In the Loop
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BOE Names Xernona Thomas Interim Superintendent
The Clarke County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to name Xernona Thomas as interim superintendent.
Thomas had served as former superintendent Demond Means' chief of staff until last week, when the board placed Means on administrative leave, ending his controversial two-and-a-half year tenure.
Thomas is a Clarke Central High School and University of Georgia graduate who holds a bachelor's degree in journalism, a master's in social work and a doctorate in education, and has 27 years of experience as a social worker and school administrator in Clarke and Oconee counties.
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New Voting Machines Available for Testing
Photo Credit: ACC Board of Elections
Georgia’s new voting machines are available for testing in Athens through early February.
Voters use a touch screen to make their choices, then the machine prints a paper ballot that is run through a scanner.
"I'm excited to use the new system and for Athens-Clarke County voters to try it out for themselves," Charlotte Sosebee, director of elections and voter registration, said in a news release. "The new voting system is easy to use, provides opportunities for voters to review their votes on a screen and on paper before casting their ballot, and also provides our office with multiple ways to review election results if necessary."
Voters can try out the machines at the Board of Elections Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Other sites include:
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Video: Downtown Historic District Delayed, Baby Bonds and a Botched Ambulance Response
This week, the Athens Politics Nerd looks into why the Athens-Clarke County Commission delayed a vote on a historic district for the west end of downtown; the "prosperity package" and Broderick Flanigan's idea to give savings bonds to African American babies that they could use to go to college, buy a house or start a business when they grow up; and National EMS' failure to respond to a 911 call from a local elementary school.
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BOE Puts Superintendent Demond Means on Leave
The Clarke County Board of Education voted 5-3 Monday to place Superintendent Demond Means on leave and name his chief of staff, Xernona Thomas, the chief executive until an interim superintendent is found.
The vote ended Means' tumultuous two-and-a-half year tenure, although a number of details still remain to be worked out, including any severance package. Means' contract runs through the 2021-2022 school year, so he is owed more than $500,000 if he's fired without cause.
Greg Davis, Kara Dyckman, Patricia Yager, Tawana Mattox and John Knox voted in favor of the motion, made by Yager, while Charles Worthy, Linda Davis and LaKeisha Gantt voted against it. District 2 representative Frances Berry resigned last month, leaving that seat vacant.
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School Board May Appoint Interim Superintendent
Demond Means
The Clarke County Board of Education has scheduled another called meeting for Monday to discuss Superintendent Demond Means' departure.
In addition to an executive session to discuss personnel matters, the agenda also includes an action item: "Potential Action to Appoint an Interim Superintendent." The 3:30 p.m. meeting will be held at the H.T. Edwards building.
Whether or not an interim superintendent is appointed depends on how much progress the board makes during the closed session, President LaKeisha Gantt told Flagpole.
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Demond Means Is Out as CCSD Superintendent
Photo Credit: Austin Steele/file
Superintendent Demond Means and the Clarke County School District will be parting ways .
"The board has entered into negotiations for his exit," President LaKeisha Gantt announced after the school board met for nearly four hours behind closed doors.
The board took no vote on Means' departure. It's unclear if he is resigning, being fired or—most likely—negotiating a buyout. It's also unclear when his rocky tenure as superintendent will formally end. Gantt declined to answer any questions, saying that discussions in executive session are confidential.
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Athens and Oconee County, Compared
Athens-Clarke and Oconee County are neighbors, but they've been growing along two different paths ever since the University of Georgia was founded in the late 18th century. We take a look at their history, land area, population, economic growth and school systems to get a better idea of how much they differ.
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Superintendent Means Is Still in Office—for Now
Photo Credit: Andrea Farnham
A rally for Clarke County School Superintendent Demond Means drew about 50 people Friday.
Demond Means came to work Friday and apparently will stay on as superintendent of the Clarke County School District at least through next week.
Means said he would resign after a contentious discussion at Thursday's school board meetingregarding the board's response to an ethics complaint filed against Means with the Professional Standards Commission, which certifies educators. The board urged the PSC to dismiss the formal complaint, but a line added by board member Tawana Mattox saying that the board would hold Means accountable drew the superintendent's ire.
"By virtue of that vote, you don't want me as superintendent, and we need to have a discussion about how I leave," he told the board Thursday.
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