Ground Zero: DeKalb County

In 2013, when this video was compiled, Get the Cell Out - ATL and its varied partners throughout the county worked feverishly to help DeKalb communities protect their neighborhoods and schools.  Every person we met was shocked to hear about the plans to build these huge industrial structures right in the middle of residential neighborhoods, next to small children in their elementary schools, without a respectable explanation or opportunity to provide input into the process.

Schools should not be used as tax shelters for big businesses, regardless of whether or not they offer anything of value to the system.  Public schools are paid for by taxpayers for the sole purpose of educating the children.  To sublease the land right out from under the children is bad enough, but to do it without even respecting the local zoning regulations and safety ordinances put in place to protect people who live there defies the moral code of most real "persons" - even politicians in DeKalb.

We thank the commissioners, residents, students, parents and other advocates for safer wireless worldwide who have followed our story and helped us along the way.  As of today, it appears we have won a small battle for 12 schools in 12 neighborhoods in a growing megaopoly of the city of Atlanta.  But, just as this battle winds down, another picks up.

We invite you to follow our related blog called:  Save Tucker!  Our small town, outside Atlanta, with more than 122 years of history is being carved up by the state legislature and possibly set up for financial failure.  New cities are being proposed all around us and other cities are suddenly claiming annexation rights.  And, what's first on all their lists to take on in terms of start up services?

If you guessed "Planning and Zoning" then you would be correct!  And the city that started the trend?  Uber-rich Sandy Springs which was founded, in part, by a retired ATT executive.  And, the city movement that will supposedly "save" our own small town of Tucker?   Well, let's just say they have all the makings of a great "telecom" astro-turf group.  And, we should know.  We've been fighting them for years.  The fun will carry on a while longer...  so keep checking back here and on the Save Tucker! site, too!

Do Advocates for New Cities Understand Zoning?

There are several pro-city incorporation groups that have formed in DeKalb County, GA, recently and they may be looking for legislative sponsorship of their plans in the upcoming session at the Gold Dome in Atlanta this coming January.  There has been a bit of a city-frenzy that has also caused existing cities to start looking at their own long-term growth plans in terms of annexations.  Many residents have been concerned that they must side with "someone" or they might get "left behind" as Sen. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody) called it.

So, the groups are currently attempting to prove their worth to the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, which has taken the initiative to assist in the carving up and handing out of the DeKalb County pie.  It seems as though the county will be gobbled up before it erodes completely as was the case in Clayton County not too long ago.  Both Clayton and Dekalb, part of the greater Atlanta metro, were facing serious allegations by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in the recent past, but Clayton's board lost the district's accreditation.  DeKalb only came close.

But, DeKalb is not out of the woods, yet.  The "divisions in the county" are part of the SACS analysis about what went wrong in the first place.  So, the legislators, who claim they support the Governor and his decision to replace some on the board, have determined that the best thing to do is to make those divisions permanent.  One would have expected them to read the full SACS report and work toward actually fixing the problem and encourage working together for the sake of the children.  But, this is DeKalb and things just don't work the way one would normally expect anywhere else.

Former Tucker-Northlake Representative Kevin Levitas
is no longer on the board now that it has been renamed
"Lavista Hills."  Is this a sign of trouble or is it part of a
strategy designed to remove the element of government
for the government instead of "for the people?"

With the help of some former legislators like Kevin Levitas, who represented Tucker - Northlake at one point and now favors a rival proposal for a city named "Lakeside" or "Lavista Hills," new  cities are going to end up on ballots possibly this coming May.  Residents, mostly unaware of the impact, will be asked to vote for inclusion or exclusion if they are personally located inside the boundaries.  Nevermind that they may have never heard of such a community or have any idea what is in the proposed charter documents.  They will be asked to vote based on their own reasons which might be correct or completely off  base.  And they will not have any details about what will happen to those left outside their boundaries, either.   When in self-preservation mode, these consequences too often come as after-thoughts.

Levitas, coincidentally, was also a member of the Tucker Civic Group and the Northlake Business Association.  The latter is the same one that disagreed with the "compromise map" that he had  personally agreed to only hours  prior to their opinion being sought.  He was also on the Tucker Business Alliance, the group that has favored the city of Tucker and that was involved with the city feasibility report that was conducted by Georgia Tech in 2006-07.  It showed Tucker was feasible as a city back then, but the community decided at the time to hold off on incorporating.  Now, Lakeside / Lavista Hills is pushing Tucker or threatening to divide it for good.

Levitas is not the only one wearing multiple hats in the group.  Michelle Penkava has been listed as the contact in the state documents for Tucker Together and Tucker 2015. She also is in control of the Tucker Parent Council, which has not held elections for its board of directors in the past three or more years nor has it posted contact information on its website or on the school system website. She was also the finance manager for a school board member who was the PTA President for the rival Lakeside, the same one that she now claims she is standing up against in an effort to preserve Tucker.

The first group to propose a city based entirely on a community that does not know its own boundaries and cannot decide what to call themselves, was announced in 2013 as "Lakeside City" and they touted that they would be required to take on three services.  Parks, Police and Zoning /Code Enforcement  were the three they thought they would start with.  Later they discussed "Paving" but now that they have had most of their roads paved by the county at large, they have been keeping quiet on that one.  They have spoken a lot about police lately, although that was not their concern when they first started their community discussions. They made a big deal about needing a park in order to manage one, but they have since redrawn their boundaries and left most of the large Henderson Park on the outside of their map.  So, that leaves one other item:  Zoning, Permits and Code Enforcement.  They grouped these together as "Public Works."


Are they just trying to make all their services start with the same letter, or are they really this confused about what each of these things actually involves?  And, if they are confused,  how will we know if they provided correct estimates when they worked with Carl Vinson business colleges to determine city feasibility?

What's worse than a misunderstanding of expected costs, is that there may be a misunderstanding about the actual requirements of the job and the important role it plays in the development of a safe and attractive community where people will want to live and where businesses will want to operate.

And, now more city groups are popping up and basically just copying the Lakeside  plan and putting it into their plans, too.  The main reason?  They all tell their audiences, "because it is one of the least expensive things a new city can provide while getting started."  So, essentially, because zoning is cheap on paper and sounds simple to the untrained layperson, it was service deemed to be good for starting a local government that no one asked for.

Zoning Nightmares Breed Need for More ...  

More Money, More Knowledge, More Time 

to Consider the Consequences of Decisions

We wonder if the new city committees have much insight or expertise on what a zoning board must really do and how the county has made major cutbacks in this area during the time of the recession, when there was little new construction going on and therefore the workload was light.

