Here is another teacher letter to the DeKalb school board, this one urging the board not to approve the Druid Hills charter cluster. This letter was written by Susan McWethy, teacher librarian at Druid Hills Middle School.
Dear Mr. Thurmond and Members of the Board,
As an educator and parent of former Druid Hills Cluster students, I have serious concerns about the Druid Hills Charter Cluster proposal.
I am in a position to talk informally with many teachers. It is very apparent that they do not have the information they need to fully understand this charter and its ramifications, both for their students and for their teaching careers -- not to mention the county as a whole. The plan was hastily unveiled to teachers last April, and the 200-plus arcane waivers were revealed only three weeks before the start of school. Anyone knows that the busiest times for teachers are at the end and before the start of the school year, when their priorities are their students.
The reactions I've received from teachers when the subject arises are usually one of three: