Dear neighbor and friend,

I struggled tonight at the Board meeting to find the words to express how I feel. I take no solace in knowing that my beliefs have been confirmed by the recent report issues by the State of Georgia. But in the end, whether right or wrong, the conclusion is the same – I failed to protect thousands of children (children who mostly come from homes similar to mine).

I for one don't want to see this Board go back to the so-called 2009 "Board of Excellence" because that Board failed to protect children who were cheated by this school district. That Board was told to stop asking questions and to stop visiting schools. In the end, that Board fell for a "micromanaging" ruse perpetrated upon it. Ultimately, it took civil disobedience to challenge the status quo and to get to this very uncomfortable, but necessary, day. With that said, I'm confident that this Board under Brenda Muhammad's leadership and its new Superintendent Erroll Davis will coalesce and do what's best for children.

It remains to be seen, however, whether the soul of Atlanta has been truly stirred – Atlanta is facing a genuine crisis of character, character that is decaying because of fear, intimidation and retaliation.

I believe three questions should haunt Atlanta for the foreseeable future:

1. Why was the cheating scandal so exclusively pronounced for some children and not for others (splitting sharply along racial lines) and yet equal in its mistreatment of the poor and disenfranchised? Why were these children – mostly low income and African-American – so cavalierly denied access to America's promise?
2. How did we – the elected officials, business leaders, and the system itself – become complicit in, through our actions and in our silence, a deal with the Devil that sold out a generation of children for the sake of the city's image and the district's "perception of success?"
3. Who, in the end, benefited from this collusion? Why did powerful people use their positions to punish those who dared to speak out? Why was legislation created to expressly limit the voice of the electorate, the people? What was behind the decision to place into law a provision to "restrict the powers of the Board" as outlined in the APS Charter?

If Atlanta is lucky, these questions will force the community to confront a long overdue and difficult conversation about race, class and power. And while some people will proclaim that we must move forward now to put this episode behind us, for the sake of the kindergarten classes that starts next year and the year after that, Atlanta will have to be uncomfortable for a while before we can truly claim victory.

It has been said that "A man should be able to find an education by taking the broad highway. He should not have to take by-roads through the woods and follow winding trails through sharp thickets, in constant tension because of the pitfalls and traps, and after years of effort, perhaps obtain the threshold of his goal when he is past caring about it." A parent right here in this auditorium demanded such; I just hope she was heard.

To my colleagues and for the courageous acts of Brenda Muhammad, Courtney English, Nancy Meister, and Yolanda Johnson you have demonstrated that against all odds, you will hold steadfast to your oath of office and act boldly when it comes to the welfare of children entrusted in your care. It is on your shoulders that this challenge now rests.

To my neighbors, friends and supporters, thank you. You gave me the voice to speak out, even when it was unpopular to do so. You demanded that I stand when others suggested I sit. Thank you, for the chance to serve, to grow, to learn, and the opportunity to do what's right.

What I wasn't able to do for children in Atlanta, I hope to accomplish in the city of Newark where I've been asked to help lead Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg's contribution of $100M to turn around that city's schools.

With that, I am announcing my resignation as a member of the Atlanta Board of Education, effective immediately at the adjournment of this meeting. The general counsel is prepared to brief the Board on the process for naming my successor to serve until the November municipal election.

In service,

Khaatim S. El

• Your Board representatives Courtney English, At-Large Seat 7, and myself will host monthly town hall meetings to provide updates on the Board's progress in meeting the six required actions set forth by SACS.
• At the next town hall meeting, you want more specific information about the SACS six required actions that the Board must complete and you want to develop a process to ensure our community has input into the selection of a new superintendent. You also want to know more about the Board's charter -- what does it say about the role of the Board and superintendent.
• You recommended that I create a council of leaders, including teachers, parents, students and community stakeholders who can advise me on key issues facing our community and the school district.
• You also said you want Board members to be more visible in the schools they represent, attending PTA meetings, participating in school events, etc.

The Atlanta Board of Education takes its governance role very seriously.  It welcomed the SACS review and fully cooperated in the process.  Retention of the district’s accreditation is a top priority for the board, because the academic standing and reputation of the district is at stake. We want to be clear that the district’s high schools are currently accredited. Our students can apply to the colleges and universities of their choice and for the HOPE and other scholarships. The AdvancEd/SACS report focuses solely on Atlanta Board of Education governance issues and is not in any way associated with the strength or quality of the instructional programs and curriculum in APS schools.

We are carefully reviewing the report, but we can assure parents, students, staff and the public that nothing will stand in the way of us successfully addressing each and every one of the issues identified in the SACS report with immediate and long-term corrective actions and solutions.  Dr. Mark Elgart, President and CEO of AdvancED (SACS) will be at the board meeting on Monday to answer board member questions. We look forward to working hand in hand with SACS and the superintendent to ensure that we are meeting their standards and expectations.

The board must show substantial progress towards meeting the six “Required Actions” outlined in the report by September 30, 2011 and must submit two progress reports, the first due on May 1, 2011. We will provide regular reports of our progress at board meetings and will post information on our website so that everyone can stay informed.  The website has the full report and a FAQ from AdvancED that answers many questions about the accreditation process.

We want to reiterate that Atlanta Public Schools high schools are currently accredited and students and parents can apply to colleges and for scholarships.

Maintaining the district’s accreditation is the utmost priority for the board and the administration and we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that accreditation is not lost. 

The board is committed to following our norms and behaving in a manner that is consistent with our governance role.    In addition, the board and the administration are working together to ensure that we are in full compliance with the SACS governance standards.  As a part of that process, a portion of the board has already begun reviewing board policies and practices with staff are identifying areas where we are strong and areas where improvement is needed. The results of this analysis will be shared with the full Board and we will work together to strengthen those areas through a collaborative process.

We will also fully cooperate with SACS and their review team and will seek their assistance in resolving any areas of concern.  We will keep the public informed of the results of our work.

Earlier today the Superior Court of Fulton County agreed with a majority of the Board and affirmed that the actions to remove the previous Chair were legitimate, legal and complied with the letter and intent of the Charter.

Not a dry tear in the room as Booker T. Washington’s class of 2010 valedictorian gives his address. Deonte Bridges the first African-American male to receive this prestigious honor in over a decade gave an emotional, yet inspiring speech to his fellow classmates and to the audience at the Civic Center, May 2010.

Deonte has excelled despite adversities, as he said “stereotyped by society, enticed by drugs, robbed at gun point, experienced the death of his brother”, and dealing with his mother’s life threatening disease of Leukemia, Deonte never gave any excuses for his life, but only worked that much harder to be the best. After staying up all hours of the night to complete assignments, taking challenging AP courses; Deonte stands today as a proud recipient of over $1 million in scholarships including the honorable Millenium Gates Scholarship.

Deonte stated, ”doing what is necessary, not comfortable” helped him to see beyond his environment. As he started his speech with the words of Maya Angelou’s poem recited at the augural celebration of then president Bill Clinton, Deonte said “I Rise” as he commanded the audience and gave permission for everyone their to make manifest the greatness in them, he saluted his fellow classmates and honored their achievements.

Deonte has a bright future ahead of him, not because everything came easy to him, but because he worked like his life depended on it…and it did! We salute you Deonte Bridges for beating the odds and being a living shining example for young African-American males within your community.

Check out Deonte's speech, by clicking on the link below

http://www.apsk12.org/media/VIDEO_PAGES/BTW_Val2010.html