However, Get the Cell Out - ATL followers surely recall the big zoning issue that arose in 2011.  DeKalb County's school board approved large cell towers for 9 schools without much more knowledge or insight than the average layperson might have on the subject.

They also found themselves in quite a bit of trouble with their constituents over that approval, too.  Here are just some of the things that a county zoning official would have looked for that the average school board member would probably not know they should even be considering.  In fact, should we even want them to know about zoning when they were elected to focus on education anyway?  But, who will run for the city council where you live, if you are inside one on these maps?

Next time you hear a city advocate tell you or someone else about why they want "zoning" control.  Ask them about some of these issues so you can decide for yourself just how wise they are when they say they want to make these decision instead of letting the county handle it:

"The few, specific services that transfer are the ones we would know best 

how to govern for ourselves," says Jim, for the Tucker 2014 group.

What do our residents know about zoning for cell towers and what they should be looking our for when it comes to size, shape and placement of them, especially if they plan to allow them in residential areas or near schools?

The school board thought they knew what they were doing when they approved the old, outdated style of mounting hardware for cell towers that were being planned to go right next to elementary schools, high schools and one school for the disabled.  The outdated hardware had already been reviewed as insufficient by the telecom industry in certain high wind conditions.  And the weight allowed for the top of the tower (based on number of antennas and type of antenna) would have exceeded the maximum wind speed that the hardware would tolerate without fail.

When it was brought it to the attention of the school board members, they had no idea about the hardware issue.  Why?  Because they are not zoning experts.  They were willing to approve contracts based on the money without realizing that they were approving something that could potentially be a huge liability and could  result in an accidental or negligent death or injury lawsuit.

If the towers would have been built according to the old specs, then the laypeople on the board, who should have never been allowed to make zoning decisions, would have been at fault because they were willing to put a substandard structure next to an elementary school building, a busy road and nearby homes.

Another issue that came up was the standard set-back requirement for a cell tower.  The school board did not have any questions about that subject and approved plans to put the towers right next to the schools.   When local parents complained, the process went to the Planning and Zoning Department for review, but if we were all incorporated into cities, this issue would have been one for the city council to consider instead.

The county, which has a lot of experienced employees who know what to look for when approving or denying these type of applications, caught the error right away and returned the application as "incomplete" for a variety of items that were missing or against the existing zoning code.  But, the big error was that the cell tower plans did not follow the county's required set back of one and half times the height of the tower.  That means the school board was willing to violate the code in order to put towers with substandard hardware and too heavy of a load at the top right next to school buildings where children are attending school, well within the expected "fall zone."

The point is:  the average resident who steps up to run for city council seat may or may not be aware of what it takes to hold the office responsibly.  And, city advocates should not be simply "glossing over" the subject of zoning and using excuses about how it is a cheap thing to provide and then moving on to the next subject.   In reality, any of the county provided services could likely be provided in a "cheap" manner.

But, just because something appears cheap right now, does not mean it will remain that way.  And, just because some groups with experience can provide something in a quick or streamlined manner does not mean that a city created by "regular" people will be able to walk through the same steps and end up with the same quality of results.  Maybe they can do better, or maybe they will end up making decisions like the school board once did  - based on what they know and oblivious to what they don't know.

Zoning Isn't a Driver in New City Starts... so, What IS?

Do we really have an uprising of individual residents who want to take zoning away from the county so they can place it in their neighbors' hands?  (Or, one neighbor to represent 7,000 - 10,000 of them?)

Most people in our county don't even vote.  Are we really supposed to believe they are now suddenly aware of these types of administrative processing decisions that take place in our county every day so much that they want to control the entire process themselves?  We have nothing against local control if there is clearly a group of people who can show that they can do something better that would improve the overall quality of life for everyone affected.

So far we have only heard about the general desire to take away power or control from a perceived "other" group, but how will that shift of control benefit us? If we really want a better, stronger county we have to realize that we are the only ones who can decide for ourselves if the solutions before us will really be better, or if they could potentially be worse.  And the "trust me" sales pitches coming from politicians have to be thrown out if they aren't backed up with real information and details here.

This isn't Sandy Springs.  But, this idea of keeping the details quiet so that the public doesn't  have any reason to doubt you is something in the Oliver Porter book on incorporation that is discussed near the very beginning. The city groups aren't the only ones who know how to read.  If you are truly curious about their plans, we suggest you order a used copy on Amazon and follow along, chapter by chapter, with what is unfolding in front of you.

But, this isn't the same year it was when Sandy Springs started and don't share as much in common with Sandy Springs as we wish we did.  We don't have all this "extra" money that we can just shell out to make sure that what we are doing is going to be top of line.  That's simply not possible under the current economy and in this particular  part of the county.  Sandy Springs had 30 years of complaints behind them, driving their residents closer together as they became more involved in their desire to become their own city.  They let as many people into their circle of volunteers as  possible.  But, that's not happening here.

And, some of the same people who were a part of the school system and who were pushing that deal with the cell towers are involved in these city groups, too.  School board members, former school board members,  school system employees.  What do their maps resemble?  They look just like the Tucker and Lakeside high school attendance zones,  not necessarily the "communities" of interest and definitely not anything that shows respect or consideration for the business district being fought over.

If these cities were going to fix the problems, how?   Because a large part of the problems we have right now are directly tied to the schools, where most of these "leaders" were leading before their power was taken away by SACS.

If we can't count on them to lead our schools out of trouble, then what makes us think they can be trusted to control zoning, police, fire, water, sanitation and all the other services that a city will either start out controlling or seek to control eventually?

And, if they really aren't offering anything new, 

then the hassle and expense is all for naught.

We have problems in DeKalb, but the problems call out for CHANGE,

not more of the same.

*  Note:  A previous version of this article made reference incorrectly to ARC, Inc. as the Atlanta Regional Commission.  In context, the ARC actually referred to Ann Rosenthal Consulting.  We apologize to Ms. Rosenthal for the misunderstanding of her company.  She is the lobbyist for the Tucker CID and her own company, ARC Inc. and NOT the Atlanta Regional Commission.

T-Mobile Wants to Run the City of Tucker

Get this .... So, it may not too surprising, but still leaves us flabbergasted as to the extremes T-mobile will go to get their way... just learned that at least one person on the board for Tucker 2014, the city advocacy group that appeared out of nowhere and raised $30K cash without holding any major fundraisers, also works for T-mobile. Shocker.

Here is a link to his profile in the group Tucker 2014:  http://tucker2014.com/bio  (Look for Tres Scott).

