Tag: Georgia

I support expanding early childhood education options for Decatur residents. I reject the insinuation (and flat-out accusation by at least one letter writer to Decaturish.com) that questioning the school board’s opaque, evasive process is an expression of hidden or hostile motives.

Yes, let’s do more and better early child care in Decatur.

Yes, tax me to pay for it because I actually love living in a community where my tax dollars pay for children to thrive.

Yes, let’s also openly discuss and debate the most durable, cost-effective solution to a real problem.

Yes, let’s also get community buy-in before forcing community pay-in.

My kids went to College Heights. If you interpret “let’s at least consider aloud making College Heights even nicer than it was when my kids happily went there” as some kind of sneaky, sinister opposition to accessible, affordable child care for all, that’s not a me problem. That’s 100% a you problem.

If you’re reading this, you can probably think of a lot of ways City Schools of Decatur can support equity in the district for kids ages zero to 18. I would like to make sure the city spends wisely so we can do as many of those things as possible.

A few days ago at a board meeting, a city resident asked the school board for data projecting how many no-tuition, partial tuition and full tuition students CSD expected would attend the school over several years. for enrollment projection data. The reply was ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I’m paraphrasing.

The actual reply was that there would be, in the future, a presentation on enrollment projections. Call me old fashioned, but I’d like to know what we’re paying for and why we’re paying for it before we commit to paying for it.

Even more frustrating is the “We voted on this a long time ago,” position offered by some. Today’s school board is not sworn to agree with the votes of a previous board. That’s why there are elections. City residents, however, will be bound by the debt obligations of this board. That’s why deliberation, transparency and community buy-in are so important right now.

CSD’s administration and school board are squandering the community’s trust because they’re responding to public engagement and worry with contempt and petulance. Board members have hard jobs and I respect and appreciate anyone’s willingness to do the work, but if you perceive this many of your constituents as nuisances or obstacles, you should consider resigning. If I wanted to live in a community where reasonable questions about public spending are greeted with sneering contempt, I’d move back to D.C.