Allowed To Fail

There is an interesting bit of folklore floating around the homeschool crowd in Georgia. As the story goes, when Gold-Domers were crafting their rules around homeschooling it was initially proposed that each homeschool student would have to take a nationally recognized standardized test, the scores must be reported to the school district and if the student did not measure up on those tests then that student must be returned to public schools. Then something magical happened. Someone asked a simple question: "if a homeschool student must go back to public schools if they fail this standardized test, then what do we do with the public school students who fail the same test, send them to private schools?"

We've been struggling with the second part of that question ever since.

The first answer was charter schools which were sold on a model of thrive or close. The idea was that charters would have greater flexibility to experiment with successful practices identified in the charter experience incorporated into traditional public schools. They also came with a commitment to succeed--an educational SLA--and were to lose their charter (closing the school) should they not meet these academic commitments. The problem with this was the same as always--parents. Parents have an amazing ability to delude themselves into believing THEIR child attends the best school on the planet--even in the face of incontrovertible evidence to the contrary and therefore once their child is in a charter school that school becomes sacred.

So charters are having mixed results. At best.

Now Governor Deal is proposing an "Opportunity School District", a statewide district to take over failing schools in Georgia a plan modeled after a successful Louisiana program. By nationally normed standards that would be every school in Georgia, but this educational maxim will surely be applied: when all else fails, lower your standards. By applying that rule only the lowest of the low will be taken over by this State District. At least at first. Of course this does not sit well with existing district boards, supers, and administrations, mostly due to the loss of money and to some degree the erosion of power. Mostly the money. So they're pushing back and their mantra is the well-worn "local control" meme.

That will prove problematic, because "local control" is a myth particularly when discussing public schools. One of the key qualities of public schools is that the parents of students do not pay anywhere near the total cost of educating their children. Others do. A significant portion of the cost is born by business via property taxes paid on commercial real estate. But even that is not enough. Some funding comes from the state and it comes with conditions. The state also sets certain parameters like minimum school size which is enforced by funding. Then there is the Federal school lunch program viewed as low hanging fruit by schools far and wide as the program operates without any audits of any source. Just fill out some paperwork and watch dollars roll in. And if you think our wonderful, diligent, over-worked educators would not stoop to such a fraud then you've not been paying attention to what is going on in APS and DeKalb schools of late. Then there are revolutionary, funded programs like Race To The Top... Regardless, none of these funds come without strings attached. And then there is SACS which seems to exist for the purpose of extracting tax payer dollars and protecting district Supers from any uncomfortable scrutiny by the school board. You know, the folks we elect as the sole representatives of our "local control."

And now we have an ongoing effort to change the State Constitution to allow cities (like Dunwoody) to start their own school system, extracting themselves from the current district. And again with the local control. It will be as mythical as a unicorn, but believe it they will because it isn't so much about local control as it is about the money and keeping that money local. We will also find, in very short order, that a Dunwoody City School System would sell out whatever local control there might be in order to obtain the same funding from the State and the Feds that the DeKalb system gets with all the conditions and requirements thereunto appertaining. And an unaccredited school system will not please the citizenry and we'll be dealing with the SACS issue as well.

It turns out that the real problem with local control is that it comes bundled with local responsibility, which almost no one wants. In fact, should parents want truly local control over their children's education and be willing to shoulder the associated responsibility there is a very clear and simple answer: homeschool.

HYPEned Security

The Adminitstration (that would be the United States Executive Branch) issued a notice to all air carriers that passengers on flights to the U.S. must examine battery powered electronic devices to ensure that they are indeed what they appear to be and not a bomb. Apparently they believe that terrorist might be hiding bombs inside a laptop rather than simply shorting the Li-ion battery igniting the small fire-bomb that all laptops come with as a standard "feature."

So now everyone not only has to undress and get a body image (too bad the government won't pick up the tab for MRI's) but you also have to prove your phone/laptop/ipod is charged and functional.

Or maybe not.

Suppose, hypothetically speaking, that you are in Europe, in an EU country and are heading back home. Due to a variety of issues you do NOT have a direct flight which at booking time you may have considered suboptimal. Au contraire mon frere.

As a pretend mental exercise consider what might happen if you change planes in another EU country. Hmm...sounds interesting. Hypothetically speaking of course.

You might board a flight from say...how about Brussels to Frankfurt?...yeah that looks good...and it turns out that your boarding pass is your ID. After all you did authenticate yourself to get it AND you are staying within the European Union--at least as far as BRU security knows. You pass security at BRU (which online resources indicate could take as long as fifteen minutes) and enter the secured area, find the gate and board your flight to Frankfurt.

After disembarking in Franfurt you are in the secured area and go to the gate for your flight to the Good Ole' You Ess of Eh. And you wait. That's why they call it a layover. The plane begins boarding and at the jetway they check...that you have your passport. 'Cuz without your passport they would have to fly your dumb ass all the way back and hope they can get the money out of you for the extra flight.

So there you are. On a flight home with absolutely no pre-boarding check that your cell phone ain't da bomb.

Hypothetically speaking of course.

If the United States wants to ensure that these bombs don't make it into the U.S. why don't they just check at the U.S. immigration and customs? If they think it will keep bombs off the planes they really need to examine the aforementioned Li-Ion issue.

If the U.S. thinks this is so critical why don't they do it themselves? And pay for it. And go face to face with the public and tell them this is being done "because we say so."

That's NOT hypothetical.

Linear Park Thrives

Though the lack of grant money has all but stopped work on Dunwoody's first Linear Park nature has taken over where OPM has fallen short. With spring in full swing we now see our park's flora flourishing. Hopefully the City will be able to pry loose some funding to allow all areas of daVille to enjoy their own linear park. Until then you'll be forced to visit the area Where Nobody Important Lives to see what you're missing.

Socialism To Fail In US

Folks in favour of moving the United States more towards a Socialistic Society implemented and controlled by the federal government often point to some successful socialistic countries claiming "if they can do it so can we." What they neglect to point out is why these other countries succeed whilst we will most certainly fail.

These proponents of socialism in the US envision a simplistic yet dogmatic plan based on central government authority with its legislation and bureaucratic structures. They seem to believe that socialism by law along with adequate penalties and rigorous enforcement is all that is required for success. If that doesn't work they'll simply buy support.

What they don't understand is that where socialism works it is less a product of executive fiat and more a product of the national culture. In short socialism works in cultures where people work because the society itself enforces an equitable, bilateral social contract between the individuals in the society and the greater society of which they are an active, participating part. These cultures do provide an extensive support structure for individuals but in return require that all individuals maintain and enhance their status as contributors. No one is just a taker any more than anyone is just a maker. In a successful socialistic society you would never see anything faintly resembling the poster above and no one would ever brag about their utter dependency or seek to expand it.

A significant portion of American society is epitomized by this poster and it is a fair representation of the core mission of a major political party. This politicization is surely depressing to those who sincerely admire successful socialism as it all but guarantees failure. They understand that until posters like this and the thinking behind them is as socially UNacceptable as farting in church socialism in America will remain no more than a passing fad.

Ironically those who most ardently oppose socialism find it hardest to do the one thing to ensure that failure--give socialism's proponents everything. Except an excuse.

What's For Breakfast?

Eggs Benedict is an American breakfast dish that consists of two halves of an English muffin, topped with ham or bacon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce.

We've probably all heard the story about the chicken and the pig at breakfast--the chicken is involved but the pig is committed. For those engaged in high tech it is all too easy to see the current City Hall cock-up as yet another IT project fail and leave it at that. King Warren would certainly approve.

But that kerfuffle is just one example of the systemic problems permeating all aspects of the Hutmacher Café. It boils down (a reduction in toqued-up terms) to the fact that the City Manager and all His Staff may be involved (they certainly are when it is time for praise and a raise) but not a single one is committed. So from Executive Chef down to Bus Boy the team at the Hutmacher Café suffer inflated egos and bloated self-esteems. They gleefully serve up what they call Eggs Benedict complete with overcooked eggs and a congealed sauce atop a burned muffin but missing even a hint of anything resembling pork. Then they arrogantly proclaim it worthy of a breakfast at Brennan's. It certainly carries a Brennan's price.

And the Mayor and Council? What say they? Well, they fawn over this unsavory mess and the service that delivered it by heaping unwarranted praise on the Chef and Wait-Staff. It may well be the best rendition of Eggs Benedict they have every tasted but this says as much about them as it does the over-hyped tripe coming from the hell's kitchen of the Hutmacher Café.

Mayor and Council may be easily fooled but the public is increasingly aware that the Hutmacher Café serves up little more than a cold, slimy version of Eggs Benedict-Arnold.

Is This You?

When "the City's staff" engage in a coordinated, concerted effort to drive from Dunwoody those citizens they find unacceptable, is this you?

Or what about the kind of fidelity to honest government wherein a City Manager claims public review sessions were held yet the City Clerk responds to an open records request with "no record of any meeting". Is this you?

Or perhaps the commitment to public safety displayed by an apparent policy of shoot-to-kill for traffic offenses. Is this you?

Then there is the questionable ethics of a five million dollar pot-sweetener land deal using City taxpayer funds. Is this you?

