As of Friday, August 17, 2012
© Copyright 2013
Rockdale Citizen
"Historically, there have been four main sources of lead poisoning: paint, gasoline, tin cans, and water pipes. And water pipes -- well, they've never been the most important source of lead poisoning, but they've been the most resistant to change. Thousands of miles of lead pipe are still in service, and as Sheila Kaplan and Corbin Hiar report this week, efforts to fix them have not just run aground, but possibly even made things worse. The EPA wrote a rule in 1991 that forced water utilities to control lead levels, if necessary by replacing pipes. But the utilities sued, saying they didn't have the legal authority to replace the portions of pipe on private property -- that is, the last 40 or 50 feet of pipe leading into homes. Few homeowners have done so, to their detriment ... Partial pipe replacements can physically shake loose lead fragments that have built up and laid dormant inside the pipe, pushing them into the homeowners' water, and spiking the lead levels, even where they previously were not high. In addition, the type of partial replacement that joins old lead pipes to new copper ones, using brass fittings, "spurs galvanic corrosion that can dramatically increase the amount of lead released into drinking water supplies. Full-scale lead removal from the environment would be expensive. It would mean cleaning up all the lead suspended in soil, retrofitting millions of old window fittings, and replacing thousands of miles of lead pipe. But the costs of lead poisoning are enormous too. We've known for a long time that high levels of blood lead in children are dangerous, but more recent research shows that the biggest effects actually come at the smallest levels. Those benefits include higher IQs, less violent crime, lower teen pregnancy rates, better impulse control in teens, less aggressively, fewer cases of attention deficit disorder, lower incarceration rates, less drug use, and higher lifetime incomes. That's a lot of benefits. It is, almost literally, a crime that we're condemning the future of millions of kids because we're not willing to spend the money it would take to fix all this."
"U.S. Airman from Conyers killed in Afghanistan. Where was the article in the RC? On page 11A. The second to last page. Sure, he wasn't born and raised here, but he did reside here. Come on RC, you're better than that."
Editor's note: That story broke on the AP wire late in the evening after the paper was essentially ready to go to press. Our copy desk made the decision to put the story in the paper rather than hold it for the next day. The Citizen made repeated attempts to locate family members or friends of the airman but was unsuccessful.
"All right RCPS and/or BOE. The new CJ Hicks school is very nice and was needed. Now it's time to do something similar to JH House and Pine Street. They're just about as old, if not older. I think a new elementary school on the northeast side of the county is long overdue."
"The special elections over and there are still candidate signs on lawns -- it's OK to be redneck, but do you have to flaunt it? Idea for the county (can be done by RWS on their route) ... charge a $1/sign per day if not removed. HOA's, are you listening?"
"To the extra large loudmouth female who was cussing out another driver for getting to the gas pump before she did while at the same time blabbing on a cell phone at Kroger on Highway 138 Wednesday afternoon, you made a complete fool of yourself for all to see. I hope that hunter green T-shirt with staff stretched across the back was no indication that you work with children. What a shame that such filth and hatred could come out of another person's mouth towards a complete stranger all because you wanted to pump your gas before she did, even though you were facing the car that just left and the line had formed in the rear! And then to get out of your SUV demanding that she back up so you could go first? Bravo to the sane lady for taking the high road and ignoring your rant and pulling off to another pump when space allowed. I hope you don't kiss your children with your nasty mouth!"
"I am a teacher at Peek's Chapel Elementary in Conyers. ... On the first day of teacher preplanning on July 23, 2012, (an administrator) instructed the faculty to drive to Stone Mountain and either walk up it or walk around it. It was 90-plus degrees outside and the faculty wasn't properly prepared at all. My group (we were placed in teams), had a teacher who is over 65 years old. After about a mile in the hot sun her legs began to throb and she told us she couldn't go any farther. She waited, with another colleague, under a tree while we went and got the car. When we got back to school (an administrator) asked us if we completed the walk. We told him the truth and why. He then told us (with the 65-year-old-teacher right next to him) that we should have abandoned her and completed the walk without her! He complained about my team to the entire faculty because we decided to stay with our colleague. This true story is just a taste of what the faculty and staff have to deal with on a daily basis .... The environment at my school Peek's Chapel Elementary is unhealthy ... We need a change. We love the children. We love our Peek's Chapel community! ... Teachers and parents have gone to the county office to complain and letters have been written. We have a wonderful new superintendent! I believe that he will bring about a change for us!"
More like this story
- Rockdale Citizen Poll - 07-23-11 ( September 3, 2011 )
- Rockdale Citizen Poll - 04-23-11 ( September 3, 2011 )
- Rockdale Citizen Poll - 02-05-11 ( September 3, 2011 )
- Rockdale Citizen Poll - 06-11-11 ( September 3, 2011 )
- Rockdale Citizen Poll - 04-16-11 ( September 3, 2011 )
Comments
Southside 10 months ago
I'm over 65 years old and if you will publish the administrator's name, I'll challenge him or her to keep up with this old man for a day. I don't have kids in school anymore, but if I did I'd want their teachers to have a clue in the class room. Nothing is learned walking around Stone Mountain and if your post is true, the administrator didn't learn anything in college or his class room experience. To Mr. Autry: it isn't about how many push ups you can do, it's about graduating productive citizens.
Sundance 10 months ago
Regarding the Peeks chapel comment, I have always gotten the impression that there is very little oversight on the principals and administrators. It seems like the Superintendent and County Office admin folks just look at numbers. They seem clueless on managing or training the principals. They are about scores only. I mean, how often do they review discipline documentation, leadership meetings, or just test the attitude temperature in the hallways?
ctownslimm 10 months ago
This school system acts like they are still teaching Richie and Potsy. Our current school environment needs strict discipline compliance. RCPS doesnt really check on that effectively. The best discipline in the county seems to be HHS. And guess where all the good families want their kids to go? I dont see why the county office doesnt understand this. I think our system lawyer is a wheeler dealer instead of the tough-minded civil servant we need to help clean up the schools.
ConcernedAmerican99 10 months ago
Peeks Chapel Administrator: Let me get this straight. The teachers were to leave the 65-year old alone, overheated, exhausted, in physical distress to what ?? Possibly die alone of a heat stroke??? I cannot believe the BOE would have anyone so clueless, cruel and dangerous.
VPublicola 10 months ago
"I am a teacher at Peek's Chapel Elementary in Conyers. ... On the first day of teacher preplanning on July 23, 2012, (an administrator) instructed the faculty to drive to Stone Mountain and either walk up it or walk around it. It was 90-plus degrees outside and the faculty wasn't properly prepared at all. My group (we were placed in teams), had a teacher who is over 65 years old. After about a mile in the hot sun her legs began to throb and she told us she couldn't go any farther. She waited, with another colleague, under a tree while we went and got the car. When we got back to school (an administrator) asked us if we completed the walk. We told him the truth and why. He then told us (with the 65-year-old-teacher right next to him) that we should have abandoned her and completed the walk without her! He complained about my team to the entire faculty because we decided to stay with our colleague. This true story is just a taste of what the faculty and staff have to deal with on a daily basis .... The environment at my school Peek's Chapel Elementary is unhealthy ... We need a change. We love the children. We love our Peek's Chapel community! ... Teachers and parents have gone to the county office to complain and letters have been written. We have a wonderful new superintendent! I believe that he will bring about a change for us!"
Is there any means by which this can be verified/confirmed? If so, then this "administrator" should be relieved of duty. From the conversations that I have had with teachers, this is becoming typical. This time was for teacher preplanning not for some administrator to waste the teachers time with a useless exercise, for which I am sure the admin nor county reimbursed the teachers for their fuel expenses to this activity. Teambuilding exercises can be done in the school building and they certainly shouldn't be done during time that is scheduled for teacher preplanning. I hope the incoming School Board with seek to address these seemingly growing issues between administration and teachers. Admin - YOU are there to SUPPORT the teachers. TEACHERS - Please speak up more. You have several new Board members that are coming in who are willing to listen to to you and your concerns, unlike the previous hacks who are now on their way out.
mr_keating 10 months ago
The result of speaking out by teachers against the Administration in a climate of fear is futile. Speaking out will not change the culture of a school. The willingness of the school, as a whole, toward change needs to occur. RCPS and CO need to provide real support rather than evidence of support. A perfect example is FLEX. That is a program designed to help students, yet how do you help someone who does not want it. And if more and more teachers speak out against the Administration, the Rockdale Admins might look into how they deal with insubordinates in Newton County and follow their lead.
momof2boys 10 months ago
Teachers are afraid to speak up! This is NOT the only elementary school that has an unhealthy work environment. People have no idea what goes on behind a closed door or the bullying that is done to teachers by their administrators! Unfortunately, some may lack professionalism and ethical behavior, but have been promoted due to numbers and nepotism.
