Clayton County Schools No Longer Accreditated

It's now official, Clayton County schools have lost accreditation. The 50,000-student school system becomes the first in the nation to lose accreditation since 1969, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) announced today.

My regards to the students, parents, teachers and residents of Clayton County.

What Now?

• Accreditation can be regained if Clayton County schools can show before Sept. 1, 2009 that they have met all the mandates. If successful, accreditation would be restored and would be retroactive to Sept. 1, 2008. If not, the Clayton County school system would have to start the accreditation process from the beginning, which could take almost three years.
• Students WILL retain their HOPE scholarship eligibility until June 30, 2010.

If accreditation is not regained by next spring, then:

• Students may have a harder time getting into some colleges and universities.
• Students may have a harder time obtaining scholarships.
• District may lose pre-kindergarten funding.
• Unfortunately, property values may likely go down in Clayton County.
• Teachers may lose benefits if they transfer to other school systems.
• The state will not count Clayton County schools-sponsored professional development toward teachers recertification.

I strongly urge the governor to step up to the plate and do something to protect the helpless children of this great state.

Article: Clayton County schools lose accreditation

Links: Clayton County Public Schools - SACS/Accreditation Information