Or the corporate welfare that manifested itself as a sweetheart deal between the City acting as a land developer and a nearly bankrupt home builder to ensure the builder's financial well being. Is this you?

And the botched closed-door "executive" sessions resulting in over a hundred thousand dollars of useless expenses which also cost the City Attorney his job and convinced a sitting member of Council to decline a bid for re-election. Is this you?

The shameless grubbing for grants that transformed a one hundred fifty thousand dollar site-appropriate nature trail into a million dollar interstate lane without any public vetting. Is this you?

Incessant "scope creep" that some are now calling intentional? Is this you?

The zealous militarization of a yet-to-be-proven competent police force that already shows a propensity for selectively harsh enforcement and (ab)use of deadly force. Is this you?

Or the constant hiding behind anonymizing labels and titles when there is legitimate need to address controversy yet leaping to the forefront to take credit or grab a pay raise. Is this you?

When you elect a Council and Mayor who sit by and watch these deplorable actions taken in their name or worse yet applaud them then THIS IS YOU.

Removing The Board

There has been much chatter of late regarding removal of the DeKalb County School System's Board of Education. En masse. There is a recall process for removal of elected officials in Georgia but there are a few problems with that which is probably why some folks want the Guv to do the dirty work.

First is related to the fact you cannot initiate a recall vote just because you're pissed off whilst you can trot down to the Capital and bend the Governor's ear. However to initiate a recall you must have specific grounds:

1. The official has, while holding office, conducted himself or herself [ed: gotta be PC] in a manner which relates to and adversely affects the administration of his or her [ed: again with the PC] office and adversely affects the rights and interests of the public; and, 
2. That official has also:
1. Committed an act or acts of malfeasance while in office;
2. Violated his or her oath of office;
3. Committed an act of misconduct in office;
4. Failed to perform duties prescribed by law; or
5. Willfully misused, converted or misappropriated, without authority, public property or public funds entrusted to or associated with the elective office to which the official has been elected or appointed.

Just so happens that simple incompetence is simply inadequate. Is anyone really surprised that politicians hold themselves to such a high standard?

But there is a bigger problem with recalls and it speaks to the fundamental problem underpinning the decline of public education all across America. Parents. The same delusion that causes parents to espouse how great their child's school is when it is painfully obvious to the casual observer that is simply not the case causes them to wax poetic about the capabilities of their Board Member. They don't want to recall THEIR Board Member, they want to recall YOURS.

It really doesn't matter if the Governor removes the Board and installs replacements. It doesn't even matter if the System loses accreditation. Nothing will ever matter until parents open their eyes, objectively evaluate the situation and take personal responsibility for THEIR CHILDREN. Until then WE have the school system THEY want.

Georgia Manufacturing Renaissance

The State of Georgia is embarking on an ambitious plan to bring Twenty First Century manufacturing to Georgia. Through new policies administered by the Board of Regents, Georgia intends to convert all public college and university programs to Diploma Mills, manufacturing cheap credentials for warm bodies in a misguided attempt to pretend quantity is far superior to quality.

This plan centers around changing the state-to-college remuneration system from credit-hours earned to "diplomas granted". As we all now know, bureaucratic public education, of which the colleges and universities are no less a part than Atlanta or DeKalb public schools, is more than willing to maintain or grow their income by any means necessary. We also know this is not limited to honorable means, and to the extent that less-than-honorable means are easier those are preferred. At least in practice.

Worry not your pretty little heads for our noble politicians are in control with none other than University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby claiming quality will be maintained. That is either a smoke-and-mirrors political dodge or a harrowing indication of how far the University System has already fallen. His statements, quoted in the AJC, do not provide much guidance.

"We are committed to stay on top of this as much as possible."

Wow, how reassuring is that? What if "as much as possible" is indistinguishable from "not a damn bit"? It gets not better.

"We do not want to lessen rigor."

Seriously. We don't give a rabid rodent's hairy rectum what you want but we are terribly afraid of what you do.  It sounds like this State is hellbent on destroying the only part of Georgia's public education that is worth a tinker's damn.

When Seconds Count...

...the police are only moments away.

It seems Dunwoody PD's "scare 'em into giving us more money" tactic is working. The 2013 budget is likely to sail through on the headwinds of the HOST windfall with staffing and pay increases. But there also appear to be some unintended consequences.

Anecdotal data suggest that folks in Dunwoody, not just The Other Dunwoody, have begun to take their personal safety, well, personally. This really all started back when the City was formed with the bumper sticker crowd who painted Dunwoody as a pretty dangerous 'hood. You know, those "Bad Guys Beware" stickers. But the public reaction now goes beyond the home alarm system which primarily serves the purpose of initiating the police-report process and generating false alarm fines. Folks are taking the PD's most recent chicken-little justification--recent and future increases in crime--to heart. And Dunwoody is up in arms. Literally.