Here is a link to his LinkedIn Profile:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tres-scott/4/814/ab9  In case it is taken down, here is what it says about him:

Tres Scott's Experience

Manager, IT Revenue Validation

T-mobile

Public Company; 10,001+ employees; DT; Telecommunications industry

October 2005 – Present (8 years)

But, wait, there's more ... his wife was a part of our "Save Tucker!" group as she pretended to be on the fence about cityhood so she could report back to the city group about what we were doing an saying in our closed FB group.

As for the other members of their board - 2 of the 3 live on the same street as the T-mobile person. The third is a Libertarian (likes big business) who kicked one of our members off his Yahoo Discussion group for asking if anyone knew of an attorney in the area who could help stop T-mobile from putting cell towers at our public schools.

Zoning hearing tomorrow at the county level at 6:30 p.m. We're hoping to convince them that current zoning regulations are fine and do not need to be changed. Then, we'll have to focus on educating everyone all over again because the "city" that T-mobile wants to build is focused on three things: ZONING, PARKS, PUBLIC SAFETY.

In other words, cell towers on every block and everyone else gets a pink slip and higher taxes to pay for the spy cameras at every traffic light. Soon after they take office they will advocate for online education... you heard it here first. (Well, unless you live elsewhere, then you have already been down this path before.)

For more, please follow us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/Get.the.Cell.Out.ATL

Good Habits Are Hard to Break

copyright 2012

(click headline to read full story)
From the Tucker Patch:

by Cheryl Miller, Get the Cell Out - ATL, 11/6/2012

As just one person, the obstacles standing in the way of a brighter future for our country may seem overwhelming. As a parent, the more I learn about how politics operate in Georgia, the more concerned I become for my child and her future.  

But, as a proud voter today, I am reassured when I see the long line outside my polling location. Maybe I'm not alone. Maybe my vote will count. Maybe there are other people who, like me, are learning that the first step toward change is to stand up and let your voice be heard.  

I have voted in every Presidential election since I was 18. And, I have taken my child with me to the voter polls every time I have voted since the day she was born. Yes, it might be a little more hassle, but usually the people in line are very understanding and even smile if she decides to do a little spin or dance move to fight off the boredom that comes with waiting in line. And she is always thrilled when the nice people give her a sticker on our way out the door.  

copyright 2012

Along with teaching my child to brush her teeth, eat her vegetables and wear her seat belt  I'm doing my best to instill another good habit in her while she is still young and impressionable and has to do what I tell her. That good habit is voting.  

I hope that showing up to vote will one day seem as natural to her as saying thank-you or looking both ways before you cross the street. I want it to be one of those things that you just do, no matter what. It can be very discouraging when we, as adults, think about the many issues surrounding us and the corruption that has found its way into so many of the government positions we used to hold in such high esteem.  

My child has witnessed her father and I battle against the public school system, fight to get a bill in front of state legislators to keep cell phone towers off our school grounds, hand out flyers and post yard signs for local politicians we believe in, and speak to the media on a variety of subjects that have concerned us. She knows we are involved in our community and that we do not always share the same opinions as others. But, what we have started ourselves really stems back to our love for her and our desire to make sure the world is a safe and happy place for her.  

copyright 2012

So, beyond what I can do for my child right now to take care of her basic needs, I'm also trying to teach her the importance of being a good citizen, a good neighbor and a faithful voter. Our freedom is often challenged and may feel fleeting at times, but I will take what we have right now over what life could be like if we lived in any other country.  

If you have children, I encourage you to vote today and take them with you. Explain to them how they are expected to behave to make sure they are as respectful at the polls as they would be in church or at the library. It doesn't really have to be a big deal for the lesson to sink in. It is just something you need to decide to do on a regular basis, so the process becomes a good habit. 

Your vote is more than just your voice. It's our future.

Charter Schools: Dialogue Between Dumb, Greedy and Corrupt

Virtual Charter Schools? What the Amendment is Not Telling You.

(click headline to read more...)

 

Is this what you were expecting from the charter school amendment?

From The Tucker Patch:  http://tucker.patch.com
Posted on October 15, 2012 at 12:25 am

 

 

Are there people out there just waiting to start charter schools but somehow cannot get them approved? 

 
Are there really charter schools that can operate on only the state's portion of the funding?
Who are these people and what kind of schools are they wanting to open here? 
 
Changing the state constitution is a big request. Before we vote on Nov. 6, let's make sure we know exactly what is at stake. 
 
Here's one possible scenario:

"Gee, I wonder how we can start a charter school without a building or enough money to pay lots of teachers," says nonexistent person #1.

"Yeah, and the 13 other charter schools, dozen or so magnet and theme schools, IB program schools, technological schools and neighborhood schools are just not enough. By golly, I need another choice," says fictitious person #2.

"I have a solution," says slick dressed K-12 or "Connections Academy" or "Other New Online School" sales and marketing representative.

"Wow, you look really smart," responds bozo actor #1.

"That's because I am," says the K-12 associate with his General American dialect so as to not give any clue to the fact that he is from out of state, or even another country.

"Have you considered a virtual charter school? Here are some fancy pamphlets I just so happen to have on this high gloss, heavy weighted paper stock, so you know you can trust what is typeset onto its pages."

"Yeah, we thought about that," says well paid spokesmodel #2, "but our local board of education will never approve something like that. We tried and tried to get them to approve a school with a promise of less than 50% graduation rate and a high drop-out after less than a year attendance, but they didn't like that idea. And they have really low standards."

"We can appeal to the state board of education, but they keep telling us we are broke and need to close schools, not start new ones. I'm guessing they wouldn't overturn the decision."

"Looks like we're stuck with the multiple options to choose from that we already have now. Plus, all the church-based schools and community schools. We are in the Bible Belt, after all."

"Don't forget about the private schools, honey. And the home school options," says the Man #1.

"Oh yeah, that's right. We have those options, too. Plus a state run online school and a local cyber-academy."

"Awwwww.... that's too bad," says Mr. K-12 man. "I have an idea for a virtual charter school that I need to sell to someone stupid. I thought you might want to try convincing a bunch of parents who don't know any better and like the idea of free laptops to sign their kids up! Their moms or dads will likely be expected to stay home with them, of course."

"What makes your school better than others?"

"We were first."

"Oh."

(awkward silence)

"And we have better graduation rates than other online schools, but not as good as brick-and-mortar schools."

"Uh-huh."

(Man #1 and Woman #2 start to walk away. But then..)

"Say, did I mention that we make millions and millions in profit? And we hardly cost the school district a thing?" says desperate salesman from K-12. "As long as I can keep signing the suckers, errr... I mean, kids....up, we can keep hiding the actual churn rate of our attendance and bragging about our annual enrollment increases. The more I sell, the more money for me and my bosses."
"Wow, you must be rich!"

