The late Herman Talmadge, once a giant of Georgia politics, found himself in deep trouble as a sitting U.S. senator in the late 1970s when his drinking got out of hand. He lost his seat in the next election even though he successfully underwent treatment for alcohol abuse.

Talmadge said the hardest thing of all was admitting he had a problem.

Likewise, the problem with the Cobb school board is that most of the members don't think they have a problem. They see no problem, hear no problem and speak no problem.

They don't have a problem with closed-door meetings, the latest example being Chairwoman Lynnda Crowder-Eagle's attempt to shut out the public and news media from the board's "retreat" on "team building" until the MDJ called her bluff.

They don't have a problem with the decision by previous Chairman John Abraham to outright eliminate the televised news conference at the end of board meetings. Crowder-Eagle followed suit after she took command, ruling out any more news conferences to help enlighten the public.

They don't have a problem with Superintendent Fred Sanderson and staff making all manner of substantive decisions without board knowledge or approval - such as changing the grade for the Iowa Test of Basic Skills from eighth grade to seventh grade and dumbing down the grading system by introducing the 3-2-1 fad, and the list goes on.

No problem with the "balanced calendar" that brought Cobb its earliest school start date ever without convincing proof that it's better than the traditional later start and despite strong opposition from many parents.

No problem with not raising the bar in the new "strategic plan" that sets Cobb's SAT target score for this year at 1538, same as the 2006 score, and sets the 2014 target at 1548, below four nearby districts - Fulton, Decatur city, Cherokee and Forsyth. Ditto for Fulton currently beating Cobb by 50 points in SAT scores.

No problem with the "strategic plan" not showing how many Cobb third graders read at grade level, nor with Boss Sanderson's not knowing the percentage.

No problem with the illegally approved contract with district legal counsel Glenn Brock's firm, not a topic worthy of discussion by the board even though Brock recently offered to cancel the in-perpetuity renewing contract worth about $2 million a year and go on an hourly fee basis.

No problem with the Cobb legislative delegation rapping the school board and no problem with a grand jury presentment blasting the board for "operating in a manner that severely limits the open and public debate of school policy decisions prior to vote and implementation."

Unfortunately, this school board majority is causing serious problems that go far beyond the school district.

Among those problems: Cobb commissioners are reluctant to put the renewal of the county SPLOST to a vote because the well has been poisoned by the anti-public actions of the school board.

The school board majority must first admit the problems - then start fixing them.

dmckee9613@aol.com