PHOTO: CCSD staffer Daniel Vehar manned the public signup table after staff coordinated to block district critics (photo by Rebecca Gaunt).
by Rebecca Gaunt
Who is holding the people in charge of accountability accountable?
That is the question parents have nearly three weeks after Microsoft Teams messages exchanged by the communications staff in the Office of Strategy & Accountability, led by John Floresta, were made public at February’s Cobb County school board meeting.
Parents said they want an investigation, and possibly even termination of employment, for Floresta and others who colluded to prevent district critics from speaking at the September meeting, inappropriately accessed student files, and pressured news media for positive coverage.
Read more here: Cobb schools staff pressured media, accessed student files inappropriately, documents show – Cobb County Courier
No one from the district has responded to the matter publicly. Parents who emailed complaints to Keeli Bowen, the head of human resources, told the Courier that they are not satisfied with her response.
The Courier reached out to Bowen on March 4 and received the same response on March 7 that the parents did: “Thank you for your email. Although I cannot speak to individual personnel matters, I wanted to confirm that I have received your email.”
Since the messages were initially made public, the Courier has reached out to Superintendent Chris Ragsdsale, CCSD Chief of Police Ron Storey, and board Chair Randy Scamihorn. None have responded to requests for comment.
But the parents say they at least want an acknowledgement of what happened and an apology from the district at the March 21 board meeting.
A frustrated mother, whose high schooler was shoved out of line in September, told the Courier she didn’t get a response from Bowen until she emailed again and asked why there had been no statement from anyone at district headquarters.
Jennifer Moore…
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