"Yes, but don't worry about that. Besides, I have to watch out for some pesky lawsuits coming from New Mexico and Virginia. Oh, and Florida, too, I think."

"Awwww, you poor, misunderstood salesman. It's tough out there, isn't it? Here, let me count how much money you might have in that wallet for me and my friend here. We might be able to help you out," says greedy snake in the grass #1.

"What's your idea, Jim Bob?" says idiot actress #2.

"Well, the way I see it, we can help each other," says paid actor #1. "I have this friend who is in the state legislature. You know, the people who make the laws n' stuff. I will tell him the problems with the local school board and ask if he can help me start a virtual charter school."

"Once he hears about all the money, he'll surely say yes!" says doll face #2.

"Right! And then he can pass a law that says that some kind of a fake, made-up, overpaid board of people can approve our virtual school. Then we can hire Mr. K-12 here to run it for us and we won't have to worry about things like walls, ceilings, or teachers. We won't need libraries, or a football team or even books.  Think of how cheap this could be!"

"Then how will the kids learn?" says suddenly concerned accomplice #2.

"Who cares? Didn't you hear the man say he make lots of money?" says childless man #1.

"Yeah, but... I don't...."

"If we get the state to appoint a board and let them approve schools, then we can probably get a bunch of money, too!! You know, just like they promised the PTAs that kept quiet about the cell towers. Come to think of it, what ever happened with all that ... "

"But the kids..."

"Ma'am, don't worry about the kids. They will be fine. If they do not keep up, we have friends in the private prison industry who will be happy to take them in. They also make lots of money. Not your kids, of course. Other kids. Ones you won't even see because the school is online, remember??" says drooling K-12 representative as he gets out the contracts.

"Oh, I see. But, won't this take money away from the other schools?"

"Yes, some of it, but we will take a lot of the kids away, too. So, that local group of elected folks will actually have fewer kids to pretend to be educating, until ours start dropping out, of course, and returning to their local schools. But we will have the funds up front. That's all that really matters to us. See, It's a win, win!"

"Except for the kids...."

"Yeah, yeah, the kids," says the man #1 as he signs the contract. "There's always THAT, but ... think of all the money! As soon as the plan gets rolling, you will have enough to put your kids in any private school you want, so who cares what happens to the charter after that? We'll be long gone before anyone notices that the drop-out rates are alarming, some of the teachers aren't certified, some classes have as many as 400 students in them at once, the money goes out of state to help a business stay out of Chapter 11, the people can't threaten to vote for a new board since they were appointed, or that the kids are only using their computers to play games and cyber-bully their friends. And, if one gets lost, dropped or stolen, their parents have to reimburse us for 3X what it cost us. Remember, this is GEORGIA. We're #49th in the nation for education. There is no way the people here would ever think of all of the possible outcomes. They are all stupid."

"Wow, honey, you are a genius."

"Yeah, I went to community college for a year before I dropped out."

"Do you think the people in Georgia might vote NO to Amendment 1162 on Nov. 6?"

"Not a chance. Remember, Mr. K-12 is putting lots of money into the advertising. And people here will believe ANYTHING with a fancy slogan. Remember 'Untie Atlanta'? Oh wait... well, that was different... this will be different. It's for the kids."

"Okay, if you say so. Thank you Mr. K-12!"

"Don't thank me. Thank your legislators for joining The American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC, so they can further the profit-generating ideas of big businesses like mine instead of protecting the rights of the people like they were elected to do. You can read about them here."

"And, we can thank our uninformed, easily misled or generally apathetic voters for not showing up at the polls even for a Presidential election," says smug man #1 counting his money.

"Yes, and thank you to K-12 and Connections Academy, T-mobile, ATT and all those sneaky little people behind the scenes who have quietly been laying the infrastructure to make this all possible while they thought we were not paying attention," says woman #2 as she books her plane ticket to Hawaii.

"Thanks are in order all the way around," says man in new leadership position of heading up a charter school for the kids #1. I can now say that I helped bring two great ideas together - profiting off the low achievement and lack of parental involvement in my community and a way to use technology to give the appearance of real education to an entirely new generation of families."

"And, by piggybacking off the national obsession with charter schools, we can use the good reputation of that phrase to trick voters into approving HR 1162 on Nov. 6. Funny how a country can be at war protecting freedom while at home they are willing to just give their rights away."

"Funny?"

"Well, not funny ha-ha. More like funny / sad."

T-mobile Cannot Justify a True Market "Need" for More Towers

Hey T-Mobile... It Doesn't Pay to Mess With DeKalb, Does It?

(click headline for details)

Angry, but well-behaved, parents and residents in DeKalb County, GA,
stood outside a T-mobile store in Tucker, GA, late last year to show
their disgust with the way the company and the school board worked together
to deny citizens the right to know what was being planned behind
closed doors.  The group marched up and down busy streets in the suburbs of
Atlanta and got the attention of local lawmakers and politicians.  This past July a referendum on the
ballot showed at 62% "NO" vote to cell towes on school grounds.  T-mobile is
expected to back out of its contract with the school system if its applications
for special land use and building permits are denied.

BAD NEWS (if you are T-mobile)

(click headline to read portions of this story, originally found on:  http://www.ajc.com/business/t-mobile-brings-back-1503999.html)
By PETER SVENSSON; The Associated Press:  NEW YORK — Unlimited wireless data is back. After sliding off the menu of cellphone plans, data plans with no caps are making a comeback at smaller wireless companies trying to compete with AT&T and Verizon.



Bargain basement discounts available soon
because, according to this article by the Associated
Press and printed in the Aug. 25, 2012, edition of the AJC,
T-mobile has capacity on their
network to sell... (aka, they do not have
a justified 'need' for any more towers!) 

Markus Schreiber, Associated PressFILE- In this Wednesday Sept. 19, 2007 file photo, an iPhone is displayed next to a T-Mobile sign, in Berlin. Unlimited wireless data is back. After sliding off the menu of cellphone plans, data plans with no caps are making a comeback at smaller wireless companies trying to compete with AT&T and Verizon. T-Mobile USA, the nation's fourth-largest cellphone company, said Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, that it will start selling an unlimited-data plan again on Sept. 5, (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

 

T-Mobile USA, the nation's fourth-largest cellphone company, said Wednesday that it will start selling an unlimited-data plan again on Sept. 5, after stopping sales of such plans early last year. A day earlier, No. 5 carrier MetroPCS cut the price of its unlimited-data plan as a promotion for a limited time.

...

T-Mobile's new plan will cost $5 less than a regular data plan with 5 gigabytes of full-speed data. The advantage of the limited plan is that subscribers can turn their phones into "mobile hotspots," linking tablets and computers to the Internet through the phone. That's not allowed under the unlimited plan.
T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS may have room on their networks, giving them some leeway, at least for now, in offering unlimited data.

...
 
"The bottom line is they have capacity available to attract quite an influx of subscribers without pulling down the network," said Steven Crowley, an independent network engineering consultant.
T-Mobile USA is a unit of German phone company Deutsche Telekom AG and has 33.2 million subscribers. MetroPCS has 9.3 million.
___
August 25, 2012 03:31 AM EDT

AND... then there is this GEM...

T-Mobile losing more lucrative subscribers

12:46 pm August 9, 2012, by Christopher Seward

T-Mobile continues to struggle to keep valuable customers, losing more than a half-million of its long-term subscribers in the three months ending in June, the company reported Thursday.

(Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com)

Competition from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint for long-term subscribers and rivalry from smaller competitors for prepaid mobile customers continue to put T-Mobile in a bind when it comes to growing its most lucrative customer base – those signing up for long-term contracts, who also tend to have the highest monthly bills.

T-Mobile, the country’s No. 4 cellphone company, said it lost 557,000 contract customers during the period but the loss was offset by gains in prepaid and wholesale customers, leaving it with a net loss of 205,000 customers overall. In the same period a year ago, T-Mobile lost 50,000 customers.

While T-Mobile’s top three competitors increased revenue from monthly fees for contract service, T-Mobile saw a 9 percent drop from the same period a year ago.

T-Mobile, however, reported its customer turnover rate fell during the quarter. The company managed to report a nearly flat second-quarter profit of $207 million, compared with $212 million in the same period a year ago. Revenue fell 3 percent to $4.9 billion.

U.S. regulators last year blocked AT&T’s buyout of T-Mobile, which is a subsidiary of Germany’s Deutsche Telekom AG.

Did Cell Phone Radiation Kill Johnnie Cochran?

Cell Phones and the Death of Johnnie Cochran
Johnnie Cochran's widow, Dale, and his neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black discuss how cell phones may have led to his death.




Cell Phones and Children
CNN's Larry King Discuss Real Risks of Cell Phones and Tumors.




Cell Phones and Cancer in Children: Using a cell phone before age 20 = 5X Greater Cancer Risk

DeKalb School Board Needs Lesson in Logic = Low Turnout Does Not Mean Full Speed Ahead!

DeKalb School Board Members all seemed to be under the impression that if they hold a meeting and no one shows up for it, then that is the same thing as a blanket approval of anything on the agenda.  It never occurred to them that there might be a problem with the "invitation" to the party? 

That's a little hard to believe since school boards across the country, and recently in Cobb County, have been plauged with this exact same problem.  Whenever a cell tower is involved, the administration that normally has no problems with holding meetings and having people attend them, suddenly is struck by poorly written notices, forgetful assistants and a lack of basic grammer and writing skills to let people know that this subject is a pretty important one.

So, maybe we should send our school board members back to school to learn the basic principles of Logical Reasoning.  You know, such as Dogs are Nice; Some people are Nice; therefore, some people are dogs.  Right? 

So, No One Showed Up for the Meeting; Sometimes if People Do Not Care About Something, They do Not Show Up for Meetings; Therefore if No One Showe Up for This Meeting then No One Cared and Therefore Everyone Everywhere is Perfectly Fine with What We are Planning to Do.

That's just faulty logic all around.

And, here's the article recently in Crossroads by Jennifer Parker.  The red text is by GTCO-ATL so you can know what we think about the stories that are out there.  (The truth lies somewhere beneath all the rubble the School Board dishes out.)


Read more: CrossRoadsNews - Turnout low at meetings before cell towers vote

When the DeKalb School Board decided on July 11, 2011, to allow T-Mobile to erect 150-foot cell towers on nine DeKalb School System properties, public input into the decision was sparse at best.

Acutally, this statement is not exactly true.  The public input on July 11 was reportedly "very clear" according to several board members who suggested they had received many calls and emails regarding the three schools who ended up being removed from the list  They also claimed to have received many calls in favor of the cell towers at other schools, but the proof of these phone calls has not surfaced, nor have the names of these people who have yet to come forward publically and apparantly did not even wish to question things like, "will our school receive any money if we agree?" 

At the 12 schools that were on the original list, only 10 had people show up for the (T-mobile) meetings. The sign-in sheets from the meetings held between May 3 and May 11, 2011, obtained in an open record’s request this week show that only 110 people attended.

Question:  Even if we had an entire school turn out for one of these meetings, would it still qualify as a "public input meeting" as defined by the state law that requires the school board gain the input of the parents and community on issues of controversy?  Since the only people who did any talking were the T-mobile guys, wasn't this really just a sales pitch after the fact intended to reassure anyone who may have actually shown up?  People don't usually provide input into a decision immediately after watching a sales pitch while the sales person is still right there in the room.  So, these were really just meetings "to be informed" as the flyer suggested and not an opportunity to really influence the outcome.  AND, a quarom of board members must be present for a public meeting to take place.

The total number is incorrect if school officials actually signed themselves in on the total headcount provided below.  Crossroads reported that 3 members from the administrative staff plus the principal would have likely signed in at each meeting.  So, each total below should be adjusted to remove either 3 or 4 (if the principal attendeded or not) accordingly.

Princeton Elementary School meeting was scheduled for May 10, according to the original flyer that went home with children:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/86772448/58801355-Official-Notice-by-T-Mobile-and-DeKalb-County-School-Board.  And, if Womack and entourage signed in at all but 10 meetings, how did they manage to do that when many meetings took place on the same day and time?

Among those schools, Medlock Elementary in Decatur had the largest turnout with 55 people. It was followed by Jolly Elementary in Clarkston with 12 attendees. Six other schools had single-digit attendance of between three and nine people.

Medlock area parents had been approached early on in the process (and other PTAs have now admittd the same).  After saying no to the cell tower proposal, they soon learned their school had been closed.  Was this used as an example to keep the other school PTA's quiet? 

Medlock Elementary School had just been notified that their school was going to be closed so the turnout for the meeting was based on an activity neighborhood association wanting answers and finally having a public forum in which to address their board member on this issue. 

Also, worthy of noting that parents at schools with meetings that had already taken place were referred to attend one of the meetings on the last day, such as Medlock's meeting May 11.  These parents were unable to voice cell tower concerns because the meeting was mainly about Medlock's closing.

School district spokesman Walter Woods said there are no sign-in sheets for Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Lithonia and the Margaret Harris Center in Atlanta because no parents or residents showed up at either school.
 
