continued. “It’s a different calendar and it should be on the agenda and it should be voted on. You don’t know. Do you know that nobody has changed their mind?”

“At this time, you may ask them,” she said. “If someone changes their mind you can get back to me ….”

Banks continued, “You don’t know if someone has changed their mind.”

“From what I’ve heard no one has changed their mind,” Bartlett said.

“You don’t know,” he said.

“We’re done Mr. Banks,” Bartlett said. “We are going to recess now.”

Later Banks told Patch he pursued getting his modified calendar on the agenda after reading Stultz’s comments in a Friday Marietta Daily Journal story. However, the only quote attributed to Stultz in the story regarding the calendar doesn’t indicate any change.

“I would say that the calendar vote was taken correctly," the daily newspaper quoted him as saying. "I’m sure there could have been some more communication, but I think that’s the only thing that I would have changed … I don’t think we have done anything wrong. Everything that we have done has been legal and open at our meetings.”

However, Banks read things differently.

“From what I read, one board member may decide to change their vote, but we won’t know until we take a vote,” he said during a meeting break. “But, she won’t do that.”

After the meeting, Stultz said he didn’t know which statement Banks was referring to that led him to believe Stultz may change his calendar vote.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said Stultz, whose Post 2 includes . “I’m not sure where he got that idea from.”   

The exchange between Banks and Bartlett highlighted the continued divisiveness that has plagued the board since the new board members arrived in January.

The clashes have caused SACS, a Cobb County Grand Jury appearance and spirited public comments from some in the community to question the board’s governance and request more training. However, some of the community furor appeared to have dissipated as no one spoke during Wednesday’s public comment period.

The letter and Sanderson's response are attached to this article. Check with Smyrna-Vinings Patch for more information about this issue.