Clayton News Daily

By Bob Paslay

A Clayton County Board of Education member who helps make the policies that will affect 50,000 children and their families has opted to send her children to a private school.

Board member LaToya Walker is sending her children to Grace Christian Academy in Fayette County.

She defended the action, saying, "I care not only about my children, but also about the children in our community. These are our leaders of tomorrow. My children were advanced students in the Clayton County public school system. They are now receiving a strong Christian foundation, along with academic challenges. One of the motivating factors in why I chose to run for the school board is I want to help improve our school system, so all of our children will receive this same challenging, top-rate education."

The seven other board members either don't have children, or are sending their children to Clayton County schools, or have grown children or children too young for school. Sue Ryan, who recently resigned from the board, has children in Clayton County schools and cited them as part of her reason for resigning. Ryan had only served three months of a four-year term.

Board Chairwoman Nedra Ware, a teacher in a Fulton County school, opted to send her son to a Fulton County school, according to records. Ware's son attended a non-Clayton County school before she became a school board member, Ware said, to which she added, "Transportation and convenience had a lot to do with" her decision to enroll him in a Fulton County school.

According to Fulton County Schools policy, "Children of full-time employees, regardless of where they live, may attend the Fulton County school where the parents work. To attend any other" school in the county "the employee must establish ? that such an assignment is necessary or convenient to the employee."