Then why did Jay Cunningham discuss the meeting at length with a group of residents on Oct. 25, 2011, which was recorded and placed on YouTube here:  http://youtu.be/_BrYQJ2S3jg

Many people found out about the cell towers when the School Board voted 7-2 (vote was actually 6 - 2 - 1 as Chairman Tom Bowen was absent and did not vote).  last July to approve a proposal from T-Mobile USA Inc. (it is actually with T-Mobile South, a Delaware Limited Liability Company) to erect and operate the towers at six elementary schools, two high schools and a comprehensive school.

After parents complained about possible health risks from cell tower emissions, Brockett, Meadowview and Medlock elementary schools were removed from the list by their board members, Don McChesney and Sarah Copelin-Wood.

Actually, Brockett's board member was Paul Womack, although he has not acknowledged publically that his district includes Brockett.  And, none of these schools were removed from the list by their board members.  Super District Representative Pam Speaks was the only representative who brought up concerns spoken to her by Brockett Elementary.  All three of the schools removed were done so via a vote that took place at the July 11 board meeting on an ammendment proposed by board member Don McChestney. 

There is no public indication about exactly why these schools were removed or whether parents complained about possible health risks.  The lack of notification was one of the major complaints that the parents at Brockett tried to call to the attention of the board, as well as the fact that there would be a decline in property values, there was no need for improved service and that the towers would bring numerous safety concerns, not just health-related issues, with them.  You can read the full text of their objections, which was accompanied by a petition, here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/64682982/Stop-Brockett-Cell-Towers-061311?in_collection=3301270

In wake of the vote, a vocal group of parents and residents from across the county tried unsuccessfully to get the School Board to reconsider. Opponents say turnout was low because parents and residents were unaware of the meetings. 

Yes, they were unaware because they were not announced.  A flyer went home that stated there would be a meeting held at the school by T-mobile to discuss the placement of towers in various locations in DeKalb County.  It did not state that the locations would actually be the schools themselves.  And, no one suggested anything else until after the meetings were held.
Documents obtained from the school district show that the notice was posted on the district’s public access television station and it’s website and that the flyer was sent to principals and to the DeKalb Delegation. There were no media notification in the package, but Woods said that media advisories were sent and several television stations covered the meetings.

While all this may be true, the notices all contained the misleading, very vauge wording that did not actually state the true intentions of placing cell towers on school grounds.  These notifications should not qualify as being proper notice because they are only stating to be regarding a meeting notice for residents "to be informed" about T-mobile's plans to place cell towers "in various locations in DeKalb County."  Unless you had T-mobile service at the time and wanted better coverage, this notice did not appear to be relevent to you.

CrossRoadsNews was not among the media notified even though seven of the schools are located in it core coverage and distribution area.

Media showed up for some of the events, but left when they saw there was little or no attendence.  We have confirmation from WSB-TV that they did not run a story about the meetings and, even if they did, it would have been too late for the story to serve as an alert to residents interested in attending.  We did find one news story about Medlock's school closing and the proposed cell tower that aired about a week prior to the school board vote, but it did not provide the names of any of the other schools that were on the list.  WSB-TV ran the Brockett story the Sunday night prior to the Monday, July 11 vote, too late for any other school to have used that as a means for alerting their communty and showing up in opposition.  FOX also ran a story on the day of the vote that highlighted Briarlake and Medlock, but was far too late for anyone against the idea to be able to alert others.

A DeKalb Delegation bill to ban cell towers on school properties in DeKalb died March 6 in a Georgia House committee. (still not sure how a bill can "die" when it has 17 of 19 local delegates who signed on in support and who collectively represent far more citizens in the county than the 2 who did not sign or the committe chairman who does not even live in DeKalb County.)  Its author, state Rep. Karla Drenner, advertised in the DeKalb legal organ this week a bill that would require the School Board to hold a nonbinding referendum before it approves any more cell towers on school property.

Sen. Jason Carter also is sponsoring a bill to require state and local governments to hold public hearings before leasing public property for nongovernmental and commercial purposes.
Thomas Bowen, who was School Board chairman when the vote was taken, (albeit absent conveniently from the meeting when the vote took place) said that if the board was to reconsider every decision it makes, it would never get the people’s business done.

“This is not a novel idea. Fulton and Cobb counties have cell towers. The board felt comfortable enough to vote for it.”  Yes, and the fact that their residents reacted the exact same way we did should show everyone that the board knew very well what it was doing, knew it would upset a lot of people and cause controversy, an did it anyway.  The major difference was that DeKalb was the first school district in the U.S. to consider cell towers AFTER the W.H.O. upgraded their emissions to the level of possible human carcinigen.

Bowen, who represents District 6, said the issue continues because of a small group of unhappy people.  He said that there are lots of people who want towers for the revenues and the access to 911 service.  We have well over 1,000 people all across the county who have signed petitions countywide stating that they are against this decision.  The only "small" part about it is that it is reflective of 9 school communities.  The more communities they try to do this to, the larger the outrage will be. 

Where are these "pro tower" people?  They didn't show up for the T-mobile meetings.  They didn't show up for the Drenner hearings (all three of them).  They didn't blog an alternate viewpoint on any websites.  They either don't exist or there are so few of them that no one has ever seen any of them in real life.  This is a figment of Tom Bowen's imagination or perhaps a story he and Womack like to chuckle over while they count their mmoney, but it is not and never was true. 

The comment about 911 is a line fed by T-mobile to throw the public off the subject.  Every single cell tower, by law, must carry the 911 service and dedicate a separate channel to it that cannot accept intereference from the commercial use of the towers.  All school towers proposed are in areas that have 30 or more (as many as 155) cell towers with 911 service that works on any phone, even if you do not have a current service provider!

Bowen said the low and no turnout was not that significant. “The attendance does vary on every issue. And from schools to school,” he said.

Why would it be insignificant?  What is this man talking about?  This was the very first and only meeting we can recall being held at the cafeteria that was not a PTA meeting.  Is he trying to say they do this for "every issue?"  And is her pretending like he really thought, at the time, that no one actually cared about something this huge that has been a huge controversy everywhere else it has been proposed and handled this way?
District 7 board member Donna Edler said they were unaware of the low turnout when they voted, but doesn’t know if it would have made a difference in the decision. Edler and District 1 board member Nancy Jester were the only board members who voted against the proposal.

Wait a minute... how could they be unaware of the attendance of meetings held in their own districts??  These are being touted as "public input meetings" where decisions were made about how the community felt about the tower proposal.  But, the board members are now stating that none of them actually attended any of the meetings?  Then how can it be considered public input?  Who were the attendees supposed to be giving their input to?  How can any of the board members claim to have known how their communities would have wanted them to vote if they didn't even show up to listen to their questions and gain their feedback? 

