Atlanta, Ga. - January 21, 2013 - Georgia's Senate DeKalb delegation welcomed today's announcement that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) has lifted the accreditation probation of the DeKalb County Schools. State Senator Jason Carter, who chairs the Senate DeKalb County delegation's education committee, said today that he is pleased with the outcome of today's decision by SACS to remove the probationary accreditation of the DeKalb County Schools system. "I would like to commend my good friend Michael Thurmond, who in concert with the members of DeKalb County School Board, has captained this ship. Today's decision by SACS is a victory for the students of DeKalb County, their families and our entire system. The political situation that we were confronted with last year was a complicated one, and I was glad that DeKalb County was able to our politics aside and come together to work in the best interests of our children and families," Carter said. Sen. Steve Henson (D-Tucker) said he was disappointed about the politicizing of the announcement by Gov. Nathan Deal. "It is disappointing to the people of DeKalb County that Governor Deal tried to turn this announcement into a campaign stop. What made this process successful in DeKalb is that we put politics aside and focused on education. Under Michael Thurmond's leadership and with full cooperation from the DeKalb School Board and the community, a positive outcome has been achieved," Henson said. Henson added that without significant changes in the state's education policy, DeKalb County and other counties in this state will continue to face incredible challenges. ### | 