DeKalb County Parents Organize to Address School System Concerns

A small, but growing group of concerned DeKalb County parents have organized within the last week to help correct what they believe is a corrupt and troubled school system.

The group, Parents for DeKalb County Schools, is comprised of about 100 parents - about a half-dozen from Brookhaven - who are fed up with what they feel is a poor-performing school system.

“This is the second school year in a row that the school system does not have a permanent superintendent in place,” said Gil Hearn, the group’s organizer. “The tax payers should be extremely concerned that our ability to continue to attract residents and businesses to the county are going to be impacted by all that’s going on.”

Hearn, who lives in Dunwoody, is referring to the Board’s failed attempt to hire a replacement superintendent.

He said the lack of strong leadership and vision is hurting the students and the community at large. He also pointed to pending criminal charges against the previous superintendent Crawford Lewis, and what he called a “stressful redistricting process” where hundreds of parents  met to recommend new attendance lines and redraw attendance boundaries contribute to parents' frustration.

"I think its time for parents to get connected and get engaged in the process and to make a lot of noise," Hearn said.

Hearn invites Brookhaven parents to take the poll or reach out to him via email.