Unsubstantiated reports indicate an increased interest in firearms for personal and home defense. In other areas this might be seen as over-reacting, but in the South and in a conservative community like Dunwoody, it should come as no surprise. Still, the image of an SUV-driving soccer mom with a cell phone in one hand, a latte in the other and an LCP in her purse might give even the most ardent libertarian occasion for pause. Since this trend appears irreversible it is prudent that those considering substantial personal and home protection become well informed.

The first suggestion from those in the know about personal defense is to avoid danger. Dangerous areas and dangerous people. If you believe you live in an area where "Bad Guys Beware" is a cogent message you should move. If that means leaving Dunwoody, so be it. After all, the pros are telling us crime is on the rise.

The next suggestion, much like the first, is that you should immediately extract yourself from any dangerous situation you inadvertently find yourself in. This is often called "running from danger" but in The Other Dunwoody it is called "Flight Before Fight". You are always well advised to determine just what ground is beneath your feet before "standing your ground" as running from danger rarely lands one in prison. Combat duty is a special case.

Even for those that remain undeterred these first two suggestions are still the best options for personal safety and should always be top of mind. If arm you must, just remember that managing your personal safety in a responsible manner has two key requirements: training and practice. To that end, anyone considering such an important step, such a pro-active role in their own safety, should ensure that their actions do not compromise that very safety they seek to maintain (see "unintended consequences" above).

This is not difficult nor is it expensive. Just outside our City borders are two fine and related facilities, the Sandy Springs Gun Club on Roswell Road and the Norcross Gun Club on Peachtree Industrial. These clubs offer training, equipment rentals (try before you buy) and guidance on acquiring a Georgia Weapons Carry License. While you may think going all "Dirty Harry" and toting a forty-four magnum around sounds like a good idea, you just might want to see if you can hit the broad side of a barn with that cannon. The folks at these clubs will help you out and you may find that shooting is primarily a sport and a fine one at that, but one best engaged in at a range.

Get the training, keep it up with practice, then decide.

The Buck Stops

...at the Police Department.

Apparently ALL the bucks stop there.

Since this City's founding our police department has demonstrated a penchant for uncontrolled growth, growing at a rate much faster than the population. And it isn't just head count. The City has announced a budget calling for four percent raises and given that a vast majority of City employees are in the police department this is pretty much a police raise. In these economic times that is quite a salary boost as any of those Dunwoodians who've aged in place could tell you. Their Social Security payment will increase at substantially less than half the police raise--much more in line with inflation.

We're subjected to many excuses for this out of line and out of control cost. First is that we do not have enough officers to respond to 911 calls in a prompt and efficient fashion. Yet, we have more than enough officers to run I-285 Toll Trolls and are never in want when bikers or runners need a police escort. We even roll Dunwoody's finest when it's pear-pickin' time down to the Farmhouse.

Then we're told we need to up the pay to prevent poaching by the nearby newly formed cities. A bit hypocritical since that's how we built this burgeoning police force.

And it isn't like we're getting what we're paying for. The Dunwoody Daycare fuster cluck is not a singularity. We have an outstanding double homicide that has seen no progress, a force noted for making a beeline to the scene of a bank robbery rather than establishing a perimeter, neglecting to check out 911 calls and letting suspects escape because "going around back" just sounds too "Mayberry". And there's the affection for toys for the boys, noted by colleagues who've reported the chief getting all starry eyed over the latest gizmos at conventions. Do we REALLY need an ATV?

What we really need is a council that is more than a bunch of pollyanish besmitten police aficionados that rubberstamp whatever comes out of the department. We need hard questions and solid answers. Assuming community safety is a top priority are speed patrols on I-285 REALLY the best use of our resources? Is it cost effective to used certified LEOs as glorified mall cops or would our tax dollars be better spent hiring a security firm? What other jobs can be de-skilled to control costs? Should all the special interest groups (run, bike, walk, pick fruit) hire their own escorts and traffic cops? Would it not be very cost effective to transparently publish key data (date/time location of citations, speed sign data) and get more eyes, public eyes, on these data? You know, "data driven" and all that. Do we have to unquestioningly accept anything the department says because "they're the professionals"? Isn't that exactly what has brought government schools to the sorry state they are in?

But this is politics and this simply is not going to happen. It is much more likely that we'll see council members doing PR ride-a-longs followed by public sing-a-longs. And we will see the police force grow. And Grow. And GROW.

Perhaps we're left with the obvious alternative: contacting those in charge of forming Brookhaven and offer them a slightly used police chief with startup experience and a track record of growing a force. Quickly.

HOST Windfall

The City of Dunwoody just got an early birthday present: a HOST windfall slightly in excess of the cost of the Village Parkway re-do.

So, will the taxpayers get a rebate or reduction in property taxes? Not on you life! You see, it was the City, not the Citizens, who got the windfall and this Smart City is going on a spending spree.

Urgent Care Needed

Really?

Now that all the TSPLOST whining has degenerated into whimpering it seems reasonable to ask a simple question:

What made this a crisis?

Anyone who's lived in the metro region for more than five years knows a few things. Traffic here is pretty bad. You're one wreck away from an extra hour tacked on to a thirty minute commute. Most folks "ain't from around here" and where they're from they send their worst first. MARTA sucks. Always has, always will. Local politicians are as corrupt as they come and are second only to their greedy business cronies. Hartsfield[1] serves as proof that power corrupts and that with adequate cashflow even corruption can appear to work. Sometimes.

What we don't know is how a chronic condition, one we had learned to live with, one that had gone into a very limited remission suddenly became critical. Why 2012? Why not 2006, ten years after the Olympics when the shine had gone all patina? Why not Y2K? If you believe the loudmouth who was pumping the TSPLOST nothing has been done on GA400 and I-285 since 1972, so why not the mid-eighties?

The answer is simple and unsurprising. The Feds are cutting back on the money they will dole out to Atlanta to prop up the Georgia DOT and other local interests. And we've become addicted to Fed Funding. Intentionally. And it's not like we have used these funds wisely. We've sqandered it to keep gasoline taxes artificially low, avoid applying impact fees to address the costs associated with development and hand out tax abatements like candy. That kind of hedonistic, drug addled thinking has put us in such a precarious position that the tiniest reduction in Fed Funds pushes us from chronic but manageable to critical, near death.




[1] @TOD we've not tacked on the "Jackson" as we're not sure whether that is about Jesse, Maynard, or Michael.

DCSS: BOE Intellectual Deficit

DCSS had been grappling with a looming budget deficit which was expected to be handled by operating cost reductions due to retirements and layoffs. This balancing act was predicated on the estimate that "X" number of employees would abandon their paychecks. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, significantly less than "X" found freedom from their daily grind.

For argument's sake, let say the actual number was "one half X". That means from a budget point of view, an approved budget, there would be a surplus of "one half X" employees. In the real world this is viewed as a very real opportunity. The first "one half X" chose, on their own, to leave. The system had no say and no influence on whether those leaving were "desired departures" or eligible for a retention program. They just left. Here's the opportunity: the other "one half X" can be selected for surplussing based on their contribution, based on their merits, based on their value. Outside the cloistered environment of government this is known as "cleaning out the deadwood".

Yet this opportunity was soundly rejected by the Board. Why? The Board was already aligned with the political and operational consequences of a system with "X" fewer employees and had approved a budget based on that level of staffing. They cannot now rise up in opposition. Or can they?

It isn't clear who the Board is pandering to, but even teacher organizations have rightly come out in favor of the cuts based on the logic that now is better than later as it allows surplussed employees time to find another job. Furthermore it is clear to even the teachers that the current level of staffing is unsustainable. Clearly the Board is not pandering to common sense and logic, so the only alternative is they pander to exactly the opposite: outspoken parents.

Perhaps the Board should remember they have fiduciary responsibilities to DeKalb taxpayers and not just a few whiny parents whose child "really enjoyed the field trip to Fernbank". Or perhaps we just need a new Board.

What Cost Ethics?

Apparently ethics is a luxury, something to be afforded only when money flows like water or if it comes at a very small price. Or so one would conclude from the statements coming out of City Hall.

These statements generally revolve around "waste of time and money" which is a bit difficult for the general population to abide as this is the same city that pissed away five million dollars on the Peachford Property to nowhere. The money pissed away on purloined branding and logos, while pale in comparison to the Peachford fiasco, nonetheless dwarfs the "cost of ethics". Ensuring the public is well served and in an ethical manner is money well spent.

More troubling are the comments taking the "no harm no foul" tack which asserts that since the likely penalty is small, the actual offense must be minor and no money, or even effort, should be "wasted" in review or remediation. This kind of reasoning is consistent with not investigating murders because it won't bring the victim back to life. Is someone at City Hall suggesting we've spent far too much on investigating a double homicide? Probably not since all Smart People know that balancing the scales of justice is not done by stacking coins on each side.

