Vouchers & charters: Is it really the children’s money or yours?
In the General Assembly, the rallying cry of school choice and voucher supporters is that the money should follow the child. After all, it’s the “child’s’ money.” (Another version is that it’s the parent’s money.)
But does the money really belong to either of them?
An education expert gave me a different take: “No, it’s the community’s money and the community decides how to spend it.”
His point: No one’s individual taxes pay for their children’s schools or their roads, their libraries, their recreation centers, their police or their fire departments. Those things are only possible when communities pool their money, and the community has a right to set its own priorities, and those priorities may not include charter schools or vouchers. That’s for the locals to decide for themselves.
And that is the crux now of the charter school battle in which Gwinnett County is suing the state over a new law that allows charter school applicants to bypass the local district and win approval — and access to locally raised tax dollars — from a state commission.
During one of the legislative debates on this law, state Rep. Barbara Reece said, “We have heard about terrible schools in the state, about parents needing a choice. And yet the majority of us for several years have sat in this chamber and tolerated austerity cuts to our local school systems that have hampered their ability to provide quality excellent education to all of our children.”
My question on the new charter school law is this: If voters elect a school board to represent them, and that board does not want to approve and fund a charter school, why should that charter school have the right to bypass the locals and get that approval from a commission in Atlanta?
For example, when Gwinnett nixed an all-girl charter school — saying that single gender schools were not part of its academic game plan — the school won state approval and is now open.
I know that many people don’t like their local school boards but voters put them in place and we have to respect the fact that they are duly elected and re-elected time after time. (Yes, I know most voters don’t know who’s on the school board but it’s the same case for their state reps and even their U.S. Congressional delegations. That doesn’t lessen their legal authority.)
Here is the letter that Gwinnett sent explaining why it is suing the state. (Thanks Jim.) Please read and let’s discuss. I think this is a critical issue and the underpinnings of any future voucher debate in this state.
Dear Parent and Community Leaders,
The Gwinnett County Board of Education believes without qualification that
the control of public schools lawfully rests with locally elected School
Boards. It should be no surprise, therefore, that Gwinnett’s Board of
Education has had concerns from the outset about the Georgia Charter
Schools Commission. Our concerns are these:
1) We do not believe the Charter Schools Commission has standing under
the state Constitution to manage and control local schools.
2) We do not believe the Commission has the constitutional authority to
establish a state-wide independent school system.
3) We do not believe the Commission has the constitutional authority to
direct local dollars to the operation of Commission-approved charter
schools.
The Gwinnett County Board of Education is responsible for ensuring a
quality and effective education for the students served by Gwinnett County
Public Schools, those enrolled in both our traditional public schools and
in the charter schools approved by the local School Board. The
Constitution clearly establishes that public schools are to be under the
governance and control of elected local boards of education, not a
state-created agency to whom that authority has been given. Compounding
this fundamental concern is an inflated funding formula that redirects a
disproportionate share of local tax dollars to the education of students in
Commission charter schools, and that is not consistent with current charter
school law.
The Board and I have fully investigated this issue and explored our legal
options. It is highly probable that the Gwinnett County Board of Education
will vote tonight to file a lawsuit contesting the constitutionality of the
Georgia Charter Schools Commission. With this action, the Board is not
taking a stand against the creation of charter schools, but against the
establishment of a state commission that usurps the jurisdiction and
resources of a duly elected local board of education.
Out of respect for you and the relationships we have developed over the
years, I wanted to inform you of this action prior to tonight’s meeting.
In governing our schools, this Board of Education has consistently acted in
the best interest of its students. Tonight’s anticipated action reflects
the Board’s commitment to upholding its sacred responsibility to the
students and citizens of Gwinnett County.
J. Alvin Wilbanks
CEO/Superintendent
Gwinnett County Public Schools
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40 comments Add your comment
Reality 2
September 11th, 2009
11:09 am
As long as schools are supported primarily by property taxes, the money belongs to the community. If state wants to run schools, they should have its own “charter school board.” Such a board can be treated like a district and receive its share of state and federal money, but don’t impose any charter school on a district if a local district decides not to approve a charter.
