5 Responses to The 2011 State Audit of DCSS

1. no name says:

   August 1, 2012 at 7:52 PM

   Please note the disclaimers that the auditors included in their audit. For example, the cover letter (page 74 of the PDF file) includes this line:

   “Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the DeKalb County Board of Education’s internal control over financial reporting.”

   The same letter also says this:

   “Our consideration of internal control over compliance was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph of this section and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control over compliance that might be deficiencies, significant deficiencies, or material weaknesses. We did not identify any deficiencies in internal control over compliance that we consider to be material weaknesses, as defined above.”
2. dekalbmom says:

   August 1, 2012 at 9:15 PM

   This is standard audit language. Unless I missed something in a footnote, this is a clean financial audit letter (versus a forensic audit). The auditors note that they did not audit many of the charter schools like Leadership Academy, the Museum School, etc. They found no irregularities with the Title I funds. Please note that the audit clearly specifies the amount of money received from the US Department of Education, including Title I. Also be aware that this audit is for the period ending June 30, 2011, not 2012 and I understand that much of the ARRA (stimulus) funding is gone.
3. dekalbschoolwatch says:

   August 2, 2012 at 11:15 AM

   As Aside: For Algebra Teachers

   This book is recommended by Teacher Magazine
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   The Xs and Whys of Algebra

   Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions
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4. dcsdteacher says:

   August 3, 2012 at 12:14 AM

   Speaking of cutting classroom teachers…last week, three certified teachers were removed from Fernbank Science Center without reassignment to other schools (complete chaos with respect to placing these teachers); three others left DCSD for better jobs elsewhere; another retired; and yet another was let go. Massive firings of support staff, too, and all of the above after a summer of chaos about how “restructuring” would occur, the word admin used to avoid accusations of firing. Some FSC employees still haven’t been told whether they have jobs or whether they are laid off. It’s hard to see how all of this will improve science scores in the district or, for that matter, allow FSC to continue to exist at all without adequate custodial and support help. The problem with the often-repeated mantra “just put them out in the schools” is that qualtiy teachers will not let themselves be treated like this and will show their outrage by leaving for other districts, where they are being snapped up as the resources that they are. For more pay, too.
5. dekalbite2 says:

   August 3, 2012 at 1:02 PM

   @dekalbmom
   “Also be aware that this audit is for the period ending June 30, 2011, not 2012 and I understand that much of the ARRA (stimulus) funding is gone.”

   A big problem is that during the stimulus years, non teaching departments were beefed up (e.g. look at the increase in non teaching Coaches and Coordinators in the Office of School Improvement), consultants were hired, extensive travel was reinstated, educational programs were paid for, etc. Very little of that money went for direct instruction for students in the form of teachers. Look at the Federal Payments for DeKalb Schools in the Open Georgia website to see what the money was spent on during the time of the stimulus:
   http://www.open.georgia.gov/
   Click on Other Expenditure Information>Payments>Fiscal Year>Organization Type>Organization>Funding Source>Federal

   Now that the approximately $100,000,000 a year is gone, those non teaching jobs and programs are not being cut out. Rather, the classroom is being impacted so that those admin and support jobs and educational programs can continue to be funded.

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