Part III: Politics at play

Eric Thomas and Richard Woods

Left: Eric Thomas; right: Richard Woods (Credit: Georgia Department of Education)

Aug 13, 2021
Key Points
  • Program for thousands of struggling students caves in three years.
  • Tension built between program leader and state schools chief.
  • Audit targets consultant fees and spotty oversight.
Amid Cooper-Carver’s success, Peters said she heard complaints from some school leaders about their districts’ assigned specialists. Alexander, who mainly focused on Randolph County schools, heard officials at the Richmond County School Systems were talking about dropping the office entirely. Before long, the two largest school districts under the program – Richmond County and Savannah-Chatham ...