Will T
September 11th, 2009
11:49 am
Local School Boards (LEAs), duly elected by constituents of their respective districts, have the right to set local priority. For far too long, the Governor, Legislatureand State BOE have meddled frivilously into our local schools. The State’s job is, and has always been to set State Level priorities, not local priorities. Allow our LEAs the opportunity to do their elected functions. Remember, these are the officials elected by their constituents to rightfully represent them in this category. And, if those individuals aren not executing their responsibilities to the constituents, the constituents should begin educating themselves on who their elected representatives are and elect candidates who will fulfill their wishes.
V for Vendetta
September 11th, 2009
11:53 am
Remember when money belonged to those who earned it? I suppose not. None of us are old enough to remember such a time.
Ernest
September 11th, 2009
12:18 pm
Interesting argument that GPSS is presenting. If I understand, they are asserting that the Charter Schools Commission lacks the constitutional rights to overrride local school board decisions with respect to charter schools.
With respect to how much we pay to educate our children, I’m not sure if that can be easily answered. It is fair to say that the education portion of what I pay in property taxes does not cover the costs to educate my children. Since we pool our dollars for the ‘common good’, we are able to provide a public education. We also ‘own’ the education infrastructure and some of those dollars goes toward maintenance and operations. Whether one has a child in a school or not, that remains a shared responsibility. Same thing applies to roads, sidewalks, bridges, etc. Attempting to ‘cherry pick’ the education portion out of our property taxes seems like a fruitless endeavor.
Alan Munn
September 11th, 2009
1:16 pm
The Charter Schools Commission should change it’s name to “The Socialistic Charter Schools Commission”. Thank you BOE of Gwinnett for keeping everyone informed.
Larry
September 11th, 2009
1:59 pm
Alvin is correct on this one.
Local school taxes are administered by local elected officials, not because it’s a nifty idea, but because it is black letter law. NO other government agency, including the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, has the legal authority to dictate how these funds are allocated.
This is not some emotional or philosophical issue, it a strictly a legal issue and, on behalf of Gwinnett taxpayers, GCPS will win in court.
Cere
September 11th, 2009
2:07 pm
I don’t know… how exactly is using tax dollars to pay a charter to run a school any different than using tax dollars to hire a private firm to run another area of government – like trash collection. If they can provide the service better and for less money, where’s the rub? One could argue the opposite of the Gwinnett school board – and ask the state to rescue children from a school system that is providing a sub-standard education to their children. Is it really fair to hold families prisoner to their neighborhood schools – especially if those schools are low-performing or dangerous?
This new push for charters is coming down heavily from Obama and Arne Duncan. They first announced that they intend to close 5,000 low-performing schools across the country and reopen them as charters. Duncan had been doing this in Chicago for several years. They have allocated $4.35 billion in stimulus funds to schools that show reform in the “Race to the Top” program.
Jessica
September 11th, 2009
2:16 pm
I understand the need to collectively pay for libraries and sidewalks and such, but education can’t be lumped into the same category as other public works. Who is ultimately respnsible for making sure children are well-educated? Parents! They are my responsibility, not that of the school board, the state or the community. Public schools are just a tool to help parents provide that education. If that tool isn’t working, it should be replaced by something newer and better — like charter schools.
Sees the future
September 11th, 2009
3:30 pm
Jessica:
Though charter schools may improve education for just a few, diverting tax dollars to a different public school with a different name is not the answer to improving public education for all the children in our society. (If it were possible to enroll all children in charter schools, then we would be right back where we began. Once all children were enrolled in charter schools, the schools will be just the same as the public schools they started with. And then you would have to ask for your share again and take your children somewhere else!)
When public school money is diverted to charter schools, it is TAKEN from ALL public school children and used to serve just a few. The truth is, you don’t care about those other children, you care only for your own. That is why we have tax supported public services, because people are ultimately selfish, and given the choice between serving themselves and serving the public good, they will choose themselves every time.