Perhaps we need to remind City Hall that this kerfuffle is of their own making. To hire friends and family is something we like to condemn as we point our wagging fingers towards Decatur, but it is a time bomb we built with a fuze we lit. Choosing comradery over competence is always a poor selection and that this bomb blew up splattering muck all over the City should come as no surprise. It is more surprising how little damage was inflicted and how little it has cost.

Cleaning up this mess and doing it properly is non-negotiable. We deserve no less than transparency and absolute certainty that our elected officials and city employees are held to the highest standards and subject to the severest consequences when they fail their duty. And as sure as the sun rises in the morn there will be a move afoot to "fix" our ethics ordinances. The Citizens of Dunwoody must be on high alert because when politicians lower the ethical standard to which they are held, it is impossible to ever raise that bar.

Georgia Races to the Bottom

Of integrity.

Knowing full well what was required and what rules would apply, the State of Georgia aggressively pursue Federal "Race to the Top" grants and was awarded $400M to participate in the program.

Now that they have the money they don't like the rules and they want them changed. They claim that teacher evaluations under the federal rules would result in lawsuits -- tells you something important about "educators" in Georgia, namely that litigation is directly proportional to incompetence. For the teachers out there who didn't get that it means that the more worthless the teacher the more likely they are to sue whenever their inadequacies become an issue.

And is a litigious employee base some kind of recent occurrence? Hardly. But the state is hiding behind "a new administration" claiming it was an old administration that agreed to the rules with which the current administration takes issue. Which is to say that the integrity of the Sovereign State of Georgia is little more than a wind sock.

Perhaps the folks down in the ATL should be told to man-up and if they don't like the rules give back the money. Only honorable thing to do. And while they're at it they should consider growing a pair and rid us of the incompetence dominating our education systems. That should be worth $400M.

TANSTAAFL: Bring Your Own Lunch

Think of the money to be saved in our schools by eliminating kitchens and cafeteria staff and replacing them with a lunch prepared by a parent and schlepped to school by their little darlin's. And is it really too much to ask for a parent to schmeer some peanut butter and jam, slap two pieces of bread together and cut off the crusts? Really? Seriously, how can that be too much to ask? It seems very reasonable to ask that all parents recover at least that small bit of the responsibility acquired during procreation and abandoned at the schoolhouse door.

This one little act is both a demonstration of love and concern for their child's welfare and a small token of appreciation for the importance of school in children's life and future. It is perhaps the smallest act of involvement, yet what may seem small to some is in fact a gigantic leap for those who otherwise do nothing. And let's be hopelessly optimistic and adopt the theory that "gateway drugs" can work for good and this simple act can lead to greater involvement.

And what about those who cannot or will not rise to this minimal level of parental responsibility? We must do something that seems backwards when viewed through the narrow lense of "immediate cost reduction" and establish boarding schools for the parents of these children. Yes, this is more expensive in the short term, but taking a longer view this addresses the investment in ignorance these parents are hell bent on making, a bad investment with such negative returns that the cost of boarding a student will be dwarfed.

Of course, such an arrangement would not eliminate all parental rights--visitation would not only be allowed, but encouraged. While the agreement would be voluntary, it would also come with incentives. Once in the program, a secondary and completely optional offer would include a one-time, tax-free payment to the parent in the amount of one year's cost to support one child. In DeKalb County that could easily top $50,000. Why the largess? Because in addition to placing their children in the Boarding School program, the lump sum payment is contingent on a simple, safe "snip snip" operation that ensures these parents will place no more such burdens on society and the taxpayers that support it.

Student Athlete

Remember those? You may have to fire up the Way Back machine but it is worth it. Once you get your bearings you'll realize that one key difference between Student Athletes and today's Jocks is that the Student Athlete had to compete, successfully, in the classroom in order to play on the field.

Now how can that be any fun? Well, it isn't so we got rid of them.

First by using selective grade inflation to ensure that every boy good at juggling three balls was "qualified" to play. Perhaps this was the beginning of ends justified means that has brought rampant cheating to a school in your neighborhood. Maybe not. Maybe they'd have become cheaters without Friday night lights. Then there was the irony of hold-backs--kids that needed an extra year, not for academics as they are all Four-OH students, but an extra year to beef-up that lineman, sharpen that line backer or catch the growth spurt for the star forward. Then the under-the-table transfers. This was all a slippery slope greased with the sweat of jocks chasing championships.

Given today's sad state of public school academic achievement and unbalanced budgets that give voodoo economics a run for the money it is time to revitalize the concept of Student Athlete, but on a grand scale.

This incarnation must be much more than the individual "A fer Play" of the past. It must apply system wide and sustainable, objectively measured academic success is a prerequisite to begin and maintain any non-curricular program. Including athletics.

How will this work?

First, shut down all extra-curricular programs throughout the district. Sell off the equipment and other assets, using the money to support core education.

