What does this real estate stagnancy do to our financial institutions and tax digest values? The current stock market problems may be the least of Oconee’s financial challenges……………….. ………………………………………….. Just as the Commission Chairman should not be a character witness in criminal trials, school officials should not use their positions in political campaigns for others. The Offices belong to the Citizens of Oconee County…. .

AVOC

.

November 17, 2008

.

Oconee School System needs mature leadership - especially in slow economy

.

By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

.

Most Oconee County citizens are proud of our school system.  The students rank high on test scores on a regular basis.    Some informed observers have commented over the years that the demographics of the County have more to do with our success than does the local leadership.    We have a small number of students below the poverty level and a small number of minorities, especially in the poverty range.    A friend and longtime Oconee County resident told me recently that, based on his experience, the teachers and programs are just as good in Clarke County as Oconee.

.

Realtors and developers have used “White Flight” and “Better Schools” hype to promote an image that Oconee has far superior schools to Clarke County.   This has not served either school system well.    I think that folks who moved to Oconee County just for the schools are not always our best citizens.   Their interests are often confined to schools and recreation.   Our community is important to many natives and long-time residents for many reasons- cultural, historical, rural atmosphere, religious etc.    It takes effort and support to make and maintain a good community.

.

By using the schools as a marketing tool, the Real Estate Industry and Lenders have allowed overbuilding and we now have a surplus of developed lots subdivisions that are virtual “ghost towns”.    This has not been good for our county or our school system.   

.

Many of us longtime observers do not see the “boom times” of 2004-6 returning to Oconee County for a few years.    We will see more foreclosures, and lenders will have to raise money some way from the “ghost town” holdings.    They sure can’t grow soy beans on them now!   It is doubtful that Agricultural Subsidies will be as plentiful in the current national political climate.  

.

What does this real estate stagnancy do to our financial institutions and tax digest values?     The current stock market problems may be the least of Oconee’s financial challenges.

.

The Chamber and Business connection to our school system has had some benefits –extra funds and teacher recognition.   However, the school system and the county government are not businesses.They are taxing and citizen service entities.   We need folks as leaders who really love the children and support the teachers.

.

We do not need to keep building new schools scattered all over the county to promote development and sprawl.    With the current slump, we may not fill all of them.   Some of the folks moving to the more expensive homes in Oconee may use private schools – and we have at least three: Athens Academy, Prince Avenue and Westminster Academy.

.

Some problems are related to the stresses of our time on principals and superintendents.    Superintendents do not stay around much anymore.   This means it is more important to have dedicated and qualified school boards.   Oconee’s leadership on the termination of the last superintendent and some campaign ads for a candidate for State Senate have demonstrated a lack of maturity.   

.

SCHOOL LEADERS & CAMPAIGN ADS

.

Just as the Commission Chairman should not be a character witness in criminal trials, school officials should not use their positions in political campaigns for others.   The Offices belong to the Citizens of Oconee County.

.

I supported Bill Cowsert for Senate in the General Election.    I think he is a nice person who is well qualified for the job.   I have no doubt that he is dedicated to public education.   It is my understanding that his children attend a private school.   This makes ads for him by David Weeks and Christine Franklin even more questionable, at best.

.

The recent handling of the resignation of the Oconee County High School softball coach has raised questions to many.   There is community concern for the parties involved and their families.   There is also concern that the school system was slow in reacting and did not handle this well.    It appears the North Georgia College campus police initiated action. SEE AB-H Article of 11-14-08

.

It is time for the media and the school system to ‘shoot straight’ with the public about issues.   They need to stop hiding behind “legal counsel” to avoid letting the public know the real facts.    The Dohrmann termination has not reflected well on our school board or system.    We need more investigative reporting by the media.   Our schools are too important and require too huge amount of local resources to be left to the “back room” wheeling and dealings of “persons in the know”.

FOR OTHER ARTICLES ON OCONEE SCHOOL OFFICIALS, SEE:

.

10-20-08 Oconee school chief's ouster questioned – AB-H 10-19-08- AVOC update

.

10-17-08 Oconee Politics - Education & Change – Good & Bad

.

8-27-08 State SAT Scores are lower but three local schools above National Average

.

2-29-08 School Administrative Salaries for Counties contiguous to Oconee County

.

2-24-08 Oconee School System pays well – especially Administrative Personnel

.

11-1-08 Oconee BOE has given no public reason for terminating Supt. Dohrmann

.

