School System Disagrees with Media and Pro-Charter Accounts of Meeting

Editor's note: Thursday, the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to wait until June 24 to decide the fate of Cherokee Charter Academy. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the 1,000-seat Cherokee High School auditorium. Below is a letter from a parent who went to the meeting. Click the PDF on this page for Cherokee County School District Superintendent Frank Petruzielo's letter to CBS Atlanta, which aired a report after Thursday's meeting. Watch it here.

There is also a PDF letter from school spokeswoman, Barbara Jacoby, that responds today to critics of the meeting.

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Please reveal the truth about what happened at the . Because (some) media was not allowed in the building, a large portion of the story was missed. The public was told that the building would be open at 7 and that they would be welcome. However, earlier in the day, the powers-that-be allegedly began circulating information to administrators, teachers and PTA members letting them know that Cherokee County will face more furlough days and possibly even loss of jobs if they don't come to the SB meeting early, wear black and voice their opinions loudly against approval of a charter school.

Of course, motivated by fear, they showed up and they showed up early. Imagine this, they were permitted to enter the building, contrary to what was posted. By 6 p.m., the building was completely full, except for a second balcony section, which was never opened to accommodate the waiting crowds outside, most of which were supporting choice for Cherokee County. The crowds outside were told that they could not be admitted nor would they have the opportunity to address the board unless they could find someone to give up a seat, which they could not do since the room was filled with opponents to choice.

This was a very deliberate attempt on the part of the powers-that-be to suppress opinions. The few "supporters of choice" who did get in to speak were heckled and booed. The atmosphere in the room was one of total intimidation and tantamount to bullying. Why was the building opened early to let only specific people in the room? Why was the balcony section never opened? The angry tone set by the superintendent was nothing short of leadership by intimidation. Staring people down and not allowing them to state their case, as is the right of every citizen of this county, is no way for professionals to act. The fear tactics and threats on the part of the leaders of this school system have blinded people into thinking that there is one way and only one way to educate our children–their way.

Today, I am embarrassed to be a Cherokee County resident. Why can’t people understand that just because people support a choice in Cherokee County does not mean you are anti-public schools. Why is there a line in the sand? I love my public school and I love Cherokee County. This issue should be about the children and not about teacher jobs, which are being cut with or without the charter school. It’s a fact of the economy and of a county that has an ever-changing population. Do we really want to lose more money to other counties because people want a choice and Cherokee County simply cannot do the math to make it work here?

Would any of these teachers concede that not every child does well in the cookie-cutter aspect of the large government schools? Where were these vocal “black-clad" teachers when Cherokee County spent millions to build a brand new elementary school, Indian Knoll, when what we really need is a high school so that our kids don't have to be in a "split" district like exists at Freedom?

The last time I checked, we still live in America. We are all entitled to our opinion and nobody wants teachers to lose jobs. Can't we all just get along?

Kelly Marlow, Cherokee Charter Academy parent

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