Larry
September 11th, 2009
3:51 pm
Cere, there is no problem using tax revenue for charter schools. That’s not the issue and Gwinnett has charter schools which were approved by the BoE.
The rub is who makes the decision
The funds at issue are from local taxpayers who elect local officials to make these decisions. Again, this is specified in Georgia’s constitution.
As to your question, is it “fair” to have kids attend schools where they live, consider this: if parents from outside your tax district wanted to send their kids to your schools and your local taxes had to increase to pay for them, would that be “fair” to you and you neighbors?
Cere
September 11th, 2009
4:05 pm
No, it’s really not the same, Larry. If someone within my county feels that their child is not getting an adequate education at their local school, they should be allowed to choose another from the county. (A mass exodus should trigger a reorganization of that school.) If the county will not provide a choice, and continues to offer some residents sub-standard schools, then, yes, the state may have to step in to force the issue. I’m not well-versed in Gwinnett schools, but I am in DeKalb, and in DeKalb, we have some of the best and some of the worst schools in the state. Is it fair to insist that those in the worst schools must continue to endure bad schools simply due to the geography of where they reside in the county? We all pay into the system – homeowners pay property taxes (which renters also pay since the tax is embedded in their rent), state and federal tax and SPLOST penny sales tax. I hate to tell you, but the property tax portion of the total equation is surprisingly low. The state pays in the most per student. Why then, should some people have a good school and some others – not so good – with no choice in the matter except to move? Our county routinely denies quality charter applications — and I personally think that they are scared to death that a charter will show them up and embarrass them. They love the status quo.
Overall, I fight for quality home/neighborhood schools so that parents don’t even have to request something else, but right now, we have what we have, and until someone introduces some competition into the equation, we will continue to have what we have.
Ernest
September 11th, 2009
5:19 pm
Cere for DeKalb School Board! Well said…..
Milton gets it
September 11th, 2009
5:44 pm
Why School Choice?
The origins of public schools lie in the belief that they bring learning and opportunity to all and ensure a stable democracy.
If this were true, then there might not be a need for school choice.
But it’s not. Public schools are as segregated as ever. Children, particularly children in urban areas, are dropping out in record numbers and are getting a quality of education that depends more on where they live than on what they can learn. Parents, unless they can move or pay private school tuition, have little choice about the kind of education their children receive.
Public schooling is simply a monopoly that doesn’t fulfill the ideals of our founding fathers. The tragic irony is that the dream envisioned by the founders of our public education system is actually increasing the stratification of society and failing to provide equal educational opportunity.
In 1955, a forward-thinking Milton Friedman foresaw the result of this monopoly and encouraged a return to liberty through the introduction of school choice. He argued that it would be much better and more equitable if the government would “give each child, through his parents, a specified sum [voucher] to be used solely in paying for his general education.”
The benefits of this idea, which has come to be known as school choice, are numerous. Studies show that school choice leads to better test scores for all students and higher graduation rates. They show that parents are more satisfied and involved with their child’s school, and that school choice saves taxpayers millions of dollars. And they show that public schools respond positively to competition.
But beyond the theory, what lies at the heart of school choice is a family’s freedom to choose. It is about the child in the back of the classroom who is not getting what he needs in his assigned public school. It is about the student who just doesn’t feel comfortable at her current school. It is about the family that simply wants a different option.
In the end, the goal of education is to ensure learning and guarantee a free society and stable democracy. These goals are better met when all parents are free to choose the school that works best for their child.
So, why school choice? In a word, liberty.
http://www.friedmanfoundation.org/schoolchoice/why.jsp
http://www.ago.state.co.us/press_detail.cfmpressID=950.html
http://law.ga.gov/02/ago/home/0,2705,87670814,00.html
Milton gets it
September 11th, 2009
5:53 pm
WHY SCHOOL CHOICE?
The origins of public schools lie in the belief that they bring learning and opportunity to all and ensure a stable democracy.
If this were true, then there might not be a need for school choice.
