From 13 to 7

Atlanta School Board votes to close 7 schools | ajc.com
Originally, 10 schools were slated for closure, but the board decided to close Parks and Kennedy middle schools and Capitol View, White, Cook, East Lake and Herndon elementary schools.

Which is to say, the Stantons (D.H. and F.L.) and Towns got reprieves. If the parents stay active, the wake-up call might have done some good. The overcrowded schools that were in no danger of closing have phenomenally strong parent involvement: The half-capacity schools threatened with closure, well, don't. (Insert crickets here.)

Now, that's a short synopsis for a nine-hour meeting. To be fair, the board did have other business to discuss. There was a little bit of "have security escort this man outside" excitement.

The board did guarantee that everyone who'd signed up to speak would have an opportunity to speak. Unfortunately, the board had no way to screen for people who actually had something to say, and could say it in a way that made sense. Darn that democracy. You can sometimes get the "participation" part, but the "educated" part is trickier. On the other hand, who can the APS blame for that?