Minnie 10 months ago
As another teacher at Peek's, I have the complete opposite position. Yes, we were instructed to walk either up Stone Mountain, or around it as part of a team-building exercise, but it was in reference to overcoming obstacles. My group struggled through this, but when we made it up the mountain for the first time ever, we had a sense of accomplishment and teamwork that I had never had with this group. As we were walking, we got to have real conversations about different grade levels and the new common core curriculum. In fact, we started walking after school sometimes just to chat away from the building. We are at school for 190 days per year, so I welcomed the change of scenery-which was beautiful by the way. Let's stop doing things the same old way and try new activities. I personally had a blast that day, and I wanted you all to know that there are negative people that would complain if the administration gave us each $1,000,000! You cannot please everyone. I never heard anyone get reprimanded, and I have worked at Peek's for several years.
The environment at Peek's is completely healthy-the person complaining needs a change, and I think that he/she should apply for a transfer if they are that unhappy. I love our administrator, he goes above and beyond the call of duty for us and only wants the best for the students at Peek's Chapel. If we need anything to help with our instruction, he finds a way to provide it, sometimes out of his own pocket. He cares deeply about our community, and if you are ever in the neighborhood, please stop by so that you can see a real school family.
thescot 10 months ago
Gosh, Minnie, it's great that you prefer hiking and leaving 65-year-old people on the side of the road to planning for teaching and educating children. I do hope that when the "administrator" goes, you go with him. Your comments tell us all that we're glad we don't have chldren in your classroom, given your priorities. Just how wil your "sense of accomplishment" translate into children who can read and write and do basic arithmetic? We all know it won't, but you will still feel that you're accomplished something. Just another example of the way our children are being cheated out of a meaningful education in this county. I have two words for anyone who genuinely cares about their children: PRIVATE SCHOOL. If you don't like the environment in the school--190 days in the same bilding? Think of people with real jobs who spend many more days and longer hours in the same building--it would be great for you to find a line of work for which you are better suited and whose surroundings better meet with your esthitic sensibilities.
Minnie 10 months ago
Gosh thescot, I thought I lived in America, where I could voice my opinion. I have actually been Teacher of the Year previously, so apparently I am doing something right. The administrator won't be going anywhere anytime soon because he is a GREAT administrator! My priorities are focusing on educating children, but I enjoyed the activity-didn't know that made me a bad teacher. WOW!
The activity was about overcoming obstacles and team building-which we did. We had a week of pre-planning, and believe me, we met and discussed reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and social studies. We are a team of teachers-and making that team stronger was a great thing to do. Have you ever heard of team building exercises? Ever?
How exactly is one morning of a different type of activity cheating children out of an education? I give my last to students everyday-I spend money on supplies for students' activities on a weekly basis. I grade papers after school and on weekends all of the time-outside of my 190 days at school per year. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in second grade, so I am sure that I am in the right field. What do you do exactly?
If you think that private school is best, then that is your choice as a parent. I think that we have some of the best teachers and administrators in Georgia.
Elmo 10 months ago
Me, me, me, me...it's all about you, isn't it "Minnie"? To hades with everyone else, so long as YOU'RE happy with the status quo.
Are you the same narcissistic person in your classroom, too?
"Teacher of the year"? Is that what you're all about, plaques and trophies?
TEAM BUILDING exercises are supposed to build TEAMWORK...the ones who stayed behind to help their fallen teammate showed infinitely more TEAMWORK than you climbing Stone Mountain. I climbed that mountain in 1951' long before there was a park, or clearly defined trails to the top. I was in elementary school when I did it, so don't go busting your buttons off your shirt for THAT "accomplishment".
As a retiree from a major corporation, I have attended several "team building" seminars, but they were about working together - having each other's back - not about individual accomplishment.
The only way walking up, or around, Stone Mountain is a TEAM effort, is if took turns carrying one another...who did you carry?