But it’s not. Public schools are as segregated as ever. Children, particularly children in urban areas, are dropping out in record numbers and are getting a quality of education that depends more on where they live than on what they can learn. Parents, unless they can move or pay private school tuition, have little choice about the kind of education their children receive.
Public schooling is simply a monopoly that doesn’t fulfill the ideals of our founding fathers. The tragic irony is that the dream envisioned by the founders of our public education system is actually increasing the stratification of society and failing to provide equal educational opportunity.
In 1955, a forward-thinking Milton Friedman foresaw the result of this monopoly and encouraged a return to liberty through the introduction of school choice. He argued that it would be much better and more equitable if the government would “give each child, through his parents, a specified sum [voucher] to be used solely in paying for his general education.”
The benefits of this idea, which has come to be known as school choice, are numerous. Studies show that school choice leads to better test scores for all students and higher graduation rates. They show that parents are more satisfied and involved with their child’s school, and that school choice saves taxpayers millions of dollars. And they show that public schools respond positively to competition.
But beyond the theory, what lies at the heart of school choice is a family’s freedom to choose. It is about the child in the back of the classroom who is not getting what he needs in his assigned public school. It is about the student who just doesn’t feel comfortable at her current school. It is about the family that simply wants a different option.
In the end, the goal of education is to ensure learning and guarantee a free society and stable democracy. These goals are better met when all parents are free to choose the school that works best for their child.
So, why school choice? In a word, liberty.
Tony
September 11th, 2009
6:02 pm
Charter schools are being fraudulently forced on the public with unfounded claims that they are better. THEY ARE NOT. There is no evidence that supports that claim. All studies that have compared charters to public schools have had the same conclusions: charters are no better and often times have been worse.
The state legislature enacted this system because of their disdain for local government. In recent years, the state body has attempted to hijack all forms of local government by trying to take control of all taxation. These acts are nothing more than power grabs.
As far as improving schools, each community has the power to do that right now. Thank you Gwinnett county for standing up for your community.
Larry
September 11th, 2009
6:27 pm
Cere, you and I are talking about different situations.
As to “fair,” I specifically mentioned “parents outside your tax district” and you referred to “someone within my county.” Typically, but by no means always, taxpayers within your county are within you tax district. Moves within the same taxing authority are local decisions. I don’t know about other counties, but Gwinnett allows these types of transfers on a regular basis for a variety of reasons.
An example of an exception is the city of Buford, which is in Gwinnett County, but operates as an independent LEA.
I pay no taxes to the city of Buford for their schools, so if I want my kids to attend their schools, I must pay tuition. This is as it should be. I have no right to “choose” a school and make someone else pay for it.
Having said this, the litigation concerns a different issue; who has the legal authority to spend local school tax revenue. Local tax revenue is controlled by local elected officials and there’s really no other legal argument.
There are folks who think they have some kind of right to send their kids to schools that I fund and make me pay for it, but they are wrong and they will loose in court.
David S
September 11th, 2009
6:30 pm
I don’t ever remember the community getting to vote on funding schools. It is always the argument of the majority oppressing the minority that the “social contract” requires your payment against your will. I don’t ever remember signing any contract? I was just victimized by your “do-gooderism.”
The community doesn’t get to vote on what their money should be used for. Personally since I am forced to pay taxes for education, I would certainly prefer that the money go to actually educate kids, and that doesn’t happen at government run schools.
Here’s a novel concept. Why don’t parents pay for their own damn kids education? Or is that too much to ask? Let folks and businesses who would like to support charitable assistance contribute to a fund that can be portioned out as the private charity of choice see’s fit. Then at least we would get to the crux of the issue. What parents are getting is charity education since they are unwilling to free the market up to provide options and make them responsible for the costs.
That’s really what’s going on. Vouchers are little more than saying its ok to steal from everyone for education, but we just want to give more choice. How about the choice not to pay at all? Vouchers will ultimately just mean more government control of private schools as they become more pathologically dependant on government money for their survival. That is certainly something we don’t need.
