My APS School Board Meeting Visit Yesterday, Not Impressed

So on Monday I posted the letter from Khaatim Sherrer El, embattled chair of the school board. And Immediately, calls hit the cell phone.

"Hey, lay off APS," and "The governor has to do what's best for kids," and, my fave, "We don't want him to leave the board, just step down."

So I went to the meeting last night to see what was going on. Here are my observations:

* KIPP WAYS Academy kids could do a better job as school board members

* It looked like the board was playing duck, duck goose

* Parents on the moneyed side of town are pissed

* Parents on the poorer side of town are being led down the "racial" road defense

* Politics are way too involved in something that is supposed to be all about educating kids

* The politicians, the biggest buttholes in this, don't even have kids in APS schools

* Rumor has it that the mayor encouraged Khaatim to do what he did, then bailed on him when the chamber went ballistic. (I heard this from a black parent who wants El to step down; a Step up, Step Down parent- a white woman dripping in Yurman; and from a prominent principal). I  cannot substantiate but that's what I heard at the meeting.

Memo to all of you: Mayor Reed, Khaatim El, Governor Deal, the Chamber, the APS board: Stop the madness NOW!

All you are doing right now is causing people to laugh at you and call you all "country."

You are destroying lives, but that may not matter to you because kids don't vote. But parents do, and, as one good friend said to me "Don't mess with my kids."

SACS is one problem. Fight that later, but don't give them the ammo to shoot you.

Fix this, and FIX it now. Stop with the childish power games. Your school system is already the pride of the dropouts and three grade levels behind reading levels so don't make matters worse by being dysfunctional.