Kelly Marlow: "Fear Tactics" Forced Her To Reach Out to SACS

While many residents have mobilized to express their disappointment with Cherokee County School Board member Kelly Marlow, that isn't stopping the freshman board member from sticking to her guns.

On Friday, Marlow released a letter outlining how she feels about those who are criticizing her and why she decided to request AdvancED to investigate the Cherokee County School Board. 

The letter, (which is attached to the article), notes residents following the situation are aware of the "clear, calculated and unprecedented smear campaign" against her and noted she has no intentions of backing down. 

"Fortunately, the majority of citizens of this county, are not easily fooled by manipulative accounting practices, unfounded complaints, biased media reporting and fear mongering set forth from this administration and carried out by minions of the monopoly," she wrote. 

AdvancED is the company that oversees the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, or SACS CASI. 

Those "fear tactics", she spelled out, led her to reach out to AdvancEd asking them to investigate the Cherokee County School Board.

In her most recent communication, Marlow states she isn't second-guessing the academic success of the Cherokee County School District, but she notes she will not give in to what she calls "leadership by intimidation."

The District 1 board member, who is in her first term, said she ran on a platform that promises to provide open and honest communication and "this is about doing what I was elected to do."

"It is about our children, who deserve better," she said. "I do not believe in leadership by intimidation and I will not surrender to fear."

She noted those same tactics were used against those who spoke out on the district's Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and those who supported the Cherokee County legislative delegation's reapportionment plan. 

"I do not dread SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), nor should the citizens of Cherokee County, and I vehemently oppose the use of SACS as a tool to intimidate elected officials into constant state of deference to the unelected superintendents," she added. "If the practice of obtaining accreditation by SACS is truly a process that 'yields the best results for schools and school systems, and ultimately for students, by uniting community stakeholders, including education experts who provide personalized assistance to institutions and educational systems,' then they are the perfect vehicle for righting this ship."
In her letter to AdvancED, Marlow accuses the board of being unable to govern "effectively," among other charges. 

The Cherokee County School District criticized Marlow's latest letter.

"This letter, like Ms. Marlow's letter to AdvancEd, makes serious and false allegations," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo said. "I and my staff are eager to answer any questions from AdvancEd to ensure our SACS CASI accreditation, which was renewed in November 2011 with glowing commendations for my leadership and the School Board's governance, continues untarnished."

Marlow has been in hot water over the last several months for accusing the school district not releasing details on its fiscal year 2011-12 audit, violating school board policies in her direct contact with teachers and district staff, among other things.

Along with the petition on Change.org, a Facebook group SCRAM, or Smart Citizens Rally Against Marlow) has been created to communicate with residents in the community and to keep a "cache of information regarding the actions of Mrs. Marlow and her surrogates to sabotage CCSD." Members of SCRAM are holding a rally Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the BridgeMill Park Pavilion.

Along with the creation of the group and the petition, some residents have also called on Marlow to resign her position on the board.

One Woodstock resident Michelle Reynolds Albers, said she decided to join the SCRAM group and call on Marlow to resign because she could no longer let Marlow's actions go unchecked. 

"I just want her to realize what a mess she is creating and that there are real citizens, real homeowners, real children, real teachers, real citizens of this community that have so very much to lose," she added. "I take no issue with Kelly Marlow wanting to advocate for more transparency in our school system. I do take issue with the way that she is going about it without regard to the consequences of her actions."

Don't miss any news from Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch! Subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here. Also, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!