David S
September 11th, 2009
6:35 pm
As for Milton Friedman, he is also the clown who brought us the witholding tax during WW2 which was a way for the government to get their money throughout the year, thus making it less painful to pay taxes. The plan was supposed to end with the war. Do you honestly think taxes would be this high if we all had to pay only on April 15? Another brillian idea from Mr. Friedman.
Liberty is not about continued taxation with a bit of choice. Liberty would require an end to all government schools, all property taxation, and parents paying for their own kids education. Vouchers are certainly not about liberty (well, maybe the kind of grossly limited liberty that conservatives are willing to bestow on the rest of us REAL liberty lovers).
InAtlanta
September 11th, 2009
6:35 pm
‘Milton Gets it’ is right. Alvin probably doesn’t think his schools are segregated. If Gwinnetts schools merged into Dekalb, would Dekalb schools be any less segregated. Alvin is suing for money, thats all. This has nothing to do with raising educational standards, or protecting Gwinnetts communities. Maybe Alvins eyeing the state superintendents job. Having worked for him and being forced to complete assignments for the men, denied workers comp. because I was a female, ALvin is most assuredly a hypocrite.
Jessica
September 11th, 2009
9:21 pm
Sees the future,
I DO think all charter schools would be better than public schools, as long as families could choose any school they want. My kids are too good for public schools. So are yours (if you have any). In fact, I think ALL of our kids are too good for the pathetic one-size-fits-all education system we have now. The only people threatened by school choice are school board members and underperforming teachers (good teachers would actually benefit).
V for Vendetta
September 11th, 2009
9:36 pm
David S,
You seem to champion individual rights and personal accountability; however, I would check your research before you refer to someone such as Milton Friedman as a “clown.” The fact that the government chose to continue the withholding tax has less to do with Friedman and more to do with government greed.
Furthermore, your comments on the 9/11 post are mystifying. Though our enormous government does meddle in foreign affairs far too much, it seems somewhat misguided to somehow suggest we had it coming. In the type of Republic envisioned by the Founding Fathers, the limited government would have only a few important responsibilities–one being to defend the people. Were such a government in place (and let’s be clear: this is a hypothetical statement because such a government is most assuredly NOT in place), the government would be morally inclined to take action against countries who openly threatened America’s way of life–either directly or by harboring those who did.
The people who perpetrated the attacks on 9/11 made a choice: They chose to live like irrational animals, following a code of mysticism and collectivism and waging war against those who did not share in their mystical beliefs. A small, secular government, acting in the best interest of the American people, would be morally justified in taking preemptive action against any such threats.
But, as I said before, such a government does not exist. We have already seen what eight years of mysticism has done to this country; do we really need to see what four years of collectivism will do to it?
Jennifer Falk
September 12th, 2009
12:56 am
Shh. Don’t tell anyone. The Gwinnett community met behind closed doors last week. We took out the double secret, confidential IE2 contract and said that we wanted to be exempt from another one of those bothersome state laws – local control laws that keep the school board and Alvin drunk with power, privilege and arrogance. We wanted our taxes to go to Ivy Prep because the county was negligent in denying it in the first place and we cared more about the kids education than his ego. Finally something on IE2 that makes sense.
Rural Education
September 12th, 2009
5:59 pm
I still don’t get the buzz over choice, it would not affect very many students. No district or few would offer transportation, so you eliminate the poorer students and in many parts of the state there are simply no choices to make. School choice sounds like a great idea in an urban area where there is good public transportation, not some thing we have much of here.
catlady
September 12th, 2009
5:59 pm
Anyone know what the nepotism laws are regarding hiring of relatives in school systems? Can a principal or board member hire their own child/spouse?
Tony
September 12th, 2009
6:52 pm
Catlady, there is a new law that bars school boards from hiring people in leadership positions – superintendent, asst. superintendent, and principal – if they are related to a board member. It is still okay for school boards to hire non-leadership jobs such as teachers, counselors, and classified positions.
Tony
September 12th, 2009
6:53 pm
Catlady, as far as I know, there is not a law that bars a principal from hiring a relative. Some districts have policies that limit the practice.
catlady
September 12th, 2009
7:52 pm
Thanks, Tony. I know we have been “educated” in the long, loose list of infractions we can be charged with.