This is a violation of the Georgia Open Meetings Act which states that any public meetinig, esp. where decisions are made, must have a quarum of the board members present, meeting minutes must be taken and attendance records must be complete and accurate.  We don't have  any of these things - so therefore we do not have a public input meeting. 

This is a clear violation of law and should invalidate any contracts or agreements signed as a result.  T-mobile, therefore, does not have a legal lease of school properties.  Here is another great reason our county needs to reject any applications for permits.
Under the agreement, T-Mobile will pay the district more than $2.3 million in rent over 30 years and each of the schools’ PTSAs will get a $25,000 one-time payment and an additional $25,000 each time T-Mobile co-locates other providers on the towers.

Not true.  Per the February meeting of the Buget, Finance and Audit committee, the money all goes to the school district.  These other sums will not be paid directly by T-mobile to any group other than the school board.

For each lease, the school district, which signed contracts with T-Mobile on Dec. 8, 2011, will be paid $16,800 per year plus $4,800 for each provider that co-locates on the towers.

With co-location also comes more radiation and no accountability.  That's more contractors on school grounds, more liability isues, more traffic.
District 5 board member Jay Cunningham, whose district includes three of the schools – Narvie J. Harris and Flat Rock elementary and MLK Jr. High – said he didn’t know the number of meeting attendees when he voted but it’s time to move forward to other issues.

He didn't know that not only did he not show up for the meeting that he told everyone that he had attended, but no one else did, either?  Then why did he give details about the meeting and scold the residents in another meeting for not attending and leaving him to make the decision without their input.  And, at the school board meeting, he claimed they had meetings and everyone was in favor.

“We should have more people at meetings,” he said. “But I met with the parents at MLK and we have moved on. We are moving forward and waiting to see what the state Legislature does.”

Yes, we should, starting with the representative who is supposed to be holding the meeting.  No, they haven't moved on.  This isn't something you just come to terms with and accept.  And no matter how often you, or Cheryl Atkinson or Walter Woods tell us that it is time to move on, we will not do so until the tower proposal is dead - and T-mobile has moved on for good.

Kill the Cell Towers: Updates and How You Can Help!

(click headline for details)

To ask the CEO of DeKalb County to deny T-mobile's attempts to gain access to our schools for their towers via Administrative Permits, please contact the office of Mr. Burrell Ellis:

Email:  schedulingceoellis@dekalbcountyga.gov  or ceo@dekalbcountyga.gov.

And Sign the Countywide Petiton:  www.thepetitionsite.com/1/GTCO-ATL

The Briarcliff-North Druid Hills Patch and the DeKalb School Watch Two Blog have both picked up on the story started by Crossroads that the DeKalb Commissioners have come forth to oppose the cell towers slated for 9 schools in DeKalb County.  Here's a link to the latest:  http://dekalbschoolwatch.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/county-commissioners-seek-to-kill-school-cell-towers/

DeKalb County, GA, Board of Commissioners give “thumbs down” to cell towers at school, according to a report published recently:
 http://crossroadsnews.com/view/full_story/18055161/article-Commissioners-give-thumbs-down-to-cell-towers-at-school by reporter Jennifer Parker.

The DeKalb County Commissioners have finally responded after months of inquiry from across the county from concerned residents and parents. They penned a single letter, dated March 27 and signed by all 7 comissioners. It was sent to CEO Burrell Ellis’s attention and acknowledged by school board spokesman Walter Woods. The important points in the letter:

* DeKalb County Board of Commissioners are against the placement of cell towers on school grounds!
 * T-mobile does not qualify for exemption from zoning.
 * DeKalb County should not ignore its own regulations or give up local control.
 * They have listened to their constituents and have decided to take a more active approach to the conflict.
 * These towers would not normally be approved as they are not consistent with the zoning regulations, already established for cell towers, designed to protect the citizens and their property values.
 * They urge CEO Burrell Ellis to deny any requests for Special Administrative Permit as case law from the Supreme Court of Georgia does not support it.

To help stop T-mobile from placing dangerous cell towers on school grounds in DeKalb County, please take a moment to send a letter or email to the CEO Burrell Ellis (contact details below). He is familiar with the dispute as his office has been contacted by a number of residents since the beginning of this process, but it will help for him to hear some simple statements of support for following the advice of the county commissioners.

You may voice your concern directly to: 

Mr. W. Burrell Ellis, Jr.

 Chief Executive Officer

 DeKalb County Government

 330 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue, 6th Floor

 Decatur, GA 30030

Note to Parents:  If your child attends high school at either Martin Luther King or Lakeside, please encourage him or her to write a short letter to the CEO stating his / her request that the cell towers be denied.   If Lakeside High students do not believe they need better cell service at the possible expense of young elementary school children across the county, this would be an excellent opportunity for the CEO to hear from those constituents who may not have voting rights, but still have rights and should be able to speak for themselves.

Email: schedulingceoellis@dekalbcountyga.gov  or ceo@dekalbcountyga.gov.

Phone Numbers:           
404-371-2881       Executive Office
404-371-2521       Neighborhood Empowerment
404-371-6301       Scheduling Line

Copy (Optional) to: For extra assurance your letter of support reaches the right people, you may wish to send a copy to:
 The Director of Public Works
 The Director (or Interim Director) of Planning & Sustainability
 The Chief of Staff for the Office of Community Relations.
The names of these individuals are difficult to find and change frequently, so simply using the titles and sending the “copy:” to the same address as the CEO’s address below is recommended for now until we learn more about the individuals who may hold these positions currently.

Additional Copy (Optional) to: You may also wish to copy: your local Board of Commissioners Representative (or all of them) just to inform him/her that you are taking the next step to ensure the CEO knows the letter they penned is also backed by the wishes of the people of DeKalb County. Contact details can be found here: http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/boc/contact.html.

To have your letter reprinted on the Get the Cell Out ATL website, forward a copy of it and/or your reply to sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com. We will not publish your name to ensure your privacy.

Sign petition: The countywide protest can also be supported by just adding your signature to the petiton at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/GTCO-ATL.

For more information: For more suggestions and tips for fighting the towers and learning the truth, visit Get the Cell Out – Atlanta, http://www.GETtheCELLoutATL.org.