Southside 10 months ago
MiniMe
bulldoggie 10 months ago
regarding the CJ Hicks- JH House post:::: at the very least maybe they could bring the student pick up lanes for parents up to the 20th century we are still driving thru holes/gravel and washes to get in a hap hassard line everyday to get to the building to pick up the children. What is worse is there is no sence of order and everyday the parents take different paths to the same end. The holes and gullies are damaging cars and people with BIG suv's can't help breaking traction and will soon break someones windshield. And then you get rainy days thrown in and it is a mess. All this is at J.H. HOUSE . OH and let us not forget the school zone speed limit is ignored on a daily basis. You have to have a thick skin and a thicker bumper when driving in that school zone
secondchance 10 months ago
As you can clearly see, this administrator has "ruled" by dividing his faculty. He has those that he favors and will do anything for, and the rest he treats very unfairly. The person who wrote this complaint did so knowing that he/she will have a target on their back from now on. Principals such as this are able to cause plenty of "punishment" in a way that it will be futile for you to try to complain because it will be your word against his. And, most of the staff is too afraid to speak up because they want to keep their good graces with the current administrator or they are afraid of losing their job. But, you will be made miserable in many ways! The environment is very poor and no one trusts anyone. The administration at the top has let this continue when many teachers have put themselves out there and tried to do something about it.
So, what happens is many teachers will leave this situation if possible. i was lucky enough to be one of them and I am so grateful. I found out that there are so much better places to be. I am just so sorry for the ones that are still suffering and can not do anything about it. I also feel sad for those who will not speak out and who try to be in his "circle" when you know that so many wrongs are being done to others.
momof2boys 10 months ago
I also left a very unhealthy teaching environment! My integrity was NOT worth a paycheck.
ConcernedAmerican99 10 months ago
In my opinion, the teamwork displayed by the teachers who probably could have continued the exercise, but chose to stay with the team member who was in physical distress is far more commendable than those who continued on their way to the top. The administrator should be proud of the ones who assisted and owes them a public apology.
brighterdays 10 months ago
How sad it is that teachers have to resort to asking, pleading, begging for help in order to be treated like the hardworking, kind, educated, professionals they are! It sounds like the county office needs to offer an anonymous survey given by someone other than the current admin. at each school. Surely, if teachers feel they are being listened to they will make their voices heard and some of this nonsense will stop. How many letters, grievances, complaints, etc.... will it take for them to be taken seriously??? Shame on the BOE for not stepping up and investigating this situation! Is it going to take a lawsuit for someone to stop this?? What if someone had fallen or had a heart attack while hiking up that mountain? We would all like to believe we could do it, but that is just not reality. Noone even mentioned the fact that OPEN House was the very next night and those poor teachers had even less time to prepare after their sweaty trek! .... Shame, Shame, Shame! And while I'm at it- Hey Mr. Autry- how about putting that 5% raise you are going to get each year back into the system to help cushion the furloughs given out???? I don't see how ANYONE could stomach taking a raise when ONE person on his staff is being furloughed! AMAZING!!! Try cutting that back! GEEZE!
gethimout 10 months ago
You sound RIDICULOUS Minnie. Former Teacher of the Year? Not hard to guess who this is! Could it be the family that has had this administrator over to the house for dinner SEVERAL times? Hmmmmm? I think so!
pearl 10 months ago
As a employee as well i am embarrassed and dis heartened at what i see and have seen. The sad fact is that this type of treatment takes place and to know there is a person i work with who condones this type of behavior is to say the least appalling. As a parent i feel sorry for ALL the children but especially for the ones in Minnie's classroom. The fact is the children in this building are in a dysfunctional environment. Minnie it is time for you to go along with the groupies.
Frustrated 10 months ago
isnt the motto of one of the best teams in the world "leave no man behind"? I guess some of the teachers have taken that to heart. I commend the teachers who stayed with their coworker to make sure she was okay. That shows more team spirit than pushing ahead and leaving one of your own behind.
theremix30013 10 months ago
As a current employee over at Peeks, seems like what should be placed on the next Board of Education meeting is "Find out what's going on at Peeks Chapel! Field trip! Lots of unhappy souls. I know because I'm one of them:(
Sign in to comment