ScienceTeacher671
September 13th, 2009
10:02 pm
Every government has to levy taxes. Our founding fathers were not so much opposed to taxes per se, but resented the fact that they had no voice when the taxes were being determined. (Thomas Jefferson wrote quite a bit on why public schools were a good idea, and gave some suggestions on how they should be constituted, by the way…)
Rep. Reece is correct that according to the Georgia Constitution, it is the state’s responsibility to finance the schools – in fact, it is “a primary obligation” of the state — and one that the state has been increasingly abdicating to the counties.
Gwinnett County is also correct that the Constitution gives control of the schools to the local school boards.
It would be nice if the state carried out its obligation of properly funding all our schools. There would still be differences in achievement between schools, but we would not be able to blame inadequate funding for those differences.
jim d
September 14th, 2009
7:36 am
Larry,
It always gives me great pleasure to point out when you have missed the obvious.
“Having said this, the litigation concerns a different issue; who has the legal authority to spend local school tax revenue. Local tax revenue is controlled by local elected officials and there’s really no other legal argument”
Unless I’m mistaken (and I’m not) what the state has said is not that they demand local $$ be spent to support the charters. What they have said is that the state controls state $$ and will withold state $$ from the system in the amount of funding they provide the system equal to the amount of local funding the county is refusing to share with the charter schools and provide those funds directly to the charter schools. So what we are talking about is actually state funding not local funding.
Let me point out that Alvin is seldom right and on this issue he’s once again come up with the WROOOOONG ANSWER. Gwinnett county will spend a small fortune fighting this in court and will LOSE, wasting money that would have been better spent in the classrooom and not the courtroom.
jim d
September 14th, 2009
8:11 am
I find Alvins new found respect of the Ga. Constitution amusing, inas much as he and the BOE viloate the open meetings parts on a regular basis.
KayTea
September 14th, 2009
8:43 am
To the banner question, “whose money is this?”, if you look at the source of the funds then by and large it is neither the student’s nor the parent’s. The practical fact of the matter is it belongs to those who have the authority to spend it. And that is what the GCBOE hissy fit is really all about–to the extent they lose control over spending money, they lose THEIR money and they lose power.
jim d
September 14th, 2009
8:53 am
Larry,
since the blog gremlins ate my last response I’ll give it another shot.
From what i understand the state has not said the system must spend local dollars what they’ve said is that they will withold STATE FUNDING–equal to Local funding being witheld by the county and use these funds to support the charters. So the question then is can the state dictate how state funding for schools is spent? I’m guessing there is plenty of precident that says they can.
So lets spend a couple million fighting this and when we lose we can claim the money spent in the courtroom was better spent than had it been spent in the classroom.
jim d
September 14th, 2009
9:11 am
The one Charter in Gwinnett that will alwayss have full local funding.
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Why? cause it’s the only one the system has approved and is operated by the system to provide for the brightest. A CHARTER for less than the stellar, supported by local funding? Naw–we will take that one to court.
WTG ALVIN, Dan, Louise, Robert, Mary & Carole, your true colors are showing! You may have trouble hiding them come next elections. hmmm, 2010? that would be Danny and Bobby
Maureen Downey
September 14th, 2009
9:37 am
jim d, When the Legislature discussed this bill, lawyer/lawmakers raised the issue of whether it would pass constitutional muster because it is an end run around the issue of local funding control. I suspect the state expected the lawsuit.
Not sure whether Gwinnett will prevail, but I am certain that it will be costly for the state and the county.
jim d
September 14th, 2009
10:20 am
Mo,
perhaps the parents of the 250 young ladies at New Life acad. should file a suit against GCPS for sex descrimination. Obviously the system feels it should be cheaper to educate girls.
jim d
September 14th, 2009
10:26 am
oops my bad–not new life
Ivy Preparatory Academy
jim d
September 14th, 2009
11:48 am
after closer review I did mean New Life acad.
Seems they are being shortchanged to the tune of about $1200 per student by the county.