Next is the hard part: educate our children and prove it. But in this case "prove it" doesn't mean an endless stream of platitudes, it means:

• 95% minimum graduation rate for each of the trailing three years using the national graduation accounting methodology
• 70% minimum participation on the SAT with 95% of participating students scoring over 500 on the each of the Mathematics and Critical reading sections
• All other students must take Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and 80% of those students must score 10% above the highest minimum score required by any branch of Service.

Until these conditions are met, no extracurriculars throughout the entire school system. If in any one year these fail to be met, all existing extracurriculars are shut down until the district re-qualifies by meeting these requirements. 

No IFs. No ANDs. No BUTs. Not at "your" school. Not at any other school just because it "passed" in a failed district.

The financial benefits are immediate and enduring with the reduction in personnel costs and re-purposing of expensive facilities and equipment. It is also produces demand for extracurricular activities delivered by churches, social centers, clubs and private enterprise, a model that works well today with art, music, competitive swimming and tennis, and league softball. We may find that as our schools focus on education, the other activities will have been taken care of.

Fixing the System

By now it should be clear to even the most apologetic defender of government schools that this grand, noble experiment has failed. Sadly that is not in fact the case, as many folk still seem to think the system can be fixed and by that they do not mean "rigged"--as it is now in favor of educators and their paychecks. So let's boldly go down that rabbit hole and look into the minds of those Hatters.

Totally suspending our beliefs and ignoring the facts so poignantly laid before us, let us spread a little vaseline on our ruby red glasses, dim the torches and assume that this system is reparable and we are indeed the ones to fix it. There are many places this hallucination can take us, but the one location not on this trip's itinerary is "the scenic spot where it looks good to keep any of the losers that brought you this train wreck". It just does not show up in the guide book. Not on any map either.

And for good reason.

Almost all teachers in America today are products of the same failed system that is failing us now. They are every bit as ignorant as the students they provide with a kind smile and a social promotion. And don't think for a minute they learned anything in college. Anecdotal point: education major at one of Georgia's finest universities came to calculus class absent the knowledge of "diameter". As in a circle. Longest chord thereof? The other areas of grade school curricula in which "Education" Majors are sorely lacking would appall the average person over 50. But that is only because the average person over 50 still seems to think that today's teachers know something. These people, and those in the pipeline, have not the knowledge, the thinking skills nor the work ethic to be successful teachers in a successful school. We won't even discuss how easily they become cheaters when presented with a challenging situation.

The administrators are no better, largely because most of them were at some point in their career teachers themselves. Equally ignorant then and now. They do come with more sophisticated sounding, some say "advanced", made up degrees, often from non-accredited online diploma mills. Hell, even they don't respect education enough to get a real one. We won't even discuss how easily they become cheaters when presented with a challenging situation.

So to be very clear, "fixing" the system requires a wholesale replacement all personnel currently on payroll.

But even that is not enough. These incompetents are products of a failed "teacher factory"--schools of "education". These are filled with pompous airbags who spew forth "wisdoms" like "modalities of learning" and other such claptrap. They are not capable teachers and have proven to be incapable of producing capable teachers. They too must go.

Then there are political and structural failures.

Politicians, with one exception, are unwavering in their boosterism of their constituents' schools. We have to look no further than the political monkey business going on in public and behind closed doors as the APS cheating violations were unavoidably made public. The exception, school board candidates and other politicians on "education committees", will pose as "fixers" to our educational problems, but politics being what it is, the "fix" begins and ends with their election. Job done. No, job WELL done. Nothing will change until those pulling the levers exercise control beyond the minimum required to ensure re-election. Throw these bums out.

Also look at how public schools are funded, not just the heavy burden on property taxes, but who is actually paying these taxes. Turns out it is not the parents. Perhaps if parents had some real skin in the game, much more than their neighbor with no children in the system or the business in the village that bears an even higher burden, parents might be forced to reclaim their responsibility for their children. Then they might sit up and take notice that their kids are ignorant, that English lit projects involving magic markers and crayons have no place in high school, or that sports really are not necessary and certainly are not more important than any single bit of core knowledge. Maybe once they see how much they pay for how little, they will see that it could be better. Or perhaps once they realize that society will no longer pay the full cost of that permanent reminder of a temporary feelin' they might not bring so many of the li'l darlin's into this world. We'll buy them a tattoo instead.

