Path Forward Unclear for Clayton School Board
This week, the Clayton County school district received a Letter of Concern from its accrediting agency. The letter said conflict among some board members could put the school system’s accreditation in jeopardy again. However, it’s unclear how the board can successfully address the problem. Dr. Pamela Adamson is the chairwoman of the school board. She agrees with the charge from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools that some board members have caused conflict. But, she also says, other than reprimanding those members, the board can’t do much.
“The reality is that we cannot remove specific board members,” Adamson says, “Only the governor can take that action. We’ve done all we know to do. I would be more than appreciative if the state could offer us some help, because the good parts of this board have done all that they can do.”
Governor Nathan Deal addressed his limitations when speaking to reporters this week.
“That is of concern to me because it affects the children of the district in which that issue arises,” Deal said, “So, we will be monitoring, but there’s nothing legally at this point in time that the governor’s office can do about it.”
Adamson says before the governor could step in, the board would have to vote to remove the members in question. She says that would require a super majority—or 6 out of 9 board members—to agree. Adamson says that’s unlikely.
“What do you do about that?” she asks, “What does this board do? What does any board in the state have to do? What kind of power do we have to discipline our own? We just are limited by the law.”
The governor says he’s hopeful the board will resolve their differences and work together.
State superintendent John Barge doesn’t have the authority to step in either. The Clayton County schools already lost its accreditation once in 2008. It took the district about three years to regain it.
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