This level of consensus from all parts of the county is rare in Georgia, and even more so in DeKalb County. It comes on the heels of a nearly unamimous show of support for a local ban of cell towers on school grounds, with 17 of 19 from the DeKalb delegation signing onto the House Bill authored by Karla Drenner (D – Avondale Estates). The bill did not make it through its committee prior to crossover day and was therefore “killed,” but it still sent a powerful message that the will of the people was going to prevail in one way or another. Drenner’s current referendum seeks the placement of the issue on the November ballot so communities can finally be heard.

Another bill, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Jason Carter (D), met a similar fate, but sought to close any perceived loopholes in the zoning laws that might be giving the school board an opportunity to avoid using proper channels. It alerted the commissioners that they needed to take a more active role in the process. We will just have to wait and see what impact the letter sent to the CEO might have on the final decision. For now, T-mobile has not submitted any applications. Citizens can still influence the decision by reaching out to the CEO’s office or appealing the applications once they are filed.

TUCKER PATCH: Some “Choice” Words for Parents

(click headline for full story)

Tucker parent Cheryl Miller holds her young daughter outside Brockett Elementary
School last July. Miller was interviewed by a local television news reporter about the
upcoming cell tower vote that the school board would be making and she voiced
her concerns that most people in most of the communities affected were
completely unaware of what was, "probably going to happen."

Reprinted with permission
Local Voices, Cheryl Miller, Get the Cell Out - ATL
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 5:35 am

I have been concerned about the issue of cell towers on school grounds since I first heard about it last May.  A lot has changed in my life since then as a result of this and other actions that were taken by the DeKalb County School Board.

We fought to protect our neighborhood from the unannounced intrusion and, thankfully, we won that small part of this much larger battle.  We started speaking out to warn other schools about the cell tower decision and, hopefully, we made the dangers of RF radiation a little better known throughout the county.  We did this through an unofficial group called Get the Cell Out - Atlanta and we post blogs on our website frequently about the things we have learned during this process.

We are even hoping to continue reaching out to others on this subject by remaining active with a group called The Center for Safer Wireless.  They have great information that can tell you what you need to know to keep your family safe while the debate over the science behind wireless technology continues in the worlds of research, science and politics.

You wouldn’t do something dangerous if you were warned ahead of time of the risks, right?  And you wouldn't insist that others do it just because you wanted to take a chance with your life, right?  The scary part about cell phones is that we were given the technology years ago without the warnings because, at the time, they were thought to be safe.

Now we have embraced the good features and benefits into our culture, but that means our money has gone toward a lot of big businesses that have motivation to prevent us from learning about the dangers that have surfaced, not just in independent research, but even in the studies they have funded themselves.  We have to separate out the PR machine of what the cell phone industry wants us to believe and the cautions we are getting from the medical community.  Consider the source of the information before you accept anything as fact.

You can expect more of the topic of cell towers when you return from Spring Break.  We expect there will be construction activity and a lot of people who previously have not kept up with the news will soon learn about what has been decided without their input.  They will not be happy about, that's for sure.

Where do we go from here?

We took our child out of public school because we felt that a school board that is willing to risk lawsuits by devising plans to narrowly comply with the law just to avoid public input into a decision is obviously not interested in what any of us have to say about anything they do.  So, if I cannot have input and I cannot trust them to make good decisions, how can I leave my child’s education in their hands?  That would be irresponsible of me, if I have other choices.

And, I do.  And, so do you.  But, whatever you decide to do about your child’s education, the most important thing is that you pay attention to what is going on so you will know when action on your part is necessary.  You don’t have to plan a major protest or even join the PTA.  And, given the fact that the PTA elected to keep quiet when they were informed about the cell towers, I personally would not be renewing my membership if I were still involved with the school.  They did not represent me and isn’t that the whole reason to be a member of an association?

I know they are not obligated to think like I do.  But  I am not obligated to join them or pay them my dues, either.  And, in my opinion, they should not be allowed to accept an offer of $25,000 or more from anyone if there are strings attached that include whether or not to tell me something that, as a member, I have a right to know.  These cell towers are obviously worth a lot of money to someone, and avoiding the public input and notification tells me that it probably isn’t the community, the children or the teachers that will be the ones to benefit.

But, even if you are confident in your PTA or you think everything is fine at your child’s school, that’s no excuse to  put the blinders on and just hope things will continue.  I think many of us assume that if there was something going on at the school that we needed to know about, someone would tell us.  And, that may be true, but how do we know they will tell us soon enough for it to matter?
Ultimately, the future is up to you

We must stay vigilant in the fight to ensure our children are getting everything they deserve.  The number one thing you can do to ensure your child has a happy future, is to impress upon him or her the importance of getting a good education now.  And if you don’t think that is happening at your neighborhood school, try to figure out what the problems are and how you can help solve them. 

Sometimes just calling attention to the issues will make the people who work there step up and do something about it.  No one likes their faults to be called out.  If you can do it politely and with an offer of help, you might get the issues resolved and that will help your child and every other child at that school.

If you have no option other than leaving the school, consider your child’s circumstances before you decide what is best.  There are other “free” forms of education out there, from home-schooling to an online K-12 program which is funded by the state.  There are private schools that offer scholarships and other forms of financial aid.  And, there are private school start-ups that are not as expensive as what you might think.

I have even heard of families joining together to form a home school program in a local church or community center where one parent agrees to be the teacher so they do not all have to stay home from work.  It’s a throw back to the one-room school rooms that we have heard about from the old days.

There’s something to be said about a dedicated teacher, no stifling bureaucracy  and parents who are invested in seeing it work.  That’s how charters get their start.  If there are a lot of people in your area who feel the same way, you can look into the options to start a charter, but that will likely take time and only help you if you have more kids coming up in the system, not the child you are probably concerned about right away.

School vouchers may be a good idea after all

And, if the subject of school vouchers is ever brought up in Georgia, I will likely be one of the first to jump on board with supporting it.  A voucher would give every parent access to the best schools in their area by giving “credit” that can be used toward private schools.  Essentially the dollars we as taxpayers put into a child’s education would stay with the child, regardless of where he or she attends school.  So, the private schools would have a new market for income which means more of them could pop up to try and attract more students.

And, it means the public schools would have to shape up.  They would essentially have to “compete” in order to keep kids there.  Options give everyone a chance to do the best thing for their child.  But, right now, the options are too limited, even with charters in the mix because regardless of what you choose, the child is still within the public system, so the dollars stay in house.  With vouchers, every child would actually be worth something to those who insist on looking at schools for their dollars and cents.  If they don’t deliver, they lose headcount and that leads to a loss in funding for them. 

They would be forced to shape up, or lose money which leads to a loss in power and influence.  And if the job doesn't come with so many perks, who know, we might find some people who are in it for the right reasons - they actually care about the education of children.

See where I’m going with this?