Rockdale Citizen

"I see slaves in Conyers almost every day. On my way in to work, I stopped at a local gas station on Irwin Bridge to get coffee and I see guys in there that are buying the cheap 40 oz. beers at 7 a.m. They are usually on foot and usually buying several bottles for the day. They are slaves to that alcohol and cannot make it through a day without it. I want to give them Sundays off so I will vote against Sunday sales. I would also like to say that those people would not even consider living in this county if they couldn't get cheap booze. Something for the BOC to consider. Those folks are not helping our community in any way except the small amount of taxes they pay on the beer. They cost us a lot in public services and by the fact that many good families do not want their children growing up around that. So they leave or decide not to move here because we have attracted a bad element here."

"I teach high school here and I am wondering why I am seeing so many transfer students coming into our school in the last few weeks. I have had five new students in the last two weeks. Other teachers are telling me the same thing. A large percentage of them are intercounty transfers from Salem High. Every one of them has failing grades, too. I am trying to get my scores up and this doesn't help. I try not to look at it like that but the county office is looking only at my scores, so it's hard not to look at the kids in the same way."

"Could someone explain to me why the Finance Department is requesting a budget that is almost $400,000 more than last year? And nearly $50,000 over 2010's budget? Is this for more raises for Miller and her staff? Has Miller even gotten her bachelor's degree yet? The one that was originally required to lead the Finance Department? The Fire Department, Senior Services, Animal Control -- all of these departments have their budgets cut. I noticed that the Community Relations Department, formerly led by Erika Fatima, is also allotted an increase -- almost $36,000 more than last year, and also increased over its 2010 budget. Why? Why at this time, when this county has a declining tax base, do we need increases for the Finance Department and the 'Community Relations' department? This is just more mishandling of the taxpayers money."

"I almost never comment in the Citizen Poll; however, my blood was boiling after reading last week's poll. First of all, I read that students will now be evaluating teachers? And that these evaluations will determine how much a teacher's pay increases. Are you serious? So the teachers that students 'like,' AKA are easy, will get great evaluations and pay and the ones that are not well-liked by K-12 students will get less pay. Are you serious? Whose idea was this? Do you expect k-12 students to be mature enough to make these unbiased decisions which cannot be based on emotions? I am in my early 30s and remember how immature I was in high school. Students will use this to hurt teachers whom they have a grudge against. So glad I am no longer a teacher! The public school system has gone to the birds!"

"Do you remember when the people of Rockdale County voted for no MARTA? Well it didn't count!"

"To the person who enjoys pulling their little rude stunt at fast food 'joints' ... The window usually takes longer than walking into the place. Why don't you get your lazy, rude, mean-spirited, fast food eating bum out of your car and walk in!? How rude you are doing this to those hardworking, most likely, minimum wage workers! Maybe you need to work at one of these 'joints' for a few days and experience what it's like dealing with people like you! Obviously, you have a lot of time on your hands ... volunteer!"

"As a teacher I am extremely concerned that teachers are ignored and receive no type of support at local elementary schools. When a teacher has a discipline problem that is severe enough to take a child to the office, it would be extremely helpful if an administrator would get up and come and offer support and help. They claim they are so busy that they cannot stop a meeting and take five minutes to support a teacher. Don't you think the student knows then they have the upper hand? Certainly they do. Nothing is done to them. The principal/assistant principal/support staff/no one has time to get up from a conference table and take the time to discipline a child. The administrators spend their days with half the office staff sitting at a table meeting about something. God only knows what they can meet about every day, all day. Also, you are told they will be coming to observe you. Day after day, no one comes because, again, they are sitting at a conference table in meetings. Yet, you can stand and listen and seems like a lot of idle chit chat is going on with extreme loud laughing. Looks like there are many unhappy teachers in Rockdale County. People are speaking out through the phone poll more than ever. Isn't someone going to listen? Teachers are treated like second-class citizens. When can the teachers begin evaluating the administrators and front office staff? Seems like that would only be fair. Might get rid of some of the slackers that you continue day after day sitting and talking and socializing in the front office."

"I am an elementary school teacher. Yes, I realize that we stay many days after hours. We go back for meetings. We have fall festivals and other PTA meetings we must attend. However, we still are required to be in our classrooms at 7 a.m. each morning. It does not matter how late you choose to stay in the afternoons. You are responsible for the students who enter your classroom at 7 a.m. after they exit the bus. I see the same people day after day who are late to school. Some are 15 or so minutes late, but some are as much as 30 minutes to an hour and someone has to cover their class for them. Yes, everyone sleeps late or runs late occasionally, but this is an ongoing problem. The office seems to be blind to this problem. There are mornings that there is no adult in the classroom for 15 minutes. Who is going to be held responsible if a child is hurt during this time? There is a sign-in book in the office. However, there is not always anyone there to actually monitor the book. Even when the names are highlighted over and over and over ... no action is taken. The problem still persists. Rules mean nothing to the teachers, so why should the students take rules seriously? For the ones of us who strive to be at school not only on time but early, this rubs us the wrong way. We need a reward system as well as a punishment for the ones who break the rules. This would not continue to be tolerated in the 'real' workplace. You would lose your job over attendance points."