Regardless of the subsidy, parents and taxpayers must break the never ending cycle of self-delusion. Don't believe this societal delusion exists? Really? Well pick the AJC once in a while why don't you? Therein you will find parents protesting the loss of their neighborhood school because "it's one of the best". How do these parents know this for a fact? Because a lying, cheating teacher or principal told them. Folks, there is a reason it is spelt "al" and not "le".  Or how about this. Though admitting to cheating, parents expect what they believe to be an otherwise fine teacher at their child's school to be exonerated, or at least returned with a no more than finger marks on their arm. What ARE they thinking? Perhaps these educators are smart, but only in comparison to some of the dumbest parents on the planet---walking proof that sex does not require education. Perhaps we cannot get rid of these folk, but maybe, just maybe we can help them with that sex and procreation problem that has created such an abundance of delusional parents. Isn't there a pill for that?

We as a society can no longer sit back and watch this dead cat of a system bounce down the road all the while dreaming that cat is someone else's and our cat is just fine--even a show winner. It's not. It's our beloved cheshire cat, it is dead and we need to get out there and clean up the carcass. Then, and only then, should we go get another cat. And get it from a reputable breeder and take care of it this time.

Which Hunt?

Those who see the Mayor's Special Investigator as a waste of time and money are correct. We need no reports nor polygraphs (regardless of who buys them) nor blather about who told tales out of school nor cries of "witch hunt". Nor do we need further delay for we have two uncontested facts that are more than sufficient to drive the decision that must be made:

• City Council entered into executive session, with the City Attorney in attendance, to discuss selling City owned property
• In his current line of reasoning the City Attorney asserts that SELLING property was not in fact covered by any exclusion to the State's Open Meetings law

It requires neither the smartest of the smart in our Smart City nor any intellectual gymnastics to connect these two dots with the only straight line between them. The City Attorney, by action or inaction, supported Council in discussing disposal of City property which he now asserts was an illegal act. It no longer even matters which of these two assertions is true, nor which would survive scrutiny in a court of law, because the issue at hand is much simpler.

We pay for a full-time City Attorney to provide SOUND legal advice, day in and day out. Dunwoody is not well served by counsel that offers no better guidance than the flip of a coin. This is the heart of the matter. We deserve better and we should expect the Mayor and Council to ensure that we get the best legal counsel for our hard earned tax dollars.

If the Mayor and Council do not believe that the voters, taxpayers and citizens of Dunwoody deserve better than what they are now receiving then we need more than one change at City Hall.

Lowering Higher Education

Georgia is making headway in dismantling the integrity of the university system and its institutes of higher learning. The proposals for integrity disintegration will roll up into what our esteemed Guv refers to as "Complete College Georgia" and he intends to see that Georgia colleges and universities print out 250,000 diplomas by 2020.

Lest you think this is much ado about nothing, we have published reports about how students who never liked school have "succeeded" nonetheless. In this sad tale our budding diploma wielder habitually overslept, missing classes that he himself had signed up for. This prompted a call from the professor. And not during office hours or other down time, as apparently this professor shut down class for all other students (presuming any of them showed up) to call the groggy genius. As he relates the story, upon telling her he would make it next time she stated:

"No, you'll be here in twenty minutes."

Wow. Did she really delay class almost a half hour awaiting that "tardy" arrival?

Back in the day, a college diploma even in a field not directly related to the job at hand indicated the applicant was self-motivated, capable of managing their own time and when given a goal, achieving it. Through hard work. An employer knew this was not a person requiring daily supervision but someone who can be presented with a challenge that they will take on. And succeed.

But we as a society have decided "if it ain't FUN it don't git DUN" as the new educational paradigm. And none of our overpaid "educators" object. None are pointing out that many things worth learning require work. Work that often is not fun. Work that is almost always hard. They are no longer accepting only those prepared for college--in intellect, in education or in maturity. Asses in classes means raises in paychecks. Since any ass counts, even a "tardy" one, nothing else even matters.

So what is next for college professors? Will they hold Wee Willee Winkee for every student who raises their hand to excuse themselves in hopes they can assist with a shy bladder? And what about the disruption to the rest of the class? Does anybody in any part of the Georgia educational system give one hair off a rodent's backside about students who are prepared, responsible and ready to learn?

Is that the new koolaid? Are parents demonstrably incapable of potty-training their Kinder now going to be encouraged to abdicate the remaining shreds of parental responsibility? Apparently so. And we seem so enamored of the relatively worthless spawn of this state that we'll toss the baby so we can sip the bathwater.

But expect those babies of merit to land in a state that does care about academic excellence while we mindlessly chase an arbitrary number of diplomas. We will succeed in doing little but proving to the world that a college degree from Georgia means the graduate has endured another four years of "adult high school" and has learned little more than how to drink.

And it can't be stopped. It looks like the Guv and Board of Regents are hell-bent on giving the on-line diploma mills a run for their money as they race to the bottom of the academic barrel.