Students Speak Out On Dallemand's Macon Miracle

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - Terms like chaotic, fear, and harassment are what characterize the culture of classrooms for two seniors at Central High School in Macon and they say they're not alone. While they approve of some of Superintendent Dallemand's plan, they also oppose parts of the Macon Miracle and say certain concepts don't fit Bibb County Schools.

"We've had kids in our schools that have hit teachers who have done things, sexual harassment and done things like and then they're back in the teacher's classes not long there after," said Brett Felty, a senior at Central.

Felty and his classmate Tanner Pruitt walked the halls of Bibb County Schools their entire lives and both have concerns about the direction of the district under Superintendent Dallemand's Macon Miracle plan.

"Unless the discipline is really cracked down on and not relaxed we're not going to see the change we need to see," said Pruitt, a senior at Central.

Felty and Pruitt scanned Dallemand's plan and formed their own changes and put together a petition against the Macon Miracle. Some Board members share similar complaints; that Dallemand's plan lacks the discipline backbone the district needs. The plan calls for prevention of discipline issues with more counseling for younger at-risk students and it also includes two new alternative schools.

"Wrap around curriculum, it's going to be the exact same thing, with a more controlled environment. We're not fully confident that that's going to solve the discipline problems or that it's going to create a better learning environment for those students," said Pruitt.

Both seniors say some of their teachers have problems with Dallemand's plan but won't speak out fear of losing their jobs.

"There's kind of this idea that if you stand out against this, you know this axe is going to fall on you and you're job is going to be cut," said Felty.

Felty and Pruitt say they appreciate Dallemand's transformational ideas, but the plan lacks the student perspective.

"We're in the schools every single day and so we see how things like the disciplinary remediation affected our school environment. We're glad that someone is coming in with vigor and wanting to change the problem is that it seems like the people who drafted this plan don't really have a good idea of the workings of the school," said Felty.

Felty and Pruitt will join a number of other students Thursday morning to present the Board of Education their proposed changes to Superintendent Dallemand's plan.

The Board will vote Friday on whether or not to move forward with Dallemand's plan.