Accreditation Deadline Firm for Clayton County Schools

By Odette Yousef

ATLANTA – More bad news for Clayton County's school system

Both of the school board's finalists for the job of superintendent have withdrawn from consideration for the job.

Meanwhile, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, will not reconsider its deadline for Clayton County schools to comply with accreditation standards.
Clayton County School Board member Eddie White requested an extension when he tendered his resignation last Friday.

White, Vice Chair of the school board, is widely respected among residents and educators. In his letter, White asked SACS presidents Mark Elgart to give the system more time to fix its problems... in return, White says he'll try to persuade the other board members to resign, too

WHITE 3: Certainly I don't want the boys and girls in the system to be punished over something that we can rectify, if, in fact, Dr. Elgart would actually ask to make a change. I just want to believe that he will. I think he will do it.

Elgart says he's reviewed White's request, but SACS will stick to the September 1st deadline:

ELGART 2: They've given the time frame and the pathway for the district to retain its accreditation, and they remain firm that the nine recommendations can and must be met in order for the district to retain accreditation.

White is the third Clayton school board member to resign a fourth was voted off the board by his peers.