The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/110108/new_350454631.shtml

.

November 1, 2008

.

No complaints in file of Oconee's ex-schools chief

.

By Adam Thompson

.

No one complained formally to the Oconee County School System about former superintendent Tom Dohrmann before the board of education ousted him last school year.

.

Documents obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald through the state open records law also show Oconee County Board of Education members didn't correspond about Dohrmann's retirement or raise any issues with his performance.

.

After Dohrmann and board members in May agreed to settle the remainder of the superintendent's contract in exchange for his resignation, the school system released a statement offering only personal reasons for his retirement.

.

School board members also did not freely offer at the time any hint that they played a role in the decision.

.

However, responding to questioning from the Banner-Herald early last month, school board members immediately acknowledged they asked Dohrmann to retire just a few weeks after renewing his contract for three years, agreeing to pay him his $ 150,200 salary, plus benefits, through March 2009 if he left June 30.

.

School board Chairman-elect David Weeks has called Dohrmann's exit a "forced retirement" for "philosophical reasons," and board members have declined to comment further about their reasons.

.

Weeks said last month that there was no misconduct on Dohrmann's part that led to his ouster - a fact reflected in the superintendent's personnel file, although the school system said it could not release performance evaluations.

.

In recent weeks, Oconee parents and residents have complained to the board about its handling of the Dohrmann retirement, which some said included misstatements about the situation.

.

However, Weeks said Friday, "I don't think (that's) fair, because it was always there - it was nothing that we tried to cover up."

.

Weeks said he stands by his own statements in May, when he praised Dohrmann's job as head of the school district and expressed surprise at his retirement. "We did not want to go down that road, and I still support Tom Dohrmann," he said………………………………….

AB-H 10-19-08 - Board of Education members won't elaborate on what led them last school year to force a successful superintendent into early retirement, citing a law that allows them to handle personnel matters privately.

.

The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/101908/new_346054622.shtml

.

October 19, 2008

.

Oconee school chief's ouster questioned

BOE's mixed messages raise parents' suspicions

.

By Adam Thompson

.

Dohrmann –Oconee BOE Settlement Agreement

http://onlineathens.com/multimedia/pdfs/101908dohrmann.pdf

.

Oconee County Board of Education members won't elaborate on what led them last school year to force a successful superintendent into early retirement, citing a law that allows them to handle personnel matters privately…………………..

3-2-08 Constant turnover in GA School Superintendents – Stressful job

.

The Macon Telegraph

http://www.macon.com/198/story/283350.html

.

March 2, 2008

.

Stresses make superintendent searches a virtual constant in state

.

By Julie Hubbard

.

The demands of the job are making it more difficult to find and keep school superintendents across Georgia, a circumstance underscored by a higher-than-normal number of recent vacancies across the midstate.

.

"It's somewhat of a challenging time because there are so many vacancies," said Frank King, who runs a consulting business that helps find superintendents for Georgia school systems.

…………..

King, who is a retired Tifton superintendent, said the increase in turnover is due to several factors. Among them are the stress from federal No Child Left Behind accountability, inconsistent state funding, state mandates and sometimes weak school board and superintendent relationships.

.

On top of that, school leaders are bombarded with demands from residents, too.

.

"You've got general expectations of high test scores, a winning football team, great extracurricular programs, but (residents) are resistant to raise tax collections," he said. "A lot of students are sent to school with weaker parenting. Those are factors making superintendency and principalships as challenging as it's ever been."

.

No wonder, he said, that the job isn't "drawing the interest it once did," despite the six-figure salaries.

.

Of the 180 superintendents statewide, as many as 40 leave each year, and Middle Georgia is seeing more than normal, said Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association.

.

"I am really seeing the effect of the baby boomers turning 60 on our superintendent field," Garrett said. "We lost 13 percent of our superintendents last year to retirement alone."

.

Other departures stem from superintendents taking other jobs or school boards ending their contracts.

.

DON'T STICK AROUND LONG

.

The average tenure for a superintendent is about five years. Superintendents in urban school systems generally have even shorter tenures, Garrett said, noting that Bibb County's schools chief, Sharon Patterson, has been an exception to the norm. She was hired in 2000.

.

Finding superintendent replacements is harder these days, with more openings at one time and less of a candidate pool, both Garrett and King said………………

The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/111408/new_355829889.shtml

.

November 14, 2008

.

Coach linked to former player

Reports show resignation followed violent turn in relationship

.

By Adam Thompson