A Letter to Neighbors on the APS Scandal from Torry Lewis, a Candidate for City Council

The following letter was sent to Cascade Patch and to neighbors within the District 4 boundary.  It was written by Torry Lewis who has announced his candidacy for the District 4 Atlanta City Council seat, which is now held by Cleta Winslow.  The letter has not been edited, and the words and opinions expressed are of Torry Lewis' only, and not necessarily Cascade Patch's view.

Dear Neighbors,

Before I begin, I must say that I am humbled to be in a position to voice my opinion on issues that arise in the City of Atlanta. Recently Former Atlanta Public School Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall was indicted on the charges of racketeering, theft, making false statements and false swearing1. The practices of Dr. Hall and the others that will join her through criminal proceedings were not acceptable and should not be tolerated. I personally welcome the justice
system in to this case and hope that it does its job. I would like to stress that I do not condone a “witch-hunt” or a “scapegoat”, but I do condone fair and equal justice under the law.

This cheating scandal made national news and put our children at risk. We need to also look at the bigger picture—educating children in urban systems. The Atlanta Public School system is one of the largest in the south yet we have had problems, as indicated by this scandal, of making the top marks in education. We must do better as a city, as neighbors, and as parents. We can use this dark period in our history of K-12 education to empower ourselves and our community. As a candidate for the Atlanta City Council, I feel that it is my duty to also serve the students of Atlanta.

We need to put more resources in out-of-the-classroom education. Let’s build and maintain more community centers that offer educational alternatives. As I continue to look through the budget, I will be sure to find the resources we need through public/private and community partnerships. By doing our part as the Atlanta City Council, by working with the School Board, and by working with the community we do not have to see our education system be defined by
cheating.

I pray that Dr. Hall and the other teachers who have allegedly committed these crimes recognize their detriment to our community and our children. Atlanta will rise to the challenge and be successful—we must not forget, however, that we must all be a part of the solution!

Torry Lewis, MPA

See Also
Torry Lewis Running For Atlanta Council