Concerned Mother
September 15th, 2009
7:26 pm
This is a really messed up situation. My child is a Ivy Prep Student. I live in Gwinnett County, unable to sell my home to move to a better school district and cannot afford the extreme expense of a private school such as Atlanta Christian, St. Pius or Weslyan. Yes, I have the right to choose another school within the county, but and told that I can only choose from a very small handful that have extremely bad reputations of not making AYP, students beating up teachers, gangs and various other issues (Lilburn Middle and Louise Radloff = Meadowcreek High School). I do not find these schools to be acceptable. Myself and many other parents feel that these schools are not capable of providing the educational needs and environment that our daughters deserve. So we chose to apply for Ivy Prep. Those who are accepted have to provide transportation to and from the school because there is no transporatation provided from the state or county. We also pack our daughters lunches every day, because there is no lunch program provided by the state/county. Ivy Prep’s CRCT scores were that of some of the highest in the state at 98% passing. Gwinnett County needs to focus their attention on getting their current public schools in shape instead of trying to tear down a charter school that meets & exceeds the educational needs of our daughters !!!!
Just the Facts
September 15th, 2009
7:40 pm
Just the FACTS
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST) mission is to nurture the talents of high potential students (NOT OPEN ENROLLMENT) as is the definition of a Charter School.
(iii) Charter schools are public schools of open enrollment. As such, charter schools may not use admissions criteria or admissions applications that would not otherwise be used at a traditional public school. Charter schools may not use enrollment applications that require submission of letters of recommendation, essays, resumes, or other narrative summaries of a student’s school or community activities, grades, test scores, attendance record, or disciplinary history.
Required GSMST Advisement Checklist Form
Students interested in registering for GSMST must schedule an advisement appointment with their
GCPS middle school counselor OR a GSMST counselor in order for the registration process to be
complete. Parents must accompany students in the advisement session. This Advisement Checklist
Form should be reviewed and completed during the advisement appointment.
Counselors: Please place your initials in the blank as you discuss each item with the student at the
advisement appointment. Use the attached pages as a guide as you complete this check-list. Your
assistance in the GSMST Registration Process is greatly appreciated.
______Review standardized test scores for students who have been successful at GSMST.
______Compare student’s test scores with scores of students who have been successful at
GSMST (provided by student permanent file at middle school or compiled from StART and
entered into attached table).
o 8th Grade ITBS
o 8th Grade CogAT
o 7th Grade Gateway
o 7th Grade CRCT
Ivy Prep ROCKS!
October 2nd, 2009
7:55 am
I am a single mom, raising a bright young lady who is thriving at Ivy Prep Academy. When we were a part of the Gwinnett County Public School System, my daughter was ridiculed, called racist names, threatened by a student with a knife (for which the child received an in-school suspension after I pressed the issue) and witnessed teachers throwing lunch boxes at other students out of anger. This all happened in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! What a way to start off your early school years.
After enduring many painful issues in the public school, I searched long and hard for an AFFORDABLE alternative for my daughter’s middle school years. I was blessed to stumble upon Ivy Prep. The teachers, administration and scholars are WONDERFUL! When they say there is no tolerance of things like: fighting, verbal abuse, weapon possession, bullying, etc., they mean it. I cannot say the same for what I experienced before Ivy Prep.
We, the parents of Ivy Prep make an ultimate sacrafice in return for a top-notched education. We “MUST” provide our own transportation, lunches and pay for uniforms. Our girls do not have a gymnasium or some of the other luxurious programs that are provide in your regular public school due to low funding. But what we do get is teachers who care and go the extra mile to make sure that are children are EDUCATED.
It has been said that we are stealing from the Gwinnett County School System. Well, I disagree! Do you know that Ivy Prep still receives far less funding for each student than your traditional public school? If our children were attending the public schools in their areas wouldn’t they reap the benefits of a more expensive education? They way I look at it, the Gwinnett County School system is saving money and my daughter is receiving a quality education…so who’s losing here?
PLEASE HELP US SAVE OUR SCHOOL!