"Someone obviously does not know much about the cushion jobs that the custodians have now. Not only do they know how to use the computers, the head custodian has a computer in their office. They know how to use it very well. They spend more time playing on their computer than they ever thought about cleaning our classrooms. Our principal never seems to see that problem, either. I suppose that also goes back to when they are in their meetings. They seem to turn a deaf ear when teachers try to tell them about what all a couple of the custodians do not do. They accuse us of being negative. I guess they have a problem seeing the dirt all over the building also. Yes, there are some very rude people at the county office, and they think they are beyond helping some of the ones who really do need help. For them, I am sorry and I think the people at the county level should be taken down a notch, but there are custodians who use their computers very well. They balance their checkbooks on a daily basis and shop on the Internet. Guess it takes all kinds. This goes back to the administrators not really knowing what goes on in their own buildings. Again, you have to occasionally walk the halls to know what is going on."

"It is very difficult to help to solve problems within the school that you teach in. If you open your mouth and anything negative comes out, your administrator will accuse you of being negative and not being a team player. Some people do not come to school 180 days a year with a smile plastered on their face. Some teachers work in the real world and have problems and need help from their peers to work through them. You are not allowed to discuss anything that is not positive. They do not believe we are having problems within our grade levels. They do not believe that there is too much pressure being put on us. They do not understand that we are taking hours of work home with us at night and spending our own money to try and make our lessons fun and interesting. Tasks and standards that we have to teach but are required to purchase the materials with our own money. No one has time to sit down and listen to us. No one wants to hear any remark unless it is glowingly positive and we are smiling when we discuss it. No one wants to be a part of the real world of education. If we go above the administrators within our own building we will lose our job. We don't know what to do. We need a union. We need someone who will listen and take action."

"A parent commented that they were sick of their child's teachers being out of the classroom so much in meetings. How do you think the classroom teachers feel? This extended planning that we have is a waste of time. Don't you think we'd rather be in the class with our children? We feel like we are not even teaching our children what they need to learn because we waste so much of our time in meetings or trying to do paperwork. The new system is failing. Teachers are failing their students and we know we are. Please do not suggest we have these meetings after school. Do you realize that we have faculty meetings on Tuesdays and grade level on Wednesdays, both after school? We do not get planning time during our planning period. There is always something foolish to take up our time. We do not get to plan after school because again, there is something foolish to take up our time. If we plan, we do it at home. If we grade papers, we do it at home. If we do progress reports, we do them at home. When we do report cards, we do them at home. If we make things for our students to use in our classroom, we do it at home on our computer and using our toner and paper. There is no time to do anything at school. Parents, if you really only knew the time that is wasted during the day at school, you'd be amazed. Teachers are trying. We know things that would make the system work so much better and ways to improve things but no one will listen. The powers that be with the administrators and the higher ups at the county office know everything. We are merely peons."

"Can you really believe that the White House is not going to have Christmas trees this year? They will have holiday trees. No, I am sorry but they are Christmas trees and we celebrate the Christmas season. I cannot believe that the people are going to sit back and let the president and his family do this. The White House is not their house. They are only living there until we can vote a new president in. They should have to follow traditions. And you want to believe they are Christians? Christians who don't want Christmas trees?"

"Very thankful to a great neighbor and the Rockdale Sheriff for catching three perps breaking and entering in progress. Hoping these three get what they deserve. With the holidays coming, everyone should take note of what this neighbor did ... Saw something suspicious and acted! Due the those fast actions, the Sheriff's department was able to catch them as they were still entering the house."

"To the person that posted the huge paragraph about needing MARTA ... Good riddance ... Rockdale does not need MARTA! If you moved here and don't like it then move back where you came from! There are plenty of original Rockdale folks that like Rockdale just the way it is!"

"I am 19 years old and I was born in this county. I thought I had an idea of the kindness of others until I was involved in a head-on collision. It was at 9:30 p.m. at the bridge going over I-20 and I was badly injured. There were cars everywhere, and not one single person stopped to give a witness statement. I'm going to come out of pocket tens of thousands for medical bills because no one wanted to donate 10 minutes of their time to fill out a small piece of paperwork. Not too mention the Deputy who filled out the accident report was a rookie, who couldn't determine who was at fault. It would have been nice not to be out a car, a job, and having to learn how to walk again."

"Nov. 18th paper, head line, Sunday sales going to vote in March, 2012. In reading the article, twice, it seems that the BOC has somewhat of problem defining who is actually a citizen of Rockdale. Two ballots, one for the city and one for the county? As it was explained to me by the commissioners office that this double ballot is to give citizens the say to a yes or no. I say to the citizens of Rockdale County, and the city limit citizens of Conyers that we are one, not two different species or culture, as I see it. It is time for this county to come out of the 'Gone With The Wind' coma it's in and step up as 'one' and vote it through."

"Big 'thanks' to whomever donated a turkey to every fire station. For those of us who have to work the holiday, it is a very nice gesture of appreciation. I am thankful to work for/in this wonderful county."

"Why is it that with all the resources the police have at their disposal they have to shut the interstates completely down for hours to investigate a fatal accident. Are they not smart enough to take the plain facts and figure it out."