Parents tell Clayton County board they want leadership change at Unidos Dual Language School

Three parents urged the Clayton County Board of Education on Monday to intervene at Unidos Dual Language School, saying communication and staffing problems have harmed students and asking that the district replace the school's leadership.

The concerns came during the board's public-participation period. Maria Marino, introduced herself as president of the school council at Unidos Dual Language School and said numerous parents “feel their voices are not being heard and their concerns are not being addressed.” Marino said efforts since November produced “little to no improvement,” and she asked the board to “intervene and support our community by addressing these concerns urgently.”

Sonia Lonerker, who identified herself as the parent of two district students, said parents have felt like “my children's teacher at home” because of what she described as excessive homework assigned by “unqualified teachers” and “unclear and poor communication.” Rebecca Oliver, another parent, told the board that 504 and IEP plans are “not being carried out adequately” and that the community has seen the departure of two parent liaisons over the past two years.

The speakers listed specific problems they say persist at Unidos: inconsistent or insufficient communication with parents (including a lack of updates in languages parents can easily understand), loss of staff and parent-liaison positions, and a decline in school spirit and parent engagement. Marino said these issues are “affecting our students' ability to succeed” and urged leadership changes to “restore the trust and community spirit” at the school.

Board members did not debate the substance of the complaints during public comment. The board chair asked the parents to assemble briefly after the meeting; the chair then called a recess of about five minutes so board members and district staff could speak privately with parents before the meeting resumed.

The board's public-participation rules, read aloud at the start of the meeting, note that issues requiring possible board action may be added to a future agenda or referred to the administration for follow-up. The parents requested that the board take up their concerns; the transcript records the request but does not record any formal board action on the matter during the meeting.

Clayton County Public Schools spokeswoman or other district staff did not provide an immediate response on the record during the meeting. The parents asked for the board's support and said they are willing to collaborate with district leaders and teachers to resolve the issues.

Clarifying details: parents said two parent-liaison positions have been lost at Unidos in the past two years; they reported problems with implementation of 504 and IEP accommodations but did not provide individual student names or specific case details. The parents asked for leadership change; no formal motion or vote to remove or replace school administrators occurred during the meeting.

Community context: Unidos Dual Language School serves dual-language students in Clayton County; parents said the issues affect both student learning and parent engagement. The board has the option to refer the complaints to district administration